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118: SURA KOREAN BBQ and TOFU HOUSE

Continuing to build on Six Pillars of a successful business, this episode was chosen to give examples from two pillars of the Six Pillars program -- First Pillar and Third Pillar.  The first pillar is about branding and strategy. Know your niche, and continue to refine your definition of your niche in the language you use on your website, in social media. The third pillar is about operations. Sura has revised and tidied up their systems and renovation , and know that it takes time, happens slowly and cannot be rushed.  

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117: MARKETING FAQs WITH MALIA, PART 2

This episode reflects the Sixth Pillar of the Six Pillars of Business. The Sixth Pillar is about hospitality. Social Media is like an invitation to come in to a restaurant, cafe or business. Whether you create your own content of need help with a marketing plan, or if you wish to turn over the project to professionals, this episode will satisfy curiousity with the voice of an expert. 

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116: CAJOU -- PLANT BASED ICE CREAM STORY

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116: CAJOU -- PLANT BASED ICE CREAM STORY

The journey of Cajou Creamery started in Baltimore and like so many Baltimore-firsts is stepping up to serve culturally creative flavors as an outpouring of their Jamaican heritage and their sophisticated global outlook. Co-founders Nicole Foster and Dwight Campbell.

This episode reflects two pillars of the Six Pillars of Business Success. Pillar 1 -- brand and strategy, and Pillar 5 -- their ability to secure their co-packing and packaging which leads to many avenues of distribution. 

 

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115: THRIVING WITH BRAHM AT THE INN AT SHAKER MILL FALLS

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115: THRIVING WITH BRAHM AT THE INN AT SHAKER MILL FALLS

Brahm is the farmer at the regenerative farm at The Inn at Shaker Mill Farm. Listen to this episode as an expert on how regenerative farming, is much like speaking another language in it's ability to give you new perspective, and positive perspective on life. This episode is as much about the life force that you carry in your daily life as it is about how regernative farming is the life force for our planets future. 

To learn more about the work Brahm is doing at the farm, and the work Michael and others are doing at the Inn at Shaker Mills Farm, please listen back to Episode 111, or look them up and find out about workaways, retreats or a stay at the Inn with a view of the waterfall in the Waterfall Room. 

In our episode we reference the following: Inn at Shaker Mill Falls You Tube Channel. Brahm referenced their Food Forest videos. Here is the link.

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114: TYLER ZIELINSKI ON BUILDING A BETTER BAR

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114: TYLER ZIELINSKI ON BUILDING A BETTER BAR

What makes a bar work? How do you make the math work?  And how do you keep it working for  years to come? We interview UK based Tyler Zielinski to get his opinion. He writes for PUNCH, Food & Wine, London Evening Standard, Eater, Class Bar Mag, Condé Nast Traveler and more. And he is a Brand and Hospitality Consultant for bars, spirit companies and industry events. Our loyal listeners, intellectually curious business owners, want to know better ways to improve their business, in an ever changing environment. This episode will suit you if you own a bar, run a business with a bar, or need a refresher to get your mind thinking of how to make the small changes that make a big difference. 

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113: LINE ABANDONMENT

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113: LINE ABANDONMENT

Line abandonment falls into an operational topic, which is Pillar 3, in the Six Pillars of a Successful Business. How does it happen? In the restaurant industry customers leave a line before completing their intended transaction, which in this case would be ordering their food and dining at the restaurant. This phenomenon can occur in various contexts, such as waiting in line to place an order, waiting for a table to become available, or waiting to pay the bill.

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112: JENNY & MARTHA HOUR: THE BEAR, S1

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112: JENNY & MARTHA HOUR: THE BEAR, S1

we asked Jenny to come back and discuss her perspective on the first season with Martha.  A quote from the NYT article by Carina Chocano called How ‘The Bear’ Captures the Panic of Modern Work starts the discussion. Jenny and Martha discuss various elements Chocano reveals, and other elements they felt deserves further exploration. Please see Season 1 before listening, so any spoilers do not disappoint you, our listener.

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111: INN AT SHAKER MILL FALLS - PERMACULTURE STORY

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111: INN AT SHAKER MILL FALLS - PERMACULTURE STORY

Climate change is striking us hard. Finding a place deserving of an episode took time. This episode shares the story of one amazing place on Earth where they are working with nature in numerous way. Step into The Inn at Shaker Mill Falls. It is an 18 room inn and retreat center operated out of a historic, repurposed gristmill built by the local Shaker Mt. Lebanon community in 1824.

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110: EVENTS (INNER CIRCLE CONVERSATIONS)

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110: EVENTS (INNER CIRCLE CONVERSATIONS)

This episode  starts a series whose time has come--Inner Circle Conversations. These are topics that I see trending or you, the audience is asking for me, the host, Martha Lucius, to share. Sharing how to run events and why. What's the purpose of having them, what's the power behind events, and why do them in the first place. If you are an owner, learn why you should consider doing them, and what's involoved. If you are a fan or restaurants or food based businesses, why should you attend.

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108: HIRING GOOD FOOD PEOPLE

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108: HIRING GOOD FOOD PEOPLE

This is a short story on how you can build a successful hiring habit even now, in 2023! Need a little humor to get you motivated to set yourself up to hire well? Okay, listen to this episode, and you might get that, and a touch of good culture out of the deal!!!

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107: HIDDEN WATERS FARM -- REGENERATIVE AG, JOE SHAFFER EXPLAINS

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107: HIDDEN WATERS FARM -- REGENERATIVE AG, JOE SHAFFER EXPLAINS

Joe Shaffer from Hidden Water Farms shares where our food comes from, and knows how farmers steward the land and animals. There is a growing trend in the US for farm stores. This farm store opened June 2023. Joe describes how that space works, and how they are finding their customers. They are probably one of the closest farms with a farmstore for Baltimore City. If you are local, consider visiting them, and shopping in their farm store. Support local businesses regularly, it is the backbone of our community. 

Considering getting to know our farms and farmers. Understand how our health improves when eating seasonally and locally.  A farmers' business practices and philosophies can impact the economy, the environment and to our individual health. 

 

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105: Humor, Staff Excuses

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105: Humor, Staff Excuses

Jenny Gaitner is back on Holy Guacamole to share the most elaborate or simple excuses people give for why that cannot come to work. Martha Lucius and Jenny Gaitner tell some of those industry stories that you know are only shared among industry people. Get ready for a chuckle to a guffaw.

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104: CAN'T MAKE THIS SH#T UP

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104: CAN'T MAKE THIS SH#T UP

Hospitality is the 6th of Six Pillars. It's where we take all the planning of a restaurants daily plan and turn it into reality.  We all need a little levity. Levity in the food industry is an amuse-bouche for a series of service stories. Feel free to send in your stories, ad an email, or we can set up a time to record.

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103: HOSPITALITY, ERIN MORAN'S OPINION

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103: HOSPITALITY, ERIN MORAN'S OPINION

Erin Moran is a note authority on good culture and hospitality. She is Director of Dr Grasmick's Leadership Institute at Towson University weighs in with her definition of hospitality and good culture. She has been part of Union Square Hospitality Group, and Great Places to Work.

Our series of episodes are designed to share the Six Pillars Program are followed by episodes which illustrate each pillar. Future episodes will reference Six Pillars Program, and why it's important to have a clear strategy to improve your business. 

 

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102: SIXTH PILLAR OF BUSINESS SUCCESS

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102: SIXTH PILLAR OF BUSINESS SUCCESS

Here we are, the last pillar in the Six Pillars of a Successful Business: HOSPITALITY. It’s subtitle is “what are the ways to attract guests to your place, in the first place… then, what are they ways to invite them back, over and over and over again!!!

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101: LET'S TAKE A DETOUR

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101: LET'S TAKE A DETOUR

We take a break from the Six Pillars to share how food, community and kindness come together. And they come together at restaurants, bars, cafes, and food businesses, partly because each of those businesses is an epicenter in the community. 

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100: 5TH PILLAR: DEFINED

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100: 5TH PILLAR: DEFINED

Defining the Fifth Pillar of a Successful Business: the avenues and distribution to bring product to market. Avenues and distribution is where restaurant or CPG product find methods to sell their product. Many facets of the same jewel. 

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99: 5TH PILLAR: KATHLEEN OVERMAN TALKING ABOUT AVENUES OF BIZ

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99: 5TH PILLAR: KATHLEEN OVERMAN TALKING ABOUT AVENUES OF BIZ

We dig into the fifth pillar of a successful business: avenues and distribution to bring product to market. Avenues and distribution is where restaurant or CPG product find avenue to sell their product. What routes can a business find and build distribution paths. 

Kathleen Overman is a local business advocate and consultant who understands how to keep clients community focused, while growing their brand. 

Enjoy the conversation, and decide how her local advocacy mindset informs building a brand where you can gain the most impact for the consumers/guests who identify with the meals you serve, or the craft food you make. 

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98: ELUSIVE TERM "QUALITY" WITH MEAGHAN CARPENTER, HEX FERMENTS

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98: ELUSIVE TERM "QUALITY" WITH MEAGHAN CARPENTER, HEX FERMENTS

Meaghan Carpenter, owner of HEX Ferments shares their methods and creative thinking when they make their kimchi, krauts and kombucha. The ancient techniques of preserving food is an art. Rarely do we find an Arc of Taste in our modern food chain. HEX Ferments is that niche business that never stops striving for the best. Science and taste have led their path to HEX Ferments' high caliber product. 

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