Technically Speaking
Technically Speaking
Podcast Description
Technically Speaking is the podcast where top executives in hospitality and retail share their journeys, insights, and the strategies that helped them scale teams and achieve success. Each episode dives into the challenges and wins of industry leaders, offering valuable lessons for aspiring professionals and seasoned executives alike. Join us to gain fresh perspectives and practical tips on leadership, innovation, and growth in the ever-evolving world of hospitality and retail.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various themes within hospitality and retail, including leadership, innovation, and career development. Notable episodes cover topics like overcoming imposter syndrome in hospitality, the integration of AI technology in guest experiences, and strategies for effective team building in diverse environments.
🎙️ The Leadership Lounge Podcast
Hosted by Cindy Hook, Founder of Lifestyle Recruiters
The Leadership Lounge is the go-to podcast where top executives in hospitality and retail share their journeys, insights, and proven strategies for scaling teams and driving business success. Each episode uncovers the real challenges and wins of industry leaders, giving listeners practical takeaways on leadership, innovation, recruitment, and growth.
At Lifestyle Recruiters, we specialize in building dream teams for hospitality, retail, and consumer brands. Our signature approach combines AI-powered talent mapping with personalized video outreach, helping companies attract passive A-players, reduce hiring costs, and eliminate the stress of constant vacancies.
By blending these two worlds — candid conversations with industry leaders and cutting-edge recruiting strategies — The Leadership Lounge delivers unique value for executives, hiring leaders, and anyone ready to level up in the competitive world of retail and hospitality.
💡 Why listen?
Get insider lessons from VPs, GMs, and CEOs in hospitality and retail
Learn practical strategies on scaling, culture-building, and market expansion
Discover how Lifestyle Recruiters helps brands fill tough roles with ready-to-hire pipelines
Access recruiting and leadership tips that save time, money, and talent headaches
👉 Tune in weekly to stay ahead in hospitality & retail leadership.
👉 Interested in being featured, sponsoring, or partnering? Contact Lifestyle Recruiters to learn more.
In this Leadership Lounge episode, host Cindy Hook sits down with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palate America (parent company of Pepper Lunch in the U.S.). Troy shares the uncommon arc of his career, moving from back-of-house culinary roles at Michelin-level restaurants into front-of-house leadership, a formative chapter at Procter & Gamble leading large teams, and ultimately into hospitality turnarounds, concept building, and brand scaling.
The conversation explores what it really takes to lead teams through change, select markets, and operationalize a brand so it can grow. Troy explains how he approaches executive focus in high-growth phases, why he still obsesses over blocking and tackling in operations, and how he thinks about the balance between concept integrity and local adaptation. He also opens up about the hardest career pivots he has made, what “tough love” mentorship did for his leadership maturity, and the habits that keep him effective while on the road.
What you’ll learn
- How culinary depth and front-of-house experience combine into a practical leadership style for scaling hospitality brands
- The role of systems thinking and team development in turnarounds and new market launches
- A practical view of franchising readiness, site search, and how to compare comps when entering a new market
- Why mentorship and a strong network are force multipliers for career growth
- How to evolve your leadership style as responsibilities and team size expand
Timestamps
- 00:00 Welcome and guest intro
- 02:00 Troy’s path from kitchen to leadership and early lessons shaping his management style
- 08:00 The Procter & Gamble chapter and running large teams with discipline
- 14:00 Turnaround management, consulting, and moving into brand leadership
- 20:00 Pepper Lunch in the U.S. and what it takes to operationalize growth
- 28:00 Franchising considerations, market selection, and location strategy
- 36:00 Mentorship, tough feedback, and the network effect on career acceleration
- 42:00 Final advice for emerging leaders in hospitality
Key takeaways
- Leadership is learned in the trenches and refined through honest feedback
- Consistency in operations is the foundation that makes creative concepts scalable
- The best mentors do not just cheerlead, they challenge your assumptions
- Growth requires both a repeatable playbook and the humility to localize execution
Guest
- Troy Hooper — CEO, Hot Palate America (Pepper Lunch)
Host
- Cindy Hook — Leadership Lounge
Disclaimer
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