Rising Tides Live!

Cali BBQ Media
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Rising Tides Live is a weekly show from Cali BBQ Media where leaders from across the restaurant, hospitality and technology space share the stage to discuss the greatest successes, failures and lessons.

  1. 4d ago

    Rising Tides Live - Successful People Ask For Help

    Laura Wilber filled in for Shawn Walchef to lead this Rising Tides Live conversation on why successful people ask for help. Restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared how mentors, trusted teams, and professional networks helped them grow. From Katie Socks asking an executive to become her mentor to Chef Lindsay giving her team more responsibility, the group showed that asking for help is a sign of strength. The message was clear: Ask before you reach the breaking point, show gratitude, and act on the advice you receive. Asking for Help Is a Strength – Successful leaders recognize when they need support and have the courage to seek it from mentors, colleagues, and trusted advisors.The Right Team Creates Room to Grow – Giving capable people more responsibility allows leaders to step away from daily operations and focus on the future of the business.Advice Only Matters When You Act – Asking for help is only the beginning. Real progress comes from applying what you learn and doing the work.Episode Links Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

  2. 5d ago

    Rising Tides Live - Planning 2027

    Shawn Walchef led this Rising Tides Live conversation focused on one question: What can you do today to start planning for 2027? Restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared how they set goals, prepare for seasonal changes, review opportunities, and use AI to make better decisions. From Iano Dovi’s “7-7-7” system for planning seven days, seven weeks, and seven months ahead to Scott Kleckner’s advice to plan your business like it is much bigger than it is, the group showed how a clear plan can help leaders stay focused and know when to say no. The message was clear: Planning does not mean everything will go exactly as expected. It gives you a direction, helps you measure progress, and keeps every new opportunity from becoming a distraction. A Plan Makes It Easier to Say No – Shawn Walchef and Scott Kleckner explained how planning helps business owners judge whether a new opportunity supports their goals or simply drains time, money, and energy.Plan Across Different Time Frames – Iano Dovi uses his “7-7-7” system to prepare for the next seven days, seven weeks, and seven months while giving each level of his restaurant team the right responsibilities.Review Your Progress Every Week – Michael Ungaro emphasized that a business plan should not be filed away and forgotten. Weekly reviews help leaders measure progress, adjust their priorities, and separate meaningful action from staying busy.Episode Links Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

  3. Sep 3

    Pitch The Tide - Mick Carr: CEO and Founder at Grub Lab

    Mick Carr, CEO and founder of Grub Lab, pitched directly to a panel of restaurant operators on Pitch The Tide, sharing how branded kids’ menus, activities, and interactive games help restaurants create better family dining experiences. The pitch led to a conversation about the business value of kids’ meals, from attracting entire families to encouraging repeat visits and giving independent restaurants access to major sports and entertainment brands. Carr also heard firsthand what operators need from the platform, including activities for older children, opportunities to connect with existing loyalty programs, and clearer messaging around how a better experience for kids translates into more business for restaurants. See the Family Behind the Kids’ Meal – Mick Carr encourages operators to look beyond the price of a single kids’ meal. A child’s preference can bring parents, siblings, and grandparents through the door, making the experience for kids an opportunity to earn the entire family’s business.Create Experiences Families Want to Repeat – Grub Lab combines branded activities and interactive games to help restaurants make family dining more enjoyable. Giving kids something memorable to do creates opportunities for servers to connect with families and gives guests another reason to return.Pitch the Results Restaurant Owners Care About – Access to major sports and entertainment brands only matters if operators understand the business benefit. Carr explained how shifting Grub Lab’s message toward bringing families into restaurants made its value clearer, while operator feedback highlighted opportunities around loyalty, repeat visits, and activities for older children.Episode Links Mick Carr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mick-carr1/Grub Lab: https://www.grublab.co/usGrub Lab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grub-lab/

  4. Sep 2

    Rising Tides Live - Stop Watching. Get Involved

    Shawn Walchef led this Rising Tides Live conversation focused on a question every entrepreneur faces: How do you take the first step toward something uncomfortable? Restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared stories about putting themselves out there, learning new skills, asking for help, and getting involved in their communities. From Iano Dovi’s “get in the van” approach to starting something new to Scott Kleckner’s experience turning a restaurant food donation dispute into years of charitable work, the group showed how small actions can create lasting opportunities. The message was clear: You don’t have to feel ready to start. Show up, take the first step, and surround yourself with people who will help you keep going. Start Before You Feel Ready – Iano Dovi’s advice to “get in the van” captured the importance of taking the first step. Whether you’re publishing a video, pursuing a speaking opportunity, or starting a business, confidence and experience come from doing the work. Small Actions Can Create Lasting Change – Scott Kleckner’s decision to help a charity take home leftover food led to changes in Disney’s food donation policy and nearly 15 years of charitable involvement. Addressing one problem can open the door to a much bigger contribution. Find People Who Help You Move Forward – Dean Labay shared how the Rising Tides community gave him hope during a difficult period in his life. Asking for help and surrounding yourself with people who encourage you can make the next step possible, even when you’re unsure how to take it. Episode Links Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/ Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/ Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

  5. Aug 27

    Pitch The Tide - Racquel Cable: Product Expert at Soundtrack

    Racquel Cable, Product Expert at Soundtrack, pitched directly to a panel of restaurant operators on Pitch The Tide, sharing how the commercially licensed streaming service helps businesses create and manage the right music experience across their locations. The pitch led to a conversation about what operators need from a music platform, including centralized control, playlist curation, scheduling, licensing, and creating different experiences by location and daypart. Cable also heard firsthand how operators think about music as part of the guest experience and where Soundtrack could improve, from more advanced scheduling and customization to connecting music choices with restaurant sales data. Music Is Part of the Guest Experience – The right music can help reinforce a restaurant’s brand and influence how guests experience the space. Soundtrack’s research found a significant sales difference between music that fit the brand and music that didn’t. Operators Want Control Without More Work – Restaurant leaders want to manage music across multiple locations without relying on employees to make decisions in the moment. Scheduling, remote controls, permissions, and different music by daypart can help brands create a more consistent experience. Connect Music to Restaurant Data – Operators were interested in knowing whether different music actually changes sales at their individual locations. Soundtrack doesn’t currently connect that information directly with POS data, highlighting an opportunity to make music decisions more measurable. Episode Links Racquel Cable LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/racquel-cable/ Soundtrack LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundtrackio/ Soundtrack: https://www.soundtrack.io/

  6. Aug 25

    Rising Tides Live - Weekly Meetings That Actually Work

    Shawn Walchef led this Rising Tides Live conversation focused on how to make weekly meetings more productive, where restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared what makes meetings worth having and what causes them to waste time. From setting clear agendas and keeping the right people in the room to using AI transcripts for accountability and ending with “who does what by when,” the group shared different approaches to creating more focused meetings. The group agreed that meetings should have a clear purpose and outcome, and that regularly reviewing what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to happen next can help teams communicate better, stay accountable, and continuously improve. Give Every Meeting a Purpose – Meetings should have a clear agenda and outcome. Keeping the conversation focused helps prevent recurring meetings from becoming repetitive, unfocused, or dominated by problems that belong somewhere else. Use Transcripts to Improve – AI note takers make it possible to review what actually happened in a meeting, identify where the conversation drifted, and find ways for both leaders and teams to improve each week. End With Clear Accountability – Mary Pillow shared the simple question, “Who does what by when?” Every meeting should finish with clear responsibilities and deadlines so decisions turn into action. Episode Links Cali BBQ Media:https://content.calibbq.media/ Join Our Next Show:https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/ Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

  7. Aug 20

    Pitch The Tide - Keegan Conrey: CEO of Decision Logic

    Keegan Conrey, CEO of Decision Logic, pitched directly to a panel of restaurant operators on Pitch The Tide, sharing how the back-office platform helps multi-unit brands manage inventory, labor, food costs, and operational data. The pitch led to a conversation about what restaurant operators actually need from their technology partners, including clearer ROI, stronger integrations, practical uses for AI, and better access to their own data. Conrey also heard firsthand how operators evaluate new technology and what can help a platform like Decision Logic stand out in an increasingly crowded restaurant tech landscape. Technology Should Give Managers Time Back – Conrey emphasized that restaurant technology should not give managers another system to spend time inside. Decision Logic is designed to quickly surface what matters so managers can take action and get back to running the restaurant. Give Operators Control of Their Data – Conrey believes restaurant groups should be able to take their Decision Logic data into tools like Claude and build the reports, dashboards, and workflows that make sense for their business instead of waiting on a software provider to build them. Know Who Your Technology Is Built For – The conversation reinforced the value of being specific about the ideal customer. Conrey explained that Decision Logic is designed for multi-unit operators, particularly growing restaurant groups that need greater visibility across locations. Episode Links Keegan Conrey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keeganconrey/ Decision Logic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decisionlogic/ Decision Logic: https://decisionlogic.co/

  8. Aug 18

    Rising Tides Live: How Do You Measure Quality?

    Shawn Walchef led this Rising Tides Live  conversation focused on a question every business has to answer: How do you measure quality? Restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared how they define quality through consistency, customer expectations, value, relationships, and the overall experience. From asking customers what success looks like before the work begins to understanding how expectations can change from person to person, the group explored why quality can’t be defined by one standard. The group agreed that businesses need to understand what quality means to the people they serve, then build the consistency and relationships needed to deliver on those expectations. Quality Starts With Understanding Expectations – Shawn Walchef believes businesses need to define what quality actually means to their customers. Asking what success looks like before delivering a product or service can help teams focus on what matters most. Consistency Builds Trust – The group discussed how quality is often tied to delivering a consistent experience. Whether it’s food, service, content, or relationships, consistency gives customers confidence in what they can expect. Let Your Customers Help Define Quality – Quality can mean something different to every person. Instead of relying only on internal standards, businesses should listen to customers, understand what they value, and use that feedback to improve the experience. Episode Links Cali BBQ Media:https://content.calibbq.media/ Join Our Next Show:https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/ Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

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About

Rising Tides Live is a weekly show from Cali BBQ Media where leaders from across the restaurant, hospitality and technology space share the stage to discuss the greatest successes, failures and lessons.

Information

  • Creator
    Cali BBQ Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Rising Tides Live!