Henry Rich is the managing partner of the Oberon Group, a hospitality group based in Brooklyn and the Catskills that includes Rucola, June, Anaïs, and Rhodora, a carbon-neutral zero-waste natural wine bar, among other projects. In this episode, he breaks down why most “green” work happens behind the scenes, how to build team buy-in when sustainability adds friction, and what it really takes to run a mission-driven business without burning out or going broke. He also shares why their most successful differentiators were not the sustainability claims at all, but what happened once the team was empowered to lead.

Takeaways

• If the food and experience aren’t great, marketing won’t save you
• Most sustainability work isn’t “legible” to guests, so don’t rely on it as the hook
• Start with the biggest lever: composting and separating organics from landfill
• Zero-waste adds steps to an already hard job, so buy-in is the real work
• Don’t impose a mission top-down; recruit people who opt in
• Removing layers of hierarchy can reduce resentment and increase ownership
• You can pay people more by widening roles and running lean per cover
• Low waste choices can force menu constraints, so balance ideals with viability
• Push vendors to change small things (packaging, tape), and they will often adapt
• Focus spend on getting the room, service, pricing, and execution right
• A clear mission can invite other missions in: pop-ups, mutual aid, and community support

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Mateo Kehler is the co-founder and head cheesemaker of Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to rural economic development through world-class artisan cheese. Built alongside his brother Andy, Jasper Hill has become a model for how independent food businesses can remain value-driven, profitable, and deeply rooted in place. In this episode, Kehler shares how cheese became a vehicle for community regeneration, why independence matters more than scale, and how systems, collaboration, and outrageously delicious products can reshape broken commodity markets.

Takeaways

• High-value food can reclaim wealth from extractive commodity markets
• Independence allows businesses to stay values-driven, not purely economic
• Meaningful work requires connection to place and people
• Grow laterally through collaboration instead of scaling vertically
• Premium pricing must reflect the true cost of production
• Quality is non-negotiable, values only work if the product is exceptional
• Partnerships can unlock capital without sacrificing control
• Systems remove ego from craft and create consistency
• Data enables better decision-making across production and finance
• Separate personal identity from product decisions to lead more objectively
• Paying farmers a living wage stabilizes entire communities
• Transparency builds trust across complex organizations
• Asking for help strengthens leadership
• Long-term sustainability requires profitability and discipline
• Innovation and tradition must evolve together

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Tina and David Schuttenberg are the husband-and-wife owners behind Kwei Fei and Beautiful South in Charleston, part of Always Awkward Hospitality. After a series of failed restaurant jobs and relocations, they built a punk-rock Sichuan pop-up with a devoted following, which eventually became two distinct brick-and-mortar restaurants. In this episode, they talk about turning misfires into momentum, running lean without outside investment, dividing roles as partners, building culture intentionally, and staying true to their convictions.

Takeaways

• Failure can be the foundation for your strongest concept
• Pop-ups work best when treated like real businesses, not side projects
• Staying in your lane protects both brand and marriage
• Run lean and frugal when outside investment isn’t an option
• Growth should be intentional, not rushed
• Strong brand conviction builds loyal, self-selecting guests
• Culture must be rebuilt when you move neighborhoods or concepts
• Hiring for fit matters more than hiring for experience
• Training starts with systems before philosophy
• Restaurants don’t need to be for everyone to succeed
• Community engagement works best when it’s structured and meaningful
• Accessibility, inclusivity, and respect must be intentional
• Marketing and design are revenue tools, not decoration
• Survival mode eventually has to give way to sustainability
• Collaboration can be a healthier growth path than expansion

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guests?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Colin Lynch is a New England–born chef and co-owner of Bar Mezzana, Shore Leave, No Relation, Black Lamb, and the newly opened Fido. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and former executive chef of the acclaimed No. 9 Park, Lynch has spent two decades shaping Boston’s restaurant landscape through mentorship, trust-based leadership, and a deep commitment to team culture. In this episode, Lynch joins Matt Jennings and Carolyn Grillo to talk about building restaurants around fit, loyalty, curiosity, and shared ownership, and why success in hospitality comes from people, not perfection.

Takeaways

• Hire for personality and cultural fit. Skills can be taught
• Build loyalty through trust, opportunity, and long-term relationships
• Focus on mentorship: lift others because one day they’ll lift you
• Don’t try to be everything to everyone, guide guests instead of chasing trends
• Authentic hospitality starts with clarity, not saying yes to every request
• Balance creativity with consistency and cost reality
• Social media matters for staying top of mind, even if you’re not great at it
• Healthy competition pushes a city’s restaurant community forward
• Leadership and management are different skills, know which one you’re practicing
• Give people room to grow into ownership and responsibility
• Understand the financial realities: buildouts, leases, and long-term sustainability
• Teach teams financial literacy, it elevates their careers and stabilizes the business
• Keep the business small if it means staying full, profitable, and healthy
• Work hard, be kind, core values matter more than credentials

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC✨ has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC✨ Community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Missy Robbins is the James Beard Award–winning chef behind Lilia and Misi, two of Brooklyn’s most admired restaurants, as well as the co-founder of Misi Pasta and Grovehouse Hospitality. Over her three-decade career, she has cooked in landmark kitchens, reimagined her relationship with Italian cuisine, rebuilt her life after burnout, and developed some of New York’s most intentional teams. In this episode, Robbins joins Matt Jennings and Carolyn Grillo to talk about leadership, mentorship, identity, personal evolution, and the discipline of trusting your instincts.

Takeaways

• Promote from within to strengthen culture and maintain continuity
• Trust your instincts when making major decisions
• Build spaces around authenticity rather than external validation
• Travel broadly to expand perspective and creativity
• Give responsibility early so teams have room to grow
• Hire for attitude and curiosity over résumé prestige
• Create businesses that reflect your values, not industry expectations
• Be honest about burnout and give yourself space to reset
• Let people evolve into leaders
• Invest in coaching to develop communication, empathy, and partnership
• Maintain high standards while learning when to let go
• Lead by example, especially for women looking for representation

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC✨ has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get free access to the MAJC✨ Community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Belle English is the Culinary Director at Williams-Sonoma, leading the brand’s Test Kitchen and overseeing recipe development, product innovation, and culinary content. A Boston native who grew up in her family’s restaurants, English opened her own bakery at 17 and went on to work with America’s Test Kitchen before joining Williams-Sonoma. In this episode, English shares lessons on creativity, leadership, and authenticity, plus a rare look behind the scenes of one of America’s most iconic culinary brands.

Takeaways

• Build confidence by mastering the rules before breaking them
• Stay authentic, and success will follow genuine passion
• Creativity thrives when process meets play
• Hire for curiosity and work ethic, not just credentials
• Chemistry in the kitchen matters as much as skill
• Nostalgia and innovation can coexist in brand storytelling
• Leadership means empowering others to teach and create
• Great teams balance aspiration with attainability
• Measure success through fulfillment, not metrics
• Legacy brands stay relevant by evolving with purpose

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Breana Killeen is a food writer, recipe developer, culinary nutritionist, and farmer based in Vermont. With over 16 years of experience in food media, she’s written and edited more than 2,500 recipes for brands like EatingWell, AllRecipes, and HelloFresh while also running Killeen Crossroads Farm, a small regenerative farm she co-owns with her husband. In this conversation, Killeen joins chef Matt Jennings and Carolyn Grillo to talk about building a closed-loop farm system, bridging the gap between chefs and small farmers, and finding the balance between sustainability, food media, and family life.

Takeaways

• A closed-loop system lets animals, crops, and compost sustain one another
• Strong farm-to-chef relationships rely on trust and communication
• Educate diners about the true cost of food and the value of quality ingredients
• Resourcefulness starts with using every part of the ingredient
• Small local commitments create lasting impact
• Tastings build curiosity and connection within the team
• Bridge food media and farming to show seasonality and sustainability
• Cultural respect begins with intention and technique
• Use menus and language as tools for education, not just marketing
• Authenticity and curiosity keep the work meaningful

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.

Chef Michel Nischan is a four-time James Beard Award–winning chef, author, and food equity advocate whose work has transformed how America thinks about sustainable food systems. Over a four-decade career, he’s cooked in acclaimed restaurants, co-founded the James Beard Foundation’s Chef Boot Camps for Policy and Change, and launched Wholesome Wave, a nonprofit creating access to healthy food for underserved communities. In this episode, Nischan joins chef Matt Jennings and Carolyn Grillo to discuss the broken links in our food system, how chefs can drive change through storytelling and collaboration, and why authenticity and purpose remain the most powerful ingredients in leadership.

Takeaways

• Understand why the U.S. food system has stalled and where innovation must happen
• Advocate through optimism, not fear, and invite people to the table
• Lead change locally before scaling it nationally
• Build empathy by helping every team member experience every role
• Collaboration among chefs amplifies both purpose and profit
• Start your story with “why,” letting your menu reflect your mission
• Show diners how their choices support farmers, artisans, and communities
• Technology and demand can make regenerative systems scalable
• Authenticity and generosity are the best marketing
• Purpose-driven leadership outlasts trends

Want to connect directly with industry thought leaders like today’s guest?

MAJC has built a community of hospitality professionals, where insights and tools help drive sustainable, profitable businesses. To get early access to the MAJC community, sign up at www.MAJC.ai.