Restaurant Leadership Podcast: Overcome Burnout, Embrace Freedom, and Drive Growth
Welcome to the Restaurant Leadership Podcast, the show that teaches you how to overcome burnout, embrace freedom, and drive growth
Your host, Christin Marvin, of Solutions by Christin.
With over two decades of extensive experience in hospitality leadership, Christin Marvin has successfully managed a diverse range of concepts, encompassing fine dining and high-volume brunch.
She has now established her own coaching and consulting firm, collaborating with organizations to accelerate internal leadership development to increase retention and thrive.
Each week, Christin brings you content and conversation to make you a more effective leader.
This includes tips, tricks and REAL stories from REAL people that have inspired her-discussing their successes, challenges and personal transformation.
This podcast is a community of support to inspire YOU on YOUR unique leadership journey.
This podcast will help you answer the following questions:
1. How do I increase my confidence?
2. How do I accelerate my leadership?
3. How do I lower my stress as a leader?
4. How do I prevent burnout?
5. How do I improve my mental health?
So join the conversation and listen in each week on spotify and apple podcasts and follow Christin on LinkedIn.
Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:
L. Connor Voice - LConnorvoice@gmail.com
Artwork by Solstice Photography, Tucson, AZ.
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Restaurant Leadership Podcast: Overcome Burnout, Embrace Freedom, and Drive Growth
88: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in Restaurant Leadership
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Ever felt like you're faking it despite working incredibly hard to get where you are? This deeply personal coaching conversation with Nokkie Lipsey, Director of Operations at the Olive and Finch Collective, explores the challenging terrain of imposter syndrome in leadership roles.
Nokkie candidly shares how she's spent years climbing her career mountain only to find herself questioning whether she deserves to be at the summit. Having recently taken over operations for five locations, she's grappling with fully embracing her accomplishments and celebrating her wins.
As restaurant leaders like Nokkie focus on their mental and emotional growth, many are simultaneously looking to eliminate unnecessary operational burdens. Solutions like those from Restaurant Technologies (https://go.rti-inc.com/RestaurantLeadershipPodcast) help by automating back-of-house tasks like oil management, allowing leaders to redirect their valuable mental energy toward team development and guest experience rather than mundane operational challenges.
The discussion reveals how cultural background, perfectionism, and past experiences create persistent limiting beliefs that can undermine even the most successful leaders. "I am like water," Nokkie explains, describing her leadership philosophy of navigating obstacles with adaptability rather than force. This powerful metaphor illustrates how she's managed to overcome barriers in her career while maintaining her authentic self. Yet the conversation reveals a striking paradox: while Nokkie excels at recognizing, celebrating, and pouring into her team members, she struggles to accept the same recognition for herself.
The session explores what might be possible if Nokkie could fully let go of the belief that she doesn't deserve her success. "I would be unstoppable," she acknowledges. Her vision extends beyond personal growth—she aims to transform leadership development in hospitality by focusing on emotional intelligence and empathy rather than just operational systems.
Whether you're battling self-doubt, managing cultural expectations, or building your leadership presence, this episode offers validation and practical wisdom for embracing your hard-earned achievements. Ready to take off those blinders and enjoy the view from your own mountain summit? Listen now and discover your path to becoming the humble, empowered leader you're meant to be.
Resources:
More from Christin:
Grab your free copy of my audiobook, The Hospitality Leader's Roadmap: Move from Ordinary to Extraordinary at christinmarvin.com/audio
Curious about one-on-one coaching or leadership workshops? Click this link to schedule a 15 minute strategy session.
Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/
If you have ever been in a position in your career where you have told yourself that you do not deserve to be in the position that you're in, this episode is for you. This week, I am doing a coaching session with Noki Lipsy, who is the director of operations for the Olive and Finch Collective. She's been in her position now for about five weeks and she's overseeing five locations, working with a company that's growing. We spend a lot of time talking about how she felt like she's been climbing a mountain in her career in order to find her voice and be seen, some of the limiting beliefs and cultural things that she has had to overcome as she has risen through the ranks as a woman in hospitality, and what she has needed to let go of in order to fully embrace her superpower as being a humble leader. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Restaurant Leadership Podcast, the show where restaurant leaders learn tools, tactics and habits from the world's greatest operators. I'm your host, kristen Marvin, with Solutions by Kristen. I've spent the last two decades in the restaurant industry and now partner with restaurant owners to develop their leaders and scale their businesses through powerful one-on-one coaching, group coaching and leadership workshops. This show is complete with episodes around coaching, leadership development and interviews with powerful industry leaders. You can now engage with me on the show and share topics you'd like to hear about, leadership lessons you want to learn and any feedback you have. Simply click the link at the top of the show notes and I will give you a shout out on a future episode. Thanks so much for listening and I look forward to connecting. Thanks so much for listening and I look forward to connecting.
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Speaker 2:Noki, how can I make this an extraordinary conversation for you today? You know I am struggling with imposter syndrome, something I definitely really want to get better at and really kind of navigate how I can move past it.
Speaker 1:Say more about imposter syndrome.
Speaker 2:You know, imposter syndrome. Very often, like you know, I've been working towards a career. Every job that I've taken has been to a point where I could do something better and greater and make more impact. And you know, as I'm climbing this mountain, I'm like, oh, I wish I could do this, or I wish I can be this person.
Speaker 2:And at one point in time, when you reach the top of the mountain, where I feel like I'm kind of at the moment, you kind of forget that you actually did all the work that you were wishing and you were hoping and you were seeing all these other people doing. And so it's for me, like when I'm talking to my teams and they are just in awe of me, of like wow, look at your trajectory and your growth and all this experience. I have struggle, giving that back to myself, you know, and understanding that I actually did the work and all the things that I dreamt and talked about, leading to where I'm at right now, I have a problem with saying, you know, yeah, like this is me, like I feel like I'm just showing up as this person that I imagined to be and I haven't accepted that for myself yet.
Speaker 1:So it sounds like what you're saying is you've been climbing this mountain, you feel like you're at the top, but there's something getting in the way of you being able to fully embrace it and celebrate it and give yourself the credit for it.
Speaker 2:And I think it's just because, you know, I'm always on this mindset of like what's next, what do we have to do next, what do we have to do next? It's never like that stopping moment where, like you know, you appreciate those moments and the work that you did and then actually feel good about it. You know, I think I feel, I feel like I did a lot of work, but I don't actually like it doesn't resonate with me.
Speaker 1:It sounds like you're really good about living in the future and maybe not so good about living in the present. What's coming up for you when I say that?
Speaker 2:Um, I mean, you know I I'm in a new position, so I'm thinking about, like all the hundred things that I have in the future and like how can I show up, how can I be there for it, versus, I've done this before and I'm fully equipped and I have all this knowledge. So, instead of how can I show up, being like this is me and we're going to be great and this is how it's going to happen, it's that transition, it's this gray area where I'm like for me, behind the closed doors, away from my teams, I'm like can I even do this and am I the right person to do it? And why do they have so much belief in me? Well, because I've done all this stuff already. And that's where that disconnect is. I'm struggling with putting those connections together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Feel that for sure, and I know that people listening can't necessarily see Noki's very animated talking with her hands, which is amazing. But you were just pulling something. You were like I've got this, I've done this, I know how to do this. It's like you're pulling the knowledge and the information and everything that you, you need and all the tools and resources that you've, you've collected along the journey climbing that mountain, and then you go into this worry and then you go into this worry mode. What's in the middle of that?
Speaker 2:You know I want to say it's that self-sabotage mindset. You know it's my limiting beliefs, it's my inner mental blocks, like it's me trying to. It's sometimes it's assumptions. You know of what other people are thinking, of how I'm leading and yeah, I think it's a lot of like this, this middle interceptor of my energy.
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Speaker 2:I, you know, I, I think it's it's trauma. It's like childhood trauma. You know it's growing up in a very traditional Asian environment and home where praise is not something that's often given and like when you're achieving things, it's really you're not really being recognized for it. It's like oh, you know you did this, but you could have done better. Like it's always like oh you, you know you were able to do this performance, but there was some nitpicking in the side. So there's a lot of like I'm again a perfectionist. I think it's that. It's that mindset of like I can always do better and be better. Because I've never been acknowledged for doing just enough. Yeah, and so my belief is like I'm just not doing enough because I can do more.
Speaker 1:How has that cultural?
Speaker 2:upbringing of this constant drive to do better and make it better and do it again next time. How has that helped you be successful in your career? I would say I mean it gives me a drive for sure. Where it's. You know, I don't look at obstacles as obstacles. I, you know it's like they are, I'll figure out. If there's an obstacle, I'll figure out a way to go over under, through it. You know, because I have to, because you know, at the end I just have to be better. So like it doesn't matter what gets thrown in the way For me, I will have to be better. So like it doesn't matter what gets thrown in the way for me, I will figure out a way. So I guess it. It helps me pivot a lot easier and faster when things happen, especially in our industry, when things are constantly changing. And yeah, I think it's just that like constant natural drive of like pushing yourself harder every day.
Speaker 1:When you think about these obstacles, going over them, going around them, going above them, beyond them, whatever it is and you think about you pivoting, is there an image or metaphor that comes up for you?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and I tell people all the time I am like water, I really am. I will go with the flow and I won't force it. Water will always figure out a way to navigate around the obstacles, whether it's through the smallest crack or going over a giant boulder. But I really am all about flowing and not forcing. So when I'm pivoting, I always tell people that the way I look at it is is just how water just naturally finds its way to where it needs to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and sometimes the water is crystal clear and sometimes it's a little muddy, right yeah?
Speaker 2:Yeah, but either way, it's still moving as long as there's like an opportunity for it to move, so like it can be stagnant at some time. And then, of course, maybe the challenge of a stagnant water is finding what's blocking it and moving it out of the way so you can continue to move forward. And so, yeah, I would say my metaphor for that is definitely like just being like water.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how are you like water right now? What's the water doing?
Speaker 2:The water right now is pretty. I feel like I'm a steady stream right now. Nothing's too chaotic, it's really honestly peaceful and it's like a good kind of flow. And I feel like I'm definitely flowing towards an ocean, just because there's some crazy stuff coming up in the pathways of just getting locations open, being in a new space with a new team wanting to show up for my team and really kind of showing them a different way to be seen, heard and appreciated. So I feel like I'm in a good stream right now, but up ahead I know there's a huge ocean that has like a lot of huge waves coming in and I just need to prepare for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, ride the waves right. Yeah, love it.
Speaker 2:They're on the way, I can see them.
Speaker 1:What does it feel like for you right now? In terms of like riding the wave, or In terms of kind of emotionally and physically, where you are right now with the water, with being kind of in flow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean emotionally I feel a little bit of pressure Again, that pressure that I'm always putting on myself. But I'm not you know, I'm honestly not a very emotional person huge capacity to give and love others, and it's always in a positive environment. So emotionally I'm always like very positive, very uplifting, and not often am I ever really feeling like down. And if I do feel down, it's more of like the stress of like my expectations for myself and never, really anything outwardly, because I mean again, in the industry you have to have thick skin.
Speaker 2:So a lot of things I don't take personally, it's more of my own personal attack that's hurting me more than anything else.
Speaker 2:And physically, you know I am very big on being very healthy and staying in shape and so you know I'm at the gym five days a week to give myself. I always tell people you have to pour back into yourself. We are always giving and pouring into others all day. Every day I pour into five different locations with full teams and so you know for me to be able to not feel drained and physically just exhausted, and emotionally and mentally exhausted, the gym has been kind of like my relief, of like some a time that I can give back to myself, put back into to me when it comes to physical, mental and emotional state. Um, it's for me to work on my own strengths and and build my own strengths. Is is kind of that place for me is the gym. Um, so I'm very, very disciplined when it comes to making that space for myself so I can pour back into myself comes to making that space for myself so I can pour back into myself.
Speaker 1:It sounds like you, because you've got five teams, five locations that you're leading, and soon to be more. You are feeding five little streams, right, that are all kind of flowing in their own direction and doing their own things and have their own obstacles, yeah, and those are going to continue to split and grow, but it sounds like you're doing a really awesome job of nurturing yourself and taking care of yourself first. So your water is super crystal clear, so you're pouring good energy and good nutrients and good water into those streams.
Speaker 2:I am trying my very best. This is what I say, and again, that's where I go back to you. Know, you said that to me, right? You're like you're doing it, you're pouring it in, and of course, my natural response was I'm trying, not doing right.
Speaker 1:Like, it's like that.
Speaker 2:It's that like yeah, you know what you're right, like I am doing this and it is great and it's so amazing and here I am just reflecting again to what you just said is like oh yeah, well, I'm, I'm trying to do it as best for everybody.
Speaker 1:You're just like. You're just like kicking it right, you're like reflecting it back off to me like a ball bouncing off. You Like nope, there you go.
Speaker 2:My back and forth that I do all the time.
Speaker 1:Totally, it's like a ping pong. We're playing ping pong now. What would it feel like for you to just sit with that for a second? Except you are doing this. You have earned this, yes.
Speaker 2:You know, I don't know, like I think guilt is the wrong word because I've, you know, not deserving, I think, is like what pops in my head and I'm not sure why that like just sits with me of like not deserving. Maybe it's just past people who didn't believe in me, you know, or people who told me that I couldn't do it, you know, or people who told me that I couldn't do it. So I think that that has a lot to do with why I struggle with receiving those compliments. I very often just like kick it right back, you know, no, no, no, no, you know, it's not, it's not really that much or that big of a deal. Or, you know, I'm never able to accept it and if I do, it's like a thank you. But you know, it's just, it's just what I do, like it's never. It's never, like you said, that moment where I'm fully accepting it and appreciating it.
Speaker 1:You just leaned back a second when you said, like just fully accepting it, giving yourself that space to accept it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What's that feel like?
Speaker 2:Um, again, not not deserving. Like you know, I, before I sat with you, I'm like who in the world would want to spend some time to talk to me about the things that I'm doing? Um, because I again, like I'm just so into the grind and the next project and the next step that it's like does it really matter to really stop and smell the roses? You know, when I walk by them all the time and you know, for me it's just the, for me it's, yeah, it's. It's like why? Why does it matter? Cause, again, I'm always just forward thinking and yeah, like you saying all that and people saying it to me is it always feels awkward for me. I, you know, front facing, I'll always smile and thank people, but like leaving it makes me feel like, oh, okay, Thank you.
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Speaker 2:were not deserving and they were questioning why it matters to stop and celebrate their achievements and celebrate the work that they've done them that it's important for them to take the time to reflect on the work that they've done, because the things that they do, it got done because they did it and it was great because they did it and it was because of who they are that really made it a big thing. I tell people in my teams all the time celebrate your wins, the smallest ones. I don't care about the big ones, because everybody will always celebrate the big ones, but the small ones, you know, you got your checklist up to date today. Great job. It wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you and your attention to detail and the time that you took out to get this done. So I see you, I appreciate you, and you were just crushing it.
Speaker 2:Like I'm so good at pouring back into others, but then and I think I've been so programmed to the point where I've always poured back into others and I didn't have circles that I was getting poured back into, circles of people that were pouring back into me. So then I was self, I was doing that myself, and so I guess, when others started to do it and my circle started to attract people who wanted to pour back into me, I felt very like why I've always done this. I don't need you to do this, I can do it. And again, it's that stepping back and letting those who want to pour into me and giving them space to pour into me and for me to accept it, because I'm just that person I'm like I will to pour into me and giving them space to pour into me and for me to accept it. Because I'm just that person I'm like. I will constantly pour into people, because I believe in everybody. I believe in the best. I believe that you know, there is greatness in everyone. They just need somebody that cares enough to say, hey, like I see it in you and I want to be here to help you navigate through that.
Speaker 2:And again, my upbringing I didn't have parents that were pouring back into me, so it was like I needed to pour back into myself. The people that I wanted to pour into me weren't doing it. So at one point in time I was like you know what, don't even worry about it. Like I got me, I'll figure it out. And I mean, I have my husband, which is great, and my daughter, who are always pouring back into me every day, and I think that's another.
Speaker 2:You know that's, but they've seen my struggle and they've been through my process and so for me, I think it's easier for me to accept that because they've seen every good and bad, especially the most worst parts of my journey, and have always tried to pick me back up. But for when it's coming from other people who haven't seen that journey, for me it just is like I can't really feel very genuine and received on the other end, because there's so much more about what I actually had to go through that I don't think people can understand. And I think that's where I struggle with that outside feedback, because the outside feedback is only coming from people who only see things from what I'm showing in my outside life and what I'm allowing people to see. So, of course, everything that I'm putting out is always super positive and great.
Speaker 2:And so everyone's like oh, this is so you're're. So, yeah, thank you, that's what I'm giving you. That, that's what I'm like putting out there for everybody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's no wonder. It's no wonder you're in a leadership role. You've you've been able to take your upbringing and identify what you weren't getting. To take your upbringing and identify what you weren't getting and then build a whole life and career around making sure that you're surrounding yourself with people that are giving it to you, even though you're not necessarily accepting it all the time, but also being able to serve other people and provide what you didn't get to them every single day in the hospitality business.
Speaker 2:It's very important for me. I really I mean, I tell people this is being able to pour back into others and again I'll repeat it my capacity to give and to love is, like you know, infinite. I feel, like you know, because I, growing up, I really, like you said, I really wanted to feel these things and I really wanted to be seen and heard. Not, you know, at a very young age. And I had a daughter when I was 18.
Speaker 2:And I was like you know what I'm going to make sure that I pour into her every single day, because I don't ever want her to feel those moments where she didn't feel like, after doing an orchestra concert, that after all of those hours of practicing and being on stage, that it wasn't good enough or it could have been better, or oh, you missed a note, or you're not sitting in the first chair. You know, at the end of the day, you're on that stage and you're performing with your teams, like I'm so proud of you. It doesn't matter what chair you're sitting in, it doesn't matter if you missed a step, it doesn't matter if you might have fumbled in the middle of a song, like I wanted always for her to feel like, no matter what she did. Any effort that was, that was done should be celebrated, no matter how small it was.
Speaker 1:What's on the other side of the limiting belief that you're telling yourself that you do not deserve to be where you are?
Speaker 2:The other side of that, like the positive side, it's honestly my work, it's seeing everything that I've been able to do, everything that I've been able to do, and it's also the people that I've impacted and touched. I am very often reminded by the people that I've crossed paths with of the impact that I make. So outside of that, like on the opposite side of that, I have it in bounds, where you know, people are constantly reaching out and wanting to have coffee or sharing their stories with me, or something that I said in the past. It still sticks with them every day. Like that for me is, yeah, the opposite side of me saying I don't deserve it, and it's the people saying, hey, the one thing you said in pre-shift 10 years ago still resonates with me today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's like okay, yeah, no, this is yeah, I'm glad, like that's why I did it. It was, you know, in hopes that the things that I was sharing and the space that I was giving was something that you can use for life and not just for the time that we spent in whatever organization we were in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. What if you, if you let go of that limiting belief? How would that impact your life and your performance?
Speaker 2:I mean I would be unstoppable, right Like I would just be crushing it. I think if I didn't have that self-doubt, I would. I would take more risk, I would be more bold. You know I'm, I would, I would just you, just I'd go shout it to the world and be like hey.
Speaker 1:What would you shout to the world? Yeah, yeah, what would you shout?
Speaker 2:This is who I am. This is what I do. I am a person who overloves and is too caring, and those are all good things and those are all things that people need. And here it is in this package. Take it or leave it. Always told that I was too nice and I cared too much and I needed to be more, more stern and and I needed to be more direct. And I was like, no, like I, that's not who I am. And then I had to code switch and I had to try to navigate those types of leaderships because I was being told not to lead that way. And then I realized that, like that wasn't working, like the way that you're trying to tell me to be does not work there. It doesn't sit with people, it doesn't it? Really you're leading with fear and ego and and I'm just not about that. And so, like, as I've been navigating my leadership career, I want to again be my highest and best, but my most authentic self.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and.
Speaker 2:I'm kind of, yeah, like I'm comfortable in your own skin.
Speaker 2:Yeah, In this era again, from that transition of like doing all the work to being the work right, like I did all the work and I've, I've, I've gone through the trenches and I've, you know, fought all the battles and now here I am, there is no war. All the battles, and now here I am, there is no war. There is more of like this, this, this path of just building and growth and and leadership and and positivity Right. So we go from like this section here, where it's like boots on the ground, hustle hard, keep your head down to now pouring into others and coaching and developing. And this space that I'm in right now I'm super excited about and I love what I do.
Speaker 2:I love love the connections that I'm making with my teams. I love watching somebody's face light up, when I'm like, oh my gosh, I saw that you organized the closet and it is amazing, a staff member who normally doesn't dress up and put herself together in his uniform shows up to work one day with her makeup done and her hair. And the first thing I did when I walked in was like, oh my gosh, you look so beautiful today. Those moments mean so much to me and I want to continue doing that, and when I leave work, I sit there and I'm having conversations with my husband and I'm like you know, I wish I could be this. And he was like well, you are.
Speaker 1:You are helping. You are and you are helping recognize and appreciate the people around you and empower them to take charge and make an impact is with something as small as organizing something right on the team and then celebrating their achievements and and the result is they're showing up proud to work with you and for the company that you work with every single day. It's been great. That's incredible. That's incredible what comes up for you when I say that.
Speaker 2:It's a proud moment. You know. I've been trying to reflect more about my wins. I tell my team all the time, all of your little wins, you know.
Speaker 2:So, like as of recently and when I say recently I'm only talking like maybe a week- or two where I am like, oh my gosh, I had such a great meeting today and it really resonated and I try to be in that moment and celebrate that moment for myself. Try to be in that moment and celebrate that moment for myself. And again, my husband's been the greatest supporter and number one fan, because I'll call him and I'll be like, oh my gosh, I had this meeting, I was concerned, but it ended up this way and they really felt appreciated and the first thing he'll always say is great job, not surprised, because it's you. And then it's like me kicking back and I'm like, oh yeah, yeah it is me, but still wasn't that great.
Speaker 1:You just, you just took two seconds to celebrate it and go yeah, that's great, accept it, and then you just jump right back into it. So maybe I need to extend that celebration time right Like I need to Sure what do you, what do you need to let go of in?
Speaker 2:order to do that. I don't know, I think it's that kind of maybe I need to take off the horse blinders, because it's always that like straight focus, vision, and maybe if I took those off and not feel, not put the pressure on myself that I have to keep pushing and not taking a break. You know, it's that hustle mentality where I feel like a hustle mentality is great for entrepreneurs, it's great for business owners, it's great for leaders, but very often you're not giving yourself that time to just stop, reflect, appreciate, enjoy. You're going to think this is crazy, but since I started my transition from one job to the next, we never celebrated, we never took that moment to go out and have dinner.
Speaker 1:That's not crazy, that's what you do. You've just spent 26 minutes communicating that you don't take time to celebrate. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like we never really. It was just like hey, I'm leaving one, starting the next. They were very open of like hey, like, give us a start date. I gave myself two days, I gave myself a weekend from one job to the next and I was like those two days are going to be fun, it's great, I'm so excited for this new opportunity. And that was what was driving that short term break was like I'm so excited to go do more work. And I think it's at that time where I need to again pause for a second and be like wow, look at the opportunity I'm about to have and how exciting is this. And let's, go's go and, you know, celebrate what it took to get here.
Speaker 1:What did it take?
Speaker 2:So much Lots of long hours and doing everyone's job and not being seen, and it took a lot of trying to code, switch and adapt so I can be in the rooms. You know it took being a yes person and never saying no just so I can be seen, only to find out that I still wasn't seen. It took a lot of you know you can't do this and a lot of you know you're not ready for this.
Speaker 1:Hey there, podcast friends. I hope you're enjoying these impactful conversations and leadership insights I'm bringing you each week. Before we dive back into today's episode, I want to take a moment and reach out and ask a small favor. That would go a long way in supporting the show. If you've been loving the content I'm providing, please take a moment to leave a rating and review. Wherever you listen to your podcasts, Not only does it make my day, but it also plays a pivotal role in helping the show grow. Your reviews boost my visibility, attract new listeners and encourage exciting guests to join me on the mic. So if you want to be part of my show's growth journey, hit that review button and let me know what you think. Thanks a million for being awesome listeners. Where are you at today?
Speaker 2:Very empowered. I'm very I'm again like I joined a team that was like, oh my gosh, we brought in a leader who ran Michelin and James Beard concepts and and everybody's like, wow, this is so great. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm just normal, no, key, we're going to have fun, it's going to be great. Um, so it's. It's stepping into this new space of again.
Speaker 2:My teams are not used to being praised, Neither am I. I think me getting the space and the autonomy to do what I do best where I'm at is very new for me. My leadership team believe in me so much and, like, pour into me and were like you know what? Like you have great ideas, go for it. So I'm feeling very much like my leaders are feeling with me showing up in their spaces of being you got this, you're a crusher.
Speaker 2:And I, too, am on the other side of it with my leadership or with my executive teams, and they're like no, these are all great ideas, go for it. And I'm sitting here like, are you sure? Like, do you need me to do? Like, do you need a proposal? Do I need to? Like budget this out for you? And they're like no, no, no, Like we're pretty sure you've already like done your due diligence. You're good, Go crush it. And I'm like, okay, Um sure. So I think, on on the other side of it, I feel very much like my teams, of getting having a space and people that are actually truly believing in who you are as your authentic self and allowing you to do your job and be your highest and best in a space that is very safe and supportive and empowering. I just don't let my team see it right.
Speaker 1:And empowering, I just don't let my teens see it right. What's the, what's it going to feel like?
Speaker 2:Well, let me, let me ask this what's waiting for you when you get to the ocean. You know I'm hoping, when I get to the ocean, what's waiting for me? I'm hoping that I can actually find the courage to step out on my own and and and have my own business eventually. Like I've always talked about that, like I've always said, you know and I started in the kitchen my passion is in the kitchen. I wanted, I wanted to be a chef. I was told that I couldn't be a chef because I'm too bubbly and I'm very small and that kind of personality doesn't exist in there. But I would love to, and and again, my journey has pivoted in so many ways but, like, at the end, I would love to be able to have my own business in a sense of like, where I can still impact others.
Speaker 2:I really want to teach leadership on and leadership in terms of like, emotional intelligence and more thoughtful leadership. I feel like leadership is taught when managers get onboarded and there's an MIT training. We teach systems, sops, financial literacy, but we don't have a coaching element to teach our managers how to coach and lead their teams. We are not teaching them about empathy. We are not teaching them emotional intelligence. We are not teaching leaders how to lead, but we're giving them all the tools to run operations, like we're giving them everything they need to run operations. Like we're giving them everything that they need to check their labor. Read a P&L report.
Speaker 1:Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it Right?
Speaker 2:So like we're giving you all these things, go run a restaurant, but we're not teaching you how to build teams. We're not teaching you how to build a bench, we're not teaching you how to show up for your teams and how important your presence is to an environment. And I think that's what I want to do, like I want to go in and I want to teach people that the power of leadership and the power of presence can really make and break your businesses. And you know, in a business where it is led by people, it is so important to show up for your people. And how do you do it? While still staying very business focused and operations focused and financial focused, but making this, this idea of empathy, leadership, the top priority priority.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I've got this just beautiful visualization of you making it to the beach. You've just gotten out of the water, you know that everything is calm, your teams are all set up behind you and you start walking down the beach to find your next journey. They say we're the best at teaching. What we still need to learn, right, that emotional intelligence, the celebration, the leadership component, and you're doing an incredible job of leading by example already, and your team is really responding to that. I think, for my two cents, for what it's worth, that you are such an incredible humble leader and that's your superpower.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you, and that's honestly. Thank you, thank you, and that's honestly. That's what I want to do. I want that. That's how I want to be seen when I show up in these spaces. That's that's really how I want to be seen. I want to be a selfless leader and I want to be able to. You know, when my, when the Dio walks into an establishment. I don't want tension, you know. I don't want this like, oh crap, dio's here, did we put our sanny buckets away? I don't want that Like. I want it to be like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad, I can't wait to hear what's going on. Like I can't wait to have a conversation and share what I did this weekend with her.
Speaker 1:Like I want to fill people in a more uplifting and spiritual way yeah, cause it's important Sounds like you are exactly where you need to be right now. You are at. You said it at the beginning you're at the top of the mountain. You've spent all these years hearing the nose, hearing the, what you can't and can't do. You've been climbing the mountain and now you're at the top.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I have to be like yeah, thank you. I have to like be excited about it, right, like I gotta be like, wow, like look at the view from up here, cause I guarantee you I have not taken a look at the view, yeah.
Speaker 1:Take those blinders off Right.
Speaker 2:Right Cause.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh, look at that peak over there, it's a little higher, Let me see if I can get over there. A hundred percent. Yeah, noki, you are incredible. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I resonate so much with so many things that you've said. It's so exciting to see you know. We've just connected recently and last time we were together we were in front of speaking in front of 200 people, which is terrifying. And now to check in six weeks later, a couple of weeks later, however long it's been, I'm terrible with time and just see the path that you're on and the empowerment that you have around you and the support is just magical. So congratulations. You're a total badass and we're so lucky to have you in the industry.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much and I'm going to sit with that.
Speaker 1:Okay, good, good, I love it, I love it. Well, that's going to do it for us this week. Please share this episode with anyone that you know that could benefit, and we will talk to you all next week. Thanks so much.
