606: Dee Lincoln on Translating Your Vision

Dee Lincoln, a.k.a. the "Queen of Steaks," is recognized as a female powerhouse in the male-dominated steakhouse business. Born on the Fourth of July and raised in New Orleans, Lincoln's humble entrance into the restaurant industry can be traced back to a single Del Frisco's Steakhouse in her hometown. In the early 80's The Del Frisco's brand made its way to Dallas, which is how Dee found her way to Texas. Fast forward 30 years in the steak business and the Dee Lincoln Brand was born.  Today the Dee Lincoln Brand includes a Dee Lincoln's Tasting Room & Bubble Bar at the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium, Dee Lincoln Private Events in Uptown Dallas, and her most recent project, Dee Lincoln Prime, located at the Star in Frisco. Dee has garnered local, regional and national recognition for her many achievements, including the coveted Restaurants and Institutions' Ivy Award, the winner of which is selected by restaurant industry peers across the country. Among others, Lincoln also has earned The Texas Restaurant Association's Restaurateur of the Year Award; Savor Dallas's Spirit Award; Dallas Business Journal's Top Women in Business Award; Northwood University's Distinguished Women Award; and Nation's Restaurant News's Fine Dining Award. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "Life is for living" In this episode with Dee Lincoln we discuss: Mentors Finding the right business partner Overcoming personal tragedy and moving on in the industry Opening issues and how to resolve them Quirky marketing and how it helps you Owners/operators need to be within the four walls The importance of touching each table Make one location the best it can be before you create a second Branding Guest should want to come to you for YOU, not just your food Understanding leadership Understanding the importance of being in your own restaurant daily Scaling Franchising Going public If you're not happy, walk away Becoming an asset The importance of knowing your numbers Accountability Do one thing great!!! Today's sponsor: Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country — they were even named best online payroll by PCMag. And as a listener, you'll get three months free when you run your first payroll. Sign up and give it a try at Gusto.com/unstoppable.  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? People What is your biggest weakness? Care too much What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? What are people's immediate goal? Attitude and will over experience. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Staffing Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. First name, understanding what they love, like and dislike What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Be kind What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Setting the Table GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't do well enough or do often enough? Hands-on What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls and how has it influenced operations? POS: Focus 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? Always be honest Stay humble Carry on my legend Contact info: Website: Dee Lincoln Prime website Instagram: @deelincolnprime 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 Dee Lincoln 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!