Pamela Weekes and Connie McDonald, co-founders of Levain Bakery, built one of America’s most iconic bakeries by choosing community over scale. As longtime partners and operators, they’ve spent three decades proving that patience and care can turn a neighborhood shop into a national brand.

Watch now to learn how a batch of cookies became a national brand, how community fueled their growth, and why slow expansion built something that lasts.

Sponsored by: 
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanessa Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Feel Good Foods, grew up in the restaurant industry before turning a personal health challenge into a national frozen food brand. After being diagnosed with celiac disease, she set out to recreate the foods she loved, building a career that blends hospitality roots with consumer packaged goods innovation.

Watch now to learn how a lie at a family reunion became a national brand, the Whole Foods moment that changed everything, and why belief beats credentials.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helen Wechsler, Senior Director, Food Program CoE at Google, leads one of the world’s largest food at work programs. With a career rooted in hospitality, she oversees how food supports culture, wellbeing, and belonging across Google offices, blending intentional experiences with technology to feed people thoughtfully at global scale.

Watch now to learn how food, culture, and technology come together inside Google’s offices.

Sponsored by: 
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Petrakis, co-founder of The Ravenous Pig and a James Beard Award semifinalist, helped shape Orlando’s modern food scene by building restaurants rooted in craft, community, and endurance. As a chef, operator, and mentor, he’s built a career defined less by hype and more by staying power.

Watch now to learn how survival shaped his growth, how one airport deal changed everything, and why community and craft still come first.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Palmer, CEO of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, oversees the evolution of a historic California brand. As a brand builder and operator, he’s focused on alignment, patience, and protecting what made the product special. 

Watch now to learn about taking over a legacy ice cream brand, building partnerships rooted in shared values, and growing nationally without sacrificing quality.

Sponsored by: 
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brooks Schaden, co-CEO and co-founder of Tom’s Watch Bar, is building a new kind of sports bar designed around how fans actually watch games today. Through thoughtful design, operations, and partnerships, he’s turning live sports into a scalable hospitality experience.

Watch now to learn how a sports bar built around fandom grew fast, formed strategic partnerships, and turned games into shared moments.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xavier Woods, an NFL safety and Smoothie King franchise owner, is building a second career rooted in ownership. As a professional athlete turned entrepreneur, he’s investing in systems designed for durability beyond football.

Watch now to learn how an NFL veteran is applying discipline from the field to franchise ownership, long-term investing, and building businesses beyond football.

(This episode was recorded on October 17th 2025)

Sponsored by: 
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Newman, founder of Edley’s Bar-B-Que, turned years of regional BBQ exposure into a growing restaurant brand. As a former law student and restaurant operator, he focuses on thoughtful growth while honoring the legacy behind the name

Watch now to learn how a law student recognized an opening, named a restaurant with purpose, and navigated the realities of growing a BBQ brand.

Sponsored by: 
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Lee, founder of Katie’s Pizza & Pasta, built her career in restaurant kitchens before turning a pandemic pivot into a national frozen pizza brand. Her handmade pizzas are now sold in every Target store nationwide as part of a $20 million retail deal.

Watch now to learn about a $20 million Target deal, and the discipline required to scale without losing the craft.

Sponsored by: 

• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Ensero and Justin Egan, founders of Wing It On and members of the Craveworthy Brands portfolio, built the concept from a single store into an award-winning wing brand with nine National Buffalo Wing Festival trophies.

Watch now to learn how Wing It On grew from a homegrown idea, earned national recognition, and found the right partner to scale.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices