Will Guidara: The Leadership Strategy Behind the World’s Best Restaurant | Leadership | E403

Young and Profiting with Hala Taha (Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing)

YAP Media Network | Hala Taha

Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 June 2026

⏱️ 90 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

One leadership decision helped Will Guidara transform Eleven Madison Park from the lowest-ranked restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list into the number one restaurant in the world. While most businesses competed on products, pricing, and technology, Will became obsessed with something most companies overlook: how people feel. In this episode, Will shares his philosophy of unreasonable hospitality and reveals why customer experience is a powerful business advantage. He explains the leadership skills, strategic planning, and team-building principles that empower employees to create unforgettable moments and build the kind of customer loyalty that drives business growth. In this episode, Hala and Will will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (02:02) The Role of AI in the Hospitality Business (05:07) Service vs. Hospitality: The Key Difference (10:49) Going from Last Place to Number One (14:55) Mapping Every Customer Touchpoint (21:58) Turning Transactions Into Unforgettable Experiences (28:27) Balancing Excellence and Hospitality (33:50) Building Team Culture With Shared Language (37:48) Will’s Hospitality Catchphrases (46:36) Scaling Hospitality Through Pattern Recognition (54:31) How Leaders Can Empower Their Teams (01:03:15) Turning Business Mistakes Into Loyalty (01:08:03) Giving Feedback and Inspiring Teams Will Guidara is a restaurateur, speaker, and bestselling author of Unreasonable Hospitality. As the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, he helped lead the restaurant to three Michelin stars and the title of World’s Best Restaurant. His work has since redefined hospitality as a core leadership and business strategy across industries. Will is also a co-producer on the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear. Sponsored By: Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. Quo - Run your business communications the smart way. Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/profiting Remitly - Transfer money internationally across 100+ currencies with no hidden fees. Download the Remitly app or visit remitly.com to get started. Use code BUSINESS to get a $100 bonus after you send $300 or more. New customers only. Prolon - Reset your body with Prolon’s five-day plant-based program. Go to ProlonLife.com/PROFITING for 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program. Northwest Registered Agent - Get a complete business identity with Northwest. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/YAPFree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Cash App - If you’ve been curious about bitcoin but haven’t made the jump yet, Cash App makes it easy. Sign up at https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qmgmlraz For a limited time, new customers can get $10 added to their balance. Just use code CASHAPP10 when you sign up, and—don’t forget this part—send at least $5 to a friend in the first two weeks. Terms apply. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Bitcoin services provided by Block, Inc. brand. For additional information, see the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast Resources Mentioned: Will’s Book, Unreasonable Hospitality: bit.ly/WG-UHosp Will’s Book, The Field Guide: bit.ly/WG-FieldGuide Will’s Website: unreasonablehospitality.com Will’s Instagram: instagram.com/wguidara/ Will’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/willguidara/ Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Networking, Goal Setting, Time Management, Problem Solving, Decision Making Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today's episode is sponsored in part by Shopify Quo, Indeed, AT&T business, prolon, cash shop, and Northwest registered agent. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you grow your business. Start your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash profiting. Quo is an AI-powered phone system that brings your calls, texts, and contacts together in one place.
0:22.9	Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to Quo.com
0:27.7	slash profiting.
0:29.0	Indeed helps you attract interview and hire all in one place.
0:32.7	Get a $75-sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com slash podcast.
0:39.4	AT&T Business delivers reliable business-grade connectivity that gives your team a competitive advantage.
0:45.9	Switch to AT&T Business at business.ATT.com.
0:50.4	Prolon helps you reset your body and reverse your age with a five-day plant-based program that mimics fasting while still nourishing you.
0:58.4	Go to prolonlif.com slash profiting for 15% off sitewide, plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe.
1:05.6	If you've been curious about Bitcoin but haven't made the jump yet, Cash App makes it easy.
1:10.4	For a limited time,
1:11.5	new customers can get $10 added to their balance. Just use code Cash App 10 when you sign up.
1:17.9	Northwest Registered Agent gives you the tools and guidance you need to build a complete business
1:22.7	identity. Visit Northwest Registeredagent.com slash Yapfree and start using free resources to build something amazing.
1:31.1	As always, you can find all of our incredible deals in the show notes or at young and profiting.com slash deals.
1:40.3	Hey, Yapam, we're about to launch something that might be my favorite thing we've ever done on the podcast, a brand new series called How We Profit. Now, I've been doing Young and Profiting Podcasts for eight years and my listeners are successful. We are real entrepreneurs with real businesses and a lot of you guys are crushing it behind the scenes. You may not be super famous.
2:02.2	You may not be a billionaire yet,
2:05.2	but you've got a business that you've learned how to scale.
2:06.9	And we want to hear from you.
2:10.8	One of the best ways to learn as an entrepreneur is from your peers.
2:14.8	And I found it super helpful to be in these peer entrepreneurship groups and learn from other entrepreneurs who are at my level, but just in a
2:18.6	different industry. So that's what I want to bring to this podcast. I want this to be our own
	...

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