All Episodes

Today’s guest, John Mason, has a deep purpose of trying to make learning better and easier for everyone. He is the founder of Sideways, a hospitality learning and knowledge-sharing platform that helps teams to get better every day. We dive into John’s story and why he built Sideways, and how John struggled with the traditional ways of learning in school and the early parts of his career. This was a fascinating conversation where John shares their company philosophy of “Help One Help Many”, how w...

Paul McCarthy is the CEO and Founder of Snapfix, which is the simplest Facilities and Maintenance Platform in the world. Paul’s background is in software development, and in parallel he has always been involved in managing buildings as part of a family business – both residential and commercial buildings. Tune in to this episode as we explore how Snapfix can assist the operations team in gaining greater visibility and completing tasks more quickly and effectively. We also touch on keeping techno...

There are only two kinds of companies: the one that has been hacked… and the one that hasn’t yet. To find out how to keep your hospitality business secure, tune in to this episode as we are joined by Mathieu Gorge, CEO and founder of VigiTrust. The award-winning provider of Integrated Risk Management (IRM) SaaS solutions helps companies around the world in the hospitality, retail, transportation, higher education, government, healthcare, and eCommerce industries. This is a fascinating episode as...

Myles Downey is an authority on Performance Coaching and Leadership. He was the founder of The School of Coaching, for many years, a much-respected provider of coach training and executive coaching in the UK and Europe. Myles is the author of ‘Effective Modern Coaching’, ‘Effective Coaching’ and ‘Enabling Genius – a mindset for success in the 21st Century. I truly enjoyed this reflective conversation as we explored tapping into your own leadership style. Tune in to this episode as we discuss red...

Profit Hound was founded by Simon Elliott in 2020 to help food businesses become more profitable. From being the only boy in Home Economics at 13, to his career in food profit consultancy for 25 years – and then launching Profit Hound – Simon has achieved a lot along his journey. Tune in to this episode as Simon shares some practical tips on how you can boost profitability – from upselling, simple menu changes and keeping consistent. He also shares some common myths about cutting costs, as well ...

Whether you are a global organization or a small independent, we all need an Employer Brand that reflects the business authentically. Bryan Adams is the CEO and founder of Ph.Creative, a global employer branding agency, working with clients like Continental, Apple and Nike. Bryan is also co-author of two books, ‘Getting Goosebumps’ and ‘Give & Get Employer Branding’. In this conversation, Bryan and I discuss how to make your brand stand out, shape your reputation, and bring clarity to your propo...

Loreca is a startup that helps hotels rank higher on travel search engines using an algorithm that today’s guest, Bart-Jan Leyts, had designed – and boosting the revenue of a hotel or Bed and Breakfast by approximately 24%. I had to invite Bart-Jan on to the show to learn more about this platform, and explore the overall bigger picture of tech in the hospitality industry. It was fascinating to hear what Bart-Jan has learnt from working closely with both big and small operators. In this conversat...

You don’t need Kim Kardashian or Joe Wicks to promote your business – but micro-level independent influencers who resonate with your audience. Nibble was launched in 2021 to make influencer marketing simple and quick for restaurants and influencers. The platform connects brands with the right local influencers to get more customers through the door. Today we’re joined by co-founder Michael Radley to discuss why all hospitality brands need to leverage this marketing channel – and where to get sta...

Today I am joined by a fellow Scandinavian, Annica Wainwright, to talk about her business 2Forks, and how she has been able to elevate her business and brand through copywriting. 2Forks offers copywriting, content strategy and consultancy services. They help restaurants and brands connect with consumers through engaging food and drink content. It was great speaking with Annica in person in the Brighton studio. In this episode, Annica talks about the core principles of persuasion, how she trains ...

Join the second part of my conversation with Bo Burlingham – the author of notable books such as ‘Small Giants’ and ‘The Great Game of Business’. Currently a contributor to Forbes, Bo previously worked at Inc. magazine for over 30 years as senior editor, executive editor, and editor at large. In this part of the interview, Bo continues to share his research process for writing ‘Small Giants’. We also talk about having a business ‘mojo’ or ‘magnetism’, how we can apply his timeless knowledge to t...

Bo Burlingham’s work has had a huge impact on my work at Hospitality Mavericks. He is the author of notable books such as ‘Small Giants’ and ‘The Great Game of Business’. Currently a contributor to Forbes, Bo previously worked at Inc. magazine for over 30 years as senior editor, executive editor, and editor at large. It’s a great honour to have Bo on the show. This interview will be shared with you in two parts – join me in part one as we delve into his early days of writing, working with Jack S...

This week's episode takes a different turn – the spotlight is on myself with my amazing co-author Nicole Antonio Gadsdon from BananaPepper HR, hosted by the great John Porter of ShielPorter Communications. In this special episode, we unpack our whitepaper ‘Six Tenets of Agile Hospitality: 6 Tenets Every Leader Needs to Survive and Thrive in the New Era of Hospitality’ . It took more than 12 months of research and writing, plus the team's combined experience and we have hugely appreciated all you...

Pix Ashworth is the founder of sustainable bath and body brand land&water, and the Director of Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall. They’re in the process of obtaining their B Corp accreditation, so I had to have Pix on the show to explore how they’re building a sustainable brand and how they have developed a solid company culture. In this episode, Pix shares her unusual entry into hospitality, leveraging the advantages of being a small brand, her philosophy on handling challenges, and why we all ne...

Thiago Luz Togni is rallying a movement trying to get the government to consider 2-year visas for EU citizens in the UK’s hospitality sector. I’m delighted to have him on the show to find out how he is campaigning for change with a petition which requires 100,000+ signatures. Thiago is also the General Manager at Temper, a barbecue and steak restaurant which specialises in whole animal open fire cooking. In this conversation, we explore the impact of having EU hospitality workers helping our bus...

Respect, collaboration and listening are some of the key attributes of the culture at Sightline Hospitality. It’s a third-party management company that redefines hotel management and has supported its employees “like a family” over the pandemic. The company’s President, Kirk Pederson, joins me to share how their business is refining and redefining hospitality through its strong employee culture. Catch some of Kirk’s sound advice when it comes to building an environment that leaves his staff feel...

Cocoa Runners are the home of the world's finest craft chocolate, working with over 100 makers from all over the world, providing 750 bars through a monthly discovery service, individual bar sales and distribution services for small batch, single estate, craft chocolate. Today we are joined by the remarkable founder of this company, Spencer Hyman, who is on a mission to bring you the world’s best single-estate chocolate. Spencer reveals the negative and positive environmental and social impacts ...

It was a true joy to have Mowgli Street Food founder Nisha Katona back on Hospitality Mavericks. Her restaurant is all about how Indians eat at home and on their streets, and it is one of the Top 100 companies to work for in the UK. This time round we catch up on how her life and business have been since covid. In this episode, Nisha discusses how running a small restaurant can still make ambitious plans for the environment and be a reputable employer in the industry. We also explore the differe...

There is no doubt that ‘Culture’ is a hot topic in business. But what even is it? How do you change a culture? How long does it take to change? In this episode David quizzes Michael with these questions (and many more). We review the ultimate equation of ‘Beliefs x Behaviour = Culture’. Whether you’re a company of one or 100,000 – culture exists in every business, so you need to know whether your culture is built by neglect or conscious intent. Tune in to this episode as we discuss rewarding goo...

Earlier this year, I had a fascinating conversation with the CEO at Lead Different, Dave Oakley, about ‘Good To Great’ by Jim Collins. In this episode, Dave returns to the show to delve deeper into this seminal book, and reflect on how it can help you attract and retain great talent. Dave shares how to get talent right by using the ‘Talent Matrix’ and what we can do to build a great company. Tune in to this episode as we talk about the role of responsibility, asking good questions, Dave’s Talent...

I had the great pleasure to be joined by two great guests from Escapism Bar Group – Head of Learning and Development, Flynn Byrne, and Managing Director, Grant Dexter. It was fascinating to learn from the nightlife industry – a sector that hasn’t been fully covered on the show yet. Escapism Bar Group was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Phil and Mel Harrison. Since the opening of their first bar Mean Eyed Cat, they have gone on to open seven other unique bars which all offer something to...

Today’s guest has gone through an incredible entrepreneurial journey, which includes having bought a hotel on an island, and how he is trying to find a way to ensure we change the world positively through business. Giles Fuchs is the Founder and CEO at Burgh Island Hotel, as well as Office Space in Town and Gunner Cocktails. Burgh Island Hotel is a unique Art Deco hotel on its own private island in South Devon. With notable past guests including Winston Churchill, The Beatles and Agatha Christie...

How do you have a story and a brand that talks to people's hearts? Find out how from Sophia Ahamed, the Principal at Monograph&Co – a Design Agency based in Vancouver, Canada. They produce compelling brand identities, publications, product packaging and digital experiences for clientele both locally and internationally. She is a Designer and Artist with over a decade of experience building brands and crafting design-specific pieces for the hospitality, food and beverage, and retail sectors It wa...

I’m super excited to have Rachael Nemeth, CEO and Co-founder of Opus, on today’s episode. Opus is a training platform designed for businesses with a deskless workforce that helps more than 300 businesses boost their training on the frontline. It was fascinating to learn more about Rachael’s background in operations from hospitality where she worked with some great brands like Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality. In this episode we explore more about the training platform, and how it delivers ...

Shawn Askinosie left a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer to start a bean-to-bar chocolate business – Askinosie Chocolate. It is a small batch direct trade chocolate maker in Missouri, sourcing 100% of their cocoa beans directly from farmers. Shawn’s commitment to fairness, sustainability, minimal environmental impact, and community enhancement is undeniable. It was great catching up with Shawn to learn more about his work ethic and advice on leading purpose-driven initiatives. Tune ...