In this episode of the say86 podcast, Tim speaks with Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, founders of the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group, about building and scaling a successful hospitality business. From starting with a single 11-table restaurant to creating multiple award-winning concepts including Supperland, they share their journey through over 15 years in the restaurant industry.

We dive into the realities of restaurant growth, multi-site expansion, and what it takes to operate in today’s challenging hospitality environment. The conversation covers everything from opening your first restaurant, managing costs and margins, and building sustainable concepts, to marketing, social media, and the operational challenges that come with scaling a restaurant group.

As a husband and wife team, Jeff and Jamie also offer a unique perspective on leadership, teamwork, and building a strong company culture across multiple locations. This episode is packed with practical insights for restaurant owners, hospitality operators, and anyone looking to grow a business in the food and beverage industry.

Kendall Peterson joins the say86 podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, performance, and what it really takes to build and scale effective teams. Now leading Fugoid International, Kendall works as an executive coach and transformation specialist, partnering with leaders to grow their businesses while sharpening their professional edge.

With over 25 years in senior leadership roles across global organisations including NextEra Energy, Subway and Verizon, Kendall brings a grounded, real-world perspective on what high performance actually looks like. In this episode, the conversation explores the role of mission statements in shaping culture, the difference between managing and leading, and why clarity of purpose is often the missing piece in underperforming businesses.

Known for his ability to simplify complexity and drive meaningful change, Kendall shares practical insights on building strong teams, addressing underperformance, and leading with intent. Alongside his professional work, he remains deeply committed to family life and community, offering a balanced view of leadership that extends beyond the workplace and into how people live and show up every day.

You can download Kendall's eBook HERE.

On this edition of the say86 podcast, Tim sits down with Courtney Kocak, writer, podcaster and comedian, to talk about her journey from working in restaurants to building a career in storytelling.

Courtney gets into what it really means to be an author, comedian and podcast host, beyond the surface level. The reality of the work, the pressure to create, and what it takes to build something that people actually connect with.

She shares how she found her voice, how she thinks about storytelling across different formats, and what separates content that cuts through from everything else.

A great conversation on creativity, persistence and understanding people, and why those things matter whether you are building a career, a brand or a business.

In this episode, Tim talks about why hospitality remains one of the most exciting and rewarding industries to work in, despite the challenges that often dominate the headlines. Drawing on his own early career experiences, he reflects on what makes the sector so unique and why it continues to attract passionate people from around the world.

Having started his career in a Michelin-level dining room on the Côte d’Azur, Tim discusses how hospitality quickly teaches discipline, teamwork, resilience and attention to detail — skills that stay with people throughout their careers, whether they remain in the industry or move into other sectors.

From cafés and restaurants to hotels and bars, hospitality offers energy, creativity and opportunities that few other industries can match. In this episode, Tim explains why the sector still builds careers, shapes people and continues to be one of the most dynamic industries anyone can work in.

In this episode, Tim sits down with Adam Tuttle for an open and practical conversation about operating, supporting, and scaling businesses across complex service environments.

Adam shares real-world insights from working across the hotel sector of hospitality, exploring what helps organisations run smoothly, where complexity tends to creep in, and how clarity, consistency, and better systems can make a real difference. The discussion covers partnerships, operational challenges, and the realities of supporting suppliers and services at scale.

Rather than focusing on recruitment or narrow industry theory, this episode stays grounded in lived experience, touching on how businesses adapt, simplify processes, and build structures that actually work day to day.

A thoughtful, straight-talking episode for founders, operators, and anyone interested in how modern businesses function behind the scenes.

Business rates are one of the biggest pressures facing UK hospitality right now, and for many operators it feels like the cost that never stops rising. In this solo episode, Tim Mills breaks down what business rates are meant to do, how the system evolved, why it’s become such a flashpoint for pubs, restaurants and hotels, and what the latest changes could mean in 2026.

The episode explores the politics behind property taxation, the high street vs online giants debate, and why so many venues feel like they’re being taxed harder simply for operating in physical spaces. Tim also shares practical steps operators can take to reduce the impact where possible, plus how say86 is working to support hospitality businesses by helping them access better supplier costs, smarter services, and specialist support like rates brokers.

In this episode of the say86 podcast, we take a deep dive into how hospitality operators can rethink procurement as a commercial advantage, not a back-office task. From supplier relationships and cost control to consistency, scalability and smarter decision-making, we explore how procurement quietly shapes margins, guest experience and operational resilience.

With rising costs, tighter labour markets and increasing complexity across the industry, the way operators buy, source, and manage suppliers has never mattered more. This conversation looks at how procurement decisions impact everything from menu design to service flow, and why getting it right can unlock time, clarity and confidence for teams on the ground.

A must-listen for operators, founders and hospitality leaders looking to future-proof their business in 2026 and beyond.

In this episode of the say86 Podcast, host Tim Mills speaks with Brian Vujnovic and Robert Finvarb, founders of MIA Hospitality Management, a company built on the principles of Mastery, Innovation and Assurance. With decades of operational, ownership and development experience, they share a grounded look at how hospitality is changing, and what it now takes to run successful hotels.

Together, they discuss the state of the industry, from labour pressures and shifting guest expectations to the behind-the-scenes challenges that determine whether a property thrives. The conversation explores the influence of Gen Z, the rise of digital and AI-driven operations, and why many traditional approaches no longer hold up in today’s market.

Brian and Robert also outline where the biggest opportunities lie, what the next decade of hospitality might look like, and the operational gaps most owners still overlook. This is a candid, forward-looking discussion for operators, developers and anyone interested in the future of hotel management.