FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE - For Entrepreneurs & Leaders in the Hospitality Industry

From Doubt to Drive - Entrepreneurs Only. This week with David Baumgartner, founder and CIO of “Dean & David”, known for its fresh, healthy, and sustainable dishes. With a vision to redefine fast food as healthier and more conscious, he opened the first restaurant in Munich in 2007. Today, “Dean & David” boasts over 150 locations across multiple countries and is considered a pioneer in modern, sustainable dining concepts. David is committed to uncompromising quality, regional sourcing, and innovative ideas to make healthy eating accessible to everyone. In this episode, he shares his journey from entrepreneurial ambition to building a renowned brand, the challenges of the food industry, his challenges as a young entrepreneur, his vision for the future of mindful eating and how he looks back onto 17 years of being a CEO. The main learnings from this conversation are: * Being a young founder is a benefit * Hope for the best, but expect the worst * As long as the worst case didn’t happen, there is still a good chance that it won’t happen * Stay positive and think forward * You have to do it because it has to be done * Be conscious, be motivated, keep on fighting Tune in and listen to David and his honest view on being an entrepreneur, founder, CEO and now recently also a father. Hit the subscribe button and hear more stories from successful entrepreneurs worldwide in hospitality, food & drinks, and related industries, as they share their inspiring journey FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE. Uncover their tools and tactics, shifts in mindset, and breakthrough moments - how they knew they were stuck and how they got out. Join our community & learn how you can move from DOUBT TO DRIVE. © From Doubt to Drive Podcast, owned and operated by Aperitivo International B.V Recorded on June 28, 2024 via Zoom from Tegernsee, Germany (David Baumgartner) – Bandarawella, Sri Lanka (Mario C. Bauer) – Hamburg, Germany (Florian Schneider),

From Doubt to Drive – Entrepreneurs Only Today, we are joined by Laura Harper-Hinton, Co-founder & CEO of Caravan (https://caravanandco.com/ [https://caravanandco.com/]) Originally from New Zealand, Laura immigrated to the UK and co-founded Caravan in 2010 with two New Zealand partners. Caravan, a coffee roastery and restaurant operator, was a pioneer in the specialty coffee sector and has since grown to operate eight stores in London, one in Manchester, and three coffee bars. Caravan has achieved this year €30 million in sales, €2.5 million in profit, employs 500 people, and is proudly B-Corp certified. Laura shares her passion for hiking and the lessons entrepreneurs can learn from extreme sports, particularly in balancing risks. We also discussed her earlier career in event management, how she improved her stress management and resilience, and how these skills shaped her entrepreneurial journey with Caravan. Laura openly shares the challenges of building a business while raising a family, describing her unique rhythm of "restaurant–baby–restaurant–baby." Additionally, Laura sheds light on the differences between running a restaurant company and managing an FMCG coffee brand. Caravan’s commitment to ethical sourcing is evident, with at least 50% of their coffee sourced from female-led cooperatives. Our key takeaways from the conversation are: 1. You need to find time to clear your head and slow down. 2. Give yourself time to let ideas filter in. 3. Learn how to manage stress. 4. Crises are an opportunity to stay calm or lose your shit. 5. Maintain a steady mind and a steady hand. 6. Take measured risks. 7. Back yourself and go for it. 8. Put your own mask on first. 9. Take time out to create headspace. 10. Elevate your culture from good to great. 11. Make everyone feel welcome. Create a workspace that feels like a home away from home. 12. Build a culture of belonging. 13. Embrace diversity. 14. Don’t let profit outweigh your values. 15. Block out the noise. Focus on yourself. 16. Trust your instincts. 17. Play the long game. 18. Believe in yourself. … Hit the subscribe button and hear more stories from successful entrepreneurs worldwide in hospitality, food & drinks, and related industries, as they share their inspiring journey FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE. Uncover their tools and tactics, shifts in mindset, and breakthrough moments - how they knew they were stuck and how they got out. Join our community & learn how you can move from DOUBT TO DRIVE. © From Doubt to Drive Podcast, owned and operated by Aperitivo International B.V Recorded on 30th September 2024 via Zoom in London, UK (Laura Harper-Hinton) – Ella, Sri Lanka (Mario C. Bauer) – Hamburg, Germany (Florian Schneider).

From Doubt to Drive - Entrepreneurs Only. This week with Patrick Hennig, CEO and co-fouder of nexenio and of culture4life, the company better known for the Luca app, an app that was launched in 2020 during COVID lockdowns to help restaurants, bars, clubs and events to skip the manual registration of their guests and to allow easier tracking in case of a COVID outbreak. The app became rapidly famous because the German hip hop band “Fantastische Vier” supported it from the beginning. 40 million users downloaded the app to get back a little bit of freedom. Today, Patrick transformed Luca in a reservation, ordering and payment app. Listen to an entrepreneur who took chances and started a business in times of global doubts, uncertainties, and troubles. The main learnings from this conversation are: * It’s all bullshit, you never have it under control * Don’t think too much * A disadvantage is also an advantage. Learning is a credit * When you need to take action, take action! * I’m not convinced that you always have to be convinced. Situations of doubt are good. * Have a clear goal, but be flexible on the details * Think alone first, then discuss with others Tune in and listen to this very reflective entrepreneur who brings in another perspective on handling pressure, assessing entrepreneurship, hospitality and society. Hit the subscribe button and hear more stories from successful entrepreneurs worldwide in hospitality, food & beverage, and related industries, as they share their inspiring journey FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE. Uncover their tools and tactics, shifts in mindset, and breakthrough moments - how they knew they were stuck and how they got out. Join our community and learn how you can move from DOUBT TO DRIVE. © From Doubt to Drive Podcast, owned and operated by Newmorrow Recorded on June 7, 2024 via Zoom in Berlin, Germany (Patrick Hennig) – Bandarawella, Sri Lanka (Mario C. Bauer) – Hamburg, Germany (Florian Schneider),

From Doubt to Drive - Entrepreneurs Only. This week with Andreas J. Young and Sebastian Sung Chu Lechle from Mmaah, Korean BBQ. For the first time, we have two guests—and they’re brothers! Having grown up between Germany and Korea, they opened their first restaurant in 2013, combining fast food with a healthy twist inspired by Korean street food. Mmaah now operates 10 locations: 8 in Berlin and 2 in Munich. With over 120 employees, they’ve reached €9 million in total sales, with 50% of sales coming from delivery. We discuss decision-making as brothers and the importance of mutual respect and a clear process for resolving differences. They share how they balance family life with business, realizing their dream together, and reconnecting at night after their kids are asleep. They also talk about breaking free from their parents' expectations of a traditional career—so much so that their mother initially stopped speaking to them. We learn how they simplified their Korean menu to reduce complexity while preserving authentic flavors, adapting it to a European fast-food style. They also reveal their biggest challenges, how they reignite their drive, and how they started with only €10,000 and no industry knowledge. We learn more about the "Zombie Invasion" and the harsh realities they faced while needing to be profitable from day one. Our main learnings from this conversation are: * Invest time in building systems and structures right from the beginning. * Target the mass market and reduce complexity. * Don’t try to educate your clients; offer approachable, friendly food. * If you love it, others likely will too. * fight your impatience. * You won’t die easily—push your boundaries * Define what you would never sacrifice for the business. * Establish a family-style culture. * Don’t make empty promises. * Think big, but take action to make it happen. * Be prepared for when messy reality hits. * Giving up is not an option. * Focus on cash flow if you want to stay independent. * Don’t give up too quickly. In the podcast we talk about the 40% rule: When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possibly go any further, you’re only actually 40% done. The human mind is an amazing thing. It both propels us forward and holds us back. The 40% rule reminds us that no matter how exhausted we might feel, it is always possible to draw on an untapped reserve of energy, motivation, and drive that we all possess. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455534684/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_UIR1zb2ZTCFHG [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455534684/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_UIR1zb2ZTCFHG] Hit the subscribe button and hear more stories from successful entrepreneurs worldwide in hospitality, food & drinks, and related industries, as they share their inspiring journey FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE. Uncover their tools and tactics, shifts in mindset, and breakthrough moments - how they knew they were stuck and how they got out. Join our community & learn how you can move from DOUBT TO DRIVE. © From Doubt to Drive Podcast, owned and operated by Aperitivo International B.V Recorded on 24th September 2024 via Zoom in Berlin, (Mmaah) – Kandy, Sri Lanka (Mario C. Bauer) – Hamburg, Deutschland (Florian Schneider).

From Doubt to Drive – Entrepreneurs Only Today, we have Christoph Hoffmann, Founder of 25hours Hotels (https://www.25hours-hotels.com/en) [https://www.25hours-hotels.com/en)], with the motto: "You know one, you know none." Founded 20 years ago by four entrepreneurs, 25hours currently operates 15 hotels in 7 countries. After being sold and integrated into Ennismore (https://ennismore.com/ [https://ennismore.com/]) , controlled by Accor (https://all.accor.com/a/en.html [https://all.accor.com/a/en.html]) , the brand unlocked tremendous growth potential, with 9 more hotels in the pipeline across 6 new countries, including Indonesia and Australia. With 2.000 employees and almost 40 culinary outlets, including NENI (check out the episode with founder Haya Molcho here on this channel, https://podfollow.com/1737382333/episode/5a15ead11675127da3ae0d6f43e666573729688d/view [https://podfollow.com/1737382333/episode/5a15ead11675127da3ae0d6f43e666573729688d/view], Christoph discusses how she and other F&B heroes shaped the brand positioning of 25hours Hotels through their culinary focus. Christoph is also the co-founder of Bikini Island and Mountain Hotels Group, currently operating 2 hotels. (https://www.bikini-hotels.com/ [https://www.bikini-hotels.com/]) He explains how, only after the exit and achieving financial freedom, he developed Schwellenangst (fear of threshold of boarders) about starting something new, as the strong relationships he built at 25hours made it difficult to venture into the unknown. Our key takeaways from the conversation are: * Create something you are proud of. * A leader needs trust and freedom to succeed. * You have to stick to passion, fun, and beauty. * “You know one, you know none.” - A creative approach to introducing something new to the market, following the motto “Spaß an der Freude.” * Brand standards and procedures are important, but you don’t need to have a solution for everything—sometimes you just have to let it go. * If you have several shareholders, trust and freedom for the leading one are crucial for success. * Leadership through collaboration and trust. * Surround yourself with positive people, especially during crises. * Embrace the crazy ones. * In hospitality, finding the right mix between being relaxed and professional is key. * In crises, find the right people to help you. * With success comes Schwellenangst … Hit the subscribe button and hear more stories from successful entrepreneurs worldwide in hospitality, food & drinks, and related industries, as they share their inspiring journey FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE. Uncover their tools and tactics, shifts in mindset, and breakthrough moments - how they knew they were stuck and how they got out. Join our community & learn how you can move from DOUBT TO DRIVE. © From Doubt to Drive Podcast, owned and operated by Aperitivo International B.V Recorded on 6th June 2024 via Zoom in Switzerland (Christoph Hoffmann) – Mirissa, Sri Lanka (Mario C. Bauer) – Portugal (Axel Weber).