John Gabbert is founder and CEO of Room & Board, a home furnishings business headquartered in Minneapolis with over 1,100 staff members nationwide.

As a young man, John joined his father's furniture business. In 1980 at the age of 27, John left the family business to start his own furniture company which, over the past forty years, has helped to redefine the industry.

Last year John announced that Room & Board has transitioned to 100% employee ownership through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

In our episode, John will discuss:
0:52 – What was John’s upbringing like?
3:09 – How did John get started in the family business?
5:01 – How did John’s personality start to shape his father’s business?
7:26 – What was the experience of breaking away from his father’s business to start Room & Board like?
9:30 – How did John come up with a new direction for Room & Board?
12:16 – Where did John’s business values come from?
13:34 – How did Room & Board rethink the traditional furniture business model?
17:02 – How is John thinking about succession?
18:25 – Why did John choose the ESOP model? And how did his employees react to the decision?
21:41 – How does John see his position evolving at Room & Board over the next few years?
24:15 – Where does John think entrepreneurs go wrong?
26:43 – What is the ‘why’ that motivates John?

“To be in the restaurant industry, you have to enjoy being on the precipice of great success or total disaster on an almost minute-by-minute basis.” – Rob Mosher

Sarah Grueneberg is Chef and co-owner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago, which has been named one of Food & Wine’s “America’s Best Restaurants,” and one of Bon Appetit’s “50 Best New Restaurants”.

Sarah got her start at the iconic Brennan’s of Houston, where she became the restaurant’s youngest female sous chef. She earned a Michelin Star for three consecutive years during her tenure as Executive Chef of Spiaggia restaurant in Chicago, and a James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Great Lakes.” Sarah was also a finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef: Texas”.

Sarah is joined today by Rob Mosher, Managing Partner at Monteverde. After graduating from Columbia University, Rob attended the Culinary Institute of America. Rob’s path first crossed with Sarah while working as a line cook at Spiaggia. He later became interested in wine, joining Tenzing Wine and Spirits in 2010. Eventually, Rob teamed back up with Sarah and friends in 2015 to open Monteverde.

You can check out Sarah's cookbook here.

In our episode, Sarah and Rob will discuss:

(1:33) – What was Sarah’s upbringing like?

(3:26) – What lessons did Sarah take from her early career as a chef at Brennan’s?

(6:11) – What inspired Sarah to move to Chicago?

(9:25) – How did Rob’s family life inspire his entrepreneurial spirit?

(10:39) – How did Rob find his way to culinary school?

(13:10) – What were the early years at Spiaggia like for Sarah?

(17:00) – What motivated Sarah and Rob to open Monteverde?

(20:28) – How did Rob and Sarah’s paths cross?

(23:29) – What does it really take to run a successful restaurant?

(26:24) – What is the ‘why’ that drives Sarah and Rob to work in such a high-pressure industry?

(30:09) – What separates a home cook from a professional chef?

Today’s episode was recorded live at New Holland Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we interviewed New Holland Brewing’s founder and CEO, Brett VanderKamp.

Brett graduated college as a Geology major but soon thereafter found his calling in the craft brewing industry and has grown New Holland Brewing into one of the most recognisable independent brewers and distillers in the country.

We discuss a number of topics with Brett today, including his childhood influences, the values that shape New Holland Brewing, and how Brett is cultivating his children’s entrepreneurial spirit.

What we talk about:
2:41 – What was Brett’s upbringing like?
4:39 – What did Brett study at college?
7:00 – How did Brett’s father and grandfather influence his entrepreneurial spirit?
9:43 – How did Brett develop his business’ purpose and values?
11:57 – What are some of Brett’s reflections on the early days of the New Holland Brewing Company?
14:40 – How are Brett’s children getting involved in the business and what are his thoughts on succession?
19:08 – What is the “why” that drives Brett?
20:54 – How has Brett’s geology background helped him think about the future of his business?
22:47 – What challenges lay ahead for brewers?
25:08 – How do you prepare for the big changes in a business (like succession planning)?
28:09 – How can business owners instill their values in the next generation?
30:26 – How can you pivot when presented with a setback?