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Ep 13 Part 2: Advancing Women Leaders and Balancing Purpose and Profit in Restaurants

June 24

22 mins

Episode Description

Host Tal Clark continues his conversation with Melissa Doolin-Koehne of Elevate 4 about advocacy for women in restaurant leadership and building purpose alongside profit. Melissa cites industry stats showing women are about 33% of executives but only 10% of CEOs. They also talk about restaurant industry challenges. She explains that cutting training or wages may save money short term but erodes brands, urging servant leadership and care for all stakeholders, including vendors. The discussion covers employee financial wellness, earned wage access, and the importance of employee experience, including manager investment, scheduling flexibility, childcare challenges, immigration impacts, and financial education. In rapid-fire, Melissa shares leadership principles, career advice to choose leaders over brands, and excitement for more intentional operations supported by smarter tools and data.

00:00 Welcome Back and Setup

00:42 Women in Restaurant Leadership

02:13 Executive Retreat and Allies

03:51 Women CEOs and Industry Trends

05:18 Purpose and Profit Playbook

08:20 Earned Wage Access and Wellness

10:12 Culture First and Realities

14:18 Hiring Flexibility and Benefits

18:42 Rapid Fire Leadership Lessons

22:18 Closing Thanks and Where to Follow

Instant Financial: instant.co

Connect with Tal Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-clark-a60776b/