#3 - IMPACT – How have you helped shift the culture of a place—for the better?

Published 26.08.2025

I’ve stepped into plenty of businesses—across cities, countries, and time zones—enough to know when something’s off. One site or fifteen, the signs are familiar: teams disconnected, leaders firefighting, and a culture stuck in survival mode. It’s even trickier when you’re parachuting into a foreign market, where the rules (and rhythms) aren’t yours. But that’s also where the impact is most satisfying. You roll up your sleeves, listen more than you talk, and get everyone—from ops to front-of-house, across accents and attitudes—pulling in the same direction. That’s when the numbers shift, the energy changes, and people start to give a damn again. Even after you’ve left.

It didn’t just start with me—I’ve had great mentors, smart colleagues, and more than a few dog-eared books. But over time, one thing’s become clear: culture is everything. And culture is people.

For me, it’s about creating places where technical excellence and human warmth go hand in hand. Where people take pride in their lane, but still offer a hand when someone’s wobbling in theirs. Where the care we give to guests is the same care we give to each other.

When I’ve made the biggest impact, it’s usually because I helped set a standard people wanted to meet. No rah-rah speeches. Just clear goals, high expectations, and a shared sense of ownership. Whether that’s a team smashing 4-star mystery diner scores, hitting a weekly sales target, or simply making the staff room feel like a place you belong—those moments stack up.

And the real marker of impact? When a goal that started as yours becomes a goal everyone shares. And years later, someone stops you in the street (or the airport, or a café halfway around the world) just to say: “Hey—you made a difference.”

That’s the IMPACT I care about most: not just the numbers, but the feeling that lingers in the room long after you’ve left it.

MOVIE REFERENCE - Dead Poets Society" (1989) is a coming-of-age drama set in 1959 at Welton Academy, an elite New England boarding school. The film centers around an English teacher, John Keating (played by Robin Williams), who inspires his students to break free from conformity and embrace individuality, particularly through poetry