This weekly Friday series gives founders the mic to share their vision and get unfiltered feedback from a community of operators, leaders, and peers. In this session, Elizabeth Doss took the stage to present IzzyInc Studios — a creative studio helping restaurants, brands, and leaders stand out through custom animated GIFs. With more than 6 […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the focus was on delegation—why it’s so difficult, how to improve, and what leadership looks like when you let go. Shawn admitted his own struggles as a restaurant owner trying to juggle manager and owner duties, and how becoming a father forced him to […]
Ty Wilson grew up in restaurants, bussing tables, working the dish pit, and seeing firsthand how tough the business could be. After studying finance, he landed a job in banking. But during COVID, he worked remotely from one of his parents’ restaurants, using the Wi-Fi to work long days. That’s where he noticed the old […]
This weekly Friday series gives founders the mic to share their vision and get unfiltered feedback from a community of operators, leaders, and peers. In this session, Jason Berkowitz took the stage to present Arrow Up Training — a platform built by restaurant operators, for restaurant operators, to help teams become safer, stronger, and more […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Mike Bisceglia filling in for Shawn Walchef, the focus was on the power of storytelling—why it matters, how to practice it, and what makes a story stick. Mike opened up about his own journey creating the Bad Weather Fans podcast, sharing how a chance Twitter argument, […]
Running a restaurant through text messages and group chats may feel convenient, but it quickly spirals into chaos. Onboarding is messy, messages get lost, personal numbers get exposed, and employees end up pinged at all hours with everything from “we need cucumbers” to shift-change requests. For operators, the cost is real: wasted time, blurred boundaries, […]
Welcome to the first Pitch the Tide, hosted by Shawn Walchef. This new Friday series puts founders on stage to share their vision and get real-time feedback from a community of operators, leaders, and peers. In our kickoff session, Erin Hooper introduced Franchise Systems Ai, a platform designed to help brands scale smarter by systematizing […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Matt Wampler, CEO & Co-Founder of ClearCOGS, filling in for Shawn Walchef, the conversation centered on how restaurants can harness AI as a form of “learned intelligence.” Matt opened with his own story of struggling through the early days of restaurant ownership, sleeping in the back […]
Danny Klein didn’t plan on making restaurant media his life’s work. But ten years after stepping into the industry, the Vice President of Editorial at QSR and FSR Magazine has become one of its sharpest observers and biggest advocates. From walking the floor at the National Restaurant Association Show to building out events that connect […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the spotlight was on engagement—what it really means, how to build it, and why it matters. From “the truth vibrates the fastest” to the art of making stories sticky, the conversation moved through practical lessons on creating attention, trust, and loyalty. Guests explored how speed and […]
At the Pizza Expo and Bar & Restaurant Show in Las Vegas, two industry leaders shared a message every independent operator needs to hear: if you’re not telling your story, you’re invisible. Matt Plapp, CEO of America’s Best Restaurants, and veteran restaurant coach David Scott Peters joined Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality to talk about […]
In this latest Coaching Call with entrepreneur, podcast host, and mentor David Meltzer, host Shawn Walchef discusses artificial intelligence and its role in shaping modern storytelling. From Bulgaria, Shawn pressed David on what he would do if he had to rebuild Meltzer Enterprises today using AI. David’s answer was simple but powerful: he would take […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Mike Bisceglia filling in for Shawn Walchef, the focus was on “ANTs”—Automatic Negative Thoughts—and how recognizing and reframing them can unlock confidence and clarity. Guests shared personal experiences of battling doubt, stress, and self-criticism, offering strategies for shifting mindset, challenging false narratives, and leaning on community support. […]
Podcast guest booking is no longer just about cold emails and lucky breaks. Thanks to PodPitch, entrepreneurs and creators are streamlining the process of landing meaningful podcast interviews and doing it at scale. Sparking Relationships Through Podcasts Co-founder Parker Olson explains that the platform automates the steps most people find overwhelming: researching shows, pulling in […]
Robbie Schloss didn’t set out to build a milkshake empire. In 2017, he and his business partner opened Shore Club, a 12,000-square-foot beachside restaurant on Chicago’s North Avenue Beach. Seasonal by design, Shore Club thrived in the summer months but left a question lingering in the off-season: what’s next? The answer was JoJo’s ShakeBAR, a […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the focus was on public speaking and the “Stage Theory”—how showing up on stage, online, or in front of a camera creates opportunities far beyond the moment. Guests opened up about their own fears, breakthroughs, and lessons learned, from corporate presentations to casual livestreams, highlighting how […]
Adam Rainy and David Valentine did not plan on becoming business partners. Adam was a Cisco rep, David was running Nic and Norman’s in Georgia, and their connection was just another transaction in the busy world of restaurants. But over time, the two found themselves building something bigger than either imagined: 3 Keys and Company, […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the conversation explored the shifting landscape between old media and new media—and what that means for storytellers, business owners, and consumers alike. From newspapers and cable TV to podcasts, livestreams, and TikTok, the group compared how information is created, shared, and trusted in a world where […]
Kevin Planovsky career in digital strategy and hospitality was not built overnight. After more than a decade running his own boutique agency in Atlanta, he joined Croud, a global, tech-enabled marketing agency, to help lead U.S. growth. For Kevin, the draw was more than scale. It was the chance to merge strategy, technology, and storytelling […]
In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the conversation centered on the uncomfortable, unpolished, and ultimately rewarding process of building in public. Whether you’re launching a product, reshaping your brand, or just trying to find your voice, the act of showing your work before it’s perfect can feel terrifying—but also deeply liberating. This […]