Joy, soul, and hospitality aren’t soft words… they're a growth strategy!

That’s the message from Brett Schulman, CEO & Co-Founder of CAVA, who joined me on The Business of Joy podcast this week.

Before leading one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in America, his early jobs of washing cars and chopping firewood built his work ethic: discipline, pride, and the power of showing up!

A few gems in this episode:

🌱 Manual work builds character, while human connection builds culture. His early jobs taught him attention to detail, perseverance, and the pride of finishing well.

🧡 Small wins build big discipline. Making your bed. Showing up. Doing the small things consistently… that’s how momentum and resilience are built.

🔥 Hospitality is a competitive edge. As technology removes friction, people crave warmth. The dining room isn’t dead - bad experiences are.

📈 Lead for decades, not quarters. Show up on the bad days. Invest through headwinds. Build for the long game.

Brett is a testament that when leaders choose humanity over fear, the brand doesn’t just survive… it thrives.

🎙️ We’re Baaaack! The Business of Joy Podcast

🔥 What if the biggest myth in leadership is the idea of the superhero CEO?

My guest, John Blakey, is one of the UK’s leading CEO executive coaches and the author of four books. He’s worked with FTSE 100 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and even coached gold-medal Team GB rowing squads. But what struck me most in our talk wasn’t his client list, it was his humanity.

John shared how a paper round at 12 taught him reliability and appreciation, how moving and changing schools often built his “resilience superpower,” and why mentors matter more than we think.

We dug into how even CEO’s have imposter syndrome and his Up, In & Out model, a practical way to align purpose, inner resilience, and follower engagement.

And then came his newest idea: the Thrival Kit. Not just a survival kit for leaders, but 19 real-world tools to help you thrive - a first-aid kit for purpose-driven leadership.

Leadership isn’t about being flawless. It’s about being human and equipping yourself to shine and help others shine.

At 13 years old, Joe Davis wrote a list of life goals. Fast forward decades later… it turned out to be the blueprint for his life!

For this episode of the Business of Joy, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joe Davis, Former Head of BCG North America and author of The Generous Leader!

We talked about the kind of leadership that actually moves people (and the needle): humble, curious, and human.

Some of the highlights from this episode:

📰 How a 6-year paper route taught accountability at 6am (and why showing up matters)

🔑 Why saying “I don’t know” can unlock creativity instead of stalling it

💞 What the pandemic taught him about empathy, perspective, and leadership at scale

👂 How properly listening to feedback from employees and teammates can help shape decisions and shift both morale and performance

If you lead teams (or aspire to) you’ll love this one.

📘 Joe’s book: The Generous Leader

AMAZON: https://a.co/d/95KT4xF

AUDIBLE: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Generous-Leader-Audiobook/B0D6WM3FJ5?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

#BusinessOfJoy #Leadership #GenerousLeadership #EmpathyInAction #HumanConnection