Episodes

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with legendary bar designer and hospitality innovator Tobin Ellis, founder of Studio Barmagic and one of the most influential thinkers in modern bar design. With more than three decades in hospitality and decades designing bars around the world, Tobin shares how smart design, workflow, and ergonomics directly impact profitability, staff performance, and guest experience. From designing cocktail stations to consulting on luxury venues and high-volume operati...

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Christin Marvin — hospitality leadership coach, author, and founder of Solutions by Christin — to unpack the realities of leadership in modern restaurants and bars. From opening multiple venues to coaching multi-unit operators, Christin shares hard-earned lessons on how leaders grow, how teams scale, and why burnout is often a leadership systems issue rather than a personal failing. This conversation dives into what it actually takes to lead people wel...

In this Post Shift Shot crossover with the Bread & Butter Collective Podcast — a series created by restaurateurs Sam Jones and Calen McNeil to share the real, non-scripted side of running hospitality businesses — Shawn Soole sits down with the hosts to dig into what it really takes to build, grow, sustain, and lead in this industry. From cash flow realities to brand identity, team development to strategic decision-making, this is hospitality business talk without the hype — rooted in experience,...

In this conversation, Shawn Soole sits down with hospitality veteran Richie Barrow — renowned bar leader, culture builder, and mentor — to unpack what it truly takes to run great teams, build resilient service cultures, and lead with clarity and purpose. Richie brings rich perspectives from decades in high-performing venues, blending operational wisdom with a people-first approach that elevates the entire team. Whether you’re managing a floor, designing systems, or leading staff, this episode de...

In this Post Shift Shot, Shawn Soole pulls back the curtain on the reality of owning in hospitality. No hype. No Instagram fantasy. Just truth. Entrepreneurship in this industry isn’t just cocktails, creative freedom, and packed Friday nights. It’s pressure, payroll, people problems, and personal sacrifice. And if you’re not prepared for the weight of it — it will expose you fast. This episode lays out five harsh truths every aspiring hospitality entrepreneur needs to hear before signing a lease...

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Colin Asare-Apiah — award-winning bartender, educator, and globally respected leader in cocktail culture — for a thoughtful conversation about hospitality craft, community building, mentorship, and the future of service. Colin breaks down how experiences shape perception, how intentional leadership lifts teams, and why culture always outlasts trends. Whether you’re behind the stick or leading a team, this episode blends craft insight with empathetic le...

In this Post Shift Shot, Shawn Soole breaks down a hard truth in modern hospitality: not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur — and that’s not a weakness. With the rise of “cool entrepreneurship,” social media has glamorized ownership and independence. But the reality? Entrepreneurship is risk, stress, sleepless nights, and long-term uncertainty. Meanwhile, intrapreneurs — those who innovate and lead inside existing companies — are often the real engines of growth. This episode challenges you...

In this revealing episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Alexandre Gabriel, visionary founder of Maison Ferrand and one of the most influential thinkers in the global spirits world. From reviving historic brand identities to steering cocktail culture toward authenticity and craftsmanship, Alexandre shares his perspective on creativity, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to lead in an ever-evolving industry.Whether you’re a bartender, distiller, brand builder, or producer, this conversation bridges...

In this episode, Shawn Soole digs into one of the most pivotal topics in hospitality and beyond: leadership that evolves with the times. Whether you’re just stepping into a lead role or you’ve been guiding teams for years, this conversation challenges the old paradigms of authority and hierarchy — and reframes leadership as purpose, service, and influence rather than title or command. You’ll walk away with practical insight into what leadership looks like today — in venues, teams, communities, a...

In this special “Get to Know Me” episode, Shawn Soole sits down without notes, filters, or industry jargon — and invites you into the story behind the journey. From early shifts and first pours to building culture, teams, and his philosophy on hospitality leadership, this is the episode where the host becomes the guest. No deep tactical frameworks this time — just honest reflection, personal milestones, and the lessons that shaped a career in hospitality. 🧠 What You’ll Learn • How Shawn first fe...

In this Post Shift Shot, Shawn Soole tackles a tough but necessary truth: hard work and sacrifice still matter in hospitality — even in a world obsessed with shortcuts, instant success, and surface-level wins. This isn’t about glorifying burnout. It’s about respecting the process. The long nights, the reps, the missed weekends, the uncomfortable growth — the things that still build skill, character, credibility, and trust behind the bar and beyond it. 🧠 What This Shot Covers • Why sacrifice isn’...

In this powerful episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Kris Hall, co-founder of The Burnt Chef Project — a global initiative dedicated to improving mental health, work culture, and human connection within hospitality. Kris offers candid insight into the systemic challenges faced by teams and leaders alike and actionable frameworks for creating workplaces that nurture people, not just profits. This conversation goes beyond burnout statistics — it explores why hospitality can be hard, how culture fa...

In this week’s Post Shift Shot, I dig into how the rise of remote work is quietly impacting the hospitality ecosystem — from empty downtown cores to shrinking lunch rushes and unpredictable revenue patterns. This isn’t an anti-remote rant; it’s a reality check on how shifts in work culture ripple through restaurants, bars, and the people who rely on them. If you operate in hospitality, this is a conversation we can’t afford to ignore.

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Ann Squires Ferguson, interior designer and hospitality space strategist, to explore how design shapes behaviour, influences service flow, and ultimately determines whether a hospitality venue succeeds or struggles. From restaurants and bars to multi-use hospitality spaces, Ann breaks down how thoughtful design goes far beyond aesthetics — impacting staff efficiency, guest comfort, dwell time, and revenue. This conversation connects design thinking to ...

Whenever I talk about training, the first question is always the same: “What’s the ROI?” In this week’s Post Shift Shot , I break down the real numbers behind staff training and show how a relatively small investment in your team can unlock outsized returns across sales, labour efficiency, retention, and overall culture. This isn’t theory or feel-good leadership talk — it’s a practical look at how training directly impacts the bottom line, why under-investing in people is one of the most expensi...

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Michael Dargie — branding strategist, creative thinker, and author of BrandJitsu — for a sharp, no-fluff conversation on how brands are really built, why most messaging fails, and how hospitality (and beyond) can stop chasing trends and start creating meaning.This episode is a deep dive into brand clarity, creative discipline, and strategic storytelling — with real-world applications for operators, founders, and creatives alike.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Mic...

DOWNLOAD Business Clarity Workbook - https://www.soolehospitality.com/free-resources-1/business-clarity-workbook Welcome back to the Post Shift Podcast! I'm bringing back the Tuesday episodes, the Post Shift Shots, to offer more insights that don't always fit into my interviews. My goal is to provide clarity and motivation to the community, focusing on personal development and a positive thinking mindset for success.

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Sean Finter — operator, trainer, and mastermind behind some of North America’s most respected hospitality playbooks. From frontline execution to strategic leadership, Sean breaks down how to build systems, culture, and habits that help teams scale without losing soul. 🧠 What You’ll Learn • Sean’s journey from bartending and FOH leadership into building playbooks that transform teams • How systems, rituals, and repeatable frameworks reduce chaos and dri...