Hey there, welcome to Takeaway with Sam Ocas, a podcast from Nation's Restaurant News. I am Sam

Ocas editor-in-chief here at NRN, and this is the show where I give you an all-access pass to the

restaurant industry's most influential decision-makers. This is a special bonus episode of

Takeaway, and I'm sharing a conversation with Michelle Korsmo, the CEO of the National Restaurant Association. The association,

of course, is the largest advocacy group for restaurants in the U.S. And while it does

lobby on behalf of the industry in the nation's capital, it also provides a wealth of resources

for brands as they look to overcome the myriad challenges facing restaurants

today. Michelle and I sat down at the recent Prosper Forum in Amelia Island, Florida to discuss

those challenges and how the National Restaurant Association is helping operators fight on multiple

fronts. We also talked about the concept of leadership in the

restaurant industry and how operators have an opportunity to invest in their people and provide

a lifelong career opportunity. Jumping now into my interview with National Restaurant Association,

CEO Michelle Korsmo, enjoy this conversation and stay tuned for our regular

episode coming this Thursday. The CEO of the National Restaurant Association, Michelle,

thanks for joining me today. It's so great to be here. Thank you, Sam. Yeah, so you've got a big job.

And we're not going to cover all of it, but I do want to just talk about some of the things that are

going on in the industry today and where your focus is.

But you're about 15, 16 months into this job now.

Tell me about your first impressions and your impressions of the restaurant industry.

What a great industry to have the chance to work for.

You know, I come from the Trade Association spaces.

This is the third Trade Association.

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