What does it really take to grow a business that doesn't depend on you?

In this episode, I sit down with Christin Marvin, founder of Columbine Hospitality and author of Multi-Unit Mastery. Christin shares her journey from line cook at 15 to managing partner by age 30, proving that initiative, curiosity, and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone can completely change the trajectory of your career.

We talk about why struggling restaurants are often facing a leadership problem—not an operations problem—and what it takes to build leaders who can help your business grow beyond the day-to-day. Christin shares real stories of helping operators identify and develop leaders from within, as well as working through unexpected employee turnover by uncovering the real issues instead of simply treating the symptoms.

One of my favorite takeaways was the importance of creating a consistent rhythm of checking in with your team. Whether it's weekly, monthly, or somewhere in between, making time to listen and create a safe space for honest conversations builds trust, strengthens culture, and helps leaders address problems before they become bigger ones.

And Christin didn't stop there—she's also offering listeners a free digital copy of her book, Multi-Unit Mastery through the link she shares in the episode.

Whether you're leading one restaurant, one department, or one hundred employees, this conversation is full of practical leadership lessons you can put into practice right away.

http://www.irfbook.com/

What does it really mean to create a culture of learning?

In Part 2 of my conversation with Michael Wolfe, Director of Learning & Development at SEFA, we move beyond training programs and explore how organizations create environments where people continue to grow long after onboarding.

We discuss the balance between formal training and on-the-job learning, why leaders should expect mistakes as part of the process, and how creating a safe environment for questions and curiosity leads to stronger teams. We also tackle the mindset that "time is money" and whether investing in employee development is worth taking people out of the field.

If you're a leader, manager, or business owner, this episode will challenge the way you think about developing people—and why building a learning culture isn't just good for employees, it's good for the bottom line.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What a culture of learning really looks like
  
  
• Why learning doesn't end after onboarding
  
  
• Formal training vs. on-the-job learning
  
  
• Creating an environment where people feel safe asking questions
  
  
• Why mistakes are part of the learning process
  
  
• Balancing productivity with investing in development
  
  
• How continuous learning impacts business performance

What if the biggest problem with training...isn't the training?
In this episode of Confessions Beyond the Food, Nancy Ridlen sits down with Michael Wolfe, Director of Learning & Development at SEFA, to explore why organizations often misunderstand learning and what it really takes to develop people.
Michael shares his unique perspective as someone who entered the foodservice industry just four years ago, offering fresh insights into an industry filled with long-tenured professionals. Together, they discuss why experience doesn't automatically make someone a great trainer, the "curse of knowledge" that experts often face, and why learning is a shared responsibility between the teacher and the learner.
You'll also hear practical advice on becoming a better learner, regardless of who is doing the teaching.
In this episode:

• Michael's journey into the foodservice industry
• Fresh observations from an industry outsider
• Why experience doesn't always equal great training
• Common misconceptions about learning and development
• What great learners do differently
• Why taking ownership of your own learning matters
  Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll dive into how leaders can create a culture of learning that drives stronger teams and better business results.

In Part 2 of Confessions: Beyond the Food, the conversation shifts from winning… to what it takes to sustain it.

After early success, the real test isn’t talent — it’s leadership, discipline, and how you show up when people are counting on you.

Preston Nguyen opens up about what it’s like leading in high-pressure environments — from running kitchens at international music festivals to working alongside chefs from different cultures where systems, expectations, and communication all change.

We talk about the reality behind “success”:

• The pressure that comes with it
• The responsibility of leading teams older and more experienced than you
• The discipline it takes to stay grounded when everything is moving fast
• Leading high-performance kitchens under pressure
• Cooking for VIP guests at international festivals
• Adapting to different cultures and kitchen systems
• The hidden pressure of early success
• Treating staff with respect in a high-stress industry
• Blending old-school discipline with modern leadership
• Staying grounded through faith and family

Preston also shares his approach to leadership — blending old-school standards with a new-school mindset, treating staff with respect, embracing criticism, and constantly pushing himself to grow.

For him, success isn’t just about winning.

It’s about staying rooted in what matters:
Faith.
Family.
And creating a real hospitality experience — for both guests and the people beside you.

This episode is about character, growth, and what it actually takes to lead at a high level.

At 18, Preston Nguyen didn’t plan on competing in the World Food Championships.

He was going to volunteer.

Instead, a last-minute opportunity put him in the competition — alongside his parents — going up against chefs with decades more experience… and they walked away as Rookie of the Year.

In Part 1 of Confessions: Beyond the Food, Preston shares how everything changed — from a COVID pivot into cooking, to winning Rookie of the Year, to stepping onto Next Level Chef at just 19.

This episode is about what happens when success hits early — and the pressure that comes with it.

In this episode, we cover:

• Growing up around family restaurants — but planning a future in architecture
• The COVID pivot that changed everything
• Getting a last-minute “golden ticket” into the World Food Championships
• Winning Rookie of the Year at 18 — and the pressure that followed
• Catching and cooking his own fish (despite a childhood trauma)
• Using TikTok to solve a high-level culinary challenge
• What Next Level Chef is really like behind the scenes
• The pressure of performing with cameras on and no second chances

AI isn’t the barrier in distribution.

Culture is.

In this episode of Confessions Beyond the Food, Nancy sits down with Ian Heller — AI expert and Chief Strategy Officer at Distribution Strategy Group — to explore what’s really slowing adoption across foodservice, sales, and manufacturing.

They unpack:

• Why this AI shift is fundamentally different from past technology cycles
• The growing gap between leadership urgency and frontline skepticism
• How AI challenges the traditional identity of the sales rep
• The fears reps don’t openly admit — from exposure to irrelevance
• Why “AI isn’t accurate” may be more about control than data
• The leadership mistakes that stall real adoption
• How culture quietly overrides strategy inside organizations

This conversation goes beyond technology — into trust, identity, and the uncomfortable truths shaping the future of distribution.

Learn more about Applied AI for Distributors here: https://appliedaifordistributors.com/speakers/

Foodservice sales has always been built on relationships.

But what happens when intelligence evolves?

In this episode of Confessions Beyond the Food, Nancy sits down with Dr. Elena Park, an AI strategist specializing in sales transformation, to explore how artificial intelligence is already influencing territory management, pricing strategy, commission models, and performance expectations across the foodservice industry.

They discuss:

• How AI is quietly shaping sales decisions
• Whether reps should feel threatened
• What will never be automated
• How leaders should frame AI internally
• What separates average reps from elite ones

This conversation challenges assumptions — and asks a bigger question:

Are you preparing your team for what’s already here?

Life can pivot on a single decision — sign the contract, board the plane, lace up before dawn.

Shawn Porter’s journey spans a family legacy of military service, deployment to Iraq, and now leading one of the largest sales districts at Edward Don & Company. He shares what it was like returning home to a world that hadn’t changed — while he had — and how he learned to replace military structure with self-discipline in business.

We talk about transition, backplanning success, thriving in uncomfortable rooms, and why veterans often excel when persistence decides the outcome. Shawn also reveals how running 100 miles — including the Leadville 100 — became his training ground for leadership.

The lesson: choose hard on purpose, so unexpected hard doesn’t own you.

Whether you’re a veteran navigating transition, a salesperson building momentum, a leader developing people, or someone chasing a goal that feels just out of reach, you’ll walk away with practical tools for structure, accountability, and resilience you can actually apply. Zero reret living.

Resources:

W3 Shop - https://w3salesonline.com/collections

Mission Roll Call - https://missionrollcall.org/

Outdoor Adventure Therapy for Heroes - https://www.thewarriorskeep.org/