In this episode with Ric Scicchitano, we discuss:  How to organize your thoughts if you're not a liner thinker with mind mapping and list building.  Leaning into your best skills.  Being true to who you are.  listening to the consumer and the guest. How culinary arts isn't driven by marketing; it's driven by human instinct and emotions.   How you should pay attention to those who are successful over listening to the marketers.  Knowing where you are strong, and surrounding yourself with people who are strong where you're weak.  Don't focus on improving weaknesses; focus on improving strengths.  How you should do some research before blindly giving a project to someone. At least have a slight clue.  Ric Scicchitano is a Restaurant Executive with a core philosophy that “Better Food Wins Every Time!” A forward-looking brand leader with experience spanning Operations, Marketing, Design & Development, Food Manufacturing and Supply Chain. Over the past 25 years, Scicchitano has worked with growth orientated organizations such as Which Wich Superior Sandwiches and Corner Bakery Cafe. Today Scicchitano serves as Managing Partner at Food & Drink Resources. Show notes… Favorite Success Quote or Mantra. "Better food wins all the time."  Today's Sponsor Sourcery allows you to streamline and digitize your entire Accounts Payable operation. Digital invoicing, backed with human verification, will save you countless hours of work and increase AP accuracy. Say goodbye to your file cabinets and enter the digital world. Kabbage. Apply for up to 250,000 of funding through Kabbage, and you'll get a $50 e-gift card when you quality. Get started! Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Ability to understand the big picture quickly and to connect the dots.  What is your biggest weakness? Not the best taster.  What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Are they smiling and looking you in the eye? What's a current challenge?  Helping people stay true to who they are.  Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Listen; don't wait to talk. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Smile more.  What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  Lincoln on Leadership: Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times  Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Share an online resource or tool. Amazon Prime  Aqua-Calc.com  What's one piece of technology you've adopted in your restaurant and how has it influence operations? Disposable timer.  If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? It is not about building a business. It is about being real and true to who you are.  No regrets. Be nice to animals.  Contact Info Foodanddrinkresources.com  @foodanddrinkresources Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Ric Scicchitano for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!   Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value