A winning recipe -- lessons from restaurants on engaging your team | Gabriel Stulman | TEDxCambridge

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Lack of employee engagement is a real problem facing businesses in all industries. Gabriel Stulman shows how innovative leadership techniques from the restaurant industry can help other companies succeed.
A native of Northern Virginia, Gabriel came from a Jewish-Moroccan home with a strong emphasis on cooking and entertaining. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he developed a passion for the hospitality industry while working at local restaurants. After graduation, Gabriel moved to NYC where he held various roles at several celebrated NYC restaurants.
Then in 2009, Gabriel and his wife Gina opened Joseph Leonard, a rustic American neighborhood restaurant that was an instant hit. The following year, they added Jeffrey’s Grocery across the street, a seafood restaurant and oyster bar. Two months later, he took over a historic space to open Fedora nearby. Next came Perla, an Italian restaurant located a few blocks east, then Chez Sardine, initially an izakaya that has since been transformed in to Bar Sardine. Gabriel’s sixth restaurant Montmartre opened in 2013 and is a contemporary French bistro located in Chelsea.
While initially coined ‘Little Wisco’ because of strong representation of Wisconsinites among his staff, Gabriel’s family of restaurants is now called Happy Cooking Hospitality, a name that better reflects the company’s makeup and mission. Ingrained in him by his family and fostered by his time spent working in the restaurants of Wisconsin, the spirit of Little Wisco lives on in the atmosphere of the restaurants and the renowned warmth and enthusiasm of the Happy Cooking team. Gabriel was named a ’40 Under 40’ by Crain’s New York Business and ‘Restaurateur of the Year’ by Esquire Magazine in 2012.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@roshanthajay]

Bloody good talk on employee engagement. It makes you think - what we are doing wrong in our organizations. We can change this and put a real dent in employee engagement. Thank you Gabriel for an insightful, stirring and passionate talk!

[@bedwardlid618]

This guy is a killer storyteller. He just spoke at my company's off-site and kept everyone's attention the entire time with his insight and off-the-cuff tangents. A true leader!

[@melissakemp3880]

Brilliant, engaging, motivational speaker. He has the recipe for success. So true .... many companies fail to realize the talent they have within and the best resource they have are their people.

[@shawnette1]

Amazing! Thank you for this 💜 I am part of the 7%, I’m tainted :( this gives me a fresh perspective and a positive nudge to be open to more positive experiences. I’m an employee now, my interest is in owning my own restaurant in the future. This is definitely resonating with me on many levels. My intuition is winning ❤️😀

[@robertbohr9912]

absolutely brilliant and motivating talk. thank you Gabe, we need more voices like yours in our industry.

[@shannonlandry4501]

Listened to Gabriel speak at the International Pizza Expo. He was even more inspiring. Thanks Gabriel for sharing your insight with the world.

[@miriamzabala9588]

This is one of my favorite talks in Ted! Superb!

[@rishmareghvie4191]

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL TALK

[@vortex0841]

Very insightful talk! thanks for sharing

[@manjot6762]

wonderful speech by the manager

[@denisefranzak6236]

Great talk Gabriel! Thank You!!

[@maraduarz]

Thank you so much. This is great, gives me confirmation. It is very much in adherence to my thought process and belief!!

[@jasonkey78]

Good dudes right here. Looking forward to more episodes.

[@Blablabla0000bla]

Deep inside I've got so much within me as a leader but management don't care. They don't want to invest in people. So sad. I love my team and I've got so many ideas but I will have to say goodbye in the near future. Loved the video great prespective!

[@mariabelencuartero1865]

Thanks so much for sharing this video. it is great. Althought I am a hard worker I dream of becoming someone who feels like not going to work and even better becoming someone who makes others feel that way

[@manniesreactionchannel3808]

Very insightful, I want to thank you for sharing.

[@2AKNOT]

This is right on point. It's a shame that more people are not paying attention to these truths.

[@nealedsouza7287]

most amazing video on restaurat advise

[@tashagarciagibson1769]

This was so great and made me think differently about team building!

[@tonysardjono2905]

Gabriel I started my career as waiter and i can understand this video well. Love from Indonesia

[@jayarajsarangapani3347]

Sir it was Brilliant.

[@authenticteambuilding9838]

Amen! If I still lived in the States, I'd ask for a job! Bravo Gabriel!

[@kendallmitchel997]

Amazing

[@heresteven]

Excellent.

[@kolyxix]

Great speech for the GREAT RESIGNATION OF 2021

[@gps1662]

By the way , it would be wonderful to work on the 2 employees who are categorised as "actively disengaged' and find out what makes them so and try to convert them to "actively engaged" ! The results would be much more beneficial and add a lot more value to the overall energy of all the employees !!

[@daniellejones9319]

Gave ya the 1k like 💪🏾

[@seanmetiv6582]

is there text to this talk that can be used in training??

[@hgparsa9267]

Fun video. Entertaining and realistic. One FATAL error - 9 out of 10 restaurants fail is a MYTH. First year restaurant failure is ONLY 30% - read the paper by Dr. H.G. Parsa - Why Restaurants Fail? published in Cornell Quarterly. Rest of the presentation is very cool

[@candyigwe3722]

nice one

[@grasu1981]

Try to have a stand up for client engagement

[@grasu1981]

First of all we don’t have owner engagement

[@hossamgebeily]

Profit margin is more than 6% though. At least 10%. If you make 1 million dollars in sales a year, that’d be $100k in profit a year. Not bad.

[@brianmcmullan81]

Which is your favorite Irish pub?

[@jayarajsarangapani3347]

I live in India Bangalore. It is very true 9 out of the 10 restaurants gets bankrupted. This business is either a wealthy NRI s or stinking rich local real estate people s ballgame.

[@eraldoambo3789]

In restaurant is not 6percent is depented from many things the profit ,only vodka is absolute

[@TheRedcroatian]

Corporate America doesn't care about your ambitions, they only care about bottom line.

[@melovescoffee]

In Europe, life is just a long slew of 3 month temp jobs. Why should we care. Clock in, clock out, go home and dream about the home we will never own. Drink a beer. Care even less tomorrow.

[@bahamagrl8318]

4DX

[@user-xg9qz5dr5v]

Also trying to buy people off with a donut or slice of cake is pathetic.

[@realsaratu]

Wow! So it's safe to promote a less qualified staff even in a sensitive role? Tgis is tricky but worth trying

[@kenton70]

Good verbal skills , need to fact check your speech though.

[@Mad-i134]

Not true on the if you want to be rich go find another career.

[@jayarajsarangapani3347]

Never allow or encourage the old boys net work system. Many restaurateurs fail they are a confused lot like you trying to ill treat the existing managers and give encouragement to the existing deserving ones. Please allow them to work for a long term. You try to save your labour cost and in the process the managers perform well get discouraged and they quit. It is a shame. Keep senior management for people who are with you for a long time service. I am sure by now you would have had a major down fall in your business. I would like to compliment you for your good speech but definitely not your approach or strategies. Good luck brother.

[@monaarabie189]

Jayaraj Sarangapani Hi, I trusted too much theft big time from ex partner to cash register , kitchen workers to my Authentic Recipes, lost my business ! now I am educating my self as a Women that needs all the help for next v.small Restaurant !

[@sendil2006]

Very poor decision of allowing decision of allowing the

[@orien2v2]

You forgot about local culture. I mean american culture isn't the world. I'm not sure about you americans but in my country, giving employees recognition just leads to them starting to get all into themselves and stepping over their employers. They will think they have your friendship and support and will thus begin to think highly of themselves, and begin to overule your system, creating internal politics, and worst is they decide on matters in and out, big and small, without you knowing when you're not around. Do not celebrate them, just give them some attention but do not share your spotlight. Perhaps in america you can.

[@munkyfatt]

2:59 - one woman finding the joke way too funny whilst the woman sat next to her has no change in expression whatsoever...

[@JamesHuffman1]

The story you shared where are you sat and watched movies all day please stop sharing that. It makes you look petty, small minded and frankly your a thief. If you’re trying to state “integrity means nothing” congratulations well done.

[@Heliojr1]

Great speech. Horrible fit tho jesus

[@gasparemihalich2736]

Cannot make this S up 🫡