I was once the employee restaurant owners dread: entitled, selfish, and lazy. That is, until I was fired and nearly ended up homeless. This wake-up call became the greatest gift of my career, teaching me to value opportunity, take responsibility, and truly grow up.
When I landed my next restaurant job, everything felt different. Management was supportive, the systems actually worked, and the staff were engaged and happy. I was experiencing what I would later recognize as a thriving restaurant culture.
With this new environment came a critical mindset shift. Instead of chasing the best tips or easiest shifts, I focused on creating memorable experiences that would bring guests back again and again.
That approach rocketed my career—from server → trainer → manager → multi‑unit manager. Soon, major hospitality brands were recruiting me to revive under‑performing locations, build culture, and design training that transformed one‑time visitors into loyal customers.
Over the years I collaborated with five globally recognized restaurant groups. These companies invested millions to develop world‑class systems—then entrusted me to create something entirely different and unique for their teams.
Those experiences and the gaps I still saw drove me to invent training and operational frameworks of my own, purpose‑built for today’s restaurant realities.
In 2021, everything changed when a family friend’s struggling restaurant reached out for help. Working remotely over Zoom, I developed what would become The 30% Rule, a comprehensive system that blends the proprietary training programs I had built for four industry giants with fresh, independent‑restaurant insights.
This success sparked a revelation: independent restaurant owners deserve access to the same high-level systems and training that only major corporations could previously afford. My mission became clear—to help independent restaurants implement these proven strategies to increase revenues, reduce owner workload, and create thriving businesses.
