The Frontline Industry Podcast

Joel has an impactful conversation with Troy Morrison, President of North Texas Bells, a 2200 employee quick service restaurant company based in Texas, a big company with a small company feel. Troy shares about his move to franchise owner at 47 years old, his passion for helping people help themselves, the importance of a purpose driven life and what his purpose is, the two principles on which he built his business, and much more. 

Joel has a vulnerable discussion with Gary Magenta, Chief Pot Stirrer at The Magenta Mix, where Gary helps leaders and organizations "cut through the BS", get real, and redefine what success looks like for leaders, teams, and customers. Gary talks about  why leaders should talk what they suck at with their teams, how to build trust quickly, the epidemic of imposter syndrome in leadership, the advice that gave him goosebumps, and much more.

Joel talks with the innovative Jason Radisson, Founder and CEO of Shift One, a company on a mission to solve the world's largest employment gaps with technology. Jason talks about major demographic macro trends in frontline workplaces, how AI plays into the future of frontline work and tech, his experience with hiring 5000 people a week, his lifelong mission and why he just won’t quit, and much more. 

Joel sits down with McLain Hoogland, President of Hoogland Restaurant Group, the largest Marco’s Pizza Franchise in the country. McLain talks about his family history of owning the iconic Family Video, the massive Blockbuster competitor with over 800 locations in the Midwest at its peak, how being a Marine impacts the way he views young employees and how capable they are, the importance of getting your hands dirty on the frontlines as a leader, and much more.

In this meaty episode, meet James O’Reilly, CEO of Smokey Bones, meat heaven for meat lovers, the masters of meat, specializing in good food, good drinks, and good times. James expounds about the restaurant industry leaders he looks up to, the importance of transparency during crisis, the qualities he looks for in employees, the failure he learned from the most earlier in his career, the best compliment he could get, and much more.

The unforgettable Justin Patton is an award winning author, speaker, and executive coach. In this powerful episode, he explains what can be your biggest competitive advantage as a leader, what the most honest part of the body is (and it's surprising), how to diagnose if you need an executive coach, why so many jerks become company leaders, the best sort of company recognition plans, the power of gentleness, and much more.

Joel has a delightful conversation with the charming Bobbi Capps, Regional Vice President of the West Region of Aramark Workplace Hospitality. Bobbi talks about the important three C’s in her world, what she’s learned about leadership through working in management roles since she was 17, opening her own restaurant, her rapid ascension at Aramark and what successes she’s known for, her big career goals, and so much more.

In our inaugural episode for 2023, Joel chats with Said Elkhodary, SVP of Professional Dining at Elior North America, one of the world’s leading operators in contract catering and support services. Said reveals the pivot he made from mechanical engineering to the service industry at the beginning of his career, he reflects on the biggest challenges in corporate dining now, the generational differences in the workforce, what he loves most about his job, and much more.

Joel wraps up the 2022 podcast season with a meaningful conversation with Barb Rooney, SVP of Lodging, Spa and Owner Services at Boyne Resorts. Barb talks about running Big Sky Resort lodging at just 24 years old and the painful but important learnings she experienced, how her change-agent personality has evolved over the years, the important transition Boyne made to focusing on servant leadership, the legacy she wants to leave behind, and much more.

Joel continues his talk with Davin Salvagno, the globally recognized inspirational speaker and author known for connecting purpose, people, and performance. Learn about the “ROI” of focusing on purpose in your company, but how it’s also not the most important reason to pursue it, fulfilling dreams as the number one KPI at a multi-billion dollar company, the decision you can make each day that change the world, and much more. If you've been looking for something life-changing to noodle on over your holiday breaks, this will certainly do the trick.