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This month we focus on Extend Empathy with our special guest Amanda Torres. C0-hosted by Lexi Gibbs.
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Details
This month we focus on Extend Empathy with our special guest Amanda Torres. C0-hosted by Lexi Gibbs.
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This month we focus on Extend Empathy with our special guest Amanda Torres. C0-hosted by Lexi Gibbs.
Listen to WOWCast Ep3 "Extend Empathy" (Amanda Torres) by Chris Williams MP3 song. WOWCast Ep3 "Extend Empathy" (Amanda Torres) song from Chris Williams is available on Audio.com. The duration of song is 42:15. This high-quality MP3 track has 1536 kbps bitrate and was uploaded on 22 Feb 2023. Stream and download WOWCast Ep3 "Extend Empathy" (Amanda Torres) by Chris Williams for free on Audio.com – your ultimate destination for MP3 music.
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Amanda Torres shares her experience working at Walk-Ons and the importance of empathy in the workplace. She talks about how she was recruited by her manager and the value she feels as a team member. Amanda emphasizes the culture of Walk-Ons and how it has helped her grow personally and professionally. She also discusses the role of empathy in building relationships and creating a positive work environment. Overall, Amanda believes that empathy is crucial for success in the restaurant industry. One of the things was she had a challenge with other companies that she's worked with because empathy didn't matter. And she's like, you leave it all at the door and that's what you do. And so, you know, one of the challenges we talked about was getting used to having to be empathetic at work. And so what I have grown at that company, yeah, I would have made my good money and I would have gone home and, you know, had a great life. But what I've grown as a person, like my character, and they weren't serving me and my character as a walk-on said. And so that's why I stay and I'm here. Because they see you and grow you. All right, y'all ready? How's it going out there today, walk-ons? We are in episode three. And today we're going to be talking about extend empathy. I'm joined here today, as always, by Ms. Lexi Gibbs. Hello. And today we have a special guest, Ms. Amanda Torres from Midtown, Tampa. And she's also a member of our Walk-On's Way Council where we get together and we discuss all things cultural. But today we're going to be talking with Amanda and we're going to be getting into kind of a little discussion here. So before we dive into extend empathy, which is the topic for today, we'd really like to get to know you a little bit more, Amanda. So can you give us a little bit of background, kind of where you came from, what you're doing now, you know, how you feel about walk-ons as a whole? Hi. Thank you for having me. My name is Amanda Torres. I started with walk-ons back in 2019. I was actually, I call it my recruitment because I was working at another restaurant and Georgie, my GM at Wesley Chapel, came in while I was hosting and we met and then I had an interview and I've been with walk-ons ever since as a waitress. After that, I was trained on bar after a little bit. I've done a little bit of the marketing for Midtown, but now I'm strictly on bar again. I started at Wesley Chapel, but when Midtown opened, I went over and transferred over there and started in Tampa. And back in 2020, when you guys sent out an email looking for people on the WOW Council, I applied and I was so grateful to be accepted. At the time, I was doing my bachelor's for political science. Being a part of something that was focused on like diversity, inclusion, culture was really, really cool to me. And so, yeah, I've been with walk-ons ever since and I love it. So let me ask you, so you are the first one of our guests that's a teammate. And, you know, obviously we work in an industry with a really transient community when it comes to people on different teams, you know. Oftentimes, not only are we in competitive world of trying to gain more guests to come dine with us, first and foremost, we're in competition for great people to come work on our teams and, you know, kind of stick with us. So, you know, up to this point, I guess, what has kept you with walk-ons? You said 2019 is when you started, correct? Yes, July 2019. July 2019. So you're coming up on your four-year anniversary. So what has it been about working as a walk-on teammate that has kind of kept you with us all this time? Yeah, I think that first story that I always tell where I was working somewhere else and I was like recruited, I always go back to that, to keeping me here, because originally I was a hostess at that restaurant. And when Georgie came in and spoke with me, I went to the interview and I was like, hey, I'm really not here to be a hostess, just, you know, like I want to move up and I want to do things. And he was like, oh, no, this is an interview for surveys. And that I feel like has been the staple thing that's kind of kept me is that walk-ons has always invested in me and I've always felt valued. And so I think that's what's kept me as a teammate for so long is that like inherent culture that keeps me feeling valued and keeps pushing me to be better. I've grown so much. And so I just feel like that's the reason to stay. So let me ask you this. So it sounds like Georgie recruited you a little bit. How did that go? Did he just show up at your restaurant and was, like, impressed by you? So he was like, hey, you want a job? This could be a tip for a lot of people out there searching for good people. So how did that work out? Well, if you guys are looking for, you know, teammates from other restaurants, just go in and just take them, you know. That was kind of the methodology. No, but, like, in all seriousness, I just, like, started talking to him. I remember it was, like, a slow day and there was no one coming in. And I was like, I want someone to talk to. And so he came in with his family. And I guess it was a good sign that we got talking. And he just invited me to an interview. Yeah. And his waitress actually knew him, so she put in a good word, too. Yeah. That's so awesome. So, I mean, I think there's a lesson there to be learned, though, is that if we're not always at our best, we could miss an opportunity to gain something great in our lives. And I think that we always have to be prepared for when those opportunities arise because, as you said, it was a slow day. And I've been in restaurants on slow days. And you could see the, you know, teams really not paying very close attention because it's not really demanded of them. But in those situations, you just never know when opportunity is going to come knocking. And it's such a great thing that, first and foremost, that you were on top of your game looking to, you know, build relationships, I guess, in the restaurant. That's not our topic today, but it was what you were doing. And, you know, because of that, Georgie saw something in you. And here we are four years later just celebrating what has been, you know, just a great, great relationship that was built with Waphan. So, it's awesome. Absolutely. That being said, all right, so now we know Amanda a little bit better. We're going to slide into our topic of discussion for today. And I'm going to pass it over to Lexi Gibbs. We're going to talk a little extending empathy. Yeah, definitely. Amanda, I love your story. I truly love that you call it recruited, but it is kind of like, you know, kudos to Georgie who saw something in you so quickly. And look at where you're at now. You know, you've become such a staple of the Waphan brand in Wesley Chapel and then Midtown. And even on our WoW Council, you've really, you are the epitome of kind of that teammate who possesses those core values and guiding principles that we teach, you know, through and through. Yeah. And Chris and I constantly are like, Amanda, like, she's great. She's awesome. You know, she does such a good example of these things. And especially, you know, our highlight core value for March being extending empathy. I go back to, you know, Georgie kind of taking you in a sense from your previous employer and bringing you to our Waphan family. You kind of had to extend some empathy to those that you were with. And then kind of Georgie had to kind of give some empathy to you being that, you know, bringing you on from a different brand. How did that work out kind of, you know, from your point of view, him giving you that empathy to come lead this brand and come to a new brand? Was that kind of something, you know, easy? Was it smooth? How did that go? It was like a hard decision overall. I was looking at the time, but I had not made that clear, of course, to the restaurant that I was at. It was hard because that restaurant that I was at, like, everybody was family. And, you know, I mean that in the most literal sense. Like, I'm still like going to these people's baby showers this many years later and watching them grow their families. And so it was really hard because I wasn't leaving the people. I was leaving the place and the culture that that company decided to put into place. And so I had to extend empathy to them and kind of understand that I know it's not like they don't want to create that environment. Like, no one wants to create an environment that drives people away. And so I kind of had to extend myself and understand that it's really not personal from these people. And I have to leave the physical place, but keep, you know, keep my relationships with them because it wasn't personal. It was just not the right fit. And then coming to Georgie, I ended up learning so much more about empathy just because he extended it to me, seeing that I was in that place and understanding that I wanted to give more and I wanted to produce more for where I was working. And so it was a big learning thing for me because I hadn't had a leader yet that did that, that said, you know what, let's give them a chance. I just met her two days ago, but let's give her a chance. And so that was really, really big, too. I think it's really something to note is your point of giving yourself the empathy to kind of make that, you know, make that change. And then going into an environment where Georgie kind of continues that empathy and gives it to you to grow into what you are now. I kind of want to get your point of view on, you know, just looking at almost hitting four years with the brand. What have you seen is so beneficial of giving, you know, the empathy that you've learned from Georgie and learned kind of that you've given yourself, you know, giving that to your fellow teammates, your fellow managers? How important do you see that in the restaurant? And how did you come to learn, you know, the sweet spot on giving, extending that empathy, but also giving it to yourself as well? I think it's so important just because of the environment it creates. I think that was, like, the number one utmost importance of that, just because we can't be successful in an environment that isn't positive. And a positive environment comes with empathy. It brings us as teammates much closer because I could go in and have a bad day with, like, another coworker, and we could kind of be off with each other. And I could just say, well, whatever, like, they're rude, like, or they're mean, or we don't get along. But in reality, like, if I stand there and ask myself, what's going on? Like, try to understand, like, they're not frustrated with me. They're frustrated because it's busy and they're behind on six drinks. Or the kitchen isn't frustrated with me because I'm asking for fries. They're frustrated because I'm the sixth server to come up and ask for fries today. And they have, like, fry side is completely down. Like, that's the true power of empathy, I think, is because you start to realize that sometimes in the heat of the moment, what's going on isn't really what's going on. And that's really the importance of it because it changes the entire environment. I just feel like when you work on your empathy, you're not going to leave mad. And you're not going to leave hating your job. And when you don't leave the environment feeling negative, you come back feeling positive every day. And you want to come back to work every day. And you're more understanding every day. And you love it. And so I think that's the big importance of it on our team. That's huge. That's very, that's such a clear picture. Because what you're saying is basically go into the situation, go into the workday, already extending that empathy. Not even knowing, oh, you know, why is so-and-so upset or, you know, what's the rush, what's going on. Already going in and giving that empathy before the day even starts and before you're really, you're needing that empathy from someone else is how you're going to create that flow and kind of create it from one person to the next. I think that's such an important point to point out. I kind of want to shift gears, especially from your perspective of working VAR, kind of working almost all positions that you can, you know, you can do. What about from a guest's perspective and kind of giving that empathy to our guests that come in? Obviously, that's one of those, you're not with them for hours on end, but you do kind of have that, you know, hour, hour and a half time to form a relationship with them. Sometimes it might be a struggle. How do you give that empathy upon, you know, greeting a guest and kind of waiting on their table or giving them a drink? How do you show that to them, you know, from your perspective? Yeah, I think that's, it's like one of the most challenging parts of empathy because once you have your team, like you understand them and you're good. But sometimes like every day I meet new people and I never met them or had a conversation with them in my life. And so I'm sitting in front of a stranger trying to be empathetic. And I think it goes into the building relationships a little bit where I try to get to know them as much as I can and like know what they have going on in their life. I mean, bartenders are like your best therapists, right? But try to get to know them so that I can better extend that. I think that's kind of my methodology is I want to know what you're doing later today, what you're doing earlier, how's work, how's this? And that helps me extend. That's one method I use. But if you can't use that method per se, maybe you're a server and like, you know, you don't have as much time with your tables. Just listening to people is so powerful because I can't sit there like with my teammates for an hour and talk to them and say, hey, like, what do you need for me to make this work better? You can't really do that with your tables as often. So just being a good listener and putting yourself in their perspective as much as you can and putting yourself in their shoes as much as you can. And also, I think it's big to understand that, like, I will never 100 percent understand them. I'll never 100 percent understand anyone because I have my own biases and my own perspectives that will absolutely conflict a little bit. And taking both what I heard from them and understanding that I just need to improve as much as I can in that understanding really helps me listen. And then I always say after that, just kill them with kindness. So they tell you what's going on. You listen as much as you can and, you know, gain that empathy and really feel what they're feeling and work with them as much as you can. And then at the end of the day, all you can do is leave them with a smile because you're only with them for like an hour. And so if you leave them on a high note, on a good foot where they're willing to come back and see you, I mean, the empathy is extended. Yeah, I definitely that listening piece that you said is huge. I think that coincides with empathy tremendously because, you know, at the end of the day, you can extend empathy just by being an ear, you know, and just by being somebody that is just takes it in. And then, you know, that person then feels, okay, someone's here for me. They're kind of giving me my time to express myself and get my frustrations out and then, you know, go kill it on the floor, go kill it, you know, at the next hour of the job or whatever it may be. Chris, how do you feel about that listening part? I think I want to hear what you think because you are one of the biggest and greatest listeners that I've met, especially in my time at WalkOn. So I definitely want to hear what you have to say about that part. Well, that's far too kind. But I totally agree. So I think growing up, I don't know if it was my grandmother or my mother, she always used to tell me, yeah, I gave you two eyes and two ears and one mouth. Right. And that is and it's so important because, like, when we're starting to talk about these things, we're talking about really emotional intelligence. Because that's the key to being able to truly observe, you know, with those eyes and being able to hear and listen before responding. And I think that just life in general, there are far too many people that seek out ways to respond before they've truly heard what's needed and before they've seen what's needed. And when you do that, you're in a point of self-service. You're not in a point of service of others. And, you know, emotional intelligence is all about being able to cue in on the needs of others and then be there to support it. Right. And we're talking about this in a rapid fashion. Amanda, you're absolutely right. As a team, you're going to be able to learn different cues and have different expectations of others and how they react to certain things. As a bartender, you do have a longer time frame in which there's more frequency of communication that's happening. As a server, it's very, very difficult because you get those snapshots. So being able to really key and cue in on different things that you're seeing at a table, being able to listen, truly listen, stop, and, you know, from a point of really observing what's going on there in order to be able to communicate properly and to extend that empathy. You know, empathy is about being able to see through the lens of somebody else's eyes. Right. And the difference between that and sympathy is sympathy is more on the side of pity and things like that. And really being able to, you know, sympathy is much more of having a relatable experience that you can kind of engage with them in that way. Whereas empathy is much more external and related to servanthood, and that is that you're looking to see what somebody else is going through. Even if you can't sympathize, you can still, as a human being, be able to empathize with their needs and then step in to support it. And that's why we say extend because it goes beyond us internally. Right. You're really trying to see from somebody else's vantage point and then do everything that you can to support them. So, yeah, I mean, everything that both of you are saying is just so true. Right. And I know that when we look at things like this, sometimes the naysayer may say that these things are soft. Right. And not things that are, you know, can help something like a culture grow. But to me, it's fundamental. If you're not seeking out ways to support others and do your best to engage with their perspective, then you're never going to build that culture that you desire, that family. Amanda, you were talking about it earlier. I actually have a question about that because you said that the restaurant that you came from had a family atmosphere, but the culture was not one that you wanted to continue to participate in. What's the distinction? How do you parse those two out? Because I think there's a great lesson to be learned there. I think for me in that situation, it was because it starts at leadership. And so we at Walk On set up our leaders to facilitate the culture. Like our leaders set the tone and facilitate it. And I don't believe that they had a set way to have their leaders set up that culture. And so a lot of it gets lost when your leadership. And I mean, at that point that, you know, let's say general manager, their leader, let them down, too. So it's not even just that one leader's fault. It starts from the very tip top of the company at that point where, you know, this general manager doesn't know how to create a culture that is positive. And so people struggle in there. But with that being said, the separation is that you can still hire great people and they can be still in that culture for whatever reason. I had the mobility to leave that culture also because I had an opportunity knocking right away. But I always say, like, not a lot of people have the mobility to leave that culture. And so you have some really, really great, amazing people working under cultures that really just suck. And so I think that's what happened is that they didn't have it starting from the top. And people don't have that mobility. And they say you have great people who are like family and it makes it harder to leave. But sometimes you have to do it. It's interesting to me because I think a lot of people see culture as simply that family and probably would have defined it in that way. And, you know, forgive me if I'm off base here. But it sounds to me that the standards that were set within that restaurant is what led to poor culture. And it wasn't the camaraderie that may have existed or the friendship or family that may have existed there. It was more related to the way that the standards were upheld and things like that that are definitely the harder part of culture for those that pick up the soft parts, I guess, or as they perceive it, the soft. Is that accurate? I feel as though it is. Absolutely. I mean, I could have stayed within that position, like within that environment, and I would have made my money, I would have had my friends, and I would have been good. But would I have grown? And that's kind of where it's like, yeah, like maybe it is that softer skill like empathy, but I wouldn't have grown and learned like I have under walk-on to be more empathetic for a culture, you know, coming from a culture that didn't prioritize that. I actually spoke with like my friend before this just because she works at walk-on too. And I want to get like all the perspectives of where I come in. And one of her things was she had a challenge with other companies that she's worked with because empathy didn't matter. And she's like, you leave it all at the door and that's what you do. And so, you know, one of the challenges we talked about was getting used to having to be empathetic at work. And so would I have grown at that company? Yeah, I would have made my good money and I would have gone home and, you know, had a great life. But would I have grown as a person, like my character? And they weren't serving me in my character, but walk-on fit. And so that's why I stay and I'm here because they feed you and grow you. Yeah, I think that piece about some kind of walk-on up as a whole is what you just said. You know, we look to grow the person, not just so much as, you know, come in and make your money, go home type thing. As a family, you know, that family where we want to grow together both in the restaurant and out. So empathy, you know, being one of the softer type of core values that we do have, we realize that just like you said, you know, it's kind of a domino effect from the top down. You know, if you're given empathy, then you're going to give empathy even quicker. You know, you're going to be like, well, I'm getting this. I have this comfortability or this relationship with this person that I feel I can be vulnerable with or I can, you know, kind of express myself real quick and then go back to, you know, whatever task I'm at. And then I see how effective that is for me outside of the restaurant as well as in the restaurant. So you then end up wanting to give that to the next person because you see how beneficial it is to everybody. I think that's that's such a good, good summary as to what you, you know, what you said, especially your, you know, your friend who works at Wal-Mart as well to have that same mentality of, you know, you're growing the human. You're not just growing your, you know, your role. You're growing just the overall person. I think that's so cool. Absolutely. Well, it starts that way, right? I mean, if we're not seeking out ways to benefit each other in life, then what is something like business really even matter? And it's it's so, so nice to hear that, you know, because ultimately, you know, our goal is to help people live their lives in a better way to help the things like character. Like you're saying, that's absolutely amazing to hear. Who's your friend? Give him or her a shout out. Cassie. Cassie. Sorry, Cassie. No. I mean, that's very, very strong words of wisdom. They deserve to be cited appropriately, right? I'm still like zoned in on this, on what you last said, Amanda. But I really do also tie it into, you know, your your franchisee in in Tampa Midtown, Mike Lester. We had him on in January and he's such a he's the epitome of somebody who, you know, gives that empathy. He obviously is a well-rounded, you know, exemplifies our guiding principles, our core values. And he cares just as much about who you are outside of this restaurant as he does, you know, as well as his restaurants doing. He cares about both equally. And so I think it's that's such a great testament to see, you know, how that top down impact works as well as, you know, bringing that empathy and bringing our building relationships and everything that we, you know, we talk about and who we are as people. The walk on its way. It's so it's such a well-rounded aspect to see, you know, coming from someone like a franchisee like Mike Lester, as well as, you know, just like you, Amanda, and just like Kathy. I think that's so cool. Yeah, it starts with the leadership. It really does. It absolutely does. Yeah, there's no doubt about it. So as we start to wrap up here, I know that you say you had some notes and some things that you wanted to make sure that we talked about today. Are there any other elements in regards to empathy that you wanted to kind of point out today? It's just kind of, you know, go through the conversations. Let's make sure that we leave no stone unturned. I just feel like I feel like empathy is hard because I'm like 100 percent. I got in this industry when I was 18 and I'm only 23 now. And so I feel like at 18, my empathy for my teammates and other restaurants probably was not the greatest. And so I think that if people are struggling with empathy, it's 100 percent something that just grows with you. Because I feel like when I look back at where I was and where I am now, I just don't even recognize, like, how I would handle those situations. In the moment, I'd be like, well, that's awesome. And that's great. And I did awesome. But looking at it now, I think to myself, wow, I would not handle that that way. I should have been more empathetic. And so I think that my main thing, my main takeaway when I was considering empathy and writing my notes and going through it, was just that I've grown so much and I can continue to grow and learn from it. Because even now, I think the situations that could have been the past few weeks where I could have been more empathetic. And so I think it's just something constantly growing. And it's that aim for progress, not perfection, that really goes along with it. Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, you look at we talk a lot about growth today. You know, a lot of key in there and obviously a team that grows is a team that that has limitless potential. Right. And it's derived from the individuals that work on that team. Something that you just said there about empathy and how it's grown with you over the years. Something that I've kind of played around with in my mind the last few months is the multiplier of maturity that exists amongst any given characteristic. And can you speak to that for just a second? So, you know, we've got a lot of core values. We've got our guiding principles. We've got promises. We've got purpose, vision, mission, all of these different elements. But what I see is that sometimes people need to be given a little bit of empathy initially to be able to grow within these things. And what do you think has allowed you to grow specifically with empathy? And I guess, you know, expand upon that as you as you see fit. But how do you see that multiplier of maturity really acting within your growth? I think. It just really had to start with like that first opportunity and getting to grow up in a situation because I was young, like I was like 19, you know, so I was still growing up. But getting to grow up in an environment with walk on where it was OK to have those immature moments where you needed room to grow. And I think that was the really big opportunity for like multiplying those core principles and core values and growing with them is being in that environment where they are empathetic towards you and you can make those mistakes and you can learn and having those mentors that take you right under your wing. I mean, like we would sit after shifts, Georgie, and I just talk about the shift and it wasn't like it wasn't like, hey, we need to talk. It was how was it? And I'll be like, oh, my gosh, today was bad. And I'll be like, yeah, I felt it too. Or today was great. That was cake. Like awesome. And I think it's that environment that really, really allows you to mature and grow with it. And I feel like continue to grow with that. I mean, I I'm with Jade right now and we still have had a conversation today about empathy before this. And she still is teaching me so much before this. And it's just that environment to learn. Love it. All right, let's pass it over to you. Yeah, I just couple couple more comments, you know, especially hearing you speak on, you know, Georgie and the way that he would kind of allow you to reflect on your own on your own shift or reflect on your own experiences that you had in that day. It kind of that gives that room for you to kind of realize where you can grow. You know, oh, I can extend empathy in this. You know, I should have done it this way or I can do it this way next time. And that goes for, you know, not just doing empathy, but that goes for everything else. It's like, you know, if you're serving a table, where could you how could you build a relationship better? Or, you know, what what could you do to, you know, kind of give that person, you know, or that guest there the right the right, you know, attention they need and things like that. And I think focusing on the piece you said from, you know, how Georgie would sit you down and have those chats with you just to decompress. How useful do you like how much use do you give those conversations in where you are now? You know, how much do you like kind of say thank you for that, you know, to get to get to you in the position you're in right now? I credit it a lot, because I mean, when I started, I was like, I, I wasn't afraid to speak up, per se. Like, I don't want to make it seem like I was like some shy little thing. But I didn't know the proper channels to voice, you know, what my day looked like in a restaurant. And I didn't know how debriefing looked like in a restaurant. And I didn't know. I just didn't know. Like, I was so naive to what I should be doing. And so those conversations, like, taught me so much, because they taught me how to have those conversations in the first place. They gave me a seat with someone who cared about what I thought. Someone who when I got there, I mean, I wasn't in the first round of captains at Wesley Chapel. I was in the second round. And so I wasn't even, you know, that first person that they looked at and said, let me pick her out of the crowd. She's a captain for sure. That wasn't even who I was. But to be able to sit there and have the channel with my general manager, and he saw me as a leader before I even did that, that was so, so powerful. And that I will credit that opportunity to not only helping you grow within the restaurant. But, I mean, even academically, while I was in school, even personally, just it was a really big growth opportunity. And I didn't realize it until, you know, I look back on it now and I'm like, wow, I would love to do the same for someone one day and have them have those conversations because it really builds you. I think that also ties into what you said earlier, that key piece on listening, just, you know, having that ear to listen. That's how you were kind of given empathy in a way with, you know, you had somebody who just heard you and listened to you. And then you were able to kind of reflect and give your, in return, give yourself the empathy to grow for the next shift or grow for the next school class or whatever experience you were about to go do. You know, that listening piece really kind of helped you to get to that point. I think that's huge. And it taught me to extend the empathy upwards too, because you always think extend empathy to your teammates, but you forget sometimes that your manager might be having a really bad day. And so when I'm sitting there and I'm, you know, super egocentric, 19, serve my first table, I'm like, man, like today was hard. Like I had this many tables and this was not. And then I go, how was your day? And they go, man, I was doing expo because my KM was on the line cooking and I was expo in front of house and I was struggling with this, this and that. It wakes you up because you're not the only person in that building. And so you can extend it upward. And maybe you didn't see your manager as much as you wanted to that day. But hearing him say or her say, you know, I couldn't be up there today and I wish I could have. Like, I understand that. I really do understand that. That's huge. That's a great piece. That's a good perspective, you know, to extend empathy upward. You know, I like that. Chris, do you have anything on that piece? I think that's huge. And it is a huge piece. And I mean, it opens up so many, so many things. But the first that I would ask is the role of vulnerability of your leaders and how that is the bridge to empathy and how that really helps cultivate relationships within the restaurant that can be, you know, fruitful. So how do you see vulnerability? Because we have so many leaders out there and I've worked with so many, so many managers throughout the years that their frame of mind has always been to stay strong. Never let them see fearful or bleeding. Don't let them see your blood or whatever. But like it was it's it's always been that I had a general manager when I was growing up as a young manager that said never let them see you tired. Which hurt her reasoning for that when she clarified was much better. But speak to that for just just just a moment here, because vulnerability is just such a such a key element to leadership that I think is truly a missing part of what a lot of people have in their toolkit. I think it's so hard because I mean, like when you gave your example of your leader, I immediately thought like I am like a woman taking up space in the professional world and I am a minority woman taking up space in the professional world. And so I always think what more do I have to do to get, you know, where I need to go? And so when thinking that I think about don't let them see you tired and don't let them see you struggling because you need to do 10 times better and you need to work 10 times harder. But at the same time, we are human and without the vulnerability, you'll never grow close to your team. And so although I understand that perspective of hers and I felt that perspective before. I I can't live with it every day just because I am vulnerable, even when I'm training people behind the bar serving or or whatever position I always if they make a mistake, I'm like, you don't even know I've done that 15 times. I did that last week. And I am vulnerable with them because it's it's comforting and it creates that positive environment. And it's just downright true. We're human. So it's 100% just true. It is what it is. And to grow closer, you have to be vulnerable. Totally agree. Totally agree. All right. This is this has been a great episode. And we are we are running a little on the longer side, but I'm sure everyone appreciates it. No, it's been great. So it's just a little lanyard as as they say in Louisiana. Right. But with that being said, I would like to start wrapping it up. So I'll pass it, Lexi, over to you and then Amanda for the final word and then we'll call it a day. Yeah, I think, you know, just going back to that listening piece, really, really honing in on that and knowing that just being an ear for your teammates for your, you know, like you said, kind of extending the empathy upwards, being an ear for your general manager, whatever manager, you know, just kind of giving that space that, you know, I'm here for you. If you need a minute, my ears open. I'm ready to listen. But then we're going to go and turn it around and we're going to go and attack the rest of the shift together. We're going to attack, you know, whatever you're doing, even if it's outside of the restaurant, you're going to go and do it, you know, together strong. And you are that piece that kind of gives that cushion of someone's here for you. Someone's listening and someone wants to, you know, kind of help you along the way. I think that's huge. Absolutely. It's just that great environment. One hundred percent. But it grows people. Absolutely does. All right, Amanda, any other words of encouragement before we call it a podcast here? Thank you. Shout out, Wesley. Shout out, Midtown. Love you guys. Thank you so much. I just feel like I learned a lot from this conversation. So thank you. Thank you, Amanda. Like Alexi said in the beginning, you've definitely been an inspiration to us through the conversations that we've been so grateful to have with you. And you are certainly the right person to bring on to the WOW Council. We're always very impressed and very grateful to have your company, for sure. Thank you, guys. All right. Well, that's it. We're calling it a wrap. Episode three. The end of the book. Thank you all so much. I cannot speak today. You're awesome. And that's how we're going to end the episode right there. Lovely.
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