528: Discovering Authenticity with Tony Tellin

528: Discovering Authenticity with Tony Tellin

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee September 10, 2018 Duration: 1:14:59

20 years ago Tony Tellin stumbled upon the Tazo Tea Offices. He would go on to serve as the right hand man for tea legend, Steven Smith. In 2015 with Steven Smith's passing, Tony Tellin, promise to continue the craft and creativity that made Smith one of the most recognized names in tea. Today, Tony Tellin serves as Head Tea Maker o for Steven Smith Tea.

Show notes…

Favorite Success Quote or Mantra

 Start where you are. Work with what you got. Do the best you can do. 

In this episode with Tony Tellin, we discuss: 

  • How most masters consider themselves students before masters, because they never stop learning. 
  • How Tellin got into tea. 
  • Why we should make "having fun" a core value. 
  • Creating an "we" environment instead of a "us and them" environment. 
  • How curiosity and proactivity has served Tellin's in life. 
  • A little back ground info on Steve Smith. 
  • The role authenticity and being yourself has in branding.
  • Focusing on being the best version of yourself instead of focusing on being like others.   
  • As a mentor, letting your people fail in order to learn. 
  • If you're invited to be a fly on the wall, be a fly on the wall and absorb. Be seen not heard. 
  • Choosing to do big things for small audiences instead of doing small things for big audiences and what comes of it.  

 

Today's Sponsor

Soundtrackyourbrand.comSoundtrack Business lets you play 250 music channels guaranteed to fit any type of business. An easy-to-use dashboard lets you find great music, control all your locations and schedule your sound.

RU50

wisetail.com, A Premier Learning Management System, Wisetail Grew Up Alongside Some of the Most Recognizable Restaurants In the Industry. This Has Helped Shape Their Product and its Functionality Through Real-World Feedback and Rigorous Testing.

 

 

Knowledge bombs

  1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?

    • Stay moving.
  2. What is your biggest weakness?

    •  Easy distracted. 
  3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?

    • Make the interview personal.
    • Go with your heart instead of your brain. 
  4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?

    • Teaching.
  5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.

    • Just get started, "throw a dart".
  6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?

    • Making something foreign approachable. 
  7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
    GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 

    1. Many lives, Many Men, Many Masters
  8. Share an online resource or tool.

  9. What's one piece of technology you've adopted in your restaurant and how has it influence operations?

  10. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?

    • Slow down a bit.
    • Have fun.
    • Make more mistakes.If you're not making 2-3 mistakes a week, you're not having enough fun. 

Contact Info

SmithTea.com

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates.

Huge thanks to Tony Tellin for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

Eric Cacciatore sits down with the people who actually run the show in the world of food service. Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore is built on conversations with established restaurateurs and seasoned professionals who have navigated the intense realities of the industry. Twice a week, these interviews dig past the surface, focusing on the tangible details of leadership, team management, and effective marketing that separate a thriving venue from a struggling one. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of what worked, what didn’t, and the often-overlooked decisions that shape a restaurant's path. This podcast serves as a direct line to collective experience, whether you're dreaming of your first opening or steering a multi-location group. The dialogue is practical, centered on the daily grind and long-term strategy needed to build something lasting. For anyone invested in the business of hospitality, these regular episodes compile a vital resource, turning shared insights into actionable knowledge for your own journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 1000

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Podcast Episodes
1058: Greg Kahn Owner of Gregorio's Trattoria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10:46
Greg Kahn is the owner of Gregorio's Trattoria in VA and MD. Greg started out in sales after school and quickly realized he would be happier owning a restaurant. He sought a mentor and learned all it took in his mentor's…
1057: Matt Bernabe Owner of Urban Hot Dog [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59:38
Matt Bernabe is the Owner of Urban Hot Dog and Fat Frank's. Matt got his start as a very young entrepreneur, always feeling he had the entrepreneurial spirit. He got his first real job in the restaurant industry at Chic-…
1055: Paula Haines CEO Freedom a la Cart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:42
Paula Haines is the CEO of Freedom a la Cart. Paula Haines graduated college with a degree in marketing. Freedom a la Cart is a nonprofit that empowers women of Ohio who are survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation.…
1054: Joe Pine Author of The Experience Economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:01
Joe Pine II is the author of The Experience Economy: Competing For Customer Time, Attention, and Money and Co-Founder of Strategic Horizons LLP. Joe Pine began programming computers in the 7th grade. He worked at IBM for…
1050: Tommy Begnaud Chef/Owner of Mr. Paul's Supper Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06:21
Tommy Begnaud is the Chef/Owner of Mr. Paul's Supper Club. Tommy Begnaud is from St. Paul and got his first real job in a restaurant washing dishes at the age of 13. He was a bartender in college and when he left school,…
1049: Peter Campbell Chef/Owner Red Wagon Pizza Co. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:34:48
Peter Campell is the Chef and Owner of Red Wagon Pizza Co. in Minneapolis. Peter started making pizzas at the age of 2 with his grandfather. He grew up working in kitchens and continued to do so through college. After a…