Leading with Taste: A Conversation with Chef Franck Desplechin

  In this episode of The say86 Podcast, host Tim Mills is joined by Chef Franck Desplechin, a French-born executive chef, leadership coach, and founder of Incrementum, joining from Connecticut, USA.Franck’s story is one of passion, resilience, and transformation. From the pressure-filled kitchens of fine dining to leading teams of over sixty chefs by the age of twenty-nine, his career reflects both the artistry and intensity of hospitality at its highest level.Now, through Incrementum, Franck helps hospitality professionals strengthen their leadership, mindset, and wellbeing, encouraging a “people-first” approach in an industry that often forgets to care for its own.Together, Tim and Franck explore the evolution of leadership in hospitality, the balance between intuition and technology, and how mentorship and mindset are shaping the next generation of chefs. It’s an inspiring, human conversation about what it truly means to lead with purpose, and why great hospitality always begins with great people.