5 Questions With Dan Schawbel

5 Questions With Dan Schawbel


Episode 218: Will Guidara

December 19, 2022

My guest today is restaurateur and author, Will Guidara. Will is the founder of Thank You, the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park and the NoMad, and the co-founder of the Welcome Conference, an annual hospitality symposium. We talk about his new book “Unreasonable Hospitality”, and building a hospitality-first culture, during this episode.





The 5 questions I ask in this episode:



  1. Your parents were both in the service industry. What lessons did your parents instill in you about hospitality and how did you translate that into your own career?

  2. You’ve managed large and diverse teams at some of the finest restaurants. What have you found is the best method to develop talent in hospitality?

  3. You share a lot about building a hospitality-first culture. What are the biggest takeaways that other industries can learn from restaurants in building a strong culture?

  4. You share a lot of examples in your book about creating memorable surprise and delight moments. Why is so important for brands to adopt this mindset?

  5. What is your best piece of career advice?

Video interview:



Follow Will’s journey: