In the latest episode of our new video podcast, Settle in.

Jeff Bennett sat down with the CEO of Red Lobster, Damole Adel Aduiken.

They discuss how the young executive is trying to build on the legacy of Red Lobster

while turning the seafood chain around after bankruptcy.

Here's an excerpt of their conversation.

At 36 years old, you are one of the youngest, if not the youngest,

CEO in the industry, one with only few black leaders in that space.

How do you navigate the expectations that come with being a visible first or only?

It's tricky, you know, especially because the jobs that I've taken are so hard, right? You know, I took Red Lobster out of bankruptcy. It's tricky, you know, especially because the jobs that have taken are so hard,

right? You know, I took Red Lobster out of bankruptcy. It's not a, you know, it'd be simpler if it was

a business that was running well already and it was about managing and growing. This is about like a

turnaround. So it's very high stakes and it's very high risk in terms of the outcome of the of the business. People care about what happens to Red Lobster a lot more than a lot of other companies, which can be a positive. And I try to use that as a positive. But then also, you know, it's, it makes it a higher profile for me. Hi, I'm DeMola, CEO of Red Lobster. That's just something that in my mind, it's not about me, it's about the business, it's about the team members and the restaurants. But then I get outside of my office and a lot of people want to talk about me, which is okay. I don't mind it, but it doesn't change what I need to do or what we need to do as a business. You know, I answer questions honestly, and I get back to thinking about the people who work here.

To your point about Red Lobster being such a well-known brand is very much a part of Americana.

I think everybody of a certain age has a Red Lobster story.

I would go to Red Lobster with my family after church.

You're on big milestone occasions.

How do you now as CEO walk this line between leveraging nostalgia and updating the brand for a

younger audience or for a different audience to make it relevant in a new way?

Yeah, it's, uh, you need to do both and it needs to be balanced, right?

Because you do have a core group of people that have loved this brand for a long time.

And I like to start with the core and then you expand the tent.

So that becomes kind of where could we be better to bring in new consumers and younger

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