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
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Joie de vivre. It's a French phrase that translates to "the joy of life."
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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
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Gravy-powered rocket ship. 12x EBITDA.
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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
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“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!
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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
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There’s a misconception that restaurant brands are built by big ideas, big campaigns, or the next big menu innovation.
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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
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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!
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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
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What happens when you get really good at performing joy…but realize you’re not actually living it?
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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
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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
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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.