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Dec. 22, 2020

Hospitality and The Infinite Game #004: No Planet B

We all know the climate crisis is a real problem. So what can the hospitality sector actually do? It’s a big challenge to tackle, and we certainly don’t have all the answers. We uncover our learnings from ‘No Planet B’ by Mike Berners-Lee – a really impactful book which reveals…

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Dec. 17, 2020

#85 Wil Slickers, Host of Slick Talk, on the ‘Destinationaire’

As host of the popular Slick Talk podcast and founding member of the Hospitality Game Changers Group, Wil Slickers is a content creator extraordinaire. Wil dedicates his time to individual and big name operators in the vacation rental and boutique hotel segments of hospitality while still growing the show and…

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Dec. 15, 2020

Hospitality and The Infinite Game #003: Circular Economy

The circular economy is about eliminating waste and having a continual use of resources. In today’s episode we explore how this powerful system for sustainability can be applied to the hospitality industry. From food waste to kitchen design, it bleeds into all areas that can be achieved through collaboration. Tune…

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Dec. 10, 2020

#84 Jeremiah Tower, the Father of American Cuisine, on the Creative Force

Today’s guest Jeremiah Tower needs little introduction. He’s an American celebrity chef who, along with Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck, has been credited with pioneering the culinary style known as California cuisine. His career began at Chez Panisse, in California, after a chance job opportunity. He later opened his own…

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Dec. 8, 2020

Hospitality and The Infinite Game #002: Doughnut Economics

Our society has an obsession with growth, quite often neglecting the need to thrive. In today’s episode, we unpack a meaty but highly relevant book – ‘Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist’ by Kate Raworth, to learn more about how we can fundamentally reframe our understanding…

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Dec. 4, 2020

#83 Mark Gausden, Vice President at Oracle, on Your Digital Strategy

There’s no doubt that there’s been a huge adoption of technology for hospitality businesses this year. What’s clear is that the hardest part of digital transformation is putting in place the systems and processes first. In this episode I catch up with Mark Gausden, Vice President EMEA & JAPAC at…

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Dec. 3, 2020

GameChanger Monday Mashup Eps. 2

Now you can every Monday at 9 pm GMT join Josh Kopel, Wil Slickers, Shaun deVries, Adam Knight and myself when we go live on the Hospitality Game Changers Facebook group page to discuss the good, bad and ugly of our industry. With a global perspective on hotels, restaurants and…

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Dec. 3, 2020

Game Changer Monday Mashup Eps. 1

Now you can every Monday at 9 pm GMT join Josh Kopel, Wil Slickers, Shaun deVries, Adam Knight and myself when we go live on the Hospitality Game Changers Facebook group page to discuss the good, bad and ugly of our industry. With a global perspective on hotels, restaurants and…

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Dec. 1, 2020

Hospitality and The Infinite Game #001: Long-term Thinking

What type of hospitality industry do we actually want to create? Hospitality and The Infinite Game is a new podcast series focused on answering this one simple question. Tune in as Michael Tingsager of Hospitality Mavericks and David Chenery of Object Space Place discuss big ideas that might just set…

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Nov. 26, 2020

#82 Andreas Sjölund, Co-Founder at Quinyx, on The Digital Employee Experience

With over 18 years experience in the workforce management industry, Andreas Sjölund is a true expert when it comes to digitising the employee experience. As Co-Founder at Quinyx, their motto is “happy workforce, happy business”. Quinyx is a leading workforce management software. Their technology helps simplify scheduling, time reporting, communication,…

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Nov. 19, 2020

#81 Dhilon Solanki, UK & EMEA Director at Sprout, on Customer Loyalty

Dhilon Solanki has been in the hospitality industry for 15 years. As UK & EMEA Director at Sprout, he’s been busy up-serving their customers since the pandemic started. I’m excited to catch up with Dhilon to learn more about where technology and communication sits in the bigger picture for hospitality.…

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Nov. 13, 2020

Digital Transformation with Nick Popovici Co-Founder and CEO Vita Mojo

In this bonus episode CEO and Co-Founder of Vita Mojo, Nick Popovici gives an extensive overview of the wave of digital transformations that have to happen across the industry during the last 3-6 months. Nick shares his views on where the industry will be 3 years from now. He believes…

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Nov. 12, 2020

#80 Henry Stewart, Chief Happiness Officer at Happy, on Freedom and Trust

What is it that’s at the core of a truly happy workplace? This is a question I uncover with today’s guest, Henry Stewart, Chief Happiness Officer at Happy. Happy is an award winning Learning and Development organisation offering fun and engaging computer and management training. Happy's vision is outlined by…

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Nov. 6, 2020

Coming Back Stronger Episode 10 with Kris Gumbrell, CEO of Brewhouse and Kitchen

In this episode, Michael talks with experienced pub operator Kris Gumbrell, CEO of Brewhouse and Kitchen. They are an award-winning pub group and they operate more than 20 pubs spread all over the south of England with more in the pipeline. Kris talks about how the pandemic impacted them as…

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Nov. 5, 2020

#79 Shawn Walchef, Cali BBQ Media Founder, on the craft of digital storytelling

Calling in from San Diego, Shawn Walchef is a true maverick when it comes to scaling a restaurant digitally. Since the pandemic, his restaurant Cali Comfort BBQ has been three times more profitable than ever. Within 12 years, it’s gone from $300,000 losing money each year to making $3.3 million…

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Oct. 29, 2020

#78 Robin Sheppard, President of Bespoke Hotels, on Scaling Locally

Having been in the hospitality industry for 50 years, today’s guest has seen how the industry can scale. Robin Sheppard launched Bespoke Hotels with Haydn Fentum in 2000, and the group now manages over 9,500 hotel rooms, 8,000 employees and £815 million of assets across the UK. As a soft…

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Oct. 22, 2020

#77 Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon, Founder of Banana Pepper HR, on leading with care

Dialling in from Antigua, today’s guest has been instrumental in the making of the Hospitality Mavericks business. So I’m excited to bring on Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon, the ultimate HR rule breaker and expert in luxury hotels especially in the Caribbean. We connected a few years ago on LinkedIn, and instantly realised…

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Oct. 15, 2020

#76 Samuel Mensah, MD at Uncle John’s Bakery, on Family Legacy

Over the past 25 years, Uncle John’s Bakery has remained a staple household name within the Afro-Caribbean Community, with a community expanding across the UK as well as around the world. Founded by his parents, today’s guest is Samuel Mensah, the MD of the company. From the very start, the…

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Oct. 8, 2020

#75 Victoria Williams, CEO of terptree, on human communication and deaf people

Today’s guest, Victoria Williams, is on a life ambition to change the world for deaf people. Establishing her company teptree 14 years ago, their goal by 2025 is to positively impact 1 million deaf people’s lives. It’s ambitious, but Covid-19 has highlighted how it affects so many people. The innumerable…

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Oct. 1, 2020

#74 Mark Hawthorne, Former CEO at McDonald's and GYG, on why convenience is king

There’s often a big stigma behind fast food and QSR, but it’s the best way to be the biggest in the world. As former colleagues, I was super excited to catch up with Mark Hawthorne, Former CEO at McDonald's and Guzman y Gomez. With the fast-changing landscape, we need to…

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Sept. 24, 2020

#73 David Klaasen, Founder of Talent 4 Performance, on Self-Leadership

With this ongoing crisis, leaders need to develop new skills, such as compassion and a growth mindset, to navigate and rebuild this new landscape. When you feel safe within yourself as a leader, this projects to the rest of your team. In this episode I’m excited to speak with leadership…

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Sept. 17, 2020

#72 Edd Heller, Founder of The Ethicurean Guild, and 100,000 meals for those in need

Edd Heller joined the hospitality industry late in life – just six years ago. Since then he’s proven to be a real maverick by running the Ethicurean Guild, which cooks delicious food from small farms and producers in other peoples kitchens across Brighton. Since the pandemic Edd and his team…

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Sept. 11, 2020

Coming Back Stronger Episode 9 with CEO Dan Brookman of Airship & Toggle

In this episode, Michael talks with experienced operator and tech CEO Dan Brookman of Airship & Toggle. Two platforms that enable operators to engage customers by generating pre-sold revenue and recency and frequency of visit. They work with great brands like Boston Tea Party, Roadchef, Leon, Revolution Bars, Byron &…

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Sept. 10, 2020

#71 Mark Smith, Founder of Double Up Social, on Telling Your Story

There’s a story behind every business, and it’s an area a lot of us neglect to fully communicate with our consumer. So how do we best tell our story? To find out, I catch up with Mark Smith, Founder and Lead Strategist of Double Up Social, an award-winning social strategy…

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