If you want to build your business and change the world for the better, you can’t start with what’s on the outside. You have to do it from the inside out. This episode of C-Suite Mentor first appeared as my interview on Meridith Grundei’s LinkedIn and YouTube live show, but it was too good not to share here. I was interviewed by Meridith about my work as a business and leadership coach, my passion for hospitality, and what it really takes to build a business that lasts. If you didn’t catch it live, you’re in luck!
How I Got into Business Coaching
If we haven’t met yet, I’m a business and leadership coach who works closely with Main Street business owners – especially in the hospitality industry.
Restaurants and retail stores might scare some entrepreneurs because of the overhead and staffing challenges, but I love them. Why? Because at their heart, they’re about people, purpose, and experience. And that’s where real transformation starts.
Building a Business from the Inside Out
My philosophy is simple: you can’t fix what’s happening outside if the inside of your business is broken.
That’s why my work starts with CEOs and leadership teams, helping them get clear on what’s really going on inside their business. From there, I help build scalable systems, create strong leadership teams, and foster environments where people actually thrive.
The results are businesses that aren’t just profitable but purposeful. Places where both employees and customers feel connected, valued, and inspired.
Why Hospitality?
My path to working with restaurants and retailers wasn’t a straight line. I’ve been a fashion student, a retail shop owner, and even worked in laboratory equipment before starting my consulting business.
My first restaurant client, Neville, owned an Irish pub and retail store. What started as a chance encounter – me fixing a Shopify system while out Christmas shopping – turned into a decade-long partnership. Together, we grew his businesses by 86% and created a stronger brand identity rooted in authenticity and experience.
Stories like Neville’s show the power of building a business from the inside out. When you invest in your team, clarify your purpose, and strengthen your foundation, growth follows.
Seeing People as the Starting Point
Meridith, who worked in restaurants herself for 12 years, pointed out the struggles many restaurants face: grumpy servers, high turnover, and customers leaving disappointed.
Personally, I believe it all starts with truly seeing people. Not just their job titles, not just the “boxes” they check, but the unique greatness each person brings to the table.
When leaders focus on bringing out that greatness and aligning it with the company’s purpose, people take ownership, work together, and co-create a better experience for everyone. And in hospitality – where every interaction counts – that can make the difference between a forgettable dinner and an unforgettable experience.
Why Culture Comes Before Customers
I’ve spent years working with restaurants and small businesses, where leadership styles made all the difference. In one case, a restaurant seemed successful on the surface, but behind the scenes, staff morale was crumbling because employees felt stifled, uncreative, and unappreciated.
The big takeaway? Customer experience starts with employee experience. If the people inside your business don’t feel valued, it will eventually spill over into how customers are treated. Building a business that lasts means starting from within.
Unlocking Unique Abilities
One of my favorite leadership principles is helping people rediscover their “unique abilities.” We all have them, especially in childhood, but over time they get buried under labels, job descriptions, and limiting beliefs.
In the businesses I work with, I focus on pulling out those unique strengths – whether someone is a dishwasher, a bartender, or a manager. Everyone has talents that go beyond their job title, and when leaders make space for that, it changes everything.
Technology & Humanity Working Together
A big theme of this conversation is how technology and humanity can work together. Tools like AI can make us more efficient, but they can’t replace human relationships, imagination, or creativity.
Technology can help us use our imagination and enhance it, which creates more innovation. But it’s not going to replace people. And businesses that thrive will be the ones that learn how to use tools like AI to support human connection, not replace it.
Leadership is an Inside Job
Leadership isn’t just about external strategies – it starts internally. Great leaders ask themselves: Who do I want to be? How do I want others to experience my leadership?
If leaders don’t do that inner work, they risk transmitting their own limiting beliefs and frustrations onto their team, no matter what their core values say on paper. But when leaders grow internally, they naturally create healthier, more empowering cultures for their people – and that culture fuels business success.
Resources Mentioned
Join the Meridith Grundei Speakers Network
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