What if the goal wasn’t retirement—it was alignment?

Derek Coburn spent decades helping high-net-worth clients chase the dream of early retirement. Today, Derek argues for a radical new philosophy: build a life so meaningful, you wouldn’t want to retire from it.

In this conversation, we dig into the emotional and financial toll of deferring joy, how rethinking retirement can restore time, money, and purpose, and why investing in your relationships, health, and energy yield the greatest ROI. Derek’s not pitching escapism—he’s showing us how to design a life with nothing to run from.

To learn more about his book Let’s Retire Retirement, visit https://www.derekcoburn.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

What if the hardest part of change isn’t strategy—it’s psychology?

Mark Politzer walked away from fine dining to lead Norms, a 76-year-old family-style chain deeply rooted in Southern California. Now he’s balancing evolution with preservation, trying to modernize a beloved brand without breaking what makes it work. In this episode, we talk about how to lead legacy teams through change, why internal marketing might be your most important job, and how culture becomes competitive advantage when accountability and pride collide.

This is for anyone navigating the tightrope of tradition and transformation.

To learn more about Norms and their evolving story, visit https://www.norms.com.
____________________________________________________________

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into the critical aspects of profitability in the restaurant industry. I emphasize the importance of effective sales training that prioritizes emotional engagement over just product knowledge. I also share actionable strategies to help restaurant teams connect with guests and sell more effectively by using storytelling and developing a genuine belief in the food they serve.

Takeaways:

• Most restaurant owners think they need more guests.
• Profit isn't random, it's engineered.
• Sales doesn't come from knowledge. It comes from conviction.
• Guests don't buy facts. They buy feelings.
• Selling isn't about pressure, it's about believing.
• The best servers are matchmakers.
• Curiosity builds connection. Emotion builds belief.
• Empower storytelling over scripting.
• If your team isn't trained to feel it, they'll never be able to sell it.
• Make what's working a daily conversation.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hospitality Insights
01:20 The Importance of Profitability Systems
02:45 Transforming Team Sales Training
05:42 Empowering Teams for Effective Selling

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.