Top Restaurant Operator Interviews David Scott Peters

Hey there restaurant pros. Dave Scott Peters and welcome to the restaurant prosperity formula podcast. For over two decades, I’ve been guiding restaurant owners to success with the proven principles of something I call the restaurant prosperity formula. I originally created the formula based on the daily practices of the most successful restaurant tours I’ve coached, and it’s now the foundation of what I teach restaurant owners like you so you can achieve success. What do I mean by success? Success is a restaurant owner who dictates the terms of their life and their bank account, instead of their restaurants dictating those things for them, success as a restaurant owner has freedom from the restaurant and the financial freedom they never thought possible. How you define success is up to you, but I do know the way to achieve it is using the restaurant prosperity formula. This season, I’m diving even deeper into the core elements of the formula, leadership, systems, training, accountability and taking action along with my insights. You’ll hear from special guests, industry experts and inspiring success stories from fellow restaurant owners who’ve turned their businesses around and found their definition of success.
In this episode number 106, we’ll be doing a segment I call flip the table, where a member takes over and interviews me today, a long time member of mine who is not only a top operator, but over the years, has coached and consulted with me, David Militello, David will be asking the questions. Listen in as and see how David gets down and personal with me.
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David, I want to thank you for joining me today. Really appreciate you doing this well. Thank you. I’m honored to be here and looking forward to hearing some of your answers today.
Yeah, because we’re doing a flip the table. This is a first for me, where I’ve got a member you happen to be a member mentor. We’ve got a lot of history together. In fact, we’ve known each other for 20 plus years, because you were actually one of my first five members when I started 21 years ago as a restaurant coach. And before we get started, I’d like you to tell people a little bit about you and your restaurant group, and then we’ll kind of start into it. We’ll flip the table
Sure. My name is David Militello. I’m a multi concept restaurant owner in a small town, resort town on Lake Michigan. I have an upscale Italian restaurant, an upscale Steakhouse, and a small kind of hole in the wall bar, we serve burgers and good beer and stuff out of and and two wonderful girls that just make it all complete.
So yeah, that’s fantastic.
Now we’ve known each other again, 21 years, 20 years somewhere in there, again, being one of my first five members when I first started coaching. And so you’ve been to my seminars. You’ve been to workshops. In fact, you presented on the stage because you became a coach with me. You became a consultant with me. We spent a lot of years together, working side by side in restaurants with restaurants, and over the years, we split apart a little bit. You did your thing, did my thing, and then we’re back. I’ve luckily enough, we reconnected. I folded you back in. You’re a member mentor for for my current members and my restaurant transformation intensive program. Like you are a solid, solid operator.
I thought it would be fantastic if, well, for the first flip the table, you’re the guy who interviews me and asks the questions you think other people want to know. So I’m going to turn it over you, David, it is now you are in control.
Well, I don’t know about that, but I’ve got some great questions for you, so hopefully I can learn even more about you and and we can share that as well. So sure, bring it on. Alright.
First question I have, I want to know, what was your dream as a child, what did you want to grow up to be? And if you had one, you know, was it? Was it a solid vision and experience? You know, what did your success look like at that point?
You know, I will tell you, it evolved over the years. I think if you first asked me junior high school, even through most of high school, I thought it’d be an artist. I actually had a scholarship to Philadelphia College of Art back in the 1980s I chose a scholarship for rowing. Instead, I got two scholarships, two different universities, Temple University and Northeastern University. I decided to go division one, and that’s about where my interest started to flip.
Once I decided art wasn’t the direction I was going, believe it or not, coming out of had a speech communication degree from Northeast University, interpersonal, organizational. What the hell I do that? I don’t know, but towards the end of my senior year, I thought, I want to act and model. I actually had a modeling portfolio put together. Thought about I was going to make my way to New York and start that process, unfortunately for me and fortunately.
At the same time, I had fallen in love with somebody who we ended up getting married, divorced in under a year. So I can tell you that there were a lot of things that that didn’t go well there, in the sense of, I remember going on a photo shoot, and my girlfriend at the time said, If you kiss another woman, I’m gonna divorce you, or I’m gonna leave you, is what she said. So there was a lot of ultimatums that wasn’t a good, wasn’t good, wasn’t good.
But with that, Said, I think the other thing that my ultimate dream that did not come true would be, I wanted to be an Olympian. I absolutely thought I had the chops to do so. But I can tell you rowing division one and rowing with, I believe, was five different athletes that were on the national team, or a couple of them are two time Olympians. There is another level to Olympic athletes and, well, I, unfortunately, was not one of them.
That’s awesome. That’s awesome. I didn’t realize the whole artist side, which makes a lot of sense based on your whole comedian, you know, the stint that you’ve done and how you’ve developed, and your personality.
You know, of course, I’m very quiet, shy and introverted, and yeah, when I did improv, all the things, I’m still very much a creative person. I just channeled it into restaurants, you know.
And as you and I worked together over the years, you know, you helped me. You were integral in helping me create the software that I created my old company. I mean, it’s all about that creativity, taking those systems and creating it in a way that allow people to understand it. And I think I use that today when I present, you know, I always say, I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I’m not. You’ve known me you and I’ve gone out drinking, you know, I’m not the smartest guy in the world.
With that said, I can present the most boring information, more entertaining, real, real world, exciting than anybody else, and it’s freaking math. And I think that’s kind of where that artsy side that I don’t know if that’s left or right brain, because I’m, I’m the opposite, right? Where that comes in, but, yeah, you wanted to be an artist. That’s awesome and and, you know, that’s what makes it all I mean, that’s what hooked me in the beginning, was I didn’t want to listen to the math, you know, so you have a gift. That’s all I can say, is you have a gift. So, thanks, brother. Appreciate you.
All right, I’m on a number two on a scale of one to 10. How do you rate your willingness to take risks?
Okay, I got to be a nine and a half. You know, any restaurant owner understands that when you’re an entrepreneur, it’s, it’s risk, reward versus time for money. And so, you know, there have been times and where, I think, in my old company, there was a time where everybody got paid, and I’d get paid for a full year. And I did, I think that three times in the 15 years that I ran it, you’ve got to take risks. When I created the software that was by the time we were finished, or when I left, the company was bought out. We had well over a million dollars self funded in software, which is worthless in the sense that you’ve got to stay on it. The code is worthless at some point time if you don’t keep up with it, and it’s ongoing. So, you know, when I talk about risk, I think I’m a 9.5 I don’t know what a 10 looks like, because, you know, but I just don’t know anybody’s a full 10, right? So 9.5 I’m willing to take risks. It is risk reward all day long.
Yeah, I think that helps, helps us, restaurant owners, entrepreneurs. That’s, that’s the link between you and all of us. I mean, you’re an entrepreneur yourself, obviously. So that’s, we definitely take risks. So I’ve seen, I’ve seen plenty that you’ve taken over the years. So you’ve been in the trenches with me, no, all the details that you know? Yeah,
I think the next question kind of kind of leads into this, but, or is in addition to what, what I just asked, but what, what has been your process to starting a small business, because you started a few and, you know, even, even just this last venture, how you’ve changed and started, started from scratch again, basically, after you sold your old company. You know, are you more of a business plan? Get everything in line, get everything in line, and then go, or does it just blow up and you start working?
Well, I’d love to tell you that I’m planned, but I am a fire Ready, set, aim. I can remember when I started my first company as a restaurant, training, coaching company. I didn’t know that I was going to do so I was actually a franchisor turning a failing franchise around, trying to get it to be when it was supposed to be, you know, profitable, and then sold.
And two years before that happened, my mom went to a seminar called Million Dollar speaking. It was $100 seminar that sold her into this freaking I don’t even want to tell you how much it was. It was so much money, but she was able to bring somebody with her for free. And I’m kicking and screaming. I’m like, Mom, what the hell did you do now as speech Comm major. I wanted to be like my dad with an NLP, neuro linguistics, programming or processing speaker or motivational speaker. I’m like, Man, I want to do this. So she got to bring me with her. And I’m like, this is going to be awesome. I want to I want to speak. But it was really about the business of selling from stage, creating, what was the emphasis embassy of the time of what’s called information marketing, which is what I do. I sell a system, a process away. It’s information. And I remember going there, and in the first day, I was pissing and moaning to my mom like, you spent how much money. I mean, I’m protecting my mom. You did what? Ta da.
By the end of the day, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And I just speech comm. Degree I had was doing improv comedy. I was my life was in restaurants and bars. I’m like, I know what I want to do. Because as a franchisor, I was selling a system a process away. I just didn’t have a logo anymore. If I did it on my own, and I got to grow into business. I got to, while I was turning that company around, start my business, do seminars, start coaching, do all these things that when I transitioned, it was no big deal, but I can tell you that I’m fire ready today, like once, once you have that passion, that burning desire inside to do something freaking go for it.
Now, it doesn’t mean you got to back up and then apply the budget. It doesn’t mean you don’t have to come back and go, I made some mistakes. Cost me a lot of money. I need to veer and learn from those mistakes. It’s no different than than a restaurant operator like yourself. It’s you have an idea, you go for it, and then you go, shit. I didn’t put the details together. Now put the details together and start to run it like a business. But, man, you got to have that spark. You don’t have the spark. Why the hell do you want to do it?
That’s a great way to put it, and I agree with you 100% I I just see this vision at the end of the tunnel always, and it’s not how do I get there? I just go there, and then I go and backtrack and put the budget in and or redo the budget, or whatever, whatever it takes. But yeah, it’s that. It’s that burning desire. So awesome. Thank you.
Tell me one accomplishment you are most proud of all these years of coaching and leading restaurant people changing their lives. What do you think is your biggest accomplishment? Logically, think it was building my last company and employing a bunch of people and creating software that changed people’s lives. I don’t think that’s it. I really think it’s working with members, one on one, and actually seeing the change in their lives.
It’s yeah, as you and I have done in the past together, we have worked on the ground with couples who man, they were on the on on the path to divorce. Because, you know, you screw with money, you start adding stress, you start doing all these things restaurants can rip families apart, and when you can bring them back together, because you’re the person who says, Here’s hope, here’s the direction to get there. Hey, instead of playing who’s smarter than the other, just follow what these guys say and do it and see that when they take action, it changed their lives. It’s when you see the person who is on the brink of bankruptcy, and you give them hope and show them that with a budget and putting what systems in place and learning how to delegate to make change in their lives. I don’t know that it’s one thing as much as the one thing is being last, if you will, to be a coach and to actually transform people’s lives. And I say transform them. I just want to very clear and you and I’ve talked about this over the years. I don’t do the freaking work you do, right? So it’s motivating somebody, it’s holding them accountable, it’s giving them the tools to be successful. But ultimately, I you know, they’re not successful if they’re not motivated to be so, you know, there’s that certain, certain bit of the people who work with me are looking for change. I can’t make you want change. I can’t make you want to do the work like you come to the table thinking, Man, I need something. There’s got to be a better way. The truth of matter is there is a very duplicatable plan, same systems, the same tools, the same process. The only difference is, when we get into your budget, where are your problems? Where do we start with? You might be a little different than somebody else, because you’ve created a different challenge. And I think that’s what it is. It’s got to be just the fact that I’m so lucky to be able to coach and change people’s lives, that would be the one thing. It’s a lot of things, but it’s really the one thing. Yeah, that’s, that’s, that’s awesome. I remember when, you know, we’ve coached together a few times and and that was always the one thing that just really has stuck with me over the years, was seeing the face of somebody that just got it, you know, just figured it out, or watching the business turn the corner or watching their bank account fill up, you know, just, just bringing accomplishment and peace to somebody’s life, like that. It’s pretty cool, yeah. And especially in an industry where it’s tough, it’s toughest business. I know, beautiful choice. There is an easier way. Just got to get out of, yep, and open it, yeah. So I believe that when we learn the most, we do it when we make mistakes. Can you share one of your mistakes? Maybe one of the most difficult, or and or the most impactful. I’m going to tell you my biggest mistake. You were there, my last company we started, we I hired a programmer.
I believed in them. Listened to him.
We had a launch date. We had we were going to launch this in Las Vegas. We brought some of our best members in, and we had other people come in, and we had a room full of I want to say there was 80 something people in the room. We’re excited to release this software.
And as I got close to it, my programmer said, Oh, well, it’s not quite ready. So on and so forth. And I’m like, do I need to tell people not to come? Oh, no way. I’ve written this. It’s almost like he was pre AI, you know, once we drop in a little bit of this, the code is going to write itself. You’re going to be ready, I said.
And I remember losing my shit on him, like I’ve got to tell people we show up in Las Vegas, and we don’t even have screenshots. We don’t have any inner UI interface, let alone something that’s operational. And I remember we worked 24/7 around the clock. You we had you some of the other team members, like helping this programmer create some stuff, and I ended up doing a mini seminar, and I can remember finishing it and feeling the tail between my legs.
But I disappointed, let down all these members who had flown to Las Vegas for the release of this brand new software. I had basically lied to them. I lied. I said no, and I can remember unplugging some some equipment behind a curtain and just wanting to break down. It was just couldn’t believe it, but I will tell you, one of the most amazing things came out of that is I realized what a fantastic supportive community had developed. I lost one member, one person was upset, everybody else just freaking understood and rolled with it. But I’ve never felt so much like a failure ever in my life than at that point in time.
But I can tell you, while I felt bad for a day. The next day, I had already contacted a new programming company that was pulling all of my data over like we are, I would, I was not going to let it, you know, stop me. It was like, Okay, this is, this is just a big bump in the road. I may bloodied myself hitting my head against, against this wall, but by God, I’m getting over the wall. I’m going through the wall. And by the end of that next 24 hour period of time, I had a brand new company that was taking over everything and and it was just amazing, because, you know, if you’re going to be an entrepreneur, you cannot allow even the worst of times stop you dead in your tracks. You have to lead. You have to make a decision. I don’t know if you remember that. I mean, I was literally up in the hotel room, and I was, I was already, you know, in communication with a whole Miller Company.
I remember every second for the two day period, every second threatened to beat the shit out of the program. I was pretty remembering, yeah, yeah, Brad and I were, were, yeah, holding the door anyway, yes, we that’s a, that’s great example. And, and, you know, again, some of those things weren’t in your control, and, or anyone’s control, and it just happened. And then the thing about again, is entrepreneurs, you’ve got to you can only control what you can control.
So I screwed up. I believe this guy. So when I learned lesson of trust and verify, very much. So again, as as the leader of the company and as an entrepreneur, I didn’t let it stop me. Don’t, don’t think I didn’t feel bad for for days. Yeah, it did not allow it to stop me. We were going to go forward and fix it. So that was crucial. Yeah, yeah, perfect, perfect. Great, great story, great memories.
Well, not the best, but, yeah, yeah, we’re going to turn the corner a little bit here.
What advice would you give an aspiring coach that wants to start up their own business? So if we’re going to assume the restaurant industry, I would tell you that specialize. Know what you do well. So for instance, people always ask me marketing questions. I’m not a marketing guy. I’m gonna send you a map plat like, go talk to Matt. Go talk to used to be Cameron Carrington, who Matt just, just the purchases company, and they became one. I’m not going to do marketing. I’m an operations person. If you’re a trainer, do great training. If you’re a numbers person, do great numbers like, whatever you you do really, really well and are passionate about that should be your shingle, your focus. Don’t try and be all things to all people.
The other is, understand that you know more than most. You don’t know more than all, and you don’t have to. So when I first started 21 years ago, I had a little bit of what we now call imposter syndrome. We didn’t label it back then, 20 years ago, and that was this I used to go to, like a restaurant Leadership Conference full of chain operators, and we were the small, 30 unit franchise, and I’d be looking these people, McDonald’s and and, oh, let us entertain you. And you know all these people that knew all these things about running 500 1000 locations, so on and so forth. And I felt inadequate. So when I started coaching, I’m like, Man, do I? Do I know everything. And I doubted myself. The reality was, I learned that as long as I know more than the person I’m talking to at the time, I’m helping them.
And then what I’ve realized 21 years later is if I look back at myself 20 years ago, I would have laughed and gone, you’re going to be coached. You don’t know shit, because the 1000s of people I’ve talked to, trained, helped, worked on budgets, seen their challenges. I’ve created millions of data points, and now I look at something and I start, sometimes I say something, go, where the hell that come from? It’s because millions of data points I know so much more now because of you, right? People like you and other members that have taught me, because I get to see inside their business. I get to help them make solutions and a learning all the way through that I’m so far better than I was 21 years ago. But the reality is, if you want to start, start, just be very, very focused on what you’re going to provide, somebody over deliver, and just learn that’s really what it’s got to be.
And today, I think back then I was, there was restaurantowner.com Jim Laub. He was about three, five years before me, but with a member site. I was the first operations coach. There was a Rory fat for marketing. There was Cameron Carrington out there in marketing. But there were no coaches.
Now there’s, there are so many coaches. My Facebook feed is just getting bombarded by individuals say I’m a coach. And I can tell you this, I don’t look at any any of them as a competitor, in the sense there are 1000s upon 1000s upon 1000s of restaurants you find the coach that matches you. You’re in good shape. You know, I’m not the right I’m not everybody’s cup of tea. Like, either love me or hate me, because I am, I am all like, this is Ta da. This is David’s guy, Peters. Like, I am consistent. The reality, though, is, if you want to coach be you be authentic. I guess that’s the other part. Is be authentic. Don’t try. And if you’re not a suit where, in person, don’t wear a freaking suit, you know, wear T shirts and flip flops, and that’s your thing. Somebody’s going to associate in the restaurant business. Go, man, you’re a t shirt flip flop guy, just like me, and I want to work with you, you know. So be authentic, be very specialized, and just do it.
Yeah, great, great advice. Great advice. Let’s see here. I’ve got a couple left. What shift gears a little bit.
What are some things that you love most about the hospitality business? I mean, what really draws you to it? I know you grew up in it, you know, memories. It’s the same reason why I like being a coach. The difference you’re touching someone’s life.
For me, when I was an improv comic, I was bartending, then I was bar managing, then I was managing two different locations, waiting for the third store before I became an operations manager, I was doing improv comedy. I was doing improv comedy on the floor like this is before I truly understand stood that a lot of things that I would say probably couldn’t get you couldn’t get through today, because they would be labeled as probably sexual harassment. I mean, there was a I’m somebody who does voices, there’s not a sexual preference, a disability, a nationality, whatever, that I don’t equally offend because I do voices and characters, and I would do that on the floor. It would just to be a blast. And when you can create memories, and people start coming in and asking for you not the owner anymore, it’s just, it’s magical because you know you’re touching somebody’s life.
So it’s the same reason why you know people like yourself, who I think are one of the top notch hospitality pros out there, like truly creating a magical guest experience. It’s no different, man, it’s, it’s just, it’s touching people’s lives. There’s just, there’s nothing like it performance, it’s a performance. And, yeah, making that connection absolutely, yeah, yeah, awesome, awesome.
So you’ve recently, I say recently, but maybe not so recently, started rowing, and with that has very quickly come a lot of achievements. You’re back on your game. You’re doing all this stuff. So this question might be a little redundant, but
what are some things that you do personally to fill your wealth, you know. So you’re, you know, so you so you have some life balance. You know, how you coach us to to get some balance in your life and everything else. What are some things that that you do?
I can tell you that it’s taken me into my 50s to follow my own damn advice. I’ll be dead straight with you. So, you know, we talked about rowing. I wrote in high school, I got a scholarship to row Northeastern University, d1 school, took 34 years off in between that just before night, 2018 I had a heart attack, two stints put in major life event, minor heart attack, and I needed to change.
Covid came, and somehow I found my way back to the sport of rowing 3034, years later, and I’m back in it. I’m an all or nothing person. Just if you know people don’t know me, it’s like I’m either doing it or I’m not doing it. So I’m full, fully competing again. I, in fact, I’m leaving in two weeks for Germany to row at World for masters. Like, it’s crazy. What’s going on right now?
I can tell you, though, when, when I got bought out of my last company, that I was not in good shape. I just had my heart attack a year earlier. Company was struggling, like it would got to a point where financially, we’re gonna be some tough decisions to make, which, which spurred my business partner to say, Hey, how about I buy you out instead? So it was already not in a great place. I was probably I was 45 pounds heavier. I was not feeling good about myself. Things were stuff. Then I lost my company, meaning I was approached to be purchased years before I wanted to. But I made an I made the decision that it was probably the best decision for my family, and I took the offer.
And so now I realized I was screwed in the sense that my whole identity was David Scott Peters, the restaurant expert. I built software I already had. I had 500 something like 550 members that were in the software, and we was coaching and doing all these things, and that identity was gone. I had nothing else. And my kids, my wife, but I did nothing else. And so I realized how important having an identity outside of my work life was so important rowing started to fill that
you’ve got to do something else.
And it’s twofold. One is you’ve got to fill your soul with something that makes you happy for you over the years, it’s drumming, if I remember correctly, your soul is not fulfilled if you do not have sticks in your hand, even if you take time off, getting on stage and feeling that magic and being in the flow is so important that creative side that is outside the restaurant feeds the restaurant when you can turn off work and just be present with your family. Be present when you’re on stage. Be present when you’re for me rowing when you’re present, all of a sudden the creative stuff happens because you see more by not paying attention to anything but the thing that makes you happy at the moment, and so that work life balance.
The second piece is I learned a technique that that I’ve been working with some of my members, that I didn’t really pay attention till I until I got older. That’s blocking out my schedule.
I literally put do not know you cannot book a time on my calendar. You can like, I don’t give a shit. I’m at a point in time where I used to work from seven in the morning till two, three o’clock in the morning. When I was developing software, I had my coaching members in the daytime. I would then have dinner with the family, and then I’d be back at it, because we’re developing software working side by side with the programmers, dot, dot, dot. I had no life.
I missed my daughter’s birthday probably every other year because there was a food show. And I thought, Man, I’m doing this for my family. And I realized bullshit. I did it for myself.
If you were doing it for your family, you’d be present for your family.
So I think that it’s taken me, unfortunately, and I’m trying to, in this iteration of my coaching program, really focus on when I say restaurant prosperity is which freedom from your restaurant, the financial freedom you serve, and the fight and the freedom from your restaurant is first. It’s because I learned the lessons hard. You’ve got to have things outside. And on a side note, if you don’t have your health, you got nothing. So if some of the things that you like to do your passion do passionate are physically active, even at a you know, walking with a spouse and being present man, you got to do it because you could work your ass off. Spend a lot of time. You could create wealth, but if you’re not around for it, you can’t enjoy it because you’re in pain, or you can’t walk. And that’s a tough one. And so finding a second identity, the passion you have outside your business, doing that, locking off your calendar, going, this is you can’t this is my time you can’t play, and then keeping your health the best you can. And that’s, that’s what I think is a secret for for me and my I’m gonna about to be 58, years old in just a couple weeks, and
I wish I had learned that lesson
decades ago, but I want to tell you I probably learned it in the last five years. Yeah, I feel you so much similar situation here. You know it’s, it’s we hear these, we hear these phrases all of our life, and not till events happen, or things change, or life changes, or sometime too late that we that we catch up to it. But great advice, great stuff. I couldn’t agree with you more. So it’s, it’s, it’s, I have to say, it’s so inspiring to to watch you get excited when you talk about rowing to see you accomplishing in these events and winning these events and the stories that come from it, on top of all the other you know, inspiration you’re providing me, all the members, everyone else, all the people that have always followed you, so to see you do something for yourself. Hats off to you even more. So yeah, let’s see here. What else I got? One or two more.
At what moment or experience did you know that you were the restaurant expert? Tell us that story.
I Yeah. So I think it happened after starting the company like again, I suffered from from imposter syndrome, like these people know more than me, and I believe it’s probably, it was probably three, four years into the business. It’s probably around the time you started coaching with me, I can remember being at a an elite meeting. It was a mastermind group of 20 of the most successful restaurant operators we worked with at the company. We go to each other’s restaurant on a quarterly basis. You know, having your peers around.
And I remember we were in this we’re in Vermont. Henry Bronson’s, God rest his soul. Little town in Vermont on a logging route, and across the street, we’re in the little motel that that, you know, run down as all hell, all I could say. And I remember three of us were sitting in my motel room going, I I, I want to do more. I need some of the things that you bring to the table, some that that somebody else brought to the table. And I’m like, Are you interested?
And at that point time, I realized I had gone to a level that I have. I’m helping a ton of people. I know what the shit I’m talking about. It’s time to build it more than just me. And so I it’s got to be years into it, and it was, was damn near at that meeting, when I have a again, did I start the business with a plan? No, I had an idea. And I went on it. I had an idea, pulled you into a motel room and said, What do you think about becoming a coach? Kind of how it worked. And I think that’s how we get when you look around a room, you have 20 people sitting at a table all hanging on your words, and you’ve built that kind of respect. That’s, I think, when I knew I arrived, yeah, absolutely, that’s I remember that, that meeting vividly, too. I remember some wrestling going on, but that might have been again when we discovered that restaurant owners like to drink and yes, Trad and I, well, we were on the ground, wrestling in mud, no wet grass. It was muddy, wet bread. Yes, it was great times, great memories, and so many accomplishments for sure, full circle here. Can you describe what it feels like to have transformed so many lives for the better, literally, 1000s of businesses owners. You know, you’ve coached and elevated to operate. They’re all professionals now. You know, they’re all operating at a level that that that beat any independent even more to realize the vision and their ultimate life dream. So, so they’ve come from, you know, playing in the kid pool. I’m gonna run a restaurant. I’m gonna buy, just bought a restaurant to operating at a level that that chains can’t even touch. You know, I mean, how does how? How does that make you feel that you’ve touched that many lives?
There’s nothing more rewarding. I can tell you that, like many entrepreneurs in our business, sometimes we operate in what Steve eller and my team, we like to call entrepreneurial poverty, like next month, next year, when I do this plan, it’s going to be better, so on and so forth. And over the years, there have been at least three times in my life, if not four. In 21 years, I’ve been been an entrepreneur, that I’ve operated in entrepreneurial poverty. The other there’s this, there’s this ebb and flow of things are really, really good, and then sometimes just the cards don’t fall where you want them, and you struggle, and you got to adapt to make a change, and it sucks, but that’s what being an entrepreneur is about,
that often
I’m accused of being the biggest social worker that I Know, because I cannot tell you how many times, just to help someone, if they’ve been in a financial crunch, that I make the time I’m not earning money. I’m only earning things that fill my soul. It’s it’s to truly help someone, and there’s no better there’s no better feeling. I, you know, I’m a big personality to begin with. I don’t think people understand how much I truly care.
Like I can, I can tell you, just the other day, I was on a budget call. We have a restaurant owner, a family. They have a couple locations. One’s a big event hall, and been frustrating.
Normally, we do budgets for somebody. It’s it’s a few hours. We take a few hours to create the template. Then it’s 1232, hour zoom calls. We put their plan together. What success is going to look like? Their plan for success? Like three calls. Max. Well, with this one one member, we have got to be 20 plus hours into the damn thing. We’ve got a lot of people who who aren’t in the coaching program, but are a part of the part of the the organization, and around a table on a on a screen, and, you know, zoom and doing all the stuff.
And at one point time, literally, since just a couple weeks ago, I had to apologize after I lost my shit, I said I we should have been done in six hours, because I care more about you and your business than you guys do. Like, I can’t do this. You have got to get this done. I’m done. I cannot care more about what’s going on in your business than you guys.
The owners were thankful that I that I kind of gave that message, because there were these managers who were just, Oh, what if we spend a little money and it’s for the future, and what? So what? The that labor doesn’t make sense, we couldn’t possibly do that, and all these reasons why I couldn’t be done and why it’s okay for them to lose hundreds of 1000s of dollars because they are multi, multi million dollar caterer in this one business, and it was just okay. And I’m like, bullshit, that’s their money, and I lost it.
And so I care so much about my members, and I don’t know that people understand that they think, you know, some people might think they see me on the internet. It’s a big show, like, that’s my consistent personality. You’ve known me for 20 years. Like, I’m consistent, I’m either on or off, but when I’m on, I’m on, and I am going to be tough with you. But I care. I truly care. We’re if we’re gonna work together, we’re gonna be friends. That’s what I tell people. Like, if you don’t like me, don’t sign up with me, because if we don’t get along, I don’t give a shit. Like, I’d rather enjoy our time together, because we are going to spend so much time together. And I do want to care about you, and I do want to make sure you get change. Yeah, yeah, I and I can attest to everything you’ve just said. I mean, your integrity, your honesty, your ability to give beyond I don’t even know where the energy comes from, your ability to elevate all of us, your members, anyone you’re coaching, you hold us up to a level that we never knew we could get, until we get it. I don’t know where you get the energy to do that. And it doesn’t matter. It’s, it’s, I’m grateful. I’m beyond grateful, and I know every one of your members is even more grateful because you just, you continue to give you’re an example of of, you know, where dreams come true. You know, you’re an example of how, how to live your life. And you know, I’m just honored to be a part of it and to have met you 20 some years ago. You know, I still sit there and remember that first, that first meeting at the palace station, tiny room, maybe six tables. I think we had your seminar, either 25 or 32 people. I had big rounds. Yeah, the room looked more full. Yep, yep, and that, I think it was the second day that day, you, you, you convinced me that I either needed to become a coach for my employees and my restaurants and my business, or hang it up, you know, you got to shift your mentality. And I tell you that day, I did shift my mentality. And it’s been, it’s been so much easier since, you know, you know, when I work with, you know, it’s the difference between,
you know, helping people. You know, I help, I help my employees as well. And
it’s just a whole different style. And I can’t thank you enough for setting me on that path. I’m by no means an expert in that area, but I work at it every single day, and I’ll always continue to work on it. And we’re all students, and you know that’s that’s how I move forward. And so happy to be back in in the circle and and a student again. So I’m looking forward to the future and making things better and and contributing. So I’m thankful for you.
You taught me things like the dream equation, the importance of checklists. You taught me about hospitality. You taught me what it is to get the most out of your managers. There are so many things that you brought to the table and that I learned from other members that just makes this journey that much more enjoyable and more powerful. So I wouldn’t be where I am without you in the first place, and I’m very excited for our members, that you are on the team, that you are there to help them, because I know the changes you’ve made in people’s lives in the past, and I see it again today. So I appreciate that from you as well. My friend and I, thank you. It’s a it’s a win, win. 100% thanks for doing flip the table with me, David, I appreciate it. Well, maybe we’ll do it again sometime. Awesome. I look forward to it, man, Thanks, brother.
Ready to take the next step towards achieving restaurant prosperity, freedom for the daily grind and the financial success you deserve. Book a discovery call with Ryan James, to learn about our group coaching program. Ryan will guide you through how our program can transform your restaurant and help you achieve the prosperity and freedom you’ve been striving for. Click the link in the description below or visit DSP dot coach. Forward slash, talk. Dash two. Dash. Ryan to schedule your call now, hey, that was an awesome episode. I want to thank you for taking the time to take action on building a better, more prosperous restaurant.
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