Kevin Planovsky career in digital strategy and hospitality was not built overnight. After more than a decade running his own boutique agency in Atlanta, he joined Croud, a global, tech-enabled marketing agency, to help lead U.S. growth. For Kevin, the dra

In this session ofRising Tides Live, hosted byShawn Walchef, the conversation centered on the uncomfortable, unpolished, and ultimately rewarding process of building in public. Whether youre launching a product, reshaping your brand, or just trying to

Nils Westlinds path to owning a trio of Chicago hotspots was anything but direct. Raised in Colombia and relocating to Chicago at 15, he entered hospitality through a side hustle and stayed for the creativity, community, and chaos. After years working fo

Denny LiPira didnt leave Applebees because things were bad. In fact, after 26 years with the brand, things were going well. He had worked his way up from hourly employee to Director of Operations, overseeing 13 restaurants across Florida and Georgia. Bu

In this session of Rising Tides Live, the community gathered for a special Ask Shawn Anything, where host Shawn Walchef took questions from the group and encouraged everyone to do the same. From a former dishwasher turned GM sharing leadership lessons, to

For years, food shows have followed the same formula: booths, samples, vendor brochures. But US Foods is flipping that script with Food Fanatics 2025, an immersive event designed to inform, inspire, and recharge restaurant operators. At the center of this

Ted Courtney grew up on Marthas Vineyard, the son of retailers who taught him how to hustle and how to make a business work in a seasonal market. Today, Ted and his brother run two of the islands most popular restaurants, The Port Hunter and The Covingt

In this session ofRising Tides Live, hosted byShawn Walchef, the community gathered around a powerful idea: how can creators build an authentic audience from anywhere in the world? The guest was David Lissah, a UK-born entrepreneur and creator who moved

When Shawn Walchef connected with David Lissah in Sofia, Bulgaria, it wasnt part of a grand plan. Shawn had simply followed David on Instagram, impressed by his honest storytelling and creator journey. A direct message turned into a podcast invite, and b

In restaurants across America, tipping is a way of life. Its how servers, bartenders, and back-of-house staff make ends meet. But until now, those tips have always come with a tax bill. Thats starting to change. On July 4, 2025, a new federal law went i