Next Up Podcast

The conversation explores video training, consulting, equipment and virtual reality as they relate to foodservice and the importance of standardization, efficiency, and the ability to track progress in training programs. But most excitingly...We go to the Metaverse!

Joe Urban shares his journey of transforming school food in Greenville, South Carolina. He pushed the limits and changed the perceptions of school food, making Greenville one of the most recognized school nutrition programs across the country. Joe's vision and drive, along with the dedication of his team, led to numerous improvements in the quality and presentation of school meals. Despite facing some resistance from peers, Joe advocated for his staff and highlighted their great work. He believes in collaboration over competition and surrounds himself with rock stars to achieve success. In this conversation, Joe Urban and Erica Urban discuss the journey of School Food Rocks and its impact on school districts and manufacturers. They emphasize the importance of collaboration and putting clients first. Joe shares his experience in maintaining ethical standards and the support he received from the Greenville community. They also discuss the future plans for School Food Rocks, including the opening of a state-of-the-art headquarters and the development of a line of better-for-you, authentic, ethnic foods for schools.

Palmetto Gourmet Foods, a subsidiary of Borealis, is focused on developing nutritious, sustainable, and affordable meals for schools. Woodles, their branded whole grain K-12 compliant ramen noodles, was developd by Soodeh Shakhravi, a food scientist, and is being shared districts nationwide by Sally Nicholson, Senior advisor, and Amanda Bott, VP of K-12 .

In this conversation, Tara Sharpe from National Food Group, ZeeZees discusses the Grab the Tab initiative, which helps schools with meal debt relief and the need for universal meals for all students. Tara also shares stories from schools that have applied for Grab the Tab and the struggles that school districts face. She also talks about the evolution of the ZeeZees brand and how they provide fun and nutritious products for school districts. Tara highlights the impact of ZeeZees products on students and the importance of customer service. Tara also discusses the importance of breaking the school lunch stigma and the need to provide students with upscale products. National Food Group is a fun family-owned business that is all about making school meals a blast with fun flavors that make students smile and satisfy their taste for adventure.

In this conversation, Dr. Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE discusses her journey as a leader and the importance of authenticity, mentorship, and self-care. She shares insights on effective communication, delivering feedback, and the challenges of being a leader. Dr. Wiggs-Harris emphasizes the need for leaders to stay true to themselves and their values, and to be disruptors in their organizations. She also highlights the importance of tearing down silos and pushing boundaries to drive innovation. Overall, the conversation explores the qualities and strategies that contribute to successful leadership.

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Instagram: https://www.in stagram.com/eatright_pro/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatright PRO
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eatrightpro/mycompany/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatrightPRO
Website: https://www.eatrightpro.org ===========================================
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Timecodes 

0:00 Stepping Up as a Leader
01:24 Street Cred and Authentic Leadership
07:01 Introversion and Leadership
08:28 The Importance of Mentors
10:19 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
12:13 Effective Communication as a Leader
13:35 Being Direct, Kind, and Honest
14:05 Adapting Leadership Style
16:22 Taking Care of Good People
19:43 Being True to Yourself as a Leader
20:41 Finding and Maintaining Your Leadership Voice
22:31 Leadership Expectations and Accountability
24:27 Dealing with Decision Fatigue
25:23 Self-Care and Decompressing
26:44 British Television and Exercise
28:02 Growing Up in Germany and South Carolina
30:56 Being a Disruptor in an Organization
32:25 Overcoming Challenges as a Young Leader
36:02 Rebuilding the Soul of an Organization
37:52 Tearing Down Silos and Pushing Boundaries
41:29 Taking Risks and Innovating
44:18 Healing and Focusing in an Organization
46:00 Leveraging Different Skills and Focusing on Strengths
48:52 Being True to Self and Knowing Your Value 

This episode was filmed at Red Gold's headquarters and explores the importance of tomato products in food service with a focus on Red Gold's success in the tomato category. Marlon, David, Jodi, and Michelle talk about the history and evolution of Red Gold, the nutritional benefits of tomato paste, and its role in school food service. The conversation also highlights Red Gold's commitment to quality and vertical integration in the tomato production process. They also discuss the importance of reducing sodium in K-12 products and how they were one of the first to meet and exceed the guidelines. Red Gold provides a variety of versatile tomato products and is committed to customer service and better nutrition made simple.

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Served Digizine December 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/link/473009/

On this episode of the Next Up podcast, Marlon met with Dr. Katie Wilson, the Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance, where they discussed the growth and impact of the organization in transforming school meals. The Alliance, consisting of the largest school districts in the country, uses its collective buying power to disrupt the marketplace and improve the quality of school meals. The directors of the Alliance have extensive experience and street cred in the food service industry. The Alliance provides support, resources, and education to school districts of all sizes, with a focus on procurement and innovation.

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Served Digizine December 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/link/473009/

This episode of the Next Up podcast features the core production team of NextGen Network. Marlon, Kalista, and Jamie discuss their backgrounds and how they met sharing their experiences working at GameStop, their love for video games, the Internship program at their church, and their career journeys in the film and production industry. The conversation also touches on topics such as human trafficking, the process of upgrading the podcast setup, passion for their work and their commitment to providing high-quality content, the importance of being genuine and trustworthy and why it’s important to have direct and honest communication. They also explore the qualities of a good leader and the importance of empowering and surrounding oneself with talented individuals. The conversation delves into future plans and the desire to make a positive impact through storytelling and community upliftment.

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Media Kit: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/781809128/

Served Digizine December 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/link/473009/

There aren’t many people Marlon has known longer than Amanda career wise and not many people he can say that have followed a path so similar to his…

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Served Digizine December 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/link/473009/

Thanks for tuning into the Next Up Podcast! In this episode, Marlon had the pleasure of speaking with the Texas Association for School Nutrition President-Elect and Director of the year, Lacy Willey!

Lacy is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over 18 years of foodservice experience and is currently the Child Nutrition Director for Cleveland ISD which is the fastest growing district in Texas.

Lacy is passionate about helping others improve their health and wellness, and about being a lunch lady. I’m sure after listening to her story, you’ll learn there’s a lot more to being a “Lunch Lady” than you might have already thought.

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