Coffee is all about human connection. That we get to create both the beverage and the experience people have when enjoying it is at once a great responsibility, a joy, and an opportunity to change lives through our hospitality in each interaction.
In our daily pursuit of providing this special moment we must start with a dedication to our craft and care for people that in many ways could be considered “Unreasonable”.
I am thrilled to welcome to the show someone who has created these moments for guests at the highest levels of global hospitality and is on a mission to champion “Unreasonable Hospitality” as a framework and philosophy that will benefit to anything we set our hearts and hands to do.
Such a pleasure to welcome, Will Guidara!
Will Guidara is the founder of Thank You, a hospitality company that develops world-class destinations and helps leaders across industries transform their approach to customer service. He is also the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park. Under his leadership, the restaurant received numerous accolades, including four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars and in 2017 was named number one on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
He is also the cofounder of the Welcome Conference, an annual conference that brings together the best minds in the world of hospitality. A graduate Cornell University, he has coauthored four cookbooks, was named one of Crain’s New York Business’s 40 Under 40, and is a recipient of WSJ. Magazine’s Innovator Award.
In his latest book, Unreasonable Hospitality, he shares many of the lessons about service and leadership he learned over the course of his career in restaurants, and makes the case that any business can choose to be in the hospitality industry by taking ordinary transactions and turning them into memorable experiences.
In the conversation we explore Will’s own development and pursuit of hospitality through his career in restaurants, the birth of the idea of Unreasonable Hospitality, and the nuances of how it is applied in both life and the work of serving others.
We cover:
- Choosing to focus on hospitality
- What is “Unreasonable Hospitality”?
- Applying the practice to your daily work
- Managing your own emotions as you serve
- Being the “Best” for the right people
- How to gain buy-in from a younger work force
- Metrics to focus on for hospitality
- Can we kill hospitality through systems?
- Staying motivated without awards
Links:
https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/
https://www.thewelcomeconference.com/
Related episodes:
- 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
- 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
- 058 : Holiday Hospitality
- 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga’s Coffee Roasters
- 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown
- 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders
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