Will Guidara: The Leadership Strategy Behind the World’s Best Restaurant | Leadership | E403

One leadership decision helped Will Guidara transform Eleven Madison Park from the lowest-ranked restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list into the number one restaurant in the world. While most businesses competed on products, pricing, and technology, Will became obsessed with something most companies overlook: how people feel. In this episode, Will shares his philosophy of unreasonable hospitality and reveals why customer experience is a powerful business advantage. He explains the leadership skills, strategic planning, and team-building principles that empower employees to create unforgettable moments and build the kind of customer loyalty that drives business growth.  In this episode, Hala and Will will discuss:  (00:00) Introduction (02:02) The Role of AI in the Hospitality Business (05:07) Service vs. Hospitality: The Key Difference (10:49) Going from Last Place to Number One (14:55) Mapping Every Customer Touchpoint  (21:58) Turning Transactions Into Unforgettable Experiences (28:27) Balancing Excellence and Hospitality (33:50) Building Team Culture With Shared Language (37:48) Will’s Hospitality Catchphrases (46:36) Scaling Hospitality Through Pattern Recognition (54:31) How Leaders Can Empower Their Teams (01:03:15) Turning Business Mistakes Into Loyalty (01:08:03) Giving Feedback and Inspiring Teams Will Guidara is a restaurateur, speaker, and bestselling author of Unreasonable Hospitality. As the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, he helped lead the restaurant to three Michelin stars and the title of World’s Best Restaurant. His work has since redefined hospitality as a core leadership and business strategy across industries. Will is also a co-producer on the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear.  Sponsored By: Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. Quo - Run your business communications the smart way. Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/profiting Remitly - Transfer money internationally across 100+ currencies with no hidden fees. Download the Remitly app or visit remitly.com to get started. Use code BUSINESS to get a $100 bonus after you send $300 or more. New customers only. Prolon - Reset your body with Prolon’s five-day plant-based program. Go to ProlonLife.com/PROFITING for 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program. Northwest Registered Agent - Get a complete business identity with Northwest. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/YAPFree and start using free resources to build something amazing.  Cash App - If you’ve been curious about bitcoin but haven’t made the jump yet, Cash App makes it easy. Sign up at https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qmgmlraz For a limited time, new customers can get $10 added to their balance. Just use code CASHAPP10 when you sign up, and—don’t forget this part—send at least $5 to a friend in the first two weeks. Terms apply. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Bitcoin services provided by Block, Inc. brand. For additional information, see the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast   Resources Mentioned: Will’s Book, Unreasonable Hospitality: bit.ly/WG-UHosp   Will’s Book, The Field Guide: bit.ly/WG-FieldGuide  Will’s Website: unreasonablehospitality.com Will’s Instagram: instagram.com/wguidara/  Will’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/willguidara/  Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals  Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new  Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement,