Third-Gen Restaurateur Fights to Save Her Family Legacy 🐢👊 | Madalyn Botello (S2 E13)

In this inspiring episode of The FEW Podcast, hosts Rob Schein and Madison Evans sit down with Madalyn Botello, a third-generation restaurateur and owner of Wally’s Desert Turtle in Rancho Mirage, California. Madalyn shares her journey from studying hospitality at Cornell to leading her family’s iconic fine-dining restaurant through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. With deep roots in the Coachella Valley, she opens up about the personal sacrifices, leadership lessons, and the legacy she’s preserving as a young woman in a male-dominated industry.Listeners will gain insights into running a legacy business, navigating leadership as a young female entrepreneur, and how Madalyn’s empathetic management style helped retain staff and revive operations. From government-supported meal programs to rebuilding her team’s culture, Madalyn’s story is a masterclass in resilience, community connection, and honoring family history. If you're passionate about restaurant leadership, family business, or women in entrepreneurship, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.