596: Sharon Van Meter on The Best Possible Team

A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, World Master Chef Sharon Van Meter brings more than 40 years of award-winning and acclaimed culinary experience to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Chef Van Meter has served the culinary world as Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton International, Professor of American Cuisine at Paris' Le Cordon Bleu and Executive Chef in the renowned kitchens of Neiman Marcus, Dallas, Texas. Currently, Sharon is President of SVM Productions, LLC, a leader in television, radio and culinary productions. In Dallas, she runs 30 15 at Trinity Groves and is a partner in Tacos y Vino as well as other ventures. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: Never, never, never, never, never.....give up! In this episode with Chef Sharon Van Meter, we discuss: Relentlessness. Chef Van Meter's beginnings and how she learned to cook. The pros and cons of fearlessness. Being the only woman in a male-dominated school/profession. Don't let your fears interrupt your success. Tackling obstacles one by one. Letting fear and discomfort motivate you. Kicking back and listening to others before you give your opinion. The best leaders create the best organizations and surround themselves with the best people. All power does not begin and end with one person. Territorializing your kitchen. Letting your individual team members grow. Work/life balance. The importance of family. The generations that come after you and how to judge them. Being more lenient and understanding of your younger team members. Diversifying your interests. Concentrate less on people's faults. The importance of making everyone around you feel their best. Don't just get a little involved, go in 200%. Create YOUR OWN work/life balance. team building  Today's sponsor: BentoBox helps restaurants grow their business through a connected suite of tools, offering them an integrated website to connect with their guests and drive revenue online. Restaurant owners and operators are able to easily update menus, promote specials, take catering and event inquiries, sell merchandise, gift cards and more. Revel Systems integrates front of house and back of house operations into a single dashboard. Designed to increase security, stability, ease of use, and speed of service, Revel's streamlined ecosystem provides businesses with the right tools to grow. Learn more at revelsystems.com/unstoppable. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? I'm fearless What is your biggest weakness? I'm fearless What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Loyalty What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Not enough time in the day Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Always put the customer first What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Treat this business like it's yours and it will be one day What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Not consistent enough Training based on consistency What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influenced operations? My iPhone is my office now If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? One thing: we need to be better, kinder, more loving people. Contact info: 3015 At Trinity Groves website Instagram: 3015tg Physical Address: 3015 Gulden Lane, Dallas, Texas Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Chef Sharon Van Meter for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!   Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!