'Sniff your pits' and other sage advice from restaurant and hospitality leaders
Phoenix Business Journal
The Phoenix region's source for local business news & events. Part of the American City Business Journals network.
Phoenix’s restaurant scene has been white-hot in recent years, with restaurateurs such as Sam Fox finding widespread success and national groups targeting the Valley for expansion.
That doesn’t even consider the first-rate collection of local operators responsible for adding a shine to Phoenix’s culinary reputation on a national stage. Among that group is Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects, who is behind concepts such as Postino and Federal Pizza.
So how does Bailey keep her foot on the gas as new players enter the Phoenix market?
“You gotta sniff your own pits. You’ve got to know that you suck,” Bailey said. “I do think the more successful you get, the more you have to pay people and urge them to tell you the truth, like therapists and business coaches and whatnot, because everyone wants to tell you how great you are. And if you’re not actively finding out where you suck, it’s going to be harder to compete with these folks who are coming in.”
This excerpt is part of a special section published Nov. 8 stemming from Phoenix Business Journal's Hospitality and Restaurant Summit, which was held Oct. 29 at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Course.
State of Plate | By Brandon Brown and Paul Thompson
Above photo caption: From left, reporter Brandon Brown, Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder, Upward Projects, chef Christopher Collins, founder, owner and operator of Common Ground Culinary, and Adam Strecker, CEO, HiNoon Hospitality.
Hot off the Press
The headlines you need to see before kicking off the weekend.
SIGN UP for Phoenix Business Journal’s emails to get the latest Valley business news in your inbox twice a day. Already signed up and loving the work we do? Consider subscribing for less than $4 per week.
In the Tech World
Each week, we feature our latest tech news.
Microchip Technology Inc. is “making progress” toward a final agreement with federal officials for a CHIPS Act award, the Chandler-based company’s top executive said on an earnings call Wednesday.
Microchip (Nasdaq: MCHP) expects a final agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce for a CHIPS Act award package to occur before the end of December, Ganesh Moorthy, CEO of Microchip, told investors and analysts on the earnings call.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Community Highlights
We highlight what's happening around the business community with big nonprofit donations.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, Big Dig for Kids presented by Sundt Construction, raised over $1,080,000 for Phoenix Children’s. Since its inception, the event has contributed $2.5 million to the Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders' MIBG Targeted Therapy Program.
Big Dig for Kids gives children and their families the unique opportunity to safely operate excavators, fly high on a scissor lift, and explore heavy equipment in a controlled construction zone. The event also featured crafts and activities in the Kids Zone, offering a memorable experience for children of all abilities. Two hundred Phoenix Children’s patients participated in the event.
Inside the Newsroom
Phoenix Business Journal Market President and Publisher Ray Schey recounts a memorable experience meeting the late Quincy Jones in March 2019 at a charity fundraiser in Phoenix.
"It was an honor to meet and share a special connection with Quincy Jones. A fellow Pisces prompted his interest in talking longer at the conclusion of Celebrity Fight Night."
Executive Spotlight
Each week we highlight a video clip from our weekly profile interview series, Executive Inc.
Beth Jo Zeitzer
Company: ROI Properties
Education: University of Arizona, Bachelor of Arts, general research (with real estate and marketing emphasis); and University of San Diego School of Law, JD
Newsletter curated by Phoenix Business Journal Managing Editor Paul Thompson and Associate Editor Mignon Gould, MFA. If you have any tips for the newsroom, please reach out to Paul at pthompson@bizjournals.com or Editor-in-Chief Greg Barr at gbarr@bizjournals.com.
SBA LENDER
2moGreat advice for everyone who is successful and who wants to be successful. It is true regardless of the industry. We all have to look in the mirror and ask ourselves - What can we do better? That is what allows people to really achieve.