In this conversation, Shawn Walchef shares his journey as restauranter and entrepreneur and the importance of storytelling in business. He talks about his experience opening two new restaurant delivery sites during the economic recession and the lessons he learned from struggling to keep it profitable. Shawn emphasises the power of telling your own story and leveraging the internet to reach your audience. He discusses the impact his grandfather had on his entrepreneurial mindset and the importance of curiosity, involvement, and asking for help. Shawn also shares his experience with opening ghost kitchens and the challenges he faced in scaling that business model. Shawn Walchef reflects on the failure of his ghost kitchens and the lessons he learned from it. He discusses the importance of focusing on storytelling and building a media company rather than spreading himself too thin. Walchef emphasises the value of failure and the courage to iterate and learn from mistakes. He shares the impact of closing the ghost kitchens and the financial challenges it posed. Walchef's resilience and determination stem from his family history and the perspective it provides. He encourages others to embrace failure, be curious, and tell their stories.

Key Topics

Telling your own story is crucial in business, and the internet provides a powerful platform to do so.
Curiosity, involvement, and asking for help are fundamental to success as an entrepreneur.
Importance of being digital first as a hospitality business
Every business needs to be digital-first and prioritise hospitality to build a loyal customer base.
Failure is a part of the entrepreneurial journey, and it's important to learn from setbacks and pivot when necessary. Focus on telling bigger stories to larger audiences rather than spreading yourself too thin.
Failure is an opportunity to learn and iterate.
Closing the ghost kitchens had a financial impact but allowed for a stronger focus on the media company.
Importance of being curious and a life long learner
Resilience comes from seeking support, having perspective, and being relentless in the pursuit of your goals.
Embrace failure, be curious, and share your story
Books mentioned: Building a Story Brand, Setting the Table, Mamba Mentality (Kobe Bryant)

Sound Bites

"No one's coming. No one can tell the story better than you."
"You have a unique gift. You have a unique voice. And if you don't speak about that, no one's going to know."
"You can't be in business if you're not a good storyteller."
"The return on investment of my time, my team's time, focusing on telling bigger stories to larger audiences, much more valuable than telling those same stories to sell barbecue."
"The formula for content creation, the reason why people don't start making videos is that they want quality. The only way to get to quality is quantity plus speed plus consistency."
"Failing that fast and failing that fantastically."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Podcasting

03:13 The Power of Storytelling and the Importance of Beliefs

07:05 Telling the Stories of Restaurants and Hospitality Businesses

11:00 The Influence of Shawn's Grandfather and the Importance of Curiosity

14:00 The Business Advice from Shawn's Grandfather

16:50 The Journey to Becoming an Entrepreneur

21:03 The Bet on Ghost Kitchens and Lessons Learned

31:22 Telling Bigger Stories to Larger Audiences

33:50 The Value of Failure

44:31 Resilience and Family History

46:18 The Power of Perspective

49:04 Embracing Failure and Dreaming Big

About Shawn Walchef

Shawn Walchef is the founder of Cali BBQ, a successful restaurant chain based in San Diego, and the visionary behind Cali BBQ Media. With a passion for connecting brands with audiences, Shawn empowers leaders to thrive in the new Business Creator Economy through innovative Smartphone Storytelling and Digital Hospitality strategies. Since launching Cali BBQ in 2008, the company has generated over $35 million, growing to multiple locations and establishing a reputation for quality and community engagement.

As the host of the popular video series Restaurant Influencers—published by Entrepreneur Media and produced by Cali BBQ Media—Shawn reaches a global audience, with over 25 million views, inspiring restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to embrace digital storytelling and build lasting brand connections.

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