BONUS: Why Restaurants Need More Women in Trades (Kristen Nowak)

When a restaurant's fryer breaks down, or the refrigeration system fails, there's a critical moment of truth: a skilled technician walks through the door and fixes it. But we rarely talk about that workforce.In this bonus episode, I'm joined by Kristen Nowak, President of Field Service at Unlimited Service Group, who oversees a nationwide network of service and repair organizations supporting commercial kitchens. Kristen has built her career in the skilled trades—a space where women make up only a small fraction of the workforce—and she's here to talk about why that needs to change.We get into her career journey, the critical role technicians play in keeping restaurants running, and the significant labor shortage the industry is facing. But more importantly, we explore why expanding opportunities for women in skilled trades isn't just the right thing to do—it's essential for the future of the industry.