The Post Shift Podcast with Shawn Soole

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with legendary bar designer and hospitality innovator Tobin Ellis, founder of Studio Barmagic and one of the most influential thinkers in modern bar design. With more than three decades in hospitality and decades designing bars around the world, Tobin shares how smart design, workflow, and ergonomics directly impact profitability, staff performance, and guest experience. From designing cocktail stations to consulting on luxury venues and high-volume operations, Tobin’s philosophy is simple: great bar design isn’t decoration — it’s operational strategy.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Tobin’s journey from bartender to one of the industry’s leading bar design specialists• Why bar design should start with workflow, ergonomics, and staff efficiency before aesthetics• The biggest mistakes operators make when building or renovating bars• How equipment, layout, and design influence speed of service, guest interaction, and profitability• Live Q&A: building bars for modern cocktail programs, staff health, and long-term operational success⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:30 – Tobin’s background and the evolution from bartender to bar designer• 00:14:00 – Why modern bar design must prioritize ergonomics and workflow• 00:28:00 – The intersection of design, profitability, and guest experience• 00:42:00 – Live Q&A: renovation tips, layout mistakes, and operational strategy• 00:58:00+ – The future of bar design: innovation, equipment, and evolving guest expectations🎯 Who It’s ForBar owners, restaurateurs, beverage directors, architects, designers, and operators planning new builds or renovations who want bars that look great but also perform at the highest level operationally.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 for more conversations with hospitality innovators• Drop your biggest bar design takeaway or question in the comments• Share this episode with your team, partners, or anyone planning a bar build

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Christin Marvin — hospitality leadership coach, author, and founder of Solutions by Christin — to unpack the realities of leadership in modern restaurants and bars. From opening multiple venues to coaching multi-unit operators, Christin shares hard-earned lessons on how leaders grow, how teams scale, and why burnout is often a leadership systems issue rather than a personal failing. This conversation dives into what it actually takes to lead people well in hospitality today — from self-awareness and communication to building teams that can thrive beyond the founder.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Christin’s journey from starting as a line cook at 15 to opening multiple restaurants and becoming a leadership coach. • Why many hospitality leaders struggle with burnout — and the systems that can prevent it.• The leadership mindset needed to scale teams and multi-unit operations successfully.• Why communication, self-awareness, and boundaries are critical leadership skills.• Live Q&A: leadership development, training frameworks, and navigating industry change.⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:30 – Christin’s origin story and early hospitality career• 00:14:00 – The leadership gap in hospitality training• 00:28:00 – Burnout, boundaries, and sustainable leadership• 00:42:00 – Live Q&A: managing teams and scaling operations• 00:58:00+ – The future of hospitality leadership and personal growth🎯 Who It’s ForRestaurant owners, bar operators, general managers, and hospitality leaders who want to build stronger teams, reduce burnout, and lead with clarity rather than chaos.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 for more conversations about leadership, culture, and hospitality business• Share your biggest takeaway or leadership challenge in the comments• Share this episode with your managers, partners, or anyone leading teams in hospitality

In this Post Shift Shot crossover with the Bread & Butter Collective Podcast — a series created by restaurateurs Sam Jones and Calen McNeil to share the real, non-scripted side of running hospitality businesses — Shawn Soole sits down with the hosts to dig into what it really takes to build, grow, sustain, and lead in this industry.From cash flow realities to brand identity, team development to strategic decision-making, this is hospitality business talk without the hype — rooted in experience, accountability, and real-world frameworks.The Bread & Butter Collective Podcast pulls back the curtain on hospitality business secrets — from financing and licensing to culture and community building. 🧠 What You’ll Learn• The foundational business principles every hospitality operator must understand• Lessons on building a business that can endure staffing swings, market fluctuations, and consumer behaviour shifts• Why survival isn’t strategy — and what strategic sustainability actually looks like• How community-driven brands (like Big Wheel Burger and 2% Jazz) are rethinking performance, culture, and purpose• Practical business tools and mindset tweaks that separate operators who survive from those who thrive⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:30 – Introduction: why hospitality business talk still matters• 00:10:45 – The basics of business fundamentals — cash flow, margins, and runway• 00:23:00 – Culture as currency: hiring, retaining, and defining values• 00:36:15 – Strategy over hustle: building systems that scale• 00:48:30+ – Live Q&A: real business scenarios, pitfalls to avoid, and leadership takeaways🎯 Who It’s ForOperators, owners, general managers, beverage directors, and hospitality leaders at any stage of “business thinking” — from concept validation to multi-unit scaling. This isn’t theory: it’s grounded in lived experience.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Smash the Like• Subscribe and ring the 🔔 for more real discussions on hospitality business and culture• Drop a comment with your biggest business takeaway — or your toughest question for operators right now• Share this episode with your team, partners, or anyone building in hospitalityAbout Bread & Butter Collective: A peer-driven podcast and community led by restaurateurs Sam Jones (2% Jazz) and Calen McNeil (Big Wheel Burger), focused on sharing the honest realities of hospitality business ownership, from financing and licensing to culture, collaboration, and long-term sustainability.

In this conversation, Shawn Soole sits down with hospitality veteran Richie Barrow — renowned bar leader, culture builder, and mentor — to unpack what it truly takes to run great teams, build resilient service cultures, and lead with clarity and purpose. Richie brings rich perspectives from decades in high-performing venues, blending operational wisdom with a people-first approach that elevates the entire team.Whether you’re managing a floor, designing systems, or leading staff, this episode delivers insights that help you operationalize culture — not just preach it.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Richie’s hospitality journey: lessons from the bar, the floor, and leadership roles• How intentional systems create consistency, trust, and team autonomy• Why leadership is more about influence and clarity than authority or title• Real talk on accountability, feedback, and evolving service standards• Live Q&A: practical approaches to team growth, conflict resolution, and sustaining excellence⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:45 – Richie’s origins and early lessons in service and leadership• 00:15:00 – Designing systems that empower staff and drive consistency• 00:28:30 – Leadership frameworks: clarity, influence, and accountability• 00:43:10 – Live Q&A: real scenarios, practical tools, and leadership roadblocks• 00:58:15+ – What’s next: personal leadership growth and sustaining culture🎯 Who It’s ForBar managers, general managers, operators, trainers, and hospitality leaders focused on building teams that perform with purpose — not by command, but by shared clarity and commitment.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Tap Like• Subscribe and ring the 🔔 to catch more strategy, culture, and leadership conversations• Drop your biggest Richie insight or question in the comments• Share this with your managers, trainers, or anyone invested in building strong hospitality cultures

In this Post Shift Shot, Shawn Soole pulls back the curtain on the reality of owning in hospitality. No hype. No Instagram fantasy. Just truth.Entrepreneurship in this industry isn’t just cocktails, creative freedom, and packed Friday nights. It’s pressure, payroll, people problems, and personal sacrifice. And if you’re not prepared for the weight of it — it will expose you fast.This episode lays out five harsh truths every aspiring hospitality entrepreneur needs to hear before signing a lease, taking on investors, or quitting their day job.🧠 The 5 Harsh Truths1. You don’t get freedom — you get responsibility.Ownership doesn’t reduce pressure. It multiplies it.2. Your creativity now answers to cash flow.Cool ideas mean nothing if they don’t pay rent.3. You will outgrow people — and people will outgrow you.Leadership means hard conversations, not just inspiration.4. Nobody cares about your struggle.Guests want consistency. Staff want stability. Vendors want payment.5. It’s lonelier than you think.The higher you climb, the fewer people truly understand the weight.🎯 Who It’s ForBartenders thinking about opening a place.Managers dreaming about “doing it their way.”Operators in year one wondering why it feels heavier than expected.This isn’t discouragement.It’s preparation.🔥 The Real QuestionDo you want applause…or do you want accountability?Because entrepreneurship gives you one far more than the other.✅ If This Resonated• Hit Like• Subscribe for more Post Shift Shots on leadership, ownership, and industry truth• Drop a comment: Which truth hit you hardest?• Share this with someone romanticizing ownership

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Colin Asare-Apiah — award-winning bartender, educator, and globally respected leader in cocktail culture — for a thoughtful conversation about hospitality craft, community building, mentorship, and the future of service. Colin breaks down how experiences shape perception, how intentional leadership lifts teams, and why culture always outlasts trends.Whether you’re behind the stick or leading a team, this episode blends craft insight with empathetic leadership and actionable takeaways that reverberate across hospitality.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Colin’s journey: from global stages to local impact — and the moments that taught him most• Why hospitality is more than cocktails — it’s about connection, purpose, and emotion• How intentional team culture drives consistency, creativity, and loyalty• The difference between performing service and being in service• Live Q&A: leadership challenges, team mentorship, and building careers that matter⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:45 – Colin’s background and early inspiration in hospitality• 00:15:00 – Craft as connection: why guest experience starts with service mindset• 00:29:30 – Culture before systems: building teams that trust and perform• 00:43:10 – Live Q&A: mentorship, leadership pitfalls, and elevating others• 00:58:15+ – Why vulnerability is strength — and presence is leadership🎯 Who It’s ForBartenders, operators, trainers, beverage directors, community builders — anyone invested in hospitality that’s human-centred, culturally grounded, and wildly intentional.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 to stay connected with more industry wisdom and deep conversations• Share your biggest takeaway or a question for Colin in the comments• Share this episode with your team or anyone passionate about people, craft, and culture

In this Post Shift Shot, Shawn Soole breaks down a hard truth in modern hospitality: not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur — and that’s not a weakness.With the rise of “cool entrepreneurship,” social media has glamorized ownership and independence. But the reality? Entrepreneurship is risk, stress, sleepless nights, and long-term uncertainty. Meanwhile, intrapreneurs — those who innovate and lead inside existing companies — are often the real engines of growth.This episode challenges you to ask: Are you chasing a title… or playing to your strengths?🧠 What This Shot Covers• The real difference between intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs• Why social media has distorted what entrepreneurship actually looks like• The power of being a high-level intrapreneur inside a strong company• How self-awareness is more valuable than ego• Why building something great doesn’t always mean owning it🎯 Who It’s ForBartenders, managers, operators, creatives, and anyone feeling the pressure to “go out on their own” — even if that might not be their highest-impact lane.🔥 The Core QuestionAre you wired to build the ship…or are you wired to make the ship sail faster than anyone else?Both matter. One just requires brutal honesty.✅ If This Hit Home• Like the video• Subscribe for more Post Shift Shots on leadership, identity, and hospitality growth• Drop a comment: Are you an intrapreneur or entrepreneur — and why?• Share this with someone who needs to hear it

In this revealing episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Alexandre Gabriel, visionary founder of Maison Ferrand and one of the most influential thinkers in the global spirits world. From reviving historic brand identities to steering cocktail culture toward authenticity and craftsmanship, Alexandre shares his perspective on creativity, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to lead in an ever-evolving industry.Whether you’re a bartender, distiller, brand builder, or producer, this conversation bridges deep heritage with modern innovation — unpacking not just how spirits are made, but how ideas endure.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Alexandre’s journey from early curiosity to building Maison Ferrand into a global spirits icon• The balance of heritage and innovation — how tradition informs creativity without constraining it• Lessons on product development, storytelling, and leadership in a crowded market• Why craft, quality, and intuition still matter — even when trends shift• Live Q&A: real talk on flavor, brand identity, market dynamics, and legacy thinking⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:30 – Alexandre’s beginnings and the intuition that led him to spirits• 00:14:45 – Building Maison Ferrand: philosophy, process, and purpose• 00:29:10 – Craft and context: balancing tradition with creative freedom• 00:42:50 – Live Q&A: spirits trends, mentorship, and sustaining relevance• 00:58:00+ – What’s next: innovation pipelines, community engagement, and industry vision🎯 Who It’s ForDistillers, bartenders, beverage directors, brand builders, and anyone passionate about the intersection of craftsmanship, culture, and creative leadership in the spirits world.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and ring the 🔔 for more conversations with leaders shaping drinks and culture• Share your favourite Alexandre insight or question in the comments• Forward this to your team, partners, or anyone building in the world of spirits or hospitality

In this episode, Shawn Soole digs into one of the most pivotal topics in hospitality and beyond: leadership that evolves with the times. Whether you’re just stepping into a lead role or you’ve been guiding teams for years, this conversation challenges the old paradigms of authority and hierarchy — and reframes leadership as purpose, service, and influence rather than title or command.You’ll walk away with practical insight into what leadership looks like today — in venues, teams, communities, and life.🧠 What You’ll Learn• The difference between old-school leadership and modern servant leadership• Why emotional intelligence matters just as much as operational competence• How culture drives performance — and how leaders shape it daily• Real frameworks for accountability, feedback, and team empowerment• The role of vulnerability, presence, and intentional decision-making⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:40 – What leadership used to mean vs what it means now• 00:14:00 – The three pillars of modern leadership: clarity, care, and consistency• 00:26:30 – Leading teams through change without losing trust• 00:39:00 – Accountability systems that actually work — and why most don’t• 00:52:15+ – How to coach, mentor, and elevate others around you🎯 Who It’s ForGeneral managers, bar/restaurant operators, trainers, beverage directors, front-line leaders, and anyone committed to guiding others with intention and impact — not just authority.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 to catch more conversations about leadership, culture, and hospitality• Share your biggest leadership takeaway in the comments• Tag a leader you admire — or one you want to be

In this special “Get to Know Me” episode, Shawn Soole sits down without notes, filters, or industry jargon — and invites you into the story behind the journey. From early shifts and first pours to building culture, teams, and his philosophy on hospitality leadership, this is the episode where the host becomes the guest.No deep tactical frameworks this time — just honest reflection, personal milestones, and the lessons that shaped a career in hospitality.🧠 What You’ll Learn• How Shawn first fell in love with hospitality — and why he never looked back• The wins, the misses, the mindset shifts and the moments that mattered• What Post Shift Podcast really represents and why it exists• Personal reflections on mentorship, burnout, growth, and purpose• What’s next: the future of the brand, community, and work still to come⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:30 – Early beginnings: first bar shifts and the lessons hospitality taught young Shawn• 00:12:15 – The reality of grind culture vs intentional growth• 00:23:40 – Why hospitality culture matters more than technique• 00:38:00 – Turning hard lessons into leadership frameworks• 00:49:30+ – What’s next: personal goals, podcast mission, and community direction🎯 Who It’s ForBartenders, operators, creators, and anyone who’s ever wondered why they keep showing up — especially on the days that feel long, hard, or ungrateful. This episode isn’t a strategy session — it’s a human one.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 to follow the journey ahead• Share your own story or biggest takeaway in the comments• Share this with a friend, coworker, or team member who’s been with you along the way