In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Mark Chavez, Director of the Tustin Unified School District. With a strong background in the food service industry, particularly within school nutrition, Mark shares his deep understanding of the complexities and responsibilities inherent in feeding students healthily and efficiently. Listen this week as Mark sheds light on the day-to-day operations of a school nutrition program, revealing the strategic planning involved in menu development, compliance with dietary guidelines, and the innovation necessary to keep students both nourished and interested in their meal choices.

Quotes

• "School nutrition, in particular, is the hidden treasure of the food service industry." Mark Chavez [10:59]

• “Think about the football player, the wrestler, the volleyball player, the water polo player, the dance team, and the cheer team. Every student has a different extracurricular activity, and they need a little more nourishment to get them by in the totality of their activities.” -Mark Chavez [24:57]

TIMESTAMPS

(02:08) Fiery Five Food Service questions

(07:40) Mark Chavez's background and profession in school nutrition

(13:24) Challenges and issues in large vs. small school districts

(17:33) Tailoring menus based on district size and student preferences

(26:13) Culinary arts programs in the Tustin Unified School District

(33:32) Mentoring colleagues and seeing their career growth

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Paul Fournier, president at TacticWare Resources and a highly sought-after food service consultant. Nick and Paul talk about the evolution of the broker industry, the importance of maximizing broker relationships, and how manufacturers can work with brokers to achieve their sales objectives. Paul shares why clear communication, setting goals and objectives, and maintaining a positive culture can improve collaboration. Listen this week as Nick and Paul explore the current dynamics of food broker relationships and how to optimize performance.

Quotes

• "The broker serves three roles. One is the brokers need to achieve their sales plan and objectives. Secondly, the broker is responsible for local relationships with operators and distribution and that's a major role. Third, the introduction of innovation, and that is what keeps the lifeblood going in this industry's new products." -Paul Fournier [05:23]

• “It's about everybody working together as a team. If we work together and we establish those values, the broker should be in that position. I've never been an advocate of letting things simmer. I'd rather confront it and say, look, we're not getting it done, but let's talk about why. Let's come up with some solutions to improve where we're going and how we're getting there.” -Paul Fournier [19:26]

TIMESTAMPS

(00:10) Paul Fournier intro

(05:23) The three roles of brokers

(09:42) Maximizing return on investment during market visits

(14:27) Communication and culture

(17:56) Leading with kindness and collaboration

(20:58) Connect with Paul

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Hannah Lopez, the Director of Marketplace for Food Service at the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA). Nick and Hannah discuss exciting developments in the plant-based food movement, recent legislation in Los Angeles County, and Hannah's background in starting a juice business. Hannah also shares her passion for promoting plant-based options in the food service industry and the importance of consumer preferences in driving change as plant-based dishes begin to emerge as leading dishes on menus across America.

Quotes

• "Fifty-one percent of consumers that are purchasing plant-based foods are omnivores. They're eating meat as well. And so it's no longer just about the two to 3% vegan market, which is a very strong misconception, especially in our world of food service, where we're working with foodservice operators that have been in the game for thirty plus years in some cases." -Hannah Lopez [20:33]

• "We're very data-driven. We tap into the consumer because really what they're spending their money on is going to dictate the future of plant-based foods. And we're not slowing down, we're sustaining. The entire food market dipped last year, but plant-based foods in retail alone, we're still over an $8 billion industry and we're still very steady around the trajectories that we set out for seven years ago, so we're not slowing down." -Hannah Lopez [18:01]

TIMESTAMPS

(00:34) Hannah’s background

(07:48) The challenges of scaling a business

(10:50) Managing large teams in decision making

(16:49) A day in the life of Hannah at PBFA

(21:54) Turkey’s recent ban on vegan cheese

(24:01) Plant-based foods gaining support in congress

(28:19) Connect with Hannah

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo takes an intimate look at the nearly nine-year journey of his company, Portillo Sales and Marketing. Nick talks about the importance of having a strong founding team, investing in key hires, and embracing change and innovation. He shares how building a strong company culture and valuing excellence has steered his company through the challenges and triumphs of the industry. Nick also reflects on the impact that leveraging relationships has had on both himself as an individual and on his business.

Quotes

• "This journey has been full of highs, it's been full of lows, and it's been full of a lot of in between those two extremes. But it has been worth it." -Nick Portillo [01:22]

• "When you're starting off, you have to convince people to overcome the fact that you are new and that it's okay to change. People want to partner and be with winners. They want to partner and be with people who have been around, who have done it, who they have confidence in to grow their business." -Nick Portillo [05:40]

TIMESTAMPS

(03:11) Overcoming the challenges of being a new business and building a reputation

(09:14) Selling service business

(14:08) Differentiating between cash basis and accrual basis in business investments

(19:41) Finding great leadership

(26:23) Embracing change and innovation

(30:40) Responding to clients with empathy

(34:09) Building trust and reputation through expertise and team capabilities

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Paul Neal, CEO of Vantage Point Commercial Capital and a real estate finance expert who's carved a niche in helping business owners secure their financial future through property ownership. Paul shares his wisdom on how owning your building can significantly propel wealth creation, tax advantages, and operational control for food service industry professionals and beyond. Paul also talks about the myriad benefits of transitioning from a tenant to a property owner. Listen this week as Nick and Paul discuss the tangible impact of smart property investments on business growth and personal wealth.

Quotes

• "We focus on helping owners acquire the physical property that they operate out of because it adds so many advantages to their long-term strategy, long-term goals, again, of wealth creation. Freedom, because most business owners go into business because they want to control. They want independence. I call it freedom. Do what you want to do when you want to do it with who you want to do it, where you want to do it, right." -Paul Neal [06:07]

• "We as entrepreneurs need to own things, real estate for our families and our communities. And we're the ones that employ people, and we're the ones that, it's our values that get down to our family and our community." -Paul Neal [28:26]

TIMESTAMPS

(00:34) Fiery Five Food Service questions

(07:00) Generating wealth from owning a physical property

(11:30) Being in control of your company’s geographical area

(18:05) Taking advantage of cost segregation study to accelerate depreciation

(25:42) Investors reinvesting gains from selling a business into income producing property

(27:04) Paul’s book and the differences between residential and commercial real estate

(28:59) Paul’s Podcast: The Brick and Mortar Money Show

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

Paul Neal’s Book

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Dan Gordon, a transformative coach in the fields of business, sales, and public speaking. Dan shares his philosophy on the importance of being interesting over just being good at something. Through a blend of personal experiences and sharp insights, Dan illustrates how evoking curiosity and engaging others is the currency of today's social and business interactions. Nick and Dan discuss the power of building genuine relationships and how to break through self-limiting beliefs to rapidly approach a greater version of oneself.

Quotes

• "The mistake I see a lot of people making is they put a lot of time into being good and they think, well, if I'm really good at what I do, then I'll get a lot of clients and customers. But the truth is, that's not what works. What works is drawing people's interest." -Dan Gordon [06:31]

• "The thing that is preventing you from moving into that greatest version of yourself isn't time. It's not just a matter of getting smarter and learning and getting there. It's a matter of shattering the illusions, the illusions of the beliefs that you have about what you are incapable of achieving." -Dan Gordon [27:36]

TIMESTAMPS

(01:31) Fiery Five Food Service Questions

(05:34) Dan Gordon's background and his philosophy on being interesting

(11:41) Importance of being genuinely interested in others and practicing conversation skills

(16:40) Building relationships and trust before introducing the product

(19:48) Offering value and showing interest in the customer before talking about the product

(25:35) Creating a lifelong customer

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Stephanie Lind, whose extraordinary story embodies the resilience and innovation at the heart of the food service industry. Stephanie brings invaluable insights from her multifaceted career, emphasizing strategies that drive small, impactful brands toward success against the backdrop of an ever-evolving sector. Nick and Stephanie discuss the complex interplay between sales, marketing, and product innovation in food service. Stephanie also shares the challenges faced by both emerging and established brands, specifically highlighting the broker model's pitfalls and the pressing need for industry-wide reform.

Quotes

• "I don't think the industry has stopped, at least at the higher levels, to think about their model from the customer's point of view, because the manufacturers and brokers, and when I say brokers, I mean the big guys, they have this relationship that is codependent as much as it is interdependent. There are a lot of people whose job is basically to keep things the status quo. And people don't, like change. Humans don't like change." -Stephanie Lind [30:33]

• "There is a disconnect on the food service side between marketing and sales. A lot of times, for my lens on the broker side, the manufacturer will provide a point of sale or things like that. It may not be pertinent to what we're doing, but I feel like a lot of times, the marketing side is really on the sales teams to figure out how to do it. And so now, a lot of times, it's salespeople trying to be marketing people simultaneously." -Nick Portillo [37:52]

TIMESTAMPS

(00:34) Stephanie’s career trajectory

(01:34) Alohi Strategic Advisors: Empowering small, natural, and sustainable brands

(02:38) Fiery Five Food Service Questions with Stephanie

(22:18) The effects of the roll-up of Key Impact and Waypoint and the challenges they face

(28:28) Lack of transparency in distributor margins

(31:23) Importance of transparency and fair treatment of partners

(33:12) Disruption through the creation of comprehensive services

(38:22) Salespeople often take on marketing responsibilities

(40:48) Contact Stephanie Lind

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Mario Sakora, a thought leader in the realm of human behavior, leadership development, and Enneagram application within the business space. He discusses the Enneagram model of personality styles and how it can be used in leadership development. Mario shares insights into the strengths and challenges of different Enneagram types, and how teams can use this knowledge to improve communication and collaboration. Listen as Nick and Mario discuss leadership styles and how they can be turned into individual strengths.

Quotes

• "By understanding that this is what my biases are and this is what your biases are, we can depersonalize it. I realize why you do the things you do. And I realize that it's not just because you're being a jerk or it's not just because you're being difficult or anything like that. It's just that you see the world in a different way than I do, and I can start to understand the way you see the world so we can find a way to collaborate more effectively." -Mario Sikora [12:26]

• "Other times, people who are opposite from us can drive us crazy because we can't relate to where they're coming from. Or we think different things are important. But if circumstances are right, us seeing things in opposite ways tends to help us come together to solve a problem from different directions. You have something that I don't, I have something that you don't. And we can work together." -Nick Portillo [13:59]

TIMESTAMPS

(02:01) Fiery Five Food Service Questions: Dinner guest choice and must-eat place

(07:23) Mario's background, specializing in the Enneagram model

(11:57) Understanding the Enneagram within teams

(22:00) Exploring the Enneagram types

(24:39) Using the Enneagram to recognize and address struggles

(27:54) Connect with Mario

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

Enneagram Test

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this week’s episode of the Titans of Food Service podcast, Nick Portillo speaks with Laura Chute, Vice President of Sales for Custom Culinary. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Laura shares her passion for helping customers optimize their businesses and create positive outcomes. She discusses the importance of rest and recovery in a high-stress industry, the art of influence in sales, and her vision for impacting the food industry in a way that supports both human and planetary health. Nick and Laura also discuss how to pioneer sales strategies and coach sales teams to be solution-focused connectors.

Quotes

• "As sellers, we need to have a varied interest, right? Because we connect with people. And one of the best ways to connect with people is to find common ground. And if all you do is work, how are you going to find common ground around activities, interests, restaurants, and other things that you do?." -Laura Chute [18:06]

• "I always tell people within our company that work is always going to be there. But you need to prioritize your family, and your friends first, because that's such an important part of your life. I can only make you so happy coming to work every day." -Nick Portillo [20:28]

TIMESTAMPS

(01:22) Fiery Five Food Service Questions: Dinner with Anthony Bourdain

(08:47) Laura's background and entry into the food service industry

(16:45) The importance of rest and recovery to avoid burnout

(22:02) Leading the sales team at Custom Culinary

(27:08) Qualities of a good salesperson

(30:14) Finding the right fit between candidate and company

(32:17) Importance of feedback in a learning culture

(34:31) Impacting the food industry for human and planetary health

RESOURCES

Portillo Sales

CONTACT

Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com