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Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show

Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show

Michael Tingsager 382 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show features interviews with over 200 leaders, thinkers, and experts who challenge conventional business norms. The podcast focuses on building businesses that make a positive impact on people, community, and the planet. It is a network for those seeking a different path in leadership and entrepreneurship.

Episodes

#330 Brandon Hussey VP Hospitality Management at Fathom Companies - How AI Can Strengthen Hospitality Culture
#330 Brandon Hussey VP Hospitality Management at Fathom Companies - How AI Can Strengthen Hospitality Culture Aug 20, 2026 01:00:15 Michael and Brandon discuss the intersection of AI and culture in hospitality, arguing AI can strengthen culture by removing routine work so teams can focus on human guest experiences.Brandon shares his career path from line-level resort roles to leading Fathom’s hotel management arm within a Maine-based real estate development firm focused on adaptive reuse and “sense of place” upscale soft-brand
#329 Pete Hurley Founder at Well Seasoned - Fractional Leadership in Hospitality
#329 Pete Hurley Founder at Well Seasoned - Fractional Leadership in Hospitality Aug 6, 2026 59:09 Michael and Pete Hurley discuss how hospitality organizations may shift away from large full-time head offices toward fractional and project-based senior talent to improve flexibility, innovation, and profitability amid tight margins and job insecurity.Hurley shares his career from launching a hospitality tech startup in 2004 that evolved into a cultural-venue operator business he ran for nearly 2
#328 Ruth Jacobs CEO & Founder of Certified Minds - Mental Health, Burnout, and Resilience in Hospitality and Beyond
#328 Ruth Jacobs CEO & Founder of Certified Minds - Mental Health, Burnout, and Resilience in Hospitality and Beyond Jul 23, 2026 58:04 In this episode, Michael introduces Ruth Jacobs, a registered mental health nurse and founder of Certified Minds, to discuss where mental health efforts in industry have landed and how to create behavioral, cultural, and systems change that builds resilience.Ruth shares her background in CAMHS and eating disorder inpatient care, her experience managing during COVID lockdowns, and how gaps in pedia
#327 Yazz Abdulla CEO at Urban Hospitality - Discipline Over Emotion
#327 Yazz Abdulla CEO at Urban Hospitality - Discipline Over Emotion Jul 9, 2026 01:38:58 In this episdode, Michael welcomes his longtime friend Yazz Abdulla, previously a guest during the pandemic to discuss food delivery and dark kitchens.They reflect on Copenhagen Street Food’s grassroots style, then focus on founder-led hospitality businesses: founders often stay emotionally attached, operate like self-employed workers, lack systems (ops, HR, marketing, supply chain), misunderstand
#326 Tom James Managing Director at Bill's - Putting Guest Happiness at the Center
#326 Tom James Managing Director at Bill's - Putting Guest Happiness at the Center Jun 25, 2026 52:00 Michael welcomes Tom James, to discuss winning in a hyper-competitive hospitality market through counterintuitive strategy and team buy-in.Tom shares his 30-year hospitality journey, joining Bill’s five years ago as operations director before becoming managing director, and describes the shift from an ops-only lens to leading cross-functionally with a two-year plan.Bill’s distilled 257 actions int
#325 Stephen Logue Consultant at Hospitality Blueprints - Why Cleanliness and Service Can Beat Food
#325 Stephen Logue Consultant at Hospitality Blueprints - Why Cleanliness and Service Can Beat Food Jun 11, 2026 57:06 Michael interviews Stephen Logue, an economist and former FMCG marketer who became marketing director at Berni Inns, founded a research-led consultancy, and later owned restaurants.Logue explains how market research identified five consistent drivers of restaurant success—cleanliness, service, atmosphere, food quality, and value for money—and how redesigning and standardizing Berni Inns (including
#324 Sam Jett Executive Chef at Audrey - Appalachian Cuisine, Local Sourcing, and Circular Restaurant Systems
#324 Sam Jett Executive Chef at Audrey - Appalachian Cuisine, Local Sourcing, and Circular Restaurant Systems May 28, 2026 51:26 In this episode, Michael speaks with chef Sam Jett about building restaurants that serve communities, people, and the planet.Sam shares how he shifted from a planned healthcare path into cooking, credits McDonald’s for teaching standards and systems, and recounts formative time in Copenhagen kitchens including Relæ and Noma.After years as Sean Brock’s right-hand leader across multiple brands, Sam
#323 Alexander Kjerulf Chief Happiness Officer at  Woohoo Inc. - Stop Putting the Customer First
#323 Alexander Kjerulf Chief Happiness Officer at  Woohoo Inc. - Stop Putting the Customer First May 14, 2026 01:05:02 In this episode, Michael interviews Alexander Kjerulf, a former tech entrepreneur who founded a company in 2003 focused on happiness at work and has delivered talks and workshops in over 50 countries for clients including Microsoft, IKEA, IBM, Hilton, and Shell.They discuss research linking workplace happiness to higher productivity, creativity, retention, lower absenteeism, and stronger company r
#322 Graziano Cocco Performance Mental Coach - Lessons from Elite Sport for Hospitality Leaders
#322 Graziano Cocco Performance Mental Coach - Lessons from Elite Sport for Hospitality Leaders Apr 30, 2026 59:21 Michael interviews performance mental coach Graziano Cocco about what separates thriving “maverick” leaders from those merely surviving and how to build high-performance teams.Graziano shares his journey from London hospitality roles (including Head of People) to founding Inside Up, coaching football for 10 years and working at Crystal Palace plus athletes in sports such as tennis and rugby, while
#321 Anthony Collins Founder at Work Better Studio - Lean Thinking in Hospitality: Fix the System, Not the People
#321 Anthony Collins Founder at Work Better Studio - Lean Thinking in Hospitality: Fix the System, Not the People Apr 16, 2026 01:05:54 Michael interviews Anthony Collins, founder of Work Better Studio, about applying lean thinking and the service-profit chain in hospitality and service businesses by focusing on processes and resources rather than blaming people.Collins shares his path from graphic design to founding DirectSki.com, acquiring Ski Beat, and becoming group CEO of Topflight Travel Group, then leaving to advise compani
#320 Gregers Knudsen Co-founder and CEO at Monotree - Powering Frontline Culture in Hospitality
#320 Gregers Knudsen Co-founder and CEO at Monotree - Powering Frontline Culture in Hospitality Apr 2, 2026 01:10:51 In a Copenhagen podcast, Michael interviews Gregers Knudsen, co-founder of Monotree, about creating a platform that unifies frontline communication, onboarding/learning, checklists, and events on top of workforce management systems to replace fragmented tools like Facebook, WhatsApp, and overpowered enterprise software.Gregers traces his path from hospitality into tech (via Planday), where he saw
#319 Bjarke Just Nielsen Founder at Norrlyst Koncernen - Scaling Restaurant Quality with Tech and Culture
#319 Bjarke Just Nielsen Founder at Norrlyst Koncernen - Scaling Restaurant Quality with Tech and Culture Mar 19, 2026 01:08:32 Michael interviews Bjarke Just Nielsen, founder of Norrlyst Koncernen in Copenhagen, about building a fast-growing restaurant ecosystem and related tech companies. Nielsen left corporate roles at Novo Nordisk and TDC, opened his first restaurant about five and a half years ago, then pivoted during COVID—without government support—by keeping staff and launching a deli that succeeded, accelerating h

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