Episode 38: How Taylor Bass Built a Restaurant Brand That Helped Revive DeLand

Episode 38: How Taylor Bass Built a Restaurant Brand That Helped Revive DeLand

DeLand wasn’t always “cool.” But entrepreneurs like 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘀 are a big reason it is now. In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, we sit down with Taylor—owner of 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗽 and multiple restaurant concepts in downtown DeLand—to talk about what it really takes to build a restaurant brand and help shape an entire community.   From starting Bake Chop at 25 to now operating 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱, Taylor shares how she built her business around 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁) 𝘄𝗮𝘆.   We dive into: * How Bake Chop became a 𝟭𝟬-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗲 * Why 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵-𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 matter more than shortcuts * The reality of running multiple restaurants (and why it’s one of the hardest industries) * How DeLand evolved from a “ghost town” to a growing destination * Taylor’s mission to bring 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 * Why building a great team is the real secret behind scaling   If you’re a business owner, restaurant operator, or someone who cares about building something meaningful in your community, this episode is packed with real insight.   📍Filmed at 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮, right in the heart of the community Taylor is helping shape. 🍴 Explore Bake Chop and more: Visit downtown DeLand 🎬 Produced by: Paper Jacket | Tampa Production Agency for Video, Photo, & Podcasts [https://paper-jacket.com/] ---- 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀 00:00 – “DeLand Wasn’t Always Cool…” 00:30 – Meet Taylor Bass 01:30 – The Birth of Bake Chop (10 Years Later) 03:00 – From One Restaurant to Multiple Concepts 05:00 – What Makes Bake Chop Different 07:00 – Why Scratch-Made Food Still Matters 09:00 – Falling Into Entrepreneurship (Unexpectedly) 11:00 – From Pre-Med to Culinary School in NYC 13:00 – Why Taylor Came Back to DeLand 15:00 – Building Teams vs. Being the “Best Chef” 17:00 – Scaling Through People, Not Just Product 19:00 – The Growth of Downtown DeLand 21:00 – Why Sundays Are a Missed Opportunity 23:00 – How to Turn DeLand Into a Weekend Destination 25:00 – The Reality of Running Restaurants Today 27:00 – Taylor’s Different Restaurant Concepts Explained 30:00 – Final Thoughts on Community & Growth

Episode 37: Why Most Businesses Fail at Systems (And Don’t Know It)

Most entrepreneurs are great at vision. But that’s also the problem. In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, we sit down with 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗗𝗲 𝗟𝗮 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗮, serial entrepreneur and founder of 𝗥𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, to unpack one of the biggest blind spots in business: 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Manny shares his journey from engineer at GE to running a family restaurant—and eventually becoming a business coach helping companies identify the weak points that either help them grow… or quietly destroy them. We dive into: * Why most entrepreneurs are 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 * The #1 reason businesses stall (hint: it’s not marketing) * How poor systems create chaos—even in successful companies * Why 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿) might be the bottleneck * The difference between having a business… and having an operating system * How Manny helps companies transform in the first 90 days If you feel like your business is working harder than it should—or everything depends on you—this episode will hit home. 📍Filmed at 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮, where real business conversations happen. 🌐 Learn more about Ripple Leadership Coaching: https://myripplecoach.com🎬 Produced by: https://paper-jacket.com [https://paper-jacket.com] 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀 00:00 – Why Most Entrepreneurs Struggle with Systems 00:30 – Meet Manny De La Vega 01:30 – From Engineer at GE to Entrepreneur 03:00 – The Restaurant That Changed Everything 05:00 – Surviving 2008 and Learning Business the Hard Way 07:00 – Why Most Business Owners Feel Stuck 08:30 – The Truth: The Owner Is Usually the Problem 10:00 – What “Systems” Actually Mean in Business 11:30 – Why Visionaries Avoid Operations 13:00 – The Operating System Analogy (And Why It Matters) 14:30 – Manny’s Coaching Framework Explained 16:00 – What Happens in the First 90 Days 17:30 – Why Family Businesses Struggle the Most 19:00 – Separating Family, Ownership & Operations 20:30 – How to Know If You Need a Business Coach 21:30 – How to Contact Manny

Episode 36: PR vs Marketing: What Most Businesses Get Completely Wrong

Most businesses invest in marketing… but completely overlook PR. And that’s a problem. In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 we sit down with 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗥 to break down the real difference between 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴—and why the two work better together, not against each other. Robbie shares how PR helps businesses build 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, land media opportunities, and position themselves as trusted experts—without relying on paid ads. We dive into: * The real difference between 𝗣𝗥 𝘃𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 * Why PR is a 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 (𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗻) * How to get featured in media without “spamming reporters” * The 𝗣𝗘𝗦𝗢 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned media) explained * Why leadership and personal branding matter in PR * How small businesses can start using PR today If you’ve ever wondered how some businesses seem to be “everywhere” without running ads—this is the behind-the-scenes strategy. 📍Filmed at 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮, where business owners and experts share real strategies for growth. 🌐 Learn more about Blue Bridge PR: https://bluebridgepr.com [https://bluebridgepr.com] 🎬 Produced by: https://paper-jacket.com [https://paper-jacket.com] 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀 00:00 – Why Most Businesses Ignore PR 00:30 – Meet Robbie from Blue Bridge PR 01:30 – What Public Relations Actually Is 02:30 – PR vs Marketing (The Real Difference) 04:00 – Why PR Builds Credibility Faster Than Ads 05:30 – The Role of Leadership in Brand Messaging 07:00 – Why Consistency in Messaging Matters 08:30 – The PESO Model Explained 10:30 – How PR and Marketing Work Together 12:00 – Robbie’s Journey Into PR (And Why It Stuck) 14:30 – Why PR Is a Long-Term Strategy 16:00 – Common Mistakes Businesses Make With PR

Episode 35: Why Family Dentistry Still Matters in a Corporate Dental World

Finding the right dentist isn’t just about insurance coverage—it’s about trust, consistency, and relationships. In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, we sit down with 𝗗𝗿. 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 to talk about his journey from dental school in Cuba to building his own 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮. Dr. Labrada shares why he chose private practice over corporate dentistry, the importance of treating patients like people—not numbers—and how modern technology is helping dentists provide faster, more personalized care. We also talk about: * The difference between 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 * Why preventative care is the most important part of dental health * How membership plans help patients without insurance * The technology behind 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯𝗗 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 * Why family dentists play such an important role in growing communities If you’ve ever wondered how to choose the right dentist—or what makes a great dental practice stand out—this episode offers an inside look at modern dentistry and patient care. 📍This episode was filmed at 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮, where local entrepreneurs and professionals share their stories about building businesses and serving their communities. 🦷 Orange City Modern Dentistry 📍 1640 South Volusia Avenue, Orange City, FL 📞 (386) 775-4911 🎬 Podcast produced by:https://paper-jacket.com [https://paper-jacket.com] 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀 00:00 – Meet Dr. Labrada from Orange City Modern Dentistry 00:40 – From Cuba to Becoming a Dentist in Florida 02:00 – Why He Started His Own Private Practice 03:00 – The Difference Between Corporate and Private Dentistry 05:00 – Treating Patients Like Family Instead of Numbers 06:30 – Building Long-Term Relationships With Patients 08:00 – Why Orange City Was the Right Community 09:30 – The Importance of Preventive Dental Care 11:00 – Membership Plans for Patients Without Insurance 12:30 – How Dental Insurance Impacts Patient Decisions 14:00 – Modern Technology in Dentistry 15:30 – Same-Day Crowns and 3D Dental Imaging 16:30 – Why Being Open on Fridays Helps Families 17:30 – How to Contact Orange City Modern Dentistry

Episode 34: Why Your Business Needs a Banker (Not Just a Bank)

Most business owners open a bank account… and never think about it again. But the right banker can actually become one of the most valuable advisors in your business. In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, we sit down with 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁, Commercial Banker at 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸, to talk about how banking can play a critical role in helping businesses grow—from startup funding to long-term succession planning. Richard shares how community-focused banking works, why relationships matter more than transactions, and how Climate First Bank is combining 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. We also dive into: What most small businesses get wrong when choosing a bank Why 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 still matters in a digital world How Climate First Bank supports businesses from startup to exit The benefits of 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘆𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 Why financial advisors like bankers can help businesses avoid costly mistakes If you're a business owner who’s never thought about your bank as a strategic partner, this conversation might change your perspective. 📍This episode was filmed at 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮, where entrepreneurs and local leaders share insights about building businesses and serving their communities. 🌐 Learn more about Climate First Bank: https://climatefirstbank.com 📧 Contact Richard: richard.prescott@climatefirstbank.com 📞 Phone: (386) 804-5274 🎬 Podcast produced by: https://paper-jacket.com 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀 00:00 – Meet Richard from Climate First Bank 00:40 – What a Commercial Banker Actually Does 01:40 – Why Community Banking Still Matters 03:00 – The Difference Between Online & Traditional Banks 04:30 – How Climate First Bank Approaches Sustainability 06:00 – Supporting Businesses from Startup to Exit 08:00 – Why Relationship Banking Is So Important 09:30 – The Problem With Big Corporate Banks 11:00 – Having Direct Access to Your Banker 12:30 – How High-Yield Savings Accounts Work 14:00 – Why Businesses Should Let Their Money Work for Them 15:30 – Financing Options for Growing Businesses 17:00 – Common Financial Mistakes Business Owners Make 18:30 – Why Advisors Matter When Growing a Company 20:00 – How Businesses Can Contact Climate First Bank