In this wild and unexpected conversation on The Diary of a CEO, John Eckbert, who heads Five Guys in Europe, pulls back the curtain on how a burger joint – yes, a burger joint – took on Britain’s posh food scene and somehow became a cult favorite. And here’s the kicker: they didn’t throw a single cent at traditional ads. No billboards, no flashy commercials, not even a cheeky online promo. Instead, Five Guys built their reputation on something so old-fashioned it almost feels rebellious – word-of-mouth. Seriously. Their "marketing" is letting people talk about the fresh, never-frozen ingredients and open kitchens where you can practically see the magic (or chaos) happening. It’s like an old-school diner, but dialed up to eleven.

John doesn’t just talk shop, though. He goes way deeper, opening up about personal hea ...