AI Can Do Everything… Except This (Why Humans Still Win) With Restaurateur Will Guidara

A Bit of Optimism

The Optimism Company from Simon Sinek

Education, Business, Self-improvement, Careers

4.8 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2026

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As businesses race toward faster systems, smarter tools, and total automation, something critical is getting lost: human connection. And ironically, the rise of AI is making that gap impossible to ignore. In this episode, I sit down with returning guest and close friend Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, to explore why humanity is becoming the ultimate competitive advantage in the age of AI. Will helped transform a restaurant into the best in the world, not by reinventing the food being served, but by reinventing the experience around it. He calls this philosophy "Unreasonable Hospitality," which is the practice of going beyond what’s expected or required to make someone feel genuinely seen, valued, and cared for to create a memorable human experience. He argues that in a world where people expect excellence, the real differentiator is care. And Will isn’t alone in this belief. His book Unreasonable Hospitality, which I’m the proud publisher of, is a global bestseller. And his follow up book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, comes out April 28, 2026. In this conversation, Will and I unpack why human value will continue to rise in an automated world, how the smallest moments of care can create lasting loyalty, how we can turn automation’s efficiency into better experiences, and why the things that matter most in our lives are the hardest to measure. And fair warning, Will and I do giggle our way through some of this conversation about why technology can’t replace human connection, the hidden cost of achievement, and a story about how a single piece of Basque cheesecake delivered to a hotel room is a gesture thoughtful enough to make someone feel seen. That’s just the kind of friendship we have. So if you’re wondering how to stand out and live a more meaningful life in a world increasingly shaped by AI… and share a laugh with us… this is a conversation for you. This… is A Bit of Optimism. --------------------------- To stay in the loop with Will or purchase his best-selling book Unreasonable Hospitality, head to: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ If you’d like to pre-order Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, out April 28, 2026, check out: https://uhthefieldguide.com/ ---------------------------

Transcript

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0:00.0	I just need to share it with people that this is how we actually have conversations.
0:05.3	Whether we were being recorded or not. Like this is the way we actually talk. We interrupt
0:10.4	each other more. We're being polite. We're trying to interrupt a little bit less. We're trying
0:14.4	to interrupt each other less, but we actually would have this conversation with our cameras.
0:19.1	A.00%. AI is the hot topic right now. There are we actually would have this conversation with our cameras. 100%.
0:21.6	AI is the hot topic right now.
0:24.6	There are so many people talking about all the tools that can help us do things faster, cheaper, more efficiently than ever before.
0:31.6	All of this is true.
0:33.6	But it's also revealing something interesting, that the more automated our world becomes, the more valuable the human being is becoming.
0:42.5	Being thoughtful, paying attention, being genuinely nice to people, making people feel seen and heard.
0:49.0	It turns out things like kindness are pretty much AI proof, which is why I was so excited to welcome my dear
0:56.4	friend Will Godera back to the podcast.
0:59.0	Fair warning that if you listen to this podcast, when Will and I get together, it always
1:03.6	turns into what somebody once described as a giggle fest.
1:08.5	Will is pretty incredible.
1:10.1	He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which was the
1:13.0	number one restaurant in the world. He is the executive producer of the TV show The Bear,
1:18.1	and he is the bestselling author of the New York Times bestseller, Unreasonable Hospitality,
1:23.1	of which I am the proud publisher, and I'm also the proud publisher of Will's new book, Unreasonable
1:28.4	Hospitality, The Field Guide, which is remarkable. Will has accomplished all those things
1:34.1	and built his entire career around one simple philosophy, that if we go further than anyone
1:39.8	expects, that's when we can make people feel truly cared for. Though usually Will is the one
	...

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