The Frontline Industry Podcast

On this vulnerable and raw episode, Joel speaks to Edie Freeman, SVP of HR at Thompson Hospitality, the large minority-owned and family-run company that is redefining the art of hospitality. Edie shares her passions outside of work, her deep desire to help people be heard and develop them, her pursuit of boundaries and balance at home and at work, the importance of being vulnerable, and much more.

Joel continues his discussion with Patty Lopez-Calleja, Chief Experience Officer and SVP of Strategic Initiatives at Fiesta Restaurant Group. Patty shares the one thing she wants her in-store teams to know, their unique investment in frontline leadership development, creating a highly customizable employee experience, more about their forward-thinking frontline benefits, and much more.

In this exciting two-part episode, Joel talks with Patty Lopez-Calleja, Chief Experience Officer and SVP of Strategic Initiatives at Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of Pollo Tropical, the 138 location restaurant chain headquartered in Miami. Patty discusses creating an actual people-first culture, she reveals the secret and quiet ways they invest in their people and communities, “giving employees what they ask for” when it comes to benefits, what service experience really means, and much more. 

On this fiery episode, Joel speaks with the energetic Shannon Coomes, President of Hill Fire Protection, the leading provider of inspection, testing, maintenance, repairs and 24 hour emergency service for fire sprinkler systems. Shannon ruminates about how being raised by a single mom impacted her personally and professionally, the challenge of rebuilding a team when she took her job, being one of the only female executives in her industry, and so much more.

Joel sits down with Josh Bickford, EVP of Strategic Initiatives and 4th generation owner of Clyde’s Donuts, a 102 year old donut manufacturer in Chicago-land. Josh talks about the family legacy and fun culture of Clyde’s, creatively involving the frontlines in ideation, how he wants to be an enabler for frontline employees, the joy of making a product that brings families together, and so much more. 

This is Part 2 of last episode, where Joel talks with Ryan Bond, CPO at Thrive Restaurant Group. In this powerful culmination, Ryan discusses helping Thrive employees flourish both at home and at work, the number one thing frontline associates need, how Thrive recognizes employees differently, his powerful message for struggling leaders, his passion for addressing mental health challenges, and much more. 

In this extremely authentic and raw episode, Joel talks with Ryan Bond, Chief People Officer at Thrive Restaurant Group, a company with 103 restaurants and over 5000 team members. Ryan discusses the failure of the traditional Human Resources model and the fundamental distrust that too many companies have in their people, how experiences shape our beliefs, the practical ways Thrive cares for their employees, and much more. You DO NOT want to miss this first part of a two-part series with Ryan.

On this incredible episode, Joel speaks with John Alexander, Executive Director of Creative Arts at Eagle Brook Church, one of the largest churches in the country. John shares his perspective on vision casting, stories, and building relationships, he expounds on the one make-or-break meeting his teams do every single weekend, how he tackles the challenge of the omnichannel church experience (including the metaverse!), and much more. 

Joel sits down with Deb Coviello, who helps C-Suite leaders take control of their careers, guiding them to navigate challenges with confidence. Deb discusses her passion for elevating leaders and unleashing their potential, the common challenges that leaders struggle with, harnessing the latent potential of frontline employees, the ignorance of calling them “low skilled” workers, why executives need to spend the time  on the frontlines of their businesses, and much more.

In this special episode, we look back at the top insights and wisdom shared over the last 16 episodes. The guests and content have been amazing, but you might not have time to listen to every single episode, OR, you have listened but it’s admittedly easy to forget the best parts and takeaways that you loved. So strap in, grab a latte, and let’s highlight my "best of the best."