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PODCAST

Digital Hospitality

Shawn P. Walchef

Digital Hospitality is an interview podcast series that explores the ways successful people have harnessed the power of the Internet and social media. The show is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef.

business marketing

All Episodes

59:57

Pitch The Tide – Runbin Dong: Founder, CEO of Scale...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/15

In this Pitch The Tide session, Runbin Dong, CEO and founder of Scale Social, shares how his family’s restaurant roots led him to rethink modern restaurant marketing. Drawing from firsthand operator experience, Runbin explains why authentic customer content consistently outperforms polished ads and influencer campaigns. He introduces Scale Social’s QR-driven platform, which turns everyday guests into brand advocates by capturing real moments in-store, rewarding participation instantly, and

en-US

9:20

5 Powerful Secrets From Interviewing Top Hospitality...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/14

Shawn Walchef’s journey building restaurants and media reveals a deeper lesson about how modern leaders grow influence. After years of showing up, asking bigger questions, and learning in public, he began to see the patterns that separate short-term wins from long-term impact. This piece explores why consistency beats breakthroughs, why visibility creates leverage, and why today’s most effective founders are not just building companies, but building their own media.Interview Takeaways:Consistency

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41:53

Rising Tides Live: 2026 Goals

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/13

2026 goals took center stage on Rising Tides Live as the community gathered to reflect on the lessons of 2025 and set intentions for the year ahead. With Mike Bisceglia and Elizabeth Doss filling in for Shawn Walchef, operators, creators, technologists, and founders shared stories about growth, resilience, and the power of simply showing up during busy and uncertain seasons. From building new ventures and giving back to local communities to embracing content, connection, and consistency, a clear

en-US

48:32

Fix Your Schedules, Fix Your Service! Will Stewart...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/12

Labor scheduling has quietly become one of the most fragile pressure points in restaurant operations. Will Stewart, founder and CEO of rightwork, draws on his experience inside Starbucks to show how labor targets, human behavior, and unpredictable demand collide at the store level. He breaks down why traditional scheduling fails in real-world conditions and how forecasting, labor modeling, and AI-supported tools can help managers build schedules that reflect actual demand while keeping

en-US

6:35

3 Mistakes My Media Company Wont Make Again

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/07

Shawn Walchef shares the hard lessons learned while scaling a modern media company from passion project to profitable business. After years of creating content without revenue, growth came through hiring sooner, reevaluating technology constantly, and expanding beyond a single show. The story reframes media as an operating business, not a hobby, showing how people, systems, and multiple products create leverage. The result is a practical blueprint for creators ready to turn consistency into

en-US

43:17

The Thinking That Turns Busy Restaurants Into...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/05

Shawn Walchef sits down with Roger Beaudoin, founder of Restaurant Rockstars, to explore where real profit is hiding inside restaurant operations. Drawing on decades as an operator, Roger shares why menu engineering is often the biggest financial lever owners ignore, and how tightening profit spreads can unlock meaningful gains without raising prices. The conversation moves through leadership versus management, empowering teams to think like owners, and building loyalty through recurring revenue

en-US

6:06

Why I Built A Media Production Team (Before I Could...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/01/01

Shawn Walchef shares why investing in an on-ground media team was the turning point in transforming his content into a profitable media business. After years of producing with no revenue, Walchef explains how in-person production elevated credibility, strengthened guest relationships, and unlocked sponsorship opportunities that virtual content could not. From early financial risk to scaling seven figures in brand deals, this episode breaks down why presence matters, how to reverse engineer

en-US

45:02

Fixing the Most Awkward Moment in Dining

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/29

Shawn Walchef sits down with Christine de Wendel, Co-Founder & CEO US of sunday, to explore why payment is one of the most overlooked moments in hospitality. Christine shares how the frustration of settling a check inspired sunday’s creation during COVID and how a simple QR-based payment experience evolved into a powerful tool for guest engagement and insight. The conversation touches on table turns, tipping, Google reviews, point of sale integrations, and the differences between European and US

en-US

1:02:38

Pitch The Tide – Nick Bryant: Powerhouse Dynamics

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/26

In this episode of Pitch The Tide, Nick Bryant, VP of Sales at Powerhouse Dynamics, shares how more than two decades in hospitality shaped his belief that the back of house is the next frontier of restaurant innovation. Drawing from experience on both the operator and enterprise sides, Nick explains why visibility, uptime, and consistency matter more than ever for multi-unit brands. He introduces Open Kitchen, Powerhouse’s connected operations platform, and breaks down how real-time equipment data

en-US

7:10

Why You Should Go To Conferences

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/25

Shawn Walchef explains why leaving your business to attend trade shows and conferences is one of the most overlooked growth strategies in hospitality. Drawing from seventeen years of experience, he shares how showing up in person leads to stronger relationships, better content, faster learning, and real business opportunities. From B2B networking and proximity to industry leaders to securing six-figure brand deals simply by being in the room, Walchef reframes conferences as leverage rather than

en-US

56:10

Rising Tides Live: Holiday Hospitality

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/23

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the community reflected on the wins, lessons, and momentum that defined 2025 while looking ahead to what comes next. Operators, creators, technologists, and founders shared stories about growth, resilience, and the power of simply showing up, especially during busy and uncertain seasons. From building new ventures and giving back to local communities to embracing content, connection, and consistency, a clear theme emerged: progress is

en-US

22:44

The Future of Allergy-Safe Dining: Anthony Wood on...

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/22

In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Alervio, to explore how personal health challenges inspired a new approach to allergen transparency in restaurants. Wood shares how sudden food allergies reshaped his relationship with dining out and revealed the hidden anxiety many guests carry to the table. The conversation unpacks California’s upcoming SB 68 allergen labeling law, why operators fear added complexity, and how technology can reduce

en-US

57:03

Pitch The Tide – Ward Olgreen: Red Onion ai

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/18

In this episode of Pitch The Tide, Ward Olgreen, Chief Operating Officer at Red Onion ai, shares how decades of restaurant operations experience led him to reimagine how brands understand their data. From years spent running multi-unit restaurants to building analytics for enterprise operators, Ward explains why Red Onion was designed to peel back the layers of guest behavior, marketing impact, and operational performance. He breaks down how tying transaction data to real-world events helps

en-US

28:41

Solving the Tip Out Tangle: CRS Hospitality’s Kickfin...

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/18

CRS Hospitality is a group of 15 independent restaurant concepts across Champaign and Urbana, led by COO Kevin Hildebrand and grounded in a people first operating philosophy. Rather than forcing uniformity, CRS connects teams through shared systems that reduce friction while preserving each brand’s identity. Kevin’s path from golf to restaurants shaped his belief that strong hospitality comes from removing daily stress for managers and staff. That approach led CRS to adopt Kickfin, simplifying tip

en-US

6:10

Watch This Before You Name Your Restaurant

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/18

Naming a restaurant feels personal, but it is one of the most strategic decisions an operator will ever make. In this episode, Shawn Walchef walks through the five names behind what is now Cali Barbecue, sharing the lessons learned from each iteration. From overly descriptive titles to names that created confusion, Walchef explains how memorability, clarity, and consistency ultimately won.Interview Takeaways:Make It Easy to Remember – A restaurant name only works if customers can say it,

en-US

56:39

Rising Tides Live – The Power Of Storytelling With...

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/17

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Dean LaBay, the community focused on the power of storytelling as a tool for connection, growth, and trust. Participants shared how showing up honestly, learning in public, and telling imperfect stories can create real momentum in business and life. From personal experiences to professional lessons, the conversation reinforced a shared belief: when people participate, listen, and support one another, their stories lift the entire community.Interview

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Your Guests Are The Stars! Scale Social’s Shortcut to...

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/15

Runbin Dong built Scale Social from a simple belief shaped in his family’s restaurant: hospitality starts with people, not platforms. After growing up working every job in the house, Runbin saw firsthand how trust, familiarity, and human connection drive real loyalty. Scale Social applies that same mindset to marketing by helping restaurants capture authentic customer content without asking guests to perform or post publicly. Interview Takeaways: Hospitality That Starts at Home – Runbin

en-US

36:58

Pitch The Tide – Ben Roscillo: Factura.ai

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/15

In this episode of Pitch The Tide, Ben Roscillo, Director of Business Solutions at Factura.ai, shares how his background as a restaurant operator led him to tackle one of hospitality’s biggest headaches: accounts payable. From years of managing invoices by hand to building solutions for multi-unit brands, Ben explains why Factura.ai was designed specifically for restaurants at scale. He breaks down how automation and AI-driven invoice processing reduce errors, save time, and help teams grow without

en-US

7:56

Persistence in Business: Our Media Company Took 5...

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/15

Shawn Walchef spent five years building a media company that made zero dollars while running a restaurant business at the same time. Quitting would have been reasonable. He did not. This story breaks down why consistency, repetition, and belief mattered more than early results. From recording podcasts above a butcher shop to publishing one hundred episodes with almost no audience, Walchef explains how skills, trust, and relationships compound quietly.Interview Takeaways: Start Before There Is Proof

en-US

1:07:42

Rising Tides Live: 2025 Successes And Challenges +...

Digital Hospitality ·

2025/12/10

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef and Troy Hooper, the community looked back at the wins, lessons, and momentum that shaped 2025 while setting intentions for the year ahead. Operators, creators, technologists, and founders reflected on what it means to grow through consistency, vulnerability, and showing up even when life and business feel chaotic. From launching new ventures to giving back locally, from shifting travel schedules to embracing content creation, each story

en-US

604 results

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