#70 - Reinventing the Wheel On this week’s episode we’re going to talk all about reinvention. Why to do it, what it might look like, and how to take those tentative first steps toward redesigning a profitable business. I share a bunch of different suggestions to help spark ideas, which all go back to this idea of diversifying your revenue streams. Think about all the different ways you can make money in your business.  THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR: The Table Rock QR Menu System (CLICK HERE) The ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need - CLICK HERE

#69 - How Marketers Use Storytelling to Sell When I say, “Tell me a little bit about yourself,” how do you respond? Do you say, "Well I’m 5’10”, about 180 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair?" Of course not! In fact if someone did that in an interview, you’d be like… who is this psychopath. When someone says, “Tell me a little bit about yourself” you respond with a brief bio. If it’s an interview you might talk about where you went to school or the last company you worked for. If you’re meeting someone at a party, you might talk about where you grew up or what you do for a living. We don’t recite facts and figures; we tell a story. Stories bring things to life. They help the listener better understand because the experience becomes relatable. We hear about someone who wins the lottery and we can’t help but put ourselves into those shoes. We hear a song and recognize the emotions they’re describing. We watch a movie and feel something because we empathize with the characters on the screen. Very little of what we do isn’t touched by storytelling. And this is especially true when it comes to running a business. In fact, I believe there are 5 different ways we use stories to market our restaurants: Stories that communicate a brand’s mission… their WHY Stories that spark conversation Stories that validate price Stories that bring deeper appreciation for the product or the brand Stories as mythology. I share a bunch of case studies and examples to illustrate each of these areas, and guide you through some ways to identify stories in your own restaurant. This is the companion piece to episode #53. I hope you enjoy.  Of course, I'll also remind you that I'm still selling... The ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need - CLICK HERE

#68 - All About the Freebies and Spreadsheets Over the past year I've heard from a bunch of you and the common thread I always seem to hear is how much you love the freebies and giveaways. So I've tried hard to make more of them - workbooks that correspond with a given episode, or cheatsheets, or spreadsheets. Since the start of the year I've tried to provide more resources for you. Anything to help make your lives easier. So on today's episode I'm recapping ALL of the resources I've shared and including all of the links below. Happy listening The ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need - CLICK HERE The Marketing Worksheet (Ep #1) - CLICK HERE The Marketing Pillars Workbook (Ep #2-6) - CLICK HERE The Marketing Ideas Cheatsheet (Ep #13) - CLICK HERE Photo Guide (Ep #22) - CLICK HERE Marathon Workbook (Ep #37) - CLICK HERE True Fans Workbook (Ep #40) - CLICK HERE The V-Day Checklist (Ep #45) - CLICK HERE The Elevator Pitch Cheatsheet (Ep #47) - CLICK HERE The Pivot Cheatsheet (Ep #56) - CLICK HERE Creative Solutions Workbook (Ep #67) - CLICK HERE The Marketing Calendar Template (Ep #42) - CLICK HERE

#67 - The Surprising Truth About Creativity and 4 Steps to Harness It Creativity is a renewable resource. It’s one of the few things in this world where the more you mine, the more that appears. Best of all, it’s not reserved for the chosen few… rather it's something we all have at our disposal. Today, I want to talk all about what creativity is, where it comes from, how we can tap into it to grow our businesses, and the best way to inspire your team to do the same.  I share a simple 4-step process you can use to start putting these ideas into practice, plus there's a free workbook to help you get going.  CLICK HERE to download the CREATIVE SOLUTIONS WORKBOOK

#66 - Treading Water vs. Swimming to Shore When it comes to water safety, the data is clear: there are two skills children need to master before they get into a pool. The first is how to swim, obviously. And the other is how to tread water. Those are the two things that can substantially increase their chance of surviving in the off chance that they fall in.  But when it comes to business, too many people focus on the latter at the expense of the former. If you're on a boat and you fall overboard, it makes sense to stay put, tread water, and wait for the boat to loop back around and return for you. But in almost every other instance it makes sense to just swim to shore.  The metaphor works for restaurants -- especially now as we're in the throes of this global health crisis -- because too many of us are waiting to be saved. Just treading water until some comes to our rescue. On this week's epside we're talking all about changing your mindset... how to go from "treading water" to "swimming to shore." Tim Ferriss -- Interview #1 with Nick Kokonas (10/18/18) Tim Ferriss - Interview #2 with Nick Kokonas (5/6/20)

#65 - 10 New Marketing Books for Your Nightstand Back on Episode #15 I shared my original Top Ten List, and it went so well that I'm going to share ten more. Below you'll find links to all 20 titles so you can purchase them for yourself on Amazon... most (if not all) of the titles are available in book form, as well as on Kindle and Audible. Happy Reading!!! THE ORIGINAL LIST Purple Cow by Seth Godin All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin Permission Marketing by Seth Godin Setting the Table by Danny Meyer Start With Why by Simon Sinek Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink This is Water by David Foster Wallace THE NEW LIST Contagious by Jonah Berger Everybody Writes by Anne Handley Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Tribes by Seth Godin Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

#64 - Run the Numbers! In theory, running a business is a somewhat simple affair. You make a thing and then charge people more for that thing than it cost you to produce it. This is what it means to run a profitable business. And of course, that’s what all of us want, right? To build a business that is inherently profitable…  And yet, for years now in the restaurant industry, it’s been death by a thousand cuts. As all costs go up, profitability goes down. And still, as an industry, we’ve just held on tight… determined to maintain the status quo. And yet the numbers don’t lie. They never do. In fact, the numbers tell us what is and is not possible. And that's why this is the perfect time to be talking about this. Best of all, I'm sharing my budget template... the one I built more than a decade ago, and use with all of my clients. It is available now on the Restaurant Strategy website.  CLICK HERE to get The ONLY Restaurant Budget You'll Ever Need

#63 - INTERVIEW: Richard Jones, CMO of Cheetah Digital This week, I’m thrilled to be speaking with Richard Jones, CMO of Cheetah Digital. The company describes itself as a cross-channel customer engagement solution provider. They offer everything from acquisition to loyalty and have worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including American Express, Hilton, Walgreens, and Williams-Sonoma. Over the past two months he’s been working tirelessly to help brands navigate this crisis, and on this week's episode we talk all about what restaurant owners can be doing now to SURVIVE... and what they should be planning to THRIVE.  Check out the Cheetah Digital Website Facebook Twitter YouTube

#62 - The Problem with "Better" Why should I eat at your restaurant instead of the one down the street?  Because you’re "better"?  Better in what way? And says who? And when did they decide that? And what criteria did they use to make their decision? Using "better" as an argument to attract customers is a trap that a lot of marketers fall into and I want to show you specific ways to avoid it. This week's episode is the third and final installment of the Positioning Trilogy... three episodes all about how you can successfully position your product in the minds of your customers.

#61 - First, Last, Best, Most, Only On last week's episode we began discussing the idea of Positioning... a key concept that marketers use to introduce consumers to a new idea or product. On today's episode we're going to build on that by exploring these 5 words: First, Last, Best, Most, Only. What do they have in common? They're words used to position a brand at the edges. It's about going to the extremes, and the key to its success is that only one brand can claim a given word. In many ways, it's about exclusivity. There can be only one Harvard, only one Corvette, only one Alinea. It immediately sets a company apart within their particular category. Think of how marketers use these words either explicitly or implicitly in their communications. The iPhone was the FIRST device of its kind, ushering in a new era for devices we came to refer to as smartphones. 2018 was the LAST time you could see Elton John play live, as he traveled the world on his farewell tour. Southwest Airlines is consistently rated BEST in customer service.  Facebook has the MOST users of any social network. HBO is the ONLY place where you can see "Game of Thrones." By identifying which of these positions you can adopt (or which ones you already own), you can identify key ways to attract new audiences.