Founder and Owner of A Little Old Fashioned and Pizza Bear

I read a lot, but listening to our peers is huge. We have so many educated incredible leaders in our industry. if you're not gaining knowledge from the ones who paved the way for us, then you're doing yourself a disservice.

I get all of my inspiration when traveling, it's key. It's fuel for the soul. When i visit a place I've never been to before, I'm getting an inside peek as to how people in other cultures live, and I take a lot of photos to absorb it all. I also get a lot of my inspiration from design, in many kinds of forms. Both of my parents were artists which helped shaped me and my point of view.

All of our senses are important in this field. We'd be dead without the ability to smell and taste. Sight is the first step in any evaluation process. We begin to evaluate the moment we lay eyes on something. So, don't go poking your eyes out, Kids.

The Starlight Room in San Francisco in the late 90's, stands out as having a major impact on my career. My eyes were opened up to a facet of this industry I had no idea existed. I never knew that tending bar could become a noble career! I was surrounded by amazing characters yet all with the highest level of professionalism. I gained a lot of knowledge about what service is really all about, and learned a certain value of work ethic that was second to none.