The Business of Joy Podcast
Season 7
Joie de Vivre: How La Madeleine's CEO Is Bringing Joy Back to Restaurant Leadership
John Dillon - CEO, La Madeleine
Joie de vivre. It's a French phrase that translates to "the joy of life."
And when I sat down with John Dillon, CEO of La Madeleine, it was clear that joy isn't just a concept for this brand. The brand has been carrying joy in its DNA for 43 years. John's gift was seeing it and turning it up a notch.
Season 7
Joy is The Strategy
John Goss - President, Sally Beauty
Most executives don’t put the word "joy" in their personal brand statement. John Goss does!
As President of Sally Beauty, a global brand with over 2,400 stores in the US and Canada, John has built his career around the idea that joy and culture aren’t separate from results - it produces them.
Season 7
The CEO Who Cut Prices, Raised Wages, and 12x'd Profit Anyway
Brandon Coleman III - CEO, Cotton Patch Cafe
Gravy-powered rocket ship. 12x EBITDA.
His dad made him write a P&L for his lemonade stand, even though Brandon Coleman III couldn't pronounce the word "quarters" yet.
Same kid. Forty years later. Now he's leading major brands.
Season 7
Why Leaders Miss Potential in Their Teams
Kelli Valade - President/CEO, Women's Foodservice Forum
“That’s a really good question…” when I hear this during my podcast, it really brings me joy and reminds me why I LOVE doing these!
Kelli Valade, President and CEO of Women's Foodservice Forum, and I go off-script on this one. That’s when the magic happens, and what comes out of those moments is what makes it worth your time to watch and listen in!
Season 7
Built by 1,000 Touchpoints: How Great Restaurants Actually Create Value
Robin Blanchette - Founder/CEO, Norton Creative
There’s a misconception that restaurant brands are built by big ideas, big campaigns, or the next big menu innovation.
But the truth is much simpler and much harder. Restaurants don’t succeed because of one big home-run moment. They succeed because of thousands of tiny ones.
Season 7
Why 3rd Grade Reading Levels Matter: America’s Literacy Crisis
Carol Goglia - CEO, Catch Up & Read
This is NOT OK: If a child is not reading on grade level by 3rd grade, they are 4x LESS LIKELY to graduate high school, and if living in poverty, 13x LESS LIKELY!
From the “joyful results clubs” that make kids ask, “Is it Catch Up & Read day?” to lessons corporate leaders can borrow from the nonprofit world, this conversation is a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest business signals start in the smallest moments.
Season 7
From Performing Joy to Living It: Why Presence Beats Performance
Chadwick Boyd - Restaurant Consultant, Celebrity Chef
What happens when you get really good at performing joy…but realize you’re not actually living it?
We reward performance in business. The ability to “turn it on.” It’s the drive, charisma and energy that fuels us. But what if the skills that build our success disconnect us from ourselves?
Season 7
Are We Measuring the Joy Out of Restaurants?
Melissa Doolin Koehne - Founder/CEO, Elevate 4
The restaurant industry is under pressure: rising costs, labor challenges, tighter margins, and more data than ever before. But what if some of the tools meant to help are stripping away what matters most? JOY
In this episode of The Business of Joy, Lisa W. Miller sits down with restaurant industry leader Melissa Doolin Koehne to explore the tension operators are facing right now: how to protect culture, people, and purpose while navigating an unforgiving business environment.