Executive Director & Chief Culture Officer of BOKA Restaurant Group

If you're interested in working in people & culture roles, you need to build that muscle of connecting with people in a real way and staying curious about their experiences. Listen, but don't just listen to check a box. Really hear what people are saying, how they want to be heard, and then think on what you can do about it.

Leaders, connect with your teams, connect with the guests, and listen. When we see cultures go badly or teams not feeling good, it's because that connection has been broken or people don't feel heard in the same way. Same with guests. Anyone in a leadership position and truly anyone in hospitality should understand building connection is so important. That's what's so special about hospitality. It is all founded on making moments of connection and really embracing that.

It's okay to be struggling or have some friction moments. If you really dig into what's the learning moment there and you have that growth mindset, it will only serve you better as you can continue to grow and learn.

Follow what you're passionate about. If you're not aligned with the position you're in, there are other opportunities within the industry in different directions. Listen to what makes you tick and where you find that passion.

There's so many moments, especially when you're young, that you feel like you need to know everything, to know the whole path and know how it's all gonna go. If something feels good to you, if you're feeling fulfilled by it, if you're learning and growing, keep going. You don't always know how it's all gonna unfold, but keep walking down the paths that feel good.

Something that has really fueled my career is that no year feels the same, no day feels the same. Embrace that culture of continuous learning and growth. There's so much more work to be done.

One of the first things I did after starting with BOKA was sitting with Ian Goldberg and saying, “When you walk into a restaurant, tell me everything you think about, everything you're looking for. What are you checking on?” That became our first training manual.

I was in my early 20s at the time–I look back on it, and I laugh at myself of how much I thought I knew but how little I knew. I asked Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz if they would meet with me and if they would hear the ideas we had put together to bring some more business to Landmark. I was so surprised that not only did they say yes, but they took me to lunch, and they let me give a whole presentation. After that, they asked if I would come work with them as an executive assistant.