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
591: Mark Buley on The Engine That Drives Your Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:29
Hailing from Wisconsin, Mark David Buley is graduate of The University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park. After his formal education Buley went to work at the Montagna Restaurant at the L…
590: Jake Maddux on Using Pop-Ups to Create Culture and Brand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:52
Jake Maddux hails from Bartlesville, OK, and is graduate of Oklahoma University. Prior to getting involved in the world beer and hospitality, Maddux served as a U.S. Marine. After his service, Maddux found himself in San…
589: Ryan Salts on Removing the "Passion Blinders" to get Perspective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:22
Hailing from San Antonio and graduate of St. Mary's University with a BBA in Accounting, Ryan Salts' experience includes working at the 80/20 Foundation and Geekdom prior to helping open Launch SA (formerly Café Commerce…
587: Stephen Paprocki on Getting a Team to Follow You Wherever You Go [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:20
Hailing from Dunkirk, NY, at the age of 19, Chef Stephen Paprocki moved to San Antonio after falling in love with the city during a previous vacation. He's worked at some of the finest restaurants in San Antonio, spent y…
586: Jody Bailey Newman on Seeing the Bigger Picture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:39
Former audio engineer, radio personality, and insurance claims adjuster, Jody Bailey Newman took a stab at the food an beverage industry with husband, Steve Newmen, in 2009 with their unique concept, The Friendly Spot. 1…
585: Akash Kapoor on Using Expectation to Keep Your People Happy. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:58
Hailing from Ranchi, India, Akash Kapoor started studying business communication, law, finance, and economics in the mid 80's. In the summer of 2009 after being inspired by Roi Choi's Kogi BBQ trucks, Akash and a few of…
584: Sam Hellman-Mass on Progression Through Teaching [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:10
Hailing from Boston, MA, and a Graduate of Boston University Questrom School of Business, Sam Hellman-Mass has previously worked at the Montagna Restaurant at the Little Nell Hotel in Aspen, where he met Bryce Gilmore an…
583: Benjamin Seabury on Respecting Your Employees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:30
A retired semi-pro football player, Ben Seabury has been managing and owning food and beverage operations for over a decade. He's scaled a cupcake concept, served as Executive Chef, GM, Direct of Operations, and Founder.…
582: Evan LeRoy on Why it's Better to be Different than the Best [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:18
As an Austin native and graduate of Texas Culinary Academy, Evan LeRoy has garnered international acclaim as a top tier barbecue chef cooking at NYC's Hill Country Barbecue Market and Austin's Freedmen's Bar. He's travel…