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Grounded

Grounded

By: Steve Moody
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 Join us as we engage with top tier producers in the foodservice industry to hear their perspective from all links throughout the supply chain. Here, we discuss brand development, company culture, global supply chain strategy, culinary innovation and leadership from folks who founded, operate or manage multi-unit restaurant chains. Each show is tailored around the guest to dig deep into their unique journey and how it shapes their current procurement strategy in order to aggregate the best insights toward the future of foodservice.© 2025 Steve Moody Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • Leading with Balance: Career Growth, Travel, and Fitness in Hospitality - Grounded #46

    Leading with Balance: Career Growth, Travel, and Fitness in Hospitality - Grounded #46
    Dec 16 2025
    In this episode of Grounded, host Lauren Mitchell brings together an inspiring panel of women leaders in hospitality to explore a question many professionals wrestle with: How do you continue to grow in your career while protecting your physical and mental well-being—especially with a demanding travel schedule?Joining the conversation are four dynamic leaders, each carving her own path in the industry:Julie Zucker, Partner & CMO, Branded HospitalityShelly Garner, Assistant Vice President of Area Field Sales, EcolabLiz Seelye, Founder, Starry Eyed StrategyKelly Grogan, Founder, CRUMBSFrom boardrooms and conferences to hotel gyms and walking meetings, these women share candid insights on leadership, fitness, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and building routines that actually stick.🔑 5 Key TakeawaysFitness is not about perfection—it’s about consistency.Whether it’s Peloton rides, CrossFit, Pilates, or walking meetings, each guest emphasizes showing up in whatever way you can.Scheduling movement makes it non-negotiable.Putting workouts on the calendar—just like meetings—dramatically increases follow-through, especially when traveling.Strength training builds confidence beyond the gym.Lifting weights teaches patience, resilience, and how to “do hard better,” skills that translate directly into leadership.Community and accountability matter.From Apple Watch challenges to workout buddies on the road, having people who cheer you on makes all the difference.Balance fuels better leadership and creativity.Movement, hydration, and nutrition don’t just support health—they improve decision-making, energy, creativity, and how you show up for your team.🔗 Connect with the GuestsJulie Zucker – Partner & CMO, Branded HospitalityLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-zucker-41895b2/Website: https://brandedhospitality.comShelly Garner – Assistant Vice President of Area Field Sales, EcolabLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellygarner/Website: https://www.ecolab.comLiz Seelye– Founder, Starry Eyed StrategyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-seelye/Website: https://starryeyedstrategy.comKelly Grogan– Founder, CrumbsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygrogan/Website: https://crumbs.co🎧 Ways to Tune InTransistor: https://www.groundedonthepod.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2I7EoKaVff3SnW3CoIXjJ6Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded/id1680909033Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/451edb13-5534-43ee-b46c-be36a7581460iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-grounded-281280581/Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/grounded-5259267Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1064441YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Grounded-Podcast
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    58 mins
  • Supply Chain Expert Exchange Recap: Freight, Fresh, and the Power of Peer Networks- Grounded #45

    Supply Chain Expert Exchange Recap: Freight, Fresh, and the Power of Peer Networks- Grounded #45
    Dec 10 2025
    Supply Chain Expert Exchange Recap: Freight, Fresh, and the Power of Peer NetworksIn this special recap episode of Grounded, host Lauren Mitchell sits down with a powerhouse panel of supply chain leaders to unpack the biggest insights from this year’s Supply Chain Expert Exchange. Joining Lauren are:Jen Silveira, Vice President of Supply Chain, CAVAOwen Brady, Executive Vice President, BEP Fresh (Buyers Edge Platform)Adam Hing, Director of Supply Chain, Noodles & CompanySara Burnett, Senior Director of Supply Chain, Tropical Smoothie CafeMichelle Elwonger, Vice President of Supply Chain, Metro DinerTogether, they break down the sessions, roundtables, and hallway conversations that sparked action back at their organizations—from navigating new EPR regulations to rethinking freight and leveraging AI, fresh produce insights, and peer networks.🔑 5 Key TakeawaysEPR and ESG are now urgent, not optional.Jen shares how Chloe Kappen’s session on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging turned a “someday” sustainability topic into an immediate compliance and financial priority—prompting KAVA to launch a cross-functional working group with legal.Freight should be managed like a portfolio, not a commodity.Owen highlights Dr. Kaplis’ freight session, emphasizing that freight doesn’t behave like a traditional “buy more, pay less” commodity. The real value comes from optimizing lanes, reducing friction, and focusing on the 20% of lanes that drive 80% of cost—illustrated by his memorable “taxi vs. bus” analogy.Roundtables turn conferences into working think tanks.Michelle walks through how the Expert Exchange curates ~20 roundtable topics—like AI, tariffs, LTO planning, risk management, and fresh supply chain—based on attendee surveys and real-time trends. Operators swap practical tactics (like Crumbl’s weekly LTO discipline) and walk away with playbooks they can actually use.Fresh supply chains demand visibility—and courage.Adam and Lauren dive into the “fresh thinking” table, where leaders explored blind spots in produce and protein: weather disruptions, country-of-origin transitions, receiving practices, and back-of-house handling. The message: don’t be afraid of fresh—lean on your partners, your data, and your network to manage the volatility.Trends, tariffs, and AI: we’re aligned on challenges, mixed on comfort levels.Sara recaps the interactive “hot topics” session with live polling on AI usage, tariff mitigation, LTO management, and 2026 priorities. Cost management ranks high across the room, while comfort with AI is more cautious. The tech-enabled anonymity revealed honest, unfiltered perspectives operators can take back to their teams.💬 Quote of the Episode“It’s more like a think tank than a conference, which is what makes it stand out.”— Michelle Elwonger, Vice President of Supply Chain, Metro Diner🔗 Connect with Today’s GuestsFind and connect with our panelists on LinkedIn and learn more about their brands:Jen Silveira – Vice President of Supply Chain, CAVALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-silveira-180a237/Company: CAVA – https://cava.com/Owen Brady – Executive Vice President, BEP Fresh (Buyers Edge Platform)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-brady-b897a75/Company: Buyers Edge Platform / BEP Fresh – https://buyersedgeplatform.com/Adam Hing – Director of Supply Chain, Noodles & CompanyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhing/Company: Noodles & Company – https://www.noodles.com/Sara Burnett – Senior Director of Supply Chain, Tropical Smoothie CafeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-burnett-b9b271127/Company: Tropical Smoothie Cafe – https://www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com/Michelle Elwonger – Vice President of Supply Chain, Metro DinerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-elwonger-55622224/Company: Metro Diner – https://metrodiner.com/🎧 Ways to Tune InTransistor: https://www.groundedonthepod.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2I7EoKaVff3SnW3CoIXjJ6Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded/id1680909033Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/451edb13-5534-43ee-b46c-be36a7581460iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-grounded-281280581/Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/grounded-5259267Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1064441YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Grounded-Podcast
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    42 mins
  • Data-Driven Leadership with Checkers & Rally’s Ken Bianchi - Grounded Podcast - Episode #44

    Data-Driven Leadership with Checkers & Rally’s Ken Bianchi - Grounded Podcast - Episode #44
    Nov 18 2025

    Explore how modern supply chain leadership goes beyond procurement in this episode with Ken Bianchi, Senior Director of Purchasing at Checkers & Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants. With more than 25 years of experience across leading brands, Ken brings deep insight into operational resilience, supplier partnerships, and data-driven transformation.


    From replacing spreadsheets with real-time dashboards to navigating global disruptions, Ken shares what it takes to lead a responsive, future-ready supply chain in the fast-paced foodservice industry.


    Takeaways:

    • How replacing spreadsheets with dashboards improves inventory visibility and risk management.
    • Why strong supplier relationships create more flexibility and trust during negotiations.
    • What it takes to choose between local and national suppliers based on capability, safety, and cost.
    • How shelf life management in produce directly impacts quality, freshness, and waste.
    • How predictive analytics and AI are shaping the next generation of supply chain decision-making.


    Quote of the Show:

    • “I don't think data makes the decisions. It helps you make better decisions so you better know how to get to the data you want and have the critical thinking ability to know what that data is really telling you.” - Ken Bianchi


    Connect with Ken:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbianchi/
    • Company website: https://www.checkersandrallys.com/


    Ways to Tune In:

    • Transistor: https://www.groundedonthepod.com/
    • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2I7EoKaVff3SnW3CoIXjJ6
    • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded/id1680909033
    • Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/451edb13-5534-43ee-b46c-be36a7581460
    • iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-grounded-281280581/
    • Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/grounded-5259267
    • Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1064441
    • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Grounded-Podcast
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    39 mins
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