Chef James Galbraith is building restaurants that scale and a culture that lasts.

The Michigan-based chef and restaurateur behind Houndstooth, Animal, and Post Boy walks us through his journey from dish pit to design-led hospitality. In this episode, Galbraith shares what it takes to open three distinct concepts in a small town, the systems that support rapid growth, and how he recruits and retains top-tier talent. From navigating city regulations to embracing kitchen screens, he’s rewriting what local success looks like and making it intentional every step of the way.

Takeaways

• Opening restaurants in seasonal towns requires intentional design and operations
• Scaling from 100 to 1,000 covers demands clear systems and technology adoption
• Founding teams matter: shared values and aligned vision are essential
• Small towns can attract national talent when the mission and benefits are strong
• Building a brand means integrating merch, design, and community connection
• Recruiting nationally requires flexibility and upfront investment
• Leaders must adapt to shifting staff expectations, prioritizing well-being over just pay
• Marketing goes beyond social media, encompassing merch, messaging, and emotional connection
• Municipal rules vary, so understanding city politics is part of the job

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

How do you grow a business without losing your soul or your standards? Chef Sarah Grueneberg has answers.

From Top Chef finalist to James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Monteverde in Chicago, Grueneberg opens up about mentorship, retention, ownership, and accountability. In this episode, she shares her approach to training, internal leadership development, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from nearly a decade of running a successful restaurant. With a second concept on the way, Sarah is redefining what growth looks like on her own terms.

Takeaways

• Investing in team culture is just as important as investing in design or equipment
• Upholding standards consistently helps prevent resentment and slippage
• Building a “new independent restaurant structure” requires rethinking HR and training
• Owning your real estate provides flexibility, equity, and long-term protection
• Mentorship includes letting go and empowering future leaders
• Growth can be an act of retention when done intentionally
• Fair, consistent PTO policies help avoid animosity among staff
• Positivity and accountability need be managed in real-time, not left for “tomorrow”
• Celebrity status can support a business, but values dictate its direction
• Partnering with the right nonprofit (like Southern Smoke) creates real industry impact

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

From fine dining to Lollapalooza and MasterChef, Graham Elliot’s journey is anything but ordinary.
In this vibrant episode, Chef Graham Elliot shares how a punk rock spirit, deep empathy, and a love for teaching have shaped his path across restaurants, television, and fatherhood. He reflects on the value of authenticity, building restaurant teams like bands, using media to connect more personally, and how a life-saving health decision transformed not only his body, but also his career. This episode is full of energy, heart, and hard-won wisdom.

Takeaways
- Make the kitchen a stage for creativity, individuality, and reinvention
- Lead teams by recognizing unique talents, not enforcing hierarchy
- Remember that TV fame is fleeting; purpose and authenticity endure
- Treat health journeys as personal and sometimes public, but always powerful
- Approach food and music as forms of collaboration, storytelling, and disruption
- Use teaching and mentoring as acts of service that outlast any review or award
- Build a career in hospitality by embracing change, not resisting it
- Use social media to humanize chefs and break down barriers to access
- Approach kids and kitchens with patience, honesty, and humor
- Welcome the evolving definition of “chef” as a positive change

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?
MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

From addiction to advocacy: Chef Andrew Zimmern’s story is a masterclass in purpose-led leadership.

The James Beard and Emmy Award-winning chef, TV personality, and entrepreneur reflects on the power of service, storytelling, and saying “yes.” In this deeply personal episode, Chef Andrew opens up about recovery, responsibility, and what it means to use your platform for lasting impact. From Bizarre Foods to shaping global food policy, he shows that hospitality is bigger than business. It’s a tool for building a better world.

Takeaways

• Service is the foundation of long-term sobriety and purpose
• Saying “yes” can unlock powerful opportunities for impact
• Advocacy work can begin with personal healing and grow into policy change
• Independent restaurants are vital to the economy, and they’re under threat
• Leaders must prioritize clear communication, thoughtful marketing, and regular self-reflection
• Asking for help is essential for growth
• Restaurant culture teaches teamwork that extends far beyond the kitchen
• A consistent morning routine sets the tone for mental clarity and effective leadership
• Purpose-driven entrepreneurship means aligning work with values

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Chef Kenny Gilbert has built a career that spans fine dining, franchising, product development, and operations—always with a focus on systems that scale.

From Ritz-Carlton kitchens to his own spice line, franchises, and a VP role at Grove Bay Hospitality Group, Chef Kenny shares how decades of experience, mentorship, and relentless process design have shaped both his culinary and business approach. He opens up about franchise development, working across multiple concepts, leading airport operations, and why systems, not ego, are the key to sustainable restaurant growth.

Takeaways

• Build systems that empower teams and create scalable operations.
• Revenue diversity through products, franchises, and consulting supports long-term stability.
• Equipment, layout, and menu design must work in harmony to drive efficiency.
• Leadership requires removing ego and investing in team development.
• Airport operations require unique operational models, speed, and precision.
• Co-packers and supply chain partners enable product scalability.
• PR can help launch brands, but consistent social media drives long-term sales.
• Daily operational audits ensure food safety, consistency, and profitability.

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Chef Joe Sasto is rewriting the chef playbook by blending pasta, business, content, and creativity into a fully modern culinary career.

From Michelin-starred kitchens to Top Chef, from viral pasta content to launching his own snack brand, Tantos, Sasto shares how he’s built a career that bridges both old-school technique and new-school entrepreneurship. In this episode, he opens up about content creation, brand building, his upcoming cookbook, and the critical mindset shifts required to thrive outside of traditional restaurants.

Takeaways

• Authenticity drives sustainable personal brands in today’s culinary world.
• Social media creates visibility, but it only works long term if it feels meaningful to you.
• Scaling products requires mastering the supply chain far beyond recipe development.
• Timing, adaptability, and being early to trends create opportunities.
• Cookbook writing demands both personal storytelling and technical clarity.
• Saying yes to casting opens doors in food television.
• Leadership today blends creative freedom with accountability and constant learning.
• Staying present and celebrating milestones is crucial for long-term fulfillment.

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Top Chef winner and Chicago chef Joe Flamm opens up about building restaurant culture, balancing family, and leading his team through thoughtful, intentional growth.

From his Croatian-Italian roots at Rose Mary to his new projects across Chicago, Flamm shares the leadership systems, daily rituals, and hiring philosophy that keep his kitchens running smoothly while maintaining high standards. He discusses how Top Chef impacted his career, why social media has its limits, and how culture and accountability drive long-term success for both staff and guests.

Takeaways

• Leadership growth requires a balance between accountability and empathy.
• Cross-training teams and collective hiring build stronger team culture.
• Top Chef brought visibility, but lasting success comes down to great hospitality.
• Scaling businesses depends entirely on team readiness and mentorship.
• Systems allow for creative focus by removing daily stress points.
• Reviews, guest feedback, and financials are part of a chef’s daily leadership rhythm.
• Personal priorities, like family, shape decision-making as businesses evolve.
• Social media is a tool, but not the goal; substance always wins over vanity metrics.

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft breaks down how he built and runs a multi-concept hospitality group while putting people at the center.

From opening his first restaurant at 25 to leading 12+ distinct concepts under Niche Food Group, Craft offers hard-earned lessons on scaling sustainably. He talks candidly about managing growth, strengthening upper management, cross-training staff, and why empathy is still one of hospitality’s most undervalued leadership tools. This episode is a grounded, operator-focused playbook for building a resilient business.

Takeaways

• Financial systems must evolve from monthly to daily insights as you grow.
• Cross-training isn’t just efficient—it builds loyalty, adaptability, and stronger culture.
• Diverse restaurant models help protect businesses in shifting economies.
• Communication tools and reporting systems keep teams aligned across locations.
• Empathy is essential for leadership at every level of the organization.
• Technology supports smarter decisions, but human connection drives the business.
• Growth phases require intentional “pause and tighten” periods to recalibrate.
• Leadership pipelines require different skills at different stages.

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Celebrity chef Damaris Phillips shares how she’s built a thriving food media career that lasts while staying deeply connected to her culinary roots.

From winning Food Network Star to launching a cookbook, a picnic club, and a production company, Phillips opens up about evolving her career on her own terms. She gets candid about building confidence on social media, creating authentic content, and the reality of entrepreneurship in hospitality today. With humor, honesty, and practical wisdom, Phillips offers a blueprint for how chefs and creatives can build meaningful, sustainable businesses while staying true to who they are.

Takeaways

• Building a food career often means redefining what “success” looks like.
• Consistency and clear intention matter more than flash when growing online.
• Social media requires thoughtful content repurposing.
• Community-focused business models can drive both profit and purpose.
• Teaching and production work can coexist with creative cooking careers.
• Content creation is now a key part of hospitality, not just a nice-to-have.
• Business partnerships rooted in aligned values lead to long-term success.
• Boundaries and focus are essential for building a sustainable business.

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Chef Chris Shepherd isn’t just feeding people—he’s feeding an entire industry’s future.

The James Beard Award-winning chef behind Underbelly and founder of Southern Smoke shares his powerful journey: from building restaurants to building one of hospitality’s most impactful foundations. Chef Chris reflects on closing restaurants, leadership evolution, financial lessons, and why advocacy for hospitality workers is more urgent than ever. This conversation is both deeply personal and broadly relevant for anyone leading in today’s hospitality world.

Takeaways

• Hospitality starts internally—with your team, not just guests.
• Every challenge is a learning experience, not a failure.
• Community impact often begins with small, highly personal decisions.
• Disaster relief efforts revealed deep gaps in how hospitality workers are supported.
• Mental health care must be prioritized across the industry.
• Legal, financial, and operational education is critical for long-term sustainability.
• Leadership means knowing when to say “no” to distractions.
• You can’t scale generosity without structure and systems.

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.