The Business of Joy

The Business of Joy

di Lisa W. Miller

Amministrazione Marketing

Stagione 7

Built by 1,000 Touchpoints: How Great Restaurants Actually Create Value (with Robin Blanchette)

There’s a misconception that restaurant brands are built by big ideas, big campaigns, or the next big menu innovation. But the truth is much simpler and much harder. Restaurants don’t succeed because of one big home-run moment. They succeed because of thousands of tiny ones. In this episode of The Business of Joy, Lisa Miller sits down with Robin Blanchette, Founder and CEO of Norton Creative, to explore what really drives restaurant growth. Robin shares why brands can “die by a thousand cuts” or be built by thousands of touch points, and how the smallest decisions, like menu design, guest experience, messaging, and leadership, can quietly transform a business. She reflects on the early jobs that shaped her leadership, the hardest moment of her career during COVID, and what it truly means to show up for people, whether you’re leading a team, serving a guest, or advising a brand. In this episode, we discuss: • Why the menu is the most powerful marketing tool in a restaurant • The hidden role great consultants play behind the scenes • The balance between art and science in restaurant marketing (shoutout Melissa) • Why “showing up” might be the most underrated leadership skill Great businesses, like great relationships, aren’t built all at once. They’re built one joyful moment at a time!

Why 3rd Grade Reading Levels Matter: America’s Literacy Crisis (with Carol Goglia)

This is NOT OK: If a child is not reading on grade level by 3rd grade, they are 4x LESS LIKELY to graduate high school, and if living in poverty, 13x LESS LIKELY! Carol Goglia, CEO of Catch Up & Read is focused on one of America’s most urgent challenges: early literacy. She has spent her career turning strategy into impact, from her early days at Frito-Lay to leading one of the country’s most powerful giving movements at Communities Foundation/North Texas Giving Day. In this episode, Carol shares this idea of joy as a catalyst for learning and retention. From the “joyful results clubs” that make kids ask, “Is it Catch Up & Read day?” to lessons corporate leaders can borrow from the nonprofit world, this conversation is a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest business signals start in the smallest moments. If you care about the future talent pipeline, team development, or the long game of leadership, I think this will resonate!

From Performing Joy to Living It: Why Presence Beats Performance (with Chadwick Boyd)

What happens when you get really good at performing joy…but realize you’re not actually living it? We reward performance in business. The ability to “turn it on.” It’s the drive, charisma and energy that fuels us. But what if the skills that build our success disconnect us from ourselves? Chadwick Boyd grew up in a farming community and has spent nearly 30 years shaping how America experiences food. You might have seen him on the Today Show or many Food Network Shows. He realized in 2019 that had given so much of himself, that joy was hard to find. Then, in 2022, a life changing injury forced a reset. It wasn’t just physical, but entirely how he saw himself. Everything stopped. And in that stillness, he realized that presence, not performance, is what sustains people and brands over time. Today, Chadwick consults with brands to help them reconnect with their brand soul and their stakeholders and customers. If you lead teams, build brands, or feel the pressure to always be “on,” I think you will really enjoy this one.

Are We Measuring the Joy Out of Restaurants? (with Melissa Doolin Koehne)

The restaurant industry is under pressure: rising costs, labor challenges, tighter margins, and more data than ever before. But what if some of the tools meant to help are stripping away what matters most?JOY In this episode of The Business of Joy, Lisa W. Miller sits down with restaurant industry leader Melissa Doolin Koehne to explore the tension operators are facing right now: how to protect culture, people, and purpose while navigating an unforgiving business environment. Melissa brings decades of experience - from her early days at Carl’s Jr to leadership roles at Black Box Intelligence, launching her own company Elevate 4, and serving as Chairman of the Board for the Texas Restaurant Foundation. Together, they dig into: • How cost-cutting can unintentionally erode brand soul • Why “back to basics” may not be enough anymore • The role of data - when it helps and when it hurts • Why youth should be viewed as the future pipeline, not a labor problem • What truly drives retention, confidence, and long-term leadership in restaurants This is a candid conversation for operators, executives, and anyone thinking about the future of hospitality.

Stagione 6

From Rough Waters to Real Change: Arshay Cooper on Teamwork, Healing, and Hope

THIS podcast conversation is one you won’t forget! I met Arshay in 2019 through my rowing team. He is an entrepreneur and speaker who shares his message around the world. His full-length documentary, A Most Beautiful Thing, tells the story of growing up on the West Side of Chicago and how rowing and an entrepreneurship class changed his life. Since it debuted in March of 2020, it’s been a joy to watch all his success! 5 years later, he has a second book titled Let Me Be Real with You, which hit #1 on the USA Today best seller list, and he founded a non-profit organization to introduce rowing to youth! We dove deep into stories he doesn’t often share - the gift of his entrepreneur class, how his culinary degree shaped his future, and the power of hope. Rowing introduced him to teamwork, peace, belonging, and the chance to reinvent his future. This is a story about resilience, leadership, and the hope we give and receive.

Scaling With Soul: How Toni Ronayne Is Reimagining Leadership

For Toni Ronayne, her journey started as a 13-year-old coat check girl… staying up late, learning the value of tips, hospitality, and connection long before she ever stepped into the C-suite. Today, Toni is the Founder & CEO of The C Society, and her story is one of courage, reinvention, and leading with authenticity in an industry that’s changing faster than ever. A few of my favorite insights about Toni’s story: 💡Her superpower: being an “accidental executive” 💡Why restaurants are her true calling 💡The loneliness no one talks about when the title goes away (that is so real!) 💡How to scale without losing your soul 💡The win/win opportunity for fractional leaders One of my favorite moments was when Toni said: “At the end of the day, I want people to say I lived my life true to who I am.” Authenticity as a legacy! WOW! It is so fitting! If you’re a leader navigating change, a brand builder, or an executive rethinking what’s next in your career… you’ll want to dive into this one 🔥

The Human Side of NASA | Turning Darkness into Light With Mike Ciannilli

“I’m going to need some tissues. It’s a difficult story… but a beautiful one… because we can turn darkness into light.” -NASA’s Michael Ciannilli Season 7 launches today! 🎙 Big news coming tomorrow too! Hint: It’s a space (pun intended 😉) to spotlight every guest, every story, and every spark of joy we uncover together. This premiere is one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had. It’s a journey from heartbreak to hope with a 30-year NASA veteran who helped lead the recovery of Columbia and turned tragedy into purpose. After we recorded, Mike said something that reminded me why I love doing these: “I really enjoyed our discussion, Lisa. I must say once again, you’re a fantastic host who really brings out the person in the interview.” Michael’s career took him from engineering and test directing rockets to leading NASA’s Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned program. Here are some of the stories you’ll hear in this episode: 🚀 How 10-year-old Mike’s make-ready weekends shaped a lifetime of agility and craftsmanship 🚀 The 5½-year detour before joining NASA, and the perseverance that defined him 🚀 What it means to teach the “why” behind failure, not just the “what” 🚀 How the same human lessons apply whether you’re launching rockets, running a business, or leading teams That’s the heart of The Business of Joy: getting to the human side of every story. Behind every title, every mission, every milestone, there’s a person finding light after darkness. 🎧 Now streaming! Get the tissues ready!

Leading with Curiosity and Calmness: Lessons From Dorothy Jones

From growing up in her family’s Black-owned grocery store in Memphis to leading major brands across CPG, nonprofits, and higher ed… this is a story of grace, grit, and growth! This was fun to sit down with my good friend, Dorothy Jones, Chief Marketing Office, to talk about the moments and lessons that shaped her life and career! We talked about: 🛒 Early jobs that build confidence 💪 Resilience learned from her trailblazing mom Service and Community Are Foundational (FIX SPACING) 🧘‍♀️The power of being still 💡 and how Curiosity Is a Superpower!

Brett Schulman on Building CAVA: Heart, Health, and Humanity at Scale

Joy, soul, and hospitality aren’t soft words… they're a growth strategy! That’s the message from Brett Schulman, CEO & Co-Founder of CAVA, who joined me on The Business of Joy podcast this week. Before leading one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in America, his early jobs of washing cars and chopping firewood built his work ethic: discipline, pride, and the power of showing up! A few gems in this episode: 🌱 Manual work builds character, while human connection builds culture. His early jobs taught him attention to detail, perseverance, and the pride of finishing well. 🧡 Small wins build big discipline. Making your bed. Showing up. Doing the small things consistently… that’s how momentum and resilience are built. 🔥 Hospitality is a competitive edge. As technology removes friction, people crave warmth. The dining room isn’t dead - bad experiences are. 📈 Lead for decades, not quarters. Show up on the bad days. Invest through headwinds. Build for the long game. Brett is a testament that when leaders choose humanity over fear, the brand doesn’t just survive… it thrives.

John Blakey on Trust, Leadership, and the “Thrival Kit” for CEOs

🎙️ We’re Baaaack! The Business of Joy Podcast 🔥 What if the biggest myth in leadership is the idea of the superhero CEO? My guest, John Blakey, is one of the UK’s leading CEO executive coaches and the author of four books. He’s worked with FTSE 100 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and even coached gold-medal Team GB rowing squads. But what struck me most in our talk wasn’t his client list, it was his humanity. John shared how a paper round at 12 taught him reliability and appreciation, how moving and changing schools often built his “resilience superpower,” and why mentors matter more than we think. We dug into how even CEO’s have imposter syndrome and his Up, In & Out model, a practical way to align purpose, inner resilience, and follower engagement. And then came his newest idea: the Thrival Kit. Not just a survival kit for leaders, but 19 real-world tools to help you thrive - a first-aid kit for purpose-driven leadership. Leadership isn’t about being flawless. It’s about being human and equipping yourself to shine and help others shine.

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