Michelle Herndon Has Good Taste

Belonging in hospitality isn’t a policy—it’s a daily practice.In this episode, hospitality leader Michelle Herndon shares how culture, inclusion, and leadership show up long before the food ever hits the table.With more than 30 years across restaurants, hotels, events, and people operations, Michelle reflects on her journey from waiting tables to working with world-class chefs, Hollywood power lunches, and Michael Jordan’s restaurants—and how those experiences shaped her belief that real hospitality starts with people.This conversation is for hospitality leaders, operators, and anyone responsible for building teams who want to move beyond surface-level inclusion toward real belonging that lasts.Time Stamps00:00 – The hospitality muscle of “I’ll figure it out”01:35 – Welcome to All in Good Taste with Michelle Herndon02:03 – What belonging feels like when you enter a restaurant02:41 – Inclusion vs. belonging: what’s the difference?03:37 – Why leadership is the starting point for culture05:00 – Hospitality as a daily practice, not a perfect formula06:20 – Michelle’s early life, Europe, and family roots09:11 – Red Lobster, early lessons, and instant gratification11:33 – Jumping from casual dining to fine dining hotels15:22 – Education, wine, and falling in love with hospitality17:14 – Los Angeles, power lunches, and celebrity guests23:14 – Returning to Chicago and redefining purpose29:44 – Michael Jordan, events, and career acceleration34:51 – Recognizing burnout and shifting toward people-first work36:19 – COVID, coaching, and the belonging gap in hospitality42:08 – Leading with listening and modeling hospitality internally48:26 – Mentorship, representation, and creating space to belong49:28 – The tasting menu: lessons, leadership, and good taste54:24 – Final lesson: authenticity and micro-steps forward