In this episode of The Leadership Table, Jason E. Brooks sits down with Danny Klein, Editorial Director of QSR and FSR, to explore how communication, storytelling, and cultural consistency shape great restaurant brands.

🎙 Topics include:

• Why storytelling is more than marketing
• Hiring for culture (not just skill)
• Lessons from Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, and emerging brands
• How Danny's “CEO to CEO” approach connects the industry
• One fishing tournament story that changed his entire leadership mindset

📍 Recorded via Riverside.fm
📲 Connect with Danny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-klein-1a230752
🗞 Subscribe to QSR & FSR: https://www.qsrmagazine.com / https://www.fsrmagazine.com

🔔 Subscribe for more leadership insights:
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Until next time—Manage | Lead | Coach | Repeat.

In Episode 2 of The Leadership Table, Jason E. Brooks sits down with Angelo Esposito, Co-Founder & CEO of WISK.ai, to uncover how better inventory management can completely transform hospitality operations.

From reducing food waste and overpouring to mastering cost of goods sold and building team trust, Angelo shares hard-earned lessons from the frontlines. Learn why communication—not control—is the secret to better systems, how WISK integrates with 60+ POS platforms, and why “time back, passion forward” is more than a slogan. If you're trying to run a tighter, more profitable operation without losing your soul, this episode is for you.

🔗 Learn more at wisk.ai
🎙️ Connect with Angelo:
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Wisking It All Podcast on Spotify

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• Proper inventory control directly impacts profitability.
• Communication builds team buy-in and reduces resistance.
• Avoid top mistakes: poor organization, not involving team in tech, and choosing software too quickly.
• Automation in back-of-house is the next big leap for hospitality.
• “Every athlete in the world has a coach”—and so should operators.

📋 Episode Summary:

In this inaugural episode of The Leadership Table, host Jason E. Brooks sits down with Monte Silva — restaurateur, high-performance coach, and transformational hospitality expert — to explore the intersection of leadership, restaurant success, and work-life harmony.

From his beginnings as a dishwasher to becoming a general manager and now a sought-after coach, Monte shares a powerful journey of redefining success and leadership. This conversation dives deep into what it means to lead with people-first values, cultivate high-performance teams, and embrace transformational hospitality that goes beyond the transactional.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Success is doing what you love with people you love.
• Hospitality is about relationships, not just service.
• Hire for mindset, train for skill set.
• Transformational hospitality meets emotional needs — not just physical ones.
• High-performance cultures require talent scouting, affirmation, and removing toxicity.
• Coaching builds leaders. Consulting solves problems.
• Employees are assets, not liabilities.
• Soft skills are the future of effective leadership.

🧠 Chapter Breakdown:

00:00 – Introduction to Leadership and Restaurant Management
02:22 – Monte Silva’s Journey in the Restaurant Industry
07:38 – Redefining Leadership and Work-Life Balance
13:07 – The Five Pillars of Restaurant Success
17:39 – Transformational vs. Transactional Hospitality
23:43 – Building High-Performance Teams
30:30 – Coaching vs. Consulting
36:24 – Soft Skills and Future Trends in Leadership
39:04 – Viewing Employees as Assets
41:40 – Where to Connect with Monte

🔊 Sound Bites:

🔗 Connect with Monte Silva:

Website- www.montesilvacoaching.com

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/montesilva/

YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@restaurantsuccesswithmonte1007

Email- monte@montesilvacoaching.com

📣 Connect with Jason E. Brooks:

Website: www.jasonebrooks.com
Instagram / X: @LeadTablePod
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jason-brooks-252004361
Email: leadtablepod@gmail.com

🛠️ Resources & Tools:

• Free Leadership Toolkit → jasonebrooks.com/podcast
• Schedule a Strategy Session → calendly.com/jason-e-brooks

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