What do all great brands have in common? They create a meaningful experience for their customers–something Stu Synder is an expert in.

Stu is the Founder and President of Snyder Media Group, LLC., creating content and providing strategic guidance to media, live entertainment, and start-up companies.

Chances are, you’re already familiar with Stu’s work. Maybe you watched Cartoon Network or Adult Swim during his long tenure at Turner Broadcasting System. Perhaps you’ve seen a film he helped bring to screens, such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day or Reservoir Dogs. Or maybe you’ve attended Disney on Ice or a Ringling Brothers show. Most recently, Stu is the co-owner of Beal's Lobster Pier, an iconic restaurant and lobster pier on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

The one thing that all of Stu's projects have in common is that they offer people memorable experiences.

Exceed Your Customers’ Expectations

Stu lives by the rule of over-delivering. When someone walks into his restaurant, he aims to put a smile on their face–whether that’s with great customer service, decorations on their takeout box, or an extra gift with their order. It might even involve taking the customer for a walk to show them where the lobsters come in.

It’s all about the experience and making them feel connected to your brand. When you exceed expectations, that’s what turns customers into advocates.

Equally important is how you deal with customers when things go wrong. Stu personally responds to every review of his restaurant, positive or negative. If it’s positive, he thanks them for coming in. If it’s not, he uses it as a learning opportunity and lets the customer know how he plans to correct the issue. The most important thing is to make your customers feel heard and taken care of.

Building an Entrepreneurial Team

As any business owner knows, building a team comes with its fair share of challenges. It can be difficult to keep everyone on the same page moving toward your vision. Stu takes a unique approach, encouraging his team to think like entrepreneurs–to look for out-of-the-box solutions, be creative, and take calculated risks.

If you’re the leader, it’s your job to give your team direction. But you should also listen to their input on that direction. Set targets together so everyone stays accountable.

In the hiring process, Stu recommends focusing on personality just as much (if not more so) than their work experience. Get to know the person, their communication style, and their interests. Would they get along with the other people on your team? Does their communication style work well with yours? Look for people who want positive relationships with their professional peers. Strong connections within your team make for a healthier business.

Enjoy this episode with Stu Snyder…

Soundbytes

17:13-17:37 “If someone comes in expecting this, I want to over-deliver and exceed their expectations, whether that is the time that they hit Beal's or they get a little thing, someone orders from deals a box of lobsters, or Lunchable kids. How do we over exceed that expectation and put a smile on their face? What do we put in the box? How is the box decorated? How do we deliver on that experience?”

18:47-19:01 “You're not going to take care of 100% of the people and satisfy everyone. It's also when things go wrong or they're not perfect, how do we respond to them? How do we take care of them? Because that's critical to me.”

24:13-24:35 “I like to keep growing. I like working with different teams and learning, because I personally feel that if you if one stays too long in one place, you're only learning one set of disciplines. This is the way we did it. Well, what I wanted to learn was different ways of doing things and then apply it to my overall skill set. “

Quotes

“Making people feel special, making people become advocates for your show or advocates for your brand is very important.”

“Over-delivering is critical.”

“How do we make people feel special, especially in a world that we're living in, where I think people are looking for that.”

“Being a leader was encouraging my team to think as entrepreneurs.”

“Never take yourself too seriously.”

“Your team needs direction. They need to know where they’re headed.”

“If I'm making a hiring decision after one hour, I'm not doing my job.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

From Our Guest

Visit Stu’s website: https://stuartsnyder.com/

Connect with Stu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartsnyder/

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