Episode 190: From F-14 Tomcats to Foodservice: The Career Journey of Anthony Dileo | Commercial Kitchen Chronicles

From working on F-14 Tomcats in the U.S. Navy to running service calls around the Washington D.C. beltway, leading technicians, managing facilities, and ultimately moving into business development, Anthony Dileo has experienced nearly every side of the service industry.In this episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Anthony joins Pat Finley and Rich Ortega to share his incredible career journey through the skilled trades. What started in a high school vocational program led to military service as an avionics technician, years in the commercial foodservice equipment repair industry, leadership roles, facility management, factory experience, and eventually a transition into business development.Along the way, Anthony opens up about career growth, leadership challenges, burnout, lessons learned from both successes and setbacks, and how each chapter of his career prepared him for the next.Topics covered in this episode:• Growing up in vocational education and entering the trades• Working on F-14 Tomcats in the U.S. Navy• Life as a service technician in the D.C. market• Transitioning from technician to leadership• Recognizing and overcoming burnout• Working as an in-house dining service technician• Facility management and operational leadership• Career pivots and learning from failure• Moving from the tools into business development• Advice for the next generation of techniciansWhether you're a new technician, a seasoned veteran, or someone considering a move into leadership, this episode is packed with real-world experience and valuable insight from someone who has lived every stage of the journey.A special thank you to our sponsor, Viper Products by Refrigeration Technologies. From Nylog and WetRag to Big Blu and industry-leading coil cleaners, Viper continues to provide technicians with products they can trust every day in the field.https://www.refrigtech.com/🎙️ Commercial Kitchen ChroniclesThe Original Foodservice Equipment Repair Podcast📲 Follow Commercial Kitchen Chronicles:Website: https://commercialkitchenchronicles.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CommercialKitchenChroniclesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/commercial_kitchen_chroniclesTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@pfinley1982X:https://x.com/ComKitchenChron#CommercialKitchenChronicles #FoodserviceRepair #HVACR #SkilledTrades #ServiceTechnician #Leadership #BusinessDevelopment #NavyVeteran #F14Tomcat #FacilityManagement #RestaurantEquipmentRepair #TechnicianLife #CareerGrowth #TradesLife