Cheers to Competition/Collaboration

Joe Urban shares his journey of transforming school food in Greenville, South Carolina. He pushed the limits and changed the perceptions of school food, making Greenville one of the most recognized school nutrition programs across the country. Joe's vision and drive, along with the dedication of his team, led to numerous improvements in the quality and presentation of school meals. Despite facing some resistance from peers, Joe advocated for his staff and highlighted their great work. He believes in collaboration over competition and surrounds himself with rock stars to achieve success. In this conversation, Joe Urban and Erica Urban discuss the journey of School Food Rocks and its impact on school districts and manufacturers. They emphasize the importance of collaboration and putting clients first. Joe shares his experience in maintaining ethical standards and the support he received from the Greenville community. They also discuss the future plans for School Food Rocks, including the opening of a state-of-the-art headquarters and the development of a line of better-for-you, authentic, ethnic foods for schools. =========================== Connect with us! =========================== Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_network/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextuptalkshow/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgenmarlon/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NxtGenNetwork365 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtgen-network/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NxtGen_Network TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nxtgen.network Media Kit: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/781809128/ Served Digizine December 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/link/473009/ =========================== Connect with our guest! =========================== Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schoolfoodrock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolFoodRocks/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-urban-6b02542b/ X: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fschoolfoodrocks Website: https://schoolfoodrocks.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FJO45ZOyqKHCVMmHn2eZq Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-food-rocks-podcast/id1654085456 =========================================== Subscribe and Listen to the Next Up Podcast HERE:📱 =========================================== ➡︎ YT: https://www.youtube.com/@nxtgennetwork/podcasts ➡︎ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-up-podcast/id1598968019 ➡︎ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ex3Oj7aodeUe48EJGy9Dz ⏰ Timecodes ⏰ 00:00 Introductions 10:58 Moving to Greenville 12:23 Transforming School Food in Greenville 23:23 Joe's Vision and Drive 26:37 Collaboration and Competition 37:02 Building a Collaborative Network 41:31 Starting School Food Rocks 44:15 Maintaining Ethical Standards 47:01 Creating a Positive Impact in Greenville 50:25 Overcoming Haters and Gossip 54:59 Expanding School Food Rocks 56:25 The Importance of Surrounding Yourself with Smart People 58:24 The Role of Laura Kuchwa in School Food Rocks 01:02:37 The Future of School Food Rocks 01:08:23 Hosting Private Dinners for Fundraising 01:10:47 Creating Trending Recipes for K-12 Schools