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Welcome to another edition of Inspired Stories, where leaders share their experiences so we can learn from their successes, how they’ve overcome adversity, and explore current challenges they’re facing.
Welcome to another edition of the Inspired Stories podcast, where leaders share their experiences so we can learn from their successes and be inspired by how they’ve overcome adversity.
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My name is Anthony Kotaspodi and today’s guest is Rachel Camden, General Manager of The Dodo Restaurant.
The Dodo is a beloved eatery in Salt Lake City known for its upscale casual dining and award-winning desserts.
Since its founding in 1981, it has become a neighborhood hub offering quality food and a welcoming atmosphere.
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Their mission is to be a staple of the Salt Lake dining scene, providing fresh and friendly service to everyone who walks through their doors.
Rachel joined the Dodo in August 2020 and has been instrumental in continuing its tradition of excellence.
Before taking on her role as General Manager, she was the bar Manager at Prasanti Health and Hirthen Bar, where she curated their cocktail menu for three years.
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Rachel was named Best Bartender in 2019 by Park Record in Park City and has been recognized as Employee of the Month at previous establishments.
Now, in addition to her passion for creating memorable dining experiences, we will hear about how she views part of a role now as a mentality manager for her team and we’ll ask her about some of the local awards that the Dodo restaurant has won.
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Now before we get into all that good stuff, today’s episode is brought to you by my company, Add Back Benefits Agency, where we offer very specific and unique employee benefits that are both great for your team and fiscally optimized for your bottom line.
One recent client was able to add over $900 per employee per year in extra cash flow by implementing one of our proprietary programs.
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Now back to our guest today, the General Manager of the Dodo Restaurant, Rachel Camden.
I appreciate you making the time to Share your story today.
2:12
Yeah.
Thank you for having me on.
I appreciate it.
Yeah, and I tell you what, we’re going to edit out this next part because I’m just realizing that I need to update the backdrop here.
One moment, no worries.
2:39
Apologies for that, I had my last call run over a little bit and didn’t get a.
Chance to I was wondering I was reading that and I was.
Like, reset that.
Yeah.
So here we go.
Today is all about you.
So, Rachel, let’s talk a little bit about your background before we get into the Dodo restaurant.
2:58
Specifically, tell us about your time in Park City and how it influenced your career before moving to Salt Lake.
Park City, I actually started working in the restaurant up there because I was looking to get into the real estate business.
3:14
So I wanted to network with the high hitters and the big hitters.
And I knew that Park City was kind of that place for it.
So I started out there.
But very suddenly, because Park City’s such a small town, at least it was when I was up there during COVID, I think a lot of it got bought out, but it was only like 9000 people year round.
3:32
So really small town.
Everybody heard new bartender in town from California, everybody goes here.
So it’s kind of how I started to build my bar business a bit was just from people in the city talking about it.
And then I just took the advice from the customers.
You know, people were like, I love coming to your bar and seeing there’s no dirty towels on all the counters and that you’re doing busy work while you’re waiting for customers.
3:54
And I took all of that into consideration and just ensured that my service was top notch up there.
And then what prompted the move from Park City to Salt Lake City?
COVID, there’s nothing else besides COVID.
I would have stayed in Park City, but I’m a bartender in and out, and when they take away the bar and you can’t sit at a bar anymore, it just didn’t feel like it was my job.
4:16
And I wasn’t passionate about being a server, I was passionate about being a bartender.
And so were you able to be a bartender in Salt Lake?
Were the the rules the COVID rules different there?
I actually just went to management.
So I was a bar manager up in Park City.
I was bartending while managing the bar during the inventory, all of the other stuff that comes the schedule, everything that comes with running the bar side of things.
4:37
So I ended up coming down to Salt Lake and I just went straight to managing at the Dodo restaurant as a floor manager.
I didn’t start out as GM.
And how did that door open up?
How did you get connected with the Dodo folks there?
Just applied online that was and I was just looking for employment and I was like ah, it’s a bit closer to home rather than Park City so let me try it out.
4:59
And I honestly only planned on being there for like a couple months so then I was going to move on to something else.
But hear him 4 1/2 years later.
What was it about you that about the dodo that kept you there?
The structure for sure.
I really appreciate the structure that the owner has put into place for his restaurants.
5:17
A lot of restaurants, the staff kind of runs the restaurant and in our company, that’s not how it goes at all.
We’re definitely run it as a business.
Say more about that, how it’s different from other places that you’ve worked.
I just feel like a lot of other places are just kind of lenient, you know?
5:34
I recently hired somebody who used to be a back of house guy.
He was a cook and now he’s working front of house as a server.
And we were joking about something in the restaurant and I was like, whatever, You really don’t like me as a manager.
He’s like, no, I love you as a manager.
You actually do your job.
And a lot of managers out there don’t do their job.
5:50
They just kind of are hanging out with the staff and babysitting them instead of giving them direction and showing them little tips and tricks to make a little bit more money and knowing what like the guest perception truly is.
Say more about that.
What’s what is some of the coaching look like that you’re able to provide to your servers?
6:07
It’s still little things like I always say, I’m like, if you’re a career server, you’re going to come work underneath me and I want to break all of your bad habits, like putting your hands in your pockets, wiping your mouth, and then touching other stuff.
Like people notice that because they’re doing nothing but sitting down and every weird little thing that you do, people notice that.
6:24
And so I think I’m always just trying to break those habits.
Or you know, when you set a plate down, you hug the customer.
You don’t put your elbow in their face and try to elbow them.
But noticing that little stuff, some people might feel like it’s micromanagement, but if you’re looking to grow and you’re willing, when you know about suit of mentality and you’re willing, then it’s going to be something that you’re open to listening to and going to put forth the effort.
6:44
What do you mean you hug your customer?
You hug him when you set down the plates.
You got to hug your customer.
You.
Wrap around.
Right.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So if your customer’s on your left, you always want to use your right hand, like hug them.
Otherwise if you used your left, your elbow can go like right in their face.
And nobody wants to scale but.
7:00
Something I never thought about or realized that.
Exactly.
That’s an approach, those weird little bad habits that, you know, people don’t realize.
So let’s hear about the dodo itself.
Tell me a little bit about the history and why this is such an iconic place in Salt Lake City.
7:16
The Dodo is just a neighborhood staple right now for the location that it’s at.
I’ve heard I’m very particular about like I only know about what our location has done, but I know the Dodo’s had many locations before.
So the vibes have been kind of different with where it’s at from what I’ve heard from the customers that have been regulars for many years.
7:34
But it’s always been a neighborhood restaurant.
And that’s the biggest thing is that it’s always that go to delicious Turkey sandwich with the BBQ sauce that all the customers know.
And it’s just the level of service that we give I think is what really keeps our customers coming back.
The consistency, consistency on our food quality as well.
7:53
We haven’t ever really tried to change our products or bring in like a lower quality product to during this inflation.
You know, we just unfortunately had to raise our prices to a point to ensure that we kept that good quality.
But the Dodo’s just really taking care of the neighborhood.
8:08
I think that’s the biggest thing.
You know, we have our regulars that come in, some are like there every single Saturday.
I have a guy who comes in every single day and he sits in the corner of the bar every single day and it’s just his go to, but it’s like hanging out with family.
And that’s the awesome thing about Dodo.
What was it like, especially during the early part of COVID there?
8:28
Nightmare.
There were tables of like the weirdest places because everything had to be 6 feet apart.
You couldn’t pre bust the tables so you would have like a stack of dirty glasses on a table.
It was a little intense and crazy and the protocols were hard.
8:44
The cleaning solution ruined all of the wood in the restaurant.
It just ate like all of the, the coating on it, all the wood, it just ate away at it so bad.
So that’s something that we’re still trying to recover from as well as kind of fixing all of that stuff from the COVID cleaner.
9:02
So how did you and your team at the restaurant adapt to some of those challenges that were posed by COVID, especially during those first early months when things were even more intense and locked down?
So I came a little bit into COVID, right?
9:19
COVID started in Utah about March, right in the beginning of March.
And I was actually working in Park City.
They kicked us all out of the city.
We couldn’t, even if you didn’t live in Park City, you couldn’t even go up there.
So I couldn’t even go get my pay stubs or anything of that matter.
You literally just could not go to the city if you didn’t live up there.
9:35
So that made it a bit difficult.
But as far as our team goes with the Dodo, I’m not exactly sure how they transitioned.
I know that there was a drive through that they did that.
Everybody came outside and I heard it was a little bit crazy sometimes.
But the customers really kept us in business.
9:52
It was the customers and their support that really kept the staff going and kept everybody excited because you really weren’t allowed to see a lot of people.
And when all you saw was like your family members and then a couple of the regulars, it would be a nice surprise for everybody to just see a familiar face during such crazy times.
10:10
And were people allowed to sit there by the time you got there?
Or yeah, by the time I got there, no, we were sitting down in the restaurant.
But again, it was just, you know, it wasn’t every booth.
It was like every other booth.
And then where the booths are and the waiting area, we put tables there and there was no waiting inside.
10:27
You had to wait outside the restaurant.
So it was a bit different for sure.
Yeah, tell us more about sort of the the food and the cuisine and what the the internal ambiance is like.
Like kind of paint a picture for folks who haven’t been there before.
10:43
The Dodo is to me like a really healthy, more of a healthy eatery, right?
We don’t have a fryer in our restaurant, so nothing is really fried.
If anything is it’s like roasted, baked, something like that.
But we don’t have a fryer in our restaurant.
So some people are indifferent about that, having their sandwich with a super salad.
10:59
But it’s also for people like me.
I appreciate that only that option.
Otherwise I wouldn’t get the French fries and be unhealthy.
But it’s really that American food.
It’s really kind of a simple eat.
It’s not super chefy, which I feel like a lot of super Chevy food.
You can only eat so much of it before you’re like, hey, that’s a lot of flavor.
11:16
You can only eat so much.
The Dodo kind of has that mediocre delicious.
You can eat it many times.
It’s kind of like, you know, having a crazy Margarita.
If you have a crazy spun off Margarita, you’re only going to have one or two.
But if you have a normal Margarita, you’re probably going to have four or five, right?
And Dodo has that really nice balance of having that good, delicious food with flavor, but not too much flavor where you’re like, OK, I don’t need that for another month, you know?
11:42
Yeah, sort of like if you’re a beer drinker, it’s nice to have a real tasty craft beer, but maybe just one of them if you’re going to kind of sit and, you know, throw a few of them back.
Most people anyways would prefer kind of a lighter beer.
Still got some flavor to it, but nothing super crazy and heavy.
11:58
Yeah, you’re usually not doing a double IPA, like four or five of them for sure.
Yeah, maybe.
But.
So tell me what it means to be a mentality manager and why that has been an important role for you to take on with your team.
12:17
It’s I just think mentality is what’s really helped me grow in life.
Personally, I was a little bit of a rebel when I was younger, so I had to to buckle.
Like business really kept me buckled down and really gave me like drive and purpose in my life.
And I think that mentality was the biggest thing, right?
12:35
Like I had to read a ton of books and change.
My mentality is who I was and how I perceive things.
Perception’s a really big discussion in my restaurant right now about how you perceive things and what people are trying, truly trying to get out of you, right?
Like I know a lot of times when we’re younger, we look at our managers and we’re like this guy, he’s a stickler.
12:55
He just wants to follow the rules, you know?
And that’s my job at the end of the day.
But it’s also teaching them like, why are these in place?
You know, like, why do we have this structure?
Like what is it really for?
It’s employees only thrive in consistent, stable environments, right?
So if you’re continuously letting them do whatever they want, they’re never going to thrive as employees.
13:15
But when you have a structured balance with all of your employees, whether or not they like it, it’s just like parenting.
It’s always going to help grow them as a human being for sure.
So a couple of things I want to dig into there.
You were a bit of a rebel when you were younger.
13:32
That’s true, yeah.
Yeah, let’s, let’s hear more about that.
What?
What is it?
What did it mean to you to be a rebel?
I just didn’t want anybody to tell me what to do for sure.
That’s why I’m a manager.
I say it all the time.
I’m like, I get it.
We’re all in the restaurant industry because we hate people telling us what to do.
13:47
But if you just do your job correctly, nobody tells you what to do.
And that’s, you know, and that was just the rumble in me.
I was just young, little wild, you know, wanted to have a lot of fun.
I in California, my old roommate was a professional freestyle motocross rider.
14:03
So we did like the X Games and all the action sports and kind of the fun madness rock star party lifestyle for a really long time and it was just crazy.
But business though?
Junkie then.
I was, yeah, totally.
I love it.
I love trying new things.
I love, you know.
14:19
So I’ve got two boys, they’re 8:00 and 10:00 and I try to teach them something very similar to what you just said, especially my 8 year old.
He’s he’s really stubborn and defiant and he gets mad at me when I tell him to do the same thing over and over again.
And I tell him I will stop telling you what to do over and over again when you just do it on your own.
14:39
And that’s, that’s exactly what you’re saying to your employees.
Like, I don’t have to be, you know, jumping down your back if you’re doing the job that you know how to do.
That’s exactly it.
I’m gonna follow up because no matter what, I’m going to do my job.
14:55
Whether or not you want to do your job is up to you.
So I will always do the follow up and I will always try to teach them because they’re just gonna need that continuous guidance.
Like I had a guy who worked for me and every day he forgot his name tag and in the city of Utah it’s actually a $300.00 fine for the employee, not the employer so to not.
15:12
Have a name tag.
To not have a name tag because we have licenses out here with liquor licenses and with our food handlers permit that their name tag has to match what’s on their license if the undercovers come in.
And they want to ensure that, you know, everyone’s license are up to date.
So it’s up to the employee.
But I’m always trying to protect the employees.
15:28
And I’m like, hey, that’s $300.00 fine for you, you know, not for me.
So probably wear that.
But after what this guy, for months, he never had his name tag.
Every day I’d see him and I’d just do one of these, you know, like, where’s that name tag?
And then after that, it was, you know, every time he saw me, if he didn’t have it, I didn’t even have to say or do anything.
15:45
He would immediately like check for the name tag because I did so much follow up that now no matter what, I can guarantee you for the rest of his life that man will never forget his name tag.
So it’s repetition.
That’s what I should do with my kids, Just keep up the repetition.
I feel like you lose.
16:01
Yeah, ’cause if I feel like you lose, like I feel like they’re like, I you give them the employee, the power.
Once you’re like, OK, I give up my.
I’m throwing my hands up.
I’m done.
Not gonna try anymore.
That’s not what a leader does.
The leader leader’s gonna keep pushing.
You leader’s gonna be like, OK, I’m sorry, you’re done.
But if you want to keep going, we’re gonna keep pushing and you’re gonna, and I’m gonna keep feeding this down your throat so that you can get it, you know?
16:21
Any pointers on how, because you don’t want to be an ad, right?
And you don’t want that to create more friction between you and the employee.
Like how do you approach that in a way to where you’re reinforcing it, but you’re not creating some, you know, short term or long term strife between the two of you?
16:41
I don’t because I don’t say it every shift, right.
Like I did have an employee recently who was like upset I asked them to learn their 23 red wines and three white wines for like over a month and 1/2.
I didn’t ask him every shift.
I asked him about once a week.
That was it.
You know, they never learned them.
16:56
And so finally they got that little chat in the office.
You know, I was like, I’m not being mean.
I’m not jumping down your oh, this is your job and I’m simply asking you to do your job.
And I think just kind of getting on that understanding level of, you know, nobody’s after you, nobody’s trying to make you feel bad.
17:12
Nobody’s trying to create tension, but the second you learn your wines, guess what?
I won’t ever ask you.
So that’s on you again.
It’s accountability, it’s perception.
It’s what are you willing to do, you know?
So the interesting thing you said is that, at least if I understood this correctly, in order to serve food in the state of Utah, you have to have some kind of a license or a permit.
17:34
Yes, you have to have a like.
As an individual.
Individual, correct.
And you have to keep it yourself.
So us as companies don’t pay for it because you have to have it at any restaurant you go to.
And it’s not just held with the license, it’s held with the individual and you have to have a liquor license.
And then of course, your food handlers, everybody has to have, but the liquor license is that weird thing that isn’t really a known thing and anywhere else I’ve been.
17:58
So a bartender has to have a special license in order to be able to serve alcohol.
Correct, the servers do as well.
The servers do as well.
Correct.
Anybody who has who serves alcohol at all touches, handles alcohol, has to have a liquor license because the laws out here are pretty strict on how you can serve alcohol.
18:14
So they’re leaving it up to the individual to uphold those laws.
And if not, then they do get arrested and it is they lose their license for five years.
Wow, that’s intense and.
What’s the process?
Make it pretty serious.
You just have to go online and take the test.
18:32
It’s like a couple hours, but yeah, it’s just take a test online.
It’s pretty simple.
Is there a?
Fee that goes along with.
That there is a fee that goes along with it as well.
It’s probably like 15 bucks.
Is this something that if I’m working at a fast food restaurant that I need to have as well?
No, you’re not serving liquor there.
18:49
Oh, so it’s specific to liquor?
Liquor alcohol license.
Yeah, it’s a liquor license to serve liquor.
OK, so I misunderstood.
If you’re just handling food, this is not something that you need.
Correct.
Yeah, like, but people who are in the gas station who sell liquor and alcohol, they have to have their own license as well.
19:06
It’s like a different type of license so I’m not too familiar with it.
OK, yeah, I’ve never heard of this anywhere else.
Is is this?
Is this weird?
To Utah.
It is because the liquor laws out here are a bit intense.
They want to ensure that everybody is upheld and knows the rules.
19:24
OK.
You mentioned that perception is a big part of what you guys are talking about at work right now.
Yes, say more about that.
I just, I think right now it’s a great thing that mental health is such a big conversation in everybody’s lives, right?
19:41
I think that’s huge that we recognize this because having happiness and balance in our jobs is not something that we talked about really 2025 years ago, right?
That wasn’t, it was like just go to work and shut up.
But now it’s like, OK, where’s my balance?
Where’s my happiness?
But I think we focus so much on mental health that sometimes that’s all we focus on and we don’t have room to live.
20:04
And so I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve been trying to teach my staff is like, nobody’s ever intentionally trying to offend you.
Nobody’s ever intentionally trying to attack you.
You know, just those little things of remembering that people are just having conversations and people are just living a normal life and you know.
20:22
They’re pretty sensitive right now.
You know, a customer says one thing to them that irks them and they kind of fly off the handle a little bit.
And you got to bring them back down to getting grounded and just realizing that, you know, everyone’s not going to speak to you the way that you want to be spoken to.
And that’s just part of life.
20:39
Again, it’s just perception.
Do you find that this is a new or a heightened reality since COVID?
Like has this evolved since then or because of the some of the experiences in COVID or this is just the way it’s always been?
20:58
No, I definitely feel like COVID changed the way that humanity really works.
Honestly, I feel like it kind of changed our culture a lot.
I feel like everyone just got stuck in their house behind the computer and had to like just put their feelings out there and that was it, you know, like nothing had to come back to them.
21:18
And they feel like when you go out in the real world, that’s not really how it works, right?
I feel like, I don’t know, it just people want to work very less for the most money.
That’s another big thing because you have to pay your employees more just to get people to work, right?
21:34
Nobody wanted to go to work.
Everybody was scared.
They didn’t want to do anything.
They definitely didn’t want to work with the public if they were scared of COVID.
So it was, it’s something that you have to like, give them money, you know, like just show up to work, please, here’s a few extra dollars, like, please just come to work.
21:52
And then now that that’s kind of changing, right?
Our wages are getting back to like a normal sense of a wage.
And people are not really happy with that because I feel like they should do like the least amount of work for the most amount of money.
And that’s just not the way reality really is.
Those weird times, that’s all.
Do you see a difference across different age brackets in this type of attitude or did the COVID experience sort of reshift everybody’s expectations in a in a work environment?
22:19
I feel like it’s kind of everybody, right?
I don’t feel like, I mean mostly for the people who had to work with the public.
I think that was probably the people who have shifted their mindset the most because they were the ones who had to be paid the most to go out there and get the job done.
Because so many people either used as used it as an excuse to be scared or were truly scared and just wanted to collect that unemployment check, which it was nice, let’s be honest.
22:44
But you got to get out there and live life after a while.
Do you see is there any sort of a trend yet of people kind of letting go of sort of those expectations that came out of COVID or is there still quite a bit of resistance to shifting back into a post COVID reality?
23:07
I feel like right now is actually that time that people are starting to see that, you know, life’s going back to normal, you know, because even still for the past four years, I’ve been like sick.
And they’re like, I think I have COVID.
I think I have COVID.
I need to be in quarantine for 10 days.
And it’s like, that’s not what it is anymore.
23:24
It’s actually just a common cold and flu now.
And I think now that more they’re going to their doctors and doctors don’t even want to really test for it anymore because of how expensive it is from what I’ve heard from my staff.
And that the doctors like, it’s just like a normal sickness 3 days that it’s kind of helping people get back to a normal sense of reality.
23:39
Like, OK, we’re not living in this crazy world where there’s some virus out there that’s going to kill everybody.
Do you feel like there were a percentage of folks that were trying to take advantage of the the COVID scare and cause like were they were they getting paid if they tested positive for COVID and they couldn’t come in?
23:59
Well, most people would just say that they were scared and they didn’t want to come to work.
You know, that was something that I dealt with at my restaurant in Park City was, I remember like we got called back to work and I’m like, okay, because you still got a portion of your unemployment because your hours were still not the excess of what they were because you weren’t fully open as a restaurant, right?
24:17
But there would be those people who would just be like, Nope, I’m too scared.
I’m not coming back to work.
And it’s like, if you refuse to work, then you can’t get unemployment, you know?
So unfortunately we had to do some hard realities with some people because a lot of people just wanted to hang out and sit at home and drink, which is nice.
We did it for a while, but you know, after a while it’s like, hey, the world still spins.
24:36
So we got to keep going, you know?
Right.
So a lot of this staff training, team building mentality, manager work that you do is, you know, all geared about around as I see, it’s sort of two things.
One is helping that employee become the best version of themselves possible.
24:55
And then two, allowing them to provide the best customer experience possible, right?
Because restaurants are built on your regulars, It’s built on word of mouth, like what if the customers had a good experience?
Like that’s the the best marketing that you know that that, that you could create in an environment like that.
25:16
So I’m kind of curious to hear maybe about an exceptional customer service experience and and just kind of maybe how that unfolded.
Like with me personally, like my somebody who gave me good customer.
25:34
Service no, no, no from you and your staff, like something that you guys were able to provide to your customer base.
I think the biggest thing is our attentiveness to our tables.
I think with the steps that we are really big.
It’s following our steps of service.
Right before I went to the Dodo, I had already known my steps of service working at higher end restaurants.
25:54
And when you bring in a lot of people, they’ve worked at Denny’s or you know, they’ve worked at other restaurants that are like little Mon paw shops and all they know is to run up to the table and grab an order.
So us kind of giving them that structure of like, OK, you actually need to go out there, greet the table within one minute, have a drink on the table within two minutes.
26:10
You need to do suggestive selling as well because that’s going to help get you yourself offering a specific appetizer.
You know, just really hitting those steps of service is really where I feel like the Dodo separated itself from other restaurants because other restaurants are like, you breathe, you have a pole so you can take an order, cool, go out there, you know, and we’re like, and that’s not going to work for us.
26:31
Can you, I’m going to put you on the spot here.
And if, if you can’t, if there’s not an example that pops to mind, that’s all right.
But is there maybe a specific example of an instance where you or your staff like really went above and beyond to help a a customer?
I feel like we really try to do that with everybody, you know, like we’re not like picky choosy, you know, like whatever we try to do, we try to do the best and try to help any customer with whatever they may have.
26:55
Like on Thanksgiving, we’re slammed with Thanksgiving pies because we’re really well known for our bakery and our house made desserts.
So we had people at the end of the during the day calling and I’m like, they’re like, we don’t have a pie for Thanksgiving.
I’m like call at 9:30 tonight before we close.
27:12
And if there’s anything that we can do, if nobody came to pick up their pie, I’ll sell it to you.
You know, anything that we can do to make anybody’s guest experience better, I feel like we don’t really single that out.
And I feel like we try to do that with every single customer because if it’s not for the customer, we wouldn’t have a business.
I’m true.
27:31
How about some future plans for the Dodo?
Are there any kind of interesting or special projects going on there?
Right now we’re working on our sunroom, our interior designers getting everything made-up of.
We have like this little side patio that during the summer time is kind of a hangout waiting area.
27:48
But during the winter we put tables in there.
And last winter was our first winter in there and it’s kind of cold, not really too decorative, you know, not too much ambience.
So right now we’re really working on putting in like curtains or fans, new lights, some really cool things to spruce up that.
28:04
But I think our main focus in our business with our corporation right now is that new restaurant that we’re building that will be done.
I think April first is what the owner said that he gave the contractor his final date on.
Tell us about the new restaurant.
Where’s it going?
Is it the same name and concept?
28:21
No, it’s completely different.
So it’s called Henry Baker.
It’s more of like a five star, very high end restaurant.
During the day it’s going to be coffee and crepes.
And with our coffee, we actually have one, the roaster that the owner had bought, there’s only one of three in the state of Utah.
It looks like it’s like the Cadillac of all of the roasters.
28:40
You know, it was beautiful.
It’s orange, it’s gorgeous, and he has some really cool decoration ideas.
We have a really cool wine cellar that’s going to be in there.
So during the day it’s this coffee and crepe shop, and then some of the walls actually kind of move out to get into the restaurant.
28:56
It’s gonna be reservation only, so you’re gonna have to have a code before you even go in there.
So it’s gonna be really private, more high end dining, really high booths.
There’s a private dining room in there as well.
We have brought it.
He bought this big, huge wood beam that is from the railroad actually, and it’s over.
29:14
No, it’s over 100 years, maybe 200 years old that he had gotten from one of the guys who bought all the property by the Great Salt Lake.
So it was part of that railroad in there.
And then like the old school blue telephone lights, he has those in there as well.
So some really historic items are going to be inside this restaurant as well with the build out and it’s going to be really cool.
29:33
It’s beautiful.
It’s so gorgeous.
Yeah.
You’re excited about it.
Are will you be involved with it at all or you you’re anchoring the Yeah, yeah.
I don’t think so, yeah.
I was like, there’s some chirp, chirp happening, but we’ll see.
I mean, whatever the owner thinks is best for the restaurant, I’ll always support.
29:48
But I would definitely, you know, always love that opportunity to do something.
Would this be an expansion of your role or would it be potentially, you know, moving from the Dodo to Henry Maker?
I wouldn’t know.
That would be up to the owner.
You know, I know that he time will tell.
Yeah, that time will tell.
30:04
We’ll see that he ends up deciding on.
But you know, I definitely put it in his mind to keep me in mind.
So I see you’ve got quite a bit of artwork there, and a lot of folks I know that have a lot of tattoos.
There’s quite a bit of meaning to them.
30:20
Are there meanings behind the artwork that you have there?
Oh yes, absolutely.
I’ve lived, like I said, a pretty crazy rebellious lifestyle when I was younger.
So a lot of stories, a lot of living life, you know, OWL is for all the knowledge that I’ve gained and you know, all the lessons that I’ve had to learn.
30:40
Clipper ship because I’m always set and sail.
This is actually the longest I’ve lived in one place my whole life.
So I’m usually out every two to three years.
I move, but I’m planning my feet now, so that’s been nice.
And then a compass with no direction because I never really know where I’m headed.
30:57
I’m just kind of always winging it and going with the flow of life, you know?
Any reason why you chose that particular arm?
No, I don’t know.
I just started.
I was when I was really young, I this is all a cover up actually from this part up.
31:13
So when I was young I started on this arm and then covered it up because it was not pretty.
All right, so I hear that there’s a sandwich that you guys are pretty well known for.
Tell me about that.
Yes, our Turkey sandwich, our Turkey is literally the best Turkey in the world.
31:31
I don’t care what anybody says, there’s nobody that could beat us.
And I even thought the same thing, like I have celiac disease actually.
So when I first started working at the dildo, I tried the Turkey and I’m like, yeah, well, Turkey like because I didn’t actually have it on a sandwich, right?
Because we didn’t have any gluten free bread.
31:46
We do have gluten free bread now so that’s a great thing.
But our Turkey, we smoke it in house, we brine it in house and the flavor of our Turkey is so good.
Like I can’t even explain it.
Anytime I go anywhere else to get a Turkey sandwich, I’m like, this is not good at all because I’m so spoiled that the dodo.
32:03
Our Turkey is so so good and then you dip it in a BBQ sauce which I am allergic so I’ve never had the BBQ sauce but I’ve heard it’s amazing.
Now are you allergic because of the celiac?
Is there?
Yes.
Gluten.
Yeah.
OK, yeah, there’s gluten in it, so I can’t unfortunately have it, but I’ve heard it’s the best thing.
32:21
Then everybody comes for it.
Like no matter what.
Even the day after Thanksgiving, people were there eating their Turkey sandwiches and we were laughing.
We were like, not enough Turkey yesterday.
They’re like, it’s not as good as this, OK.
It’s really funny.
Where do you think your leadership tendencies or abilities come from?
32:42
Or either of your parents kind of inspirational in that way.
Yeah, I definitely get it from my mom.
Both my parents, well, my mom and my stepdad are both entrepreneurs, so I have been lucky to have it in my household.
And anytime like I want to network with business, I always can call my stepdad or my mom and really get some great, good business advice because they’ve built businesses from the ground up.
33:05
They recently sold one of their businesses and looking to step away full time.
But it’s kind of hard because, you know, when you work so much of your whole life, it’s really hard to just be like, I don’t want to work anymore.
Yeah.
So my parents are really great influences in my life and have really shown me some great direction in business.
33:22
Do you ever think about going out on your own and doing something?
Absolutely.
I think one day I will end up owning my own business.
I’m not sure that it would be something in the restaurant because restaurants are tough man.
Just being AGM is hard.
I can’t imagine being the owner, being AGMI have so much work and being the owner.
33:41
I just couldn’t imagine.
But I think one day I’ll probably end up owning my own business.
Any idea what it might be and any thoughts?
No, I’m winging it.
It’ll pop into my lap one day and I’ll be like, you know what?
This is it.
This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life.
33:58
Yeah.
Let’s shift gears for a minute and maybe Rachel, tell me about a particular challenge, personal or professional that you’ve overcome, what that was like and some lessons learned going through.
I would just say maybe this past year, this past year, I’ve done a lot of focus on my mental health growth.
34:20
I’ve been sober so I haven’t drank at all, which is hard and different for me being in the restaurant industry.
I love being a bartender like that was I was a chef with cocktails.
That’s the way I always said it.
Like I absolutely was passionate, loved it.
I love wine, you know, just the different flavors, the Blues, the Reds, the dries, the tendons of the wine, just everything that kind of comes along with alcohol being in this industry.
34:43
And it’s been gone 298 days today.
So I had quit drinking and I’m just taking a year break.
And I just wanted a lot of mental clarity to see my growth as a woman and what I truly want for like the rest of my life.
And I think to do that, you have to get rid of all temporary satisfactions and anything that might influence your mental health and just kind of have a clean slate.
35:08
And that’s what I’ve done this past year.
It’s been difficult, but you know, it’s a lot of independent time and a lot of solo time.
You know, it changes your group of friends.
It kind of changes every single thing in your life when you take that big step back.
What has been maybe your biggest learning from all this?
35:27
I would just say I’ve learned to appreciate myself more.
I’ve always been pretty tough on myself.
I’m, I mean, I think everybody’s really their own biggest critic, right?
But I’m even more of my own biggest critic and I’m pretty tough on myself.
And growing up, I started modeling when I was young.
35:44
And so I think kind of always being in the limelight and people judging you all the time, like you always had like that sense of insecurity.
And I think this past year I really gained my my power back, you know, and I’ve really just kind of taken that power and that confidence that I lost along the way a little bit and took control of it.
36:00
So that’s been really big.
Who has been able to kind of support you on this path in the past year?
My staff has honestly been insanely great.
Like my staff, I have so many people who have gotten sober actually underneath me as well, just because it’s so easy in our industry to get off work, sit down at the bar, have a drink.
36:20
It’s been a long shift, you know, after you have a long shift to go hit the gym.
It’s hard.
And so that’s something that I think I’ve been trying to really push and I have some guys that work underneath me and they’re all hitting the gym now and they’re just really doing their best.
And I think that’s really cool to see to kind of plant seeds.
36:35
I always say like, I’m a seed planter.
You know, you might not hear me today because you’re in that part of your life where you’re not willing or you’re not ready or, you know, you’re just not there yet.
But I know I’m going to plant that seed.
Maybe in a couple of years, you’ll think back to that conversation that we may have had.
And you’re like, you know what?
36:51
This is what Rachel’s saying, and this is what Rachel meant.
And I’m open to this growth.
Now, whether for yourself or for any of the employees, were there like 12 step programs involved that were helpful or just kind of like decisions that were made that just starting today I’m done.
37:08
No, because it wasn’t an addiction thing.
It’s more of a lifestyle thing, right?
It’s not so much that I’m addicted and I need this and I can’t survive without it.
It’s more of just like these are the lifestyle habits we’ve created throughout our life.
And so to change those, you have to literally change everything, right?
37:23
Because that’s been your lifestyle your entire life.
And the same with all of the employees as well.
It’s just a part of the lifestyle to get off, sit down at the bar, go out with the other servers, go hit another bar and have a drink, you know, and just kind of, it’s just that lifestyle.
So none of us are addicted.
37:39
I’ve never been addicted in my life.
I will drink again one day, but this year I just have taken that break to really just push myself mentally and really grow as a woman.
And especially being in this industry, it’s a man’s industry, let’s be honest.
So to make moves as a woman, I think you got to kind of really be level headed.
37:56
Oh, say.
Say more about this.
Say more about what it’s like to be a woman as a general manager at a nice restaurant like that.
Well, we’re, I mean, it’s just the, I think it’s just the industry itself, right?
So when I bartended in California, I bartended in Fullerton, CA at this place called the Continental Room.
38:13
It’s one of the oldest bars down there and it was one of the bars that I bartended out down there.
But I remember I had to work the VIP back bar because women were allowed to bartend.
And like we’re like, imagine saying that in today’s day and age, like this was only 20 years ago, 15 years ago.
38:31
I don’t know how old I am.
Well, 15 years ago, but you know, it’s, Can you imagine like nowadays being like, sorry, you can’t bartend because you’re a woman, but you can go in the back in the VIP bartending and that’s where you’re allowed to bartend because you’re a woman, right.
So for me, it was just kind of, I think even since I was like, that was when I was 21 and 22.
38:50
And I think just kind of making moves as a woman and being like, OK, well, that’s kind of weird, you know, but I’m willing to do it because I’m going to push and make moves with where I can fit in in this little box.
And then I think even with my employees, they, a lot of them are University of Utah students or Westminster students.
39:08
And they just say, like, I’m learning in my business class now that, you know, women are always like, you always think of like women managers as a bitch.
But then you think of a man as like a strong man.
And it’s like, why do we not use that word with men, but we use this word with women because they’re strong and they’re direct.
And, you know, women are supposed to be feminine and quiet and not really supposed to speak up or really have much of an opinion.
39:29
And that’s not just who I am as a woman.
And that’s not what I want to be as a woman.
And some people want to be that.
And that’s totally fine.
But for me, that’s not it.
I came here to make moves.
And when I won best bartender in Park City, I was actually the first woman to ever win in 2019.
I was like in 2019, the first woman.
39:46
Like, that’s kind of ridiculous, don’t you think?
Like, why have all these years gone by and no woman has won this, you know?
But I came here to make those moves, so.
Well, and it blows my mind even more that you’re talking about where you were in California, that you, you just weren’t even permitted.
40:03
Like it just wasn’t even an option. 20 years ago, that’s not that long ago.
We’re not talking about, you know, when my parents were growing up.
Exactly.
That’s how I’m like, yeah.
So I think it’s just because I’ve had that.
It’s something that’s driven me a little bit more, you know, because those setbacks and like, oh, you can’t do this because you’re a woman or you shouldn’t do that because you’re a woman.
40:25
It makes me just push a little bit harder to do it because I’m a woman.
So I want to talk a little bit more about that challenge of the past year of deciding that you were, there’s no addiction, but hey, I’m just going to take a year off from drinking.
40:42
And a lot of the time that you may have spent socially, you know, kind of doing those things, hanging out at the bar afterwards, maybe, you know, go into another one with your friends.
Like that was just sort of the routine and the pattern and you’re you’re kind of your social process, your social network is kind of built around those habits.
41:01
What were you able to fill those with as you eliminated that?
The biggest thing is the gym.
I joined this program called Reliant Fitness that one of my friends back in California, Brad Dunn, had started.
It’s this big fitness program and it comes along with sobriety, which is the big reason to why I pushed you to be.
41:19
So where he’s like, you have to not drink.
And I’m like, OK, so I go to the gym and that’s like, honestly been my mental clarity.
And there’s a lot of people in there that now, you know, you walk in, you’re like, hey, you fist bump half the people that are there because I’m in the gym so much, which I never thought would really be me.
41:38
But it gives me like that mental clarity also gives me time for myself, right?
Because being in the restaurant and always being around people all the time, it’s kind of nice to decompress and literally just have time for myself, put my headphones in and turn the world off.
I really like concerts.
I still go to concerts.
I just went to Zach Bryan last week.
41:55
My sister was drinking.
I wasn’t, you know, so it’s just kind of, I don’t mind.
I don’t care if people drink around me.
But when it gets to that point where everybody starts to get drunk, it’s my sign to go.
And I’m like, OK, you guys are on another level than me, but I still go out here and there.
I just don’t.
Nothing like I used to, right?
42:12
It’s not.
Again, my lifestyle has just completely changed.
And I think it’s just a lot more well balanced now with a lot healthier things like the gym or going out and grabbing coffee, spending time with my family, taking my dog on a walk.
Just healthier things than drinking.
I.
Want to go back to your staff, you obviously you go out of your way to help them, to teach them, to train them, to help them sort of develop in their profession, in their jobs.
42:40
You know, and one of the things I hear from most of the folks that I talked to is that labor market still relatively tight.
So finding good folks and holding on to them can be a big challenge.
I’m curious some things that you’ve tried and found success with on both the recruiting side as well as the retention side.
43:04
I think it’s a little bit more difficult in Utah, I feel like because the servers out here only make 2/13 an hour, right?
So the entirety of their income is based off of TIPS.
And with the inflation this past year in America, I think it’s been a little bit harder.
We all know that eating out is a luxury, right?
That’s not something that we all can afford every day of the week, but that’s something that when we go out, we want to make sure that it’s a great experience.
43:26
I feel like with our staff, that’s kind of how we kept everybody is again, we’re just that neighborhood restaurant and they really loved the job.
When times have gotten hard, like we had construction this summer where we had zero access to the front of our restaurant.
And then when you went to the back, the city had signs.
43:43
It was like local traffic only when it didn’t say anything about how to get to the Dodo.
So unless you were local, you really didn’t know how to get to our restaurant.
And I think our staff just really appreciated all those customers that came in, all the family time that we have with them.
And I think for me is my leadership.
44:00
It’s just, I don’t know, I’m kind of indifferent about this, but like treating them like family, right?
Because I am very understanding because I was a rebel.
And if I didn’t have a boss back in the day who had given me chances and kind of kicked my booty a little bit, then I wouldn’t be the woman I am in Business Today.
44:16
And I can definitely say that.
And I think that they kind of need that too sometimes, you know, and I think that’s where I step in is, you know, I can see when someone is just kind of a jerk.
And I can see when someone is kind of a rebel and just needs a little bit more Titan on the reins, you know, So I work with the people who really try in life and maybe just haven’t had that direction the entirety of their life.
44:38
And now they’re getting out into the work world and now they have to have direction and they don’t know what to do because they’ve never had that structure at home growing up.
And I can always recognize that and kind of give them that little Mama bear love and but also kick their butts when they need it.
You know, I’ve shown up.
44:55
Because you’ve been in their shoes before and you had somebody help you in a similar way.
Exactly.
You know, I’ve had to fire an employee twice.
He actually still works for me now because I hired him back three times, killing it now.
But those are like, I showed up at his house one time and I was like, get outside and he’s like in the back seat of my car crying as I’m like yelling at him to like quit drinking because it was just his partying.
45:15
Like, you know, it’s like, I know you’re at that college age and you want to party, but like, you have this job that you absolutely love, but you can’t show up to work because you’re drinking all night till 5:00 AM and, like, what are you doing?
You know, and, like, sometimes you just have to have reality checks.
And I’m willing as a human being, not just as their manager, to come sit down with them and be, like, wake up and shake them.
45:36
You know, sometimes you have to do it a couple times.
But again, with that kid, I knew that his potential.
And now he’s thriving.
Like, he’s doing so well for himself.
And I’m very proud of him.
Still works for me.
Yeah.
Rachel, you’ve said several times you, you know, bit of a rebel.
45:51
You’ve had a, you know, kind of an interesting past, done a lot of crazy things, maybe something we haven’t specifically touched on.
Would be interested to hear something fun or interesting about yourself that we haven’t already talked about.
Jeez, I don’t know, I was like, I’m not really that fun.
46:12
I love to travel.
That’s like one thing.
So earlier where’s?
Your favorite place?
Well, earlier in Sierra, I went to Saint Thomas and I went by myself.
So I went on my first solo travel ever, which as a woman is so scary, but at the same time it felt really liberating and it felt amazing.
46:28
But I went to Saint Thomas and then we took like a ferry over to Saint John, but hanging out with all the locals, just like popping up in a bar, talking to the whole staff, you know?
Then I ended up becoming friends with like the bartenders.
We all went to the pool after.
Then I ended up like going and exploring the islands with all these people and it was so much fun.
46:45
But it was, I remember like getting on the plane, like what am I doing ’cause I remember when I booked the trip, I was like, just do it.
Just book the trip ’cause you hear about women going on solo trips and like really having a lot of personal growth.
So I was like, you know, let me try it out, let me see what it’s like.
Then I did it and it was amazing.
And I think I’m actually gonna do it again next month, so we’ll see.
47:02
Where will you go this time?
I’m thinking about going back to Saint John, honestly.
Yeah, I was like, I or St.
Saint Thomas and then go to Saint John a little bit more because I only spent a day there.
But it’s such a beautiful island.
A lot of it’s just natural reserve.
And just I saw a sea turtle for the first time and I swam with sea turtles.
47:20
I’m like, it was just so cool and so much fun.
Like I thrive by the ocean.
Being from California, my soul is so happy by the ocean.
But I think it’s really neat that you were able to connect with the locals and have a little bit more of a locals experience rather than just sort of doing the, all the touristy stuff, ’cause I know the times that I’ve travelled, you know, they’ve been instances where maybe I’m on a work trip.
47:43
And so, you know, my suppliers or, you know, whoever my business relationships with are able to kind of show me, you know, a little bit more of the, the behind the scenes.
Or maybe I’ve got family somewhere and it’s the same kind of thing.
And it always ends up being my favorite part of the trip when, you know, we’re not just going to the Coliseum or, you know, we’re not just going to the temple that everybody goes to.
48:03
It’s like, no, this, this is what we do here.
And it’s it’s just really neat.
Yeah, that’s my favorite thing to do when I travel.
So I like to stay in Airbnbs or Vrbos more than I like to stay at a hotel, because then it forces you to get out and explore, right?
Otherwise you’re in the hotel and you’re like, book this Paracel for me, book this zip line for me, you know what I mean?
48:22
And everything’s kind of just there at the hotel and you don’t explore.
So it’s something that I do like to do.
I went to Jamaica one time at my old job in California with some girls too.
And I remember we like got on this bus and I’m like, let’s just go see the local Cuz I always want to see the local stuff because that’s like in the restaurant industry especially, you know, it’s like that’s where you grab the good food.
48:40
That’s where you get the local drink.
That’s like where you actually experience what the locals are experiencing, right?
And that’s what I always want to see.
But I remember going to Jamaica, we like get on this bus with some random guy and it’s like four or five girls, you know, and we’re all young, like young 20s, mid 20s, takes us into town like scary little shop.
49:00
And like all these women are coming out after us and like dragging us in different directions.
And I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Nope, Yep, Nope.
And like I was the only one.
Like all the other girls were like so scared.
And I like came out very strong.
Like, Nope, that’s not what I want.
That’s not what we’re doing.
49:16
Like, and I kind of had to push it and they, but it made them respect me.
They all came out and the women were like, you’re a strong woman.
Like you’re really strong.
And I was like, yeah, they’re like, they’re all scaredy cats, but like, you’re good.
I was like, I was like, I’m not gonna let you guys kill me out here today.
That’s it.
Like, I’m gonna make sure, you know, my vibe is like, I’m putting up a fight if you’re trying to kill me.
49:33
And we all got back on the van and we were like, that was a little bit scary, but it was like a lot of fun too at the same time.
Just saying, like how the local women had to, like, get their hustle on and all the little shops that they had.
And God knows where we were, we were the only white people within sight.
Like, like they were literally waving at us because we were the only white people there.
49:51
Was a little bit sketchy, but it was fun.
They’re probably accustomed to taking the tourists and being a little bit more aggressive with them and steering them into whatever it is that they had in mind.
Totally.
And I was like not and you’re not killing me today.
Sorry if that was their plan, I don’t know but.
50:06
Probably not, but better that you didn’t have to find out.
Exactly.
Yeah, I let them take all my money.
I bought everything.
But that was.
Good.
Any specific mentors, books, or maybe other experiences that have been really helpful in shaping you?
50:23
So I’m, I’m pretty spiritual.
My great grandma on my dad’s side is 100% Native American.
And I’d always say like, you can’t explain it, but you can feel it when you’re native, right?
Like this intuition that I have, like sitting down with people, feeling their energy.
Like I can’t ever explain it, but I love this book.
50:40
It’s called Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss.
And again, I’m just a spiritual person.
So it just has to do with like past life traumas and how that can kind of come into your current life and how that affects us if you’re somebody who believes in that type of stuff, you know?
Which you are.
50:56
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Yeah.
I really like the book Necessary Endings as well.
That was great.
When I was in California, my he wasn’t like a therapist, he’s like a life coach.
His name is Armando Perez.
He owns Self Help Los Angeles and he really pushed my mentality a lot.
51:13
His style of again, it’s not really, we did like some hypnotherapy with it as well and just some different things, but it’s a lot of accountability and I think that’s really helped me grow.
And ever since I worked with him, it really catapulted my life, just really helped me because I have taken accountability for a lot of what goes wrong in my life.
51:34
I don’t look at other people like why did that happen?
Why did it?
And like why did I allow this to happen?
You know, like what is it about me that allowed this to happen in my life?
So he was a great inspiration and I know he wrote a book, I can’t remember, but he wrote a book with one of the guys who wrote the book, The Secret.
51:49
So he really has like that catapulted mentality.
Rachel, I’ve just got one more question for you.
But before I ask it, I want to do 2 things.
Everybody listening today, I know that you love today’s content.
How could you not?
So please hit the share, like or subscribe button on your favorite podcast app.
52:06
Rachel also want to let people know the best way to get in touch with you.
What would that be?
Instagram, that’s my social media.
If you’re looking to get a hold of me in business, of course, always call the restaurant.
Call the restaurant line.
I’m usually there.
If I’m not there, then I don’t want to be there.
52:22
So don’t call my cell phone with work, but the Dodo restaurant, call that line or my Instagram handle.
It’s at Rachael Camden.
Rachael Camden Like the Camden Yards?
Great.
So last question for you, Rachael, I’m kind of curious how you see lots of times when I’m talking to a, you know, a business founder, you know, how their industry or how their business is going to evolve in the next couple of years.
52:46
But I guess I want to maybe change the angle of the question a little bit and say, how do you see your own life evolving in the next couple of years, whether it’s with Dodo, with the new restaurant, something else, maybe even want to answer it from like a personal development standpoint.
53:03
What do you see sort of unfolding for you in the next couple of years?
I see a lot of positivity, to be honest.
I see I’ve put a lot of sacrifice and hard work into myself this past year.
And that’s something that I do recognize.
And I think that is just the start of the ground level of what I’m supposed to rise up to, right?
53:21
I do see myself being with the dodo for a little bit longer.
You know, I’m not looking to make any changes anytime soon, but if an opportunity arises and I know what business I want to start, I’m going to start my business.
But I honestly just see myself continuing to grow as a woman, continuing to learn and really just understanding people and really just trying to grow people.
53:42
Because I think that’s a lot of what gets missed is, you know, people sit on their complaints and they sit on their negativity and they kind of sit on problems rather than solutions.
And I’m a solutions person and I’m not a problems person.
So I’m excited to see all the solutions I can keep handing the staff and really just continue to grow people and grow myself because the only way up is up.
54:06
Fun stuff.
Rachel, I want to be the first one to thank you for sharing both your time and your story today.
I’m really grateful for.
It absolutely thank you so much for having me.
I do appreciate it listening to me.
Folks, that’s a wrap on another episode of the Inspired Stories podcast.
Thanks for learning with us today.