Plant-Based Seafood’s Next Big Bet. Convo with Chris Bryson of New School Foods

Plant-Based Seafood’s Next Big Bet. Convo with Chris Bryson of New School Foods

Welcome back to Fi$H Factor, where family legacy meets entrepreneurial grit. Recorded live from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Mike Ungaro sits down with Chris Bryson, founder and CEO of New School Foods, to discuss the future of plant-based seafood and the technology powering a new generation of alternative proteins. After building and selling a software company to Instacart, Bryson turned his attention to food innovation. Frustrated by plant-based products that failed to deliver on taste, texture, nutrition, and culinary versatility, he set out to create something different. New School Foods developed a proprietary manufacturing process that produces a plant-based salmon filet designed to look, cook, and perform like traditional salmon while giving chefs a flexible ingredient they can use across a wide range of dishes. In this episode, you'll learn about: - Why most plant-based products have struggled to meet consumer expectations - How New School Foods developed a plant-based salmon filet that cooks like real seafood - Why foodservice operators are looking for center-of-plate protein alternatives - The role nutrition plays in the future of plant-based foods - How owning manufacturing helps drive innovation and continuous improvement Episode Links - Chris Bryson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brysonchris/ - New School Foods: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newschoolfoods/

Inside the World’s Largest Salmon Producer. Convo with Diana Dumet of Mowi USA

Welcome back to Fi$H Factor, where family legacy meets entrepreneurial grit. Recorded live from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Mike Ungaro sits down with Diana Dumet, Senior Director of Marketing at Mowi USA, to talk about the global salmon industry, consumer trends, and why salmon continues to grow in popularity across restaurants and households alike. As the world’s largest salmon producer, Mowi operates across multiple countries and supplies salmon to customers around the globe. Diana shares how different salmon origins create different flavor profiles, why chefs are becoming more selective about the products they serve, and how sustainability and health-conscious dining are shaping the future of seafood. In this episode, you’ll learn about: - Why salmon demand continues to grow in the US - How salmon origin impacts flavor and texture - Why chefs are becoming more specialized with seafood - Why salmon is considered one of the healthiest proteins available - How Mowi became the world’s largest salmon producer Episode Links - Diana Dumet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-dumet/ - Mowi USA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mowi-usa/posts/?feedView=all - Mowi Salmon US: https://mowisalmon.us/ - Mowi: https://mowi.com/ - Mowi Salmon TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC533qGcwVC2D37tQ5WAsubA

The Power of Grit and Accountability. Convo with Trent Bryson, CEO of Bryson Financial

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets real-world strategy. In this episode, Mike Ungaro sits down with Trent Bryson, CEO of Bryson Financial and host of the Grit Rising podcast, to talk about family business, leadership, accountability, and the role grit plays in building both successful companies and successful kids. From growing up around the family business to chasing Olympic dreams as a Nike-sponsored athlete, Trent shares how discipline, adversity, and obsession with improvement shaped his career. The conversation also dives into hiring high performers, why hospitality creates better leaders, and the challenges of balancing ambition, parenting, and legacy inside a family business. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why grit and adversity are critical for long-term success * How accountability can transform company culture * Why hospitality creates stronger business leaders * How family businesses balance legacy, pressure, and growth Episode Links * Trent Bryson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trent-bryson-3114946/ * Bryson Financial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bryson-financial/ * Bryson Financial: https://brysonfinancial.com/ * Grit Rising Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grit-rising/id1612149639

The Viral Video That Shut Down Freeway Off-Ramps

What happens when a single piece of content changes the trajectory of your entire business? In this episode of Fi$H Factor, Mike Ungaro breaks down why storytelling has become one of the most important tools in modern business and how a viral moment helped transform San Pedro Fish Market into a nationally recognized brand. From early lessons inside the family business, where marketing was dismissed as “hocus pocus,” to experimenting with social media, customer storytelling, and the launch of Kings of Fi$H, Mike shares the real experiences that changed his perspective on branding, audience building, and business growth. He also tells the story of the viral Foodbeast “Super Tray” video that brought tens of thousands of customers to San Pedro Fish Market and showed the true power of content distribution and partnerships. In this episode, you’ll learn: - Why storytelling is one of the most valuable business tools today - How customer-generated content helped grow San Pedro Fish Market - Why great marketing starts with understanding human connection - How one viral video created massive real-world business results - Why operators should stop letting other people tell their story

Your Restaurant Needs To Be Using AI. Convo with Matt Wampler, CEO of ClearCOGS

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets real-world strategy. In this episode, Mike Ungaro sits down with Matt Wampler, co-founder and CEO of ClearCOGS and host of the Restaurant AI podcast, to talk about how AI and predictive analytics are changing restaurant operations. From forecasting prep and labor to reducing waste and improving profitability, Matt shares how restaurants can use data to stop reacting and start planning ahead. Mike also connects the conversation back to the real-world challenges of running San Pedro Fish Market, where preparation, forecasting, and guest demand can make or break the day. In this episode, you’ll learn: - How predictive analytics helps restaurants make smarter operational decisions - Why AI should support operators, not replace human judgment - How better forecasting can improve food quality, labor, and profitability - Why restaurant operators need to start paying attention to AI now Episode Links - Matt Wampler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler/ - Clear COGS: https://www.clearcogs.com/ - The Restaurant AI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/restaurant-ai/id1818590384