Latest / The Inspired Stories Podcast / Dane Wilfong's Hospitality Journey: From Dishwashing at 13 to Leading The Ned's Exclusive DC Club

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Dane Wilfong's Hospitality Journey: From Dishwashing at 13 to Leading The Ned's Exclusive DC Club · The Inspired Stories Podcast

0:04
Welcome to another edition of the Inspired Stories podcast,
0:08
where leaders share their experiences so we can learn from
0:11
their successes and be inspired by how they've overcome
0:14
adversity. My name is Anthony Kotaspodi and
0:17
today's guest is Dane Wilfong, Director of Food and Beverage at
0:20
The Ned and Ned's Club in Washington DC.
0:24
The Ned is a private members club and hotel that started in
0:27
London in 2017 and now brings its blend of restaurants, bars
0:32
and rooftop views to our nation's capital.
0:35
They create spaces where like minded people can meet, work and
0:39
enjoy life inside a beautifully restored landmark.
0:43
Their brand has been praised by Forbes and Rob Report for
0:46
turning historic buildings into lively social hubs and for
0:50
opening its newest club in DC earlier this year.
0:54
Dane guides every taste and sip inside the club.
0:57
He brings more than 18 years of experience across luxury hotels,
1:01
fine dining and large scale hospitality operations.
1:05
His background includes extensive work with Relay.
1:08
Am I saying that right? Yeah.
1:10
It's relay style properties. OK, you're going to have to
1:13
explain what that means to us here.
1:15
And boutique luxury hotels contributing to Maryland's first
1:18
Michelin recognition with two Michelin keys awarded to the Ivy
1:23
Hotel in Baltimore, is also partnered closely with ownership
1:27
development teams to support the build, design and operational
1:30
evolution of high end hotels across multiple U.S. markets.
1:35
Earlier in his career, Dane became an executive chef at, Get
1:39
this, just the age of 22. Being a fine dining Italian
1:43
restaurant. He also holds a sommelier pen
1:46
from the Court of Master Sommelier.
1:49
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2:32
All right, back to our guest today, the Food and Beverage
2:34
Director of Ned's Club, Washington, DC, Dane Wilfa.
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Thanks for making the time to Share your story today.
2:40
Thanks for having me Anthony, greatly appreciate it.
2:42
All right, so back to where I sort of slipped up there in the
2:45
intro. What is relay style properties?
2:48
What does that mean? So Relay and Chateau is kind of
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like a badge of honor. It's a a grouping of hotels, if
2:59
you would, or a badge that's put on hotels or that hotels can
3:01
apply for. It's kind of like how Michelin
3:04
rates something when they get that type of recognition, it
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means it's a certain level. Relay and Chateau does the same
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to boutique hotels and some stand alone restaurants.
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It's a really massive badge of honor.
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You have to be boutique, so you have to be small.
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You have to have some kind of architectural or historical
3:22
significance and you have to meet some really, really high
3:25
standards as far as all the above goes.
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So it's really a lifestyle brand, but each one is
3:31
independently owned. And so they're they have a
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massive push for environmental, they have a massive push for
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culinary. They're very, very strict
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standards. So anything that you see a relay
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in Chateau badge on or the RNC emblem means that it's 111 of
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the highest rated things that you can enjoy.
3:48
Wow. OK.
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Lots of boxes to check there to be able to qualify for that
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prestige. It's so.
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Truly an honor. Yeah, let's start kind of at the
3:56
beginning for you. What first drew you into the
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hospitality space? Oh, I did not grow up with a lot
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of money or access to these items.
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And so I was kind of taken aback starting very, very early,
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earlier than than one should be working in the industry.
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And I was introduced to so many things that kind of blew my mind
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because there's a whole different world than anything
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that I'd ever realized existed. And so and it was an instant
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passport that I realized the only way that I was going to get
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to see or understand any of it was to continue in the industry.
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Everyday was a little bit of a treat.
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And so being that starry eyed little kid, which I still think
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I am in certain ways right, the this industry was able to take
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me to a lot of different places that I I would never have
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considered. You said, how did you put it?
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You started at an age probably, you know, younger than you
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should have, something along those lines.
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What? What does that mean?
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How old were you? So I was around 13 years old
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when I started washing dishes and then quickly due to the the
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chaos that is that kitchen that I started, I ended up as a fry
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cooked very quickly due to demand.
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I was promised I was not going to be allowed to hold a knife
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until I was 15, but it happened shortly after being a dishwasher
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at 13, needs were needs. The industry is always short on
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on help and ambition and I was not short on ambition.
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So I I ended up having my hands and just about everything in
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that place. Needs were needs.
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And so I think in that particular context, we're
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talking about the needs within that restaurant.
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But I'm going to guess there were personal needs on your side
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that drove you to be working at such a young age.
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I was I was an ambitious child who always wanted absolutely
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everything. And I remember getting into an
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argument with my father about the latest game system or a new
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pair of socks or who knows what, and he told me to find go get a
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job. And I marched my little butt
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down the street and I did just that.
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The only way they let me get a job there, though, was by roping
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my older brother, who was old enough to work, by roping him
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into working as well. And so that begrudgingly started
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his career as well. OK, OK.
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And so the fact that you got started so young helps in some
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part to explain how you became an executive chef at the ripe
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old age of 22. But obviously, still big leaps
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to be made from, you know, using a knife at the age of 13 to
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becoming an executive chef. How did you bridge that so
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quickly? Yeah, I went to high school and
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college at the same time, and so I was in culinary school and the
6:41
high school for the majority of high school.
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And on top of that, it was just continued refinement through
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great mentors, great chefs and some, some really hard work with
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a lot of fantastic individuals who saw a lot of pride in me.
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I always wanted to know the things I didn't know and I was
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willing to stay late, work harder, assume more than one
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role in order to be able to gain that knowledge.
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I was always thirsty for responsibility and a little bit
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more. And I, I still am very much that
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way. I can get passionate about
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absolutely anything. And so that led me to turning
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over a lot of a lot of leaves and opening doors that typically
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wouldn't have been open for individuals my age.
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So I want to briefly touch on some of the other accolades that
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you've achieved. You hold a sommelier pen from
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the Court of Master Sommeliers. Explain what that means and what
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it took to achieve. So CMS is just a like a
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certification or rating system as well as educate education.
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Most certifications are just the verification of education, but
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it's just kind of stating you understand the, the art, the
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nuance, the process of tasting, of presenting, of showing wines
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and everything that they have to offer.
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And so there's multiple levels. And I still plan on going back
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to continue more, but obviously right now that's not at the
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forefront of my focus. And so it's, that's just one of
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many random certifications that I, I have acquired to kind of
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verify my existence within this space.
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And I, I believed as I was young that I needed to do as much as I
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possibly could in every arena in order to verify what I knew
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because at every age anyone had always been, how on earth did
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you accomplish this, Sir? How on earth did you do this at
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this age? It was like, well, genuinely
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just working a ton from a young age and via osmosis and being in
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every position, but also never saying no and making sure that
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every time that I saw something that was outside of my
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understanding, I wanted to know as much as I could about it to
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make sure that I was as well-rounded and no one could
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challenge me on something that I wasn't at least remotely
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prepared for. And, and so wine was definitely
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a big one, coming from a chef doing a lot of wine dinners,
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which was seen as majorly prestigious when I was young.
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Yeah, I, I really wanted to make sure I could fill in that flavor
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and that experience for other individuals.
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And it, to this day, it, I believe every great moment in
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someone's life can probably be attributed to at least a point
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around a table with great food, great wine and even better
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company. And so that that is definitely a
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mantra that I live by, is recreating those moments for
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someone and understanding the vulnerability of expression at
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in those moments. And so the execution has to be
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flawless and almost subconsciously perfect in order
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for people to feel open and willing and accepting.
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And that's where you get those belly laughs and that's where
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you get those people going back for seconds and thirds or eager
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for the next course. So as you went into that
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certification process, let me see, I'm going to put words out
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there. You tell me if they're right or
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wrong. You already knew quite a bit
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about wine, you already knew quite a bit about pairings and
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tastings in the presentation. Obviously you learn more going
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through that process, but it sounds like a big part of it was
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just wanting to validate for other people that I'm Dane
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Wilfong and I had this experience and you know that
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because I have the certification.
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Yeah. And it was that part of it, at
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least. Absolutely.
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I don't, I, I think everyone should get the basic levels of
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the, the offerings that are out there for a lot of different
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certifications just to make sure that they have the baseline
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level of items. But I also think I don't think
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certifications are necessary in a lot of this industry.
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I think just knowing your stuff is really, really important.
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Most individuals in this industry who are immersed can
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accomplish those goals with very little studying or work
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thereafter, just because you have to know these things to be
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great at this job. And so it's, it's an, it's an
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already understood level or layer in being able to sell
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wine, be around wine, understand wine, pick wine.
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And that obviously I'm the type of individual who takes my
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vacations to learn more about objects and to immerse myself a
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little bit more in the culture. And so on weekends when I go out
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to, to vineyards, I, I, I want to see the rooms, I want to see
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the barrel rooms. I want to see a harvest.
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I want to see how things work because learning on paper isn't
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enough. I, I want to feel it.
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I want to understand it. I want to hear from the wine
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makers what their struggles are. And then I learned more about
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things that I shouldn't even remotely have strange knowledge
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in, which is absolutely fantastic.
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These are the little bits of life to get me excited.
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All right, give me an example of one of those things that you
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shouldn't or wouldn't need to really know, but you do just
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because you have such a passion for it.
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I just. Understanding like that
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cooperage, right, the way that the barrels are made or how few
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people actually make the barrels in the United States or like the
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the rare places the woods have to come from or the extensive
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processes. It's a it's a art that you
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believe in this world of fascinating, making everything
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faster. You you believe doesn't exist
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anymore. But it's still a very romantic,
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very, very limited view into a world that's still like
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blacksmith style of, you know, the underbelly of an industry.
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It's it's it's quite unique and fascinating.
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And I have far more respect for cooperage's and individuals
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making these barrels and putting them together than I ever would
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have if I didn't start digging. And cooperage it.
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What does this term mean? Just that's the the art or the
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science of making the barrels. Correct of putting the barrels
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together there. It's, it's an extensive process.
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And then whether individuals are using new or the type of wood or
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the size of the barrel, there's a lot of different houses with
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specialties and the kilns that are used, their styles.
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All of it is basically heirloom like it's passed down from
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somebody who's been doing something a really long time,
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generally from Europe or which of their families have been
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doing for a really long time, which their families have been
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doing for a really long time. I don't think anyone in recent
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history has gone this is what I want to do with my life and just
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created a brand new technique or way to do this.
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And even if they did it probably would not be anywhere near as
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great. The romance makes half of it
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right? Yeah, I love that.
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So you also contributed to the first Michelin recognition in
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the entire state of Maryland. Is this right?
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Yeah. So not one, but two Michelin
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keys for the Ivy Hotel in Baltimore.
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What? Were some of the key initiatives
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that led to that recognition. So Michelin had never come to
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Maryland previous it has Maryland has no stars,
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especially Baltimore and it had no keys.
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And so the key program was introduced only recently and we
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as a relay in Chateau. Most relay in Chateau properties
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are synonymous. They, most of them got keys,
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most of them have keys and some of the higher recognitions
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amongst the United States anyway.
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And so it was already an accolade that no one thought was
14:23
necessary, but it was really, really unique and very special.
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To continue at the Ivy Hotel was a labor of love.
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It was a beautiful historic cornerstone mansion in Mount
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Vernon, which is a beautiful historic part of Baltimore.
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You can't recreate anything like what that area is in the world,
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which is why I was drawn to it. I came back to Baltimore during
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COVID and they kept my heart, so I was unable to leave.
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And that project was absolutely phenomenal.
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So the refinement, the work, the beauty, ultra luxury, it's only
14:54
an 18 room hotel and it's it, it's truly a work of art in
14:59
every way, shape or form. And every employee who works
15:03
there has to love what they do. You know everyone by name,
15:07
you're anticipating their next steps.
15:08
You're making sure that when they're in Baltimore, whether
15:11
they're leaving the neighborhood or whether they're doing
15:13
anything or whether they want you to plan their entire time
15:16
for them, you have surrounded them with love, care and
15:19
attention. And to us, the we were going to
15:24
reach and ask for special permission from Michelin as like
15:28
the little Washington had asked for special permission to, to
15:31
rate them outside of DC. We were going to ask for special
15:34
permission to have eyes or view the Ivy Hotel.
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And before we were even able to do that, we were going through
15:40
extreme trainings. We were going through a lot of
15:42
work cleaning stuff up and I woke up 1 morning and saw that
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they had announced keys in Maryland and not even thinking
15:51
twice about it, I put the phone back down and then I got a
15:53
million calls from the PR team. My team kept calling and calling
15:56
and calling and it was a very spectacular thing to have
16:00
without having to do anything. They just came.
16:03
So you hadn't taken that step of requesting that they come and
16:06
check you guys out? We had not the beat us to it.
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And so the there was another property that was rated one key
16:15
in Maryland and it was the Pendry Hotel as well.
16:18
And so 22 Baltimore staples as far as the industry goes.
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And it's tough because luxury in Baltimore is difficult as we all
16:26
know. It's it's seen its ups and downs
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and tourism has definitely waned.
16:30
And So what capturing something like that, an environment like
16:34
that is very difficult to do. You have to be special and you
16:37
have to be unique, and so it's very, very grateful for all of
16:42
the work that they have done and that we have done as a team to
16:44
be recognized. That's outstanding.
16:47
OK, so how did the opportunity at Ned's come about?
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Oh, just a phone call from an individual that had already, I
16:57
was already on their radar for another project.
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And so I remember just getting a phone call being pushed through
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very, very quickly. I was not part of the opening
17:08
team in the way of pre opening. Definitely part of the opening
17:13
team as in I started the week we opened.
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But the and so definitely some growing pains there and a lot of
17:22
a lot of shifts and a lot of work.
17:24
There's still a lot of work and a lot of refinement and a lot of
17:27
fantastic things to come as we come into ourselves, especially
17:30
in the new year. This has been a really, really
17:33
fun project and I'm very excited to be a part of the team.
17:36
It's a globally recognized team. We have New York, Doha, DC and
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obviously London, which is the, the, the one, the start, the
17:46
incubator. And each of them, from what I
17:49
understand is completely different from the from, from
17:52
the rest of them. And I, this is such a unique and
17:56
lovely property. There is no there is nothing
17:58
like this that I've ever seen or been a part of, so I'm very
18:00
grateful for the opportunity. What really sets it apart?
18:04
It's first of the view. You you can't beat it.
18:07
No one really has this style of square footage this close.
18:12
We're right over the White House and we have a beautiful view of
18:15
the monument and the horizon, the airport and the the water.
18:20
Everything you could want in DC you can see from our terrace and
18:23
pretty much all of our forward facing windows.
18:25
So it's a we, we have an offence floor that's open to the public.
18:31
Well, obviously if you book an event and then we have members
18:35
driven floors that it's just on 10:00 and 12:00.
18:40
So there's two floors for just membership and it's a lot of
18:44
unique spaces. There's live entertainment
18:46
everyday. There's a library bar with a
18:49
beautiful collection of spirits from around the world and a lot
18:52
of rare things you can't get. So it's great for hosting right
18:55
now. It's has the largest Christmas
18:57
tree that I have ever seen. In the center of it, we have the
19:02
the drawing room, which is great.
19:03
We do tea service. We have, like I said, live music
19:06
every day. And then we have a gallery,
19:08
which is an all day American Italian concept and founders,
19:13
which is an all American steakhouse, which is the for
19:16
founding members. It's exclusive to individuals
19:20
who are that level of membership can be in that room.
19:22
And so who we see in that room, who we fraternize with everyday,
19:26
who we host is truly a wonderful collection of minds from around
19:31
the world of diversities were bipartisan opportunity as well.
19:36
All of our members are from anywhere and anything.
19:39
And then Kaya, our rooftop, which is our Pan Asian concept,
19:42
which has a terrace that's wrapped around the building, is
19:45
truly, truly a unique spot for just relaxing, having yourself
19:49
some sushi and some Pan Asian, as well as really enjoying a
19:53
list of spirits curated and cocktails curated for the same
19:57
it's. So for people who aren't
19:59
familiar with sort of this membership concept as it relates
20:01
to a club or restaurant, kind of akin to like a Country Club but
20:06
without the golf courses and tennis courts.
20:10
Yeah, that that association has made all the time.
20:13
And I do believe it's true in certain ways because we
20:17
definitely tried to emulate that sense of community and knowing
20:20
that when you're here, everyone you're surrounded with is
20:23
someone worth talking to, Whether it's sharing opinions
20:27
differ or alike, or meeting new friends, or even just hosting
20:32
who you currently have. The spaces lend themselves well
20:36
and each space is obviously unique as to how you want to use
20:39
it. Obviously if you're in the
20:41
library bar, you're going to run into a lot of different people
20:43
in an open kind of shared and communal space.
20:46
But if you're looking to just capture a table and listen to
20:49
the music, perfectly fine as well.
20:51
And then you can have your intimate dining experiences or
20:55
if you book a private event, whether obviously, we're in the
20:57
middle of holiday season. So we're seeing a million people
20:59
host their parties and they love to bring people through from
21:03
their groups and their parties and their just their coworkers
21:09
showing them off to a space that is an extension of their home,
21:12
which I think that is truly what's captured in a membership
21:15
space is we know who you are. We know everything about you.
21:19
We know your preferences, we know how you like to be greeted.
21:22
We know where you're going on vacation.
21:24
You know, you've told us these things.
21:25
And it's whether it's the server you told is definitely going to
21:27
be a different server who greeted you, welcomed you back
21:31
and asked you how your trip was. It's a very tight knit
21:33
community, regardless of how however many members we have at
21:37
that time. And it's it, it is truly a
21:40
wonderful place to be, to be seen.
21:45
And you use the word bipartisan in your description.
21:48
And being that it's in Washington, DC, safe to say that
21:53
this is, yeah, a place where a lot of influential politicians
21:57
will sometimes, you know, come to have their meetings, spend
22:01
their meals. Sherry Drake.
22:03
Yeah, there's, there's obviously and I will name no names, but
22:09
you can, you can certainly find articles around of all different
22:13
varieties of opinion. But you, you can see just about
22:18
everyone in this club and everyone shares the space
22:20
respect for them there. There are no fights, there are
22:23
no, there's no bickering, there's no difference of
22:27
opinions are met intelligently and well here in every space.
22:31
And I wouldn't say it means one way or the other.
22:34
Obviously we have members skewing that you'll see from the
22:38
current administration and things of that sort because they
22:41
are obviously across the street. But we do a very good job at
22:45
sourcing and making sure that we are only keeping the the member
22:50
ratios to to decent levels. And it's, that's never the
22:55
determining factor of why you're here.
22:57
But there there's just as many artists and there is actually a
23:00
very, very large grouping of young individuals as well, which
23:04
is something that membership clubs in DC struggle with the
23:07
good bit. And it's we're, we're very
23:09
grateful to have the mix that we do.
23:10
It's I, I'm very proud to walk around these halls.
23:14
That's awesome, I'd love to hear that.
23:16
Need more stability. You mentioned that there's some
23:20
spaces that are only available to founding members.
23:24
IS the term founding member what it sounds like like you got in
23:28
sort of at the early stages or is that just sort of like
23:30
another level of membership? It's a, it's another level.
23:33
We have a regular membership and then there's a few levels
23:36
outside of that. And obviously for Politico and
23:39
for other things of that blank. But there's the founding
23:42
membership is the highest tier membership, which I, I, I don't
23:45
want to misspeak on exactly what it gives you, but it does allow
23:49
membership to Soho as well. And it's for anyone in that
23:56
title, obviously it's a limited seating and so there's, there's
24:01
a wait list for both options. And so I, I only expect that to
24:05
continue to grow and it's, there's a lot of exciting buzz.
24:10
Is it the kind of thing where Ned's would look to or is
24:13
looking to expand to other locales?
24:16
Or is part of its charm that it there's only so many places that
24:21
you can find it? So I, I refuse to misspeak and
24:27
there I am. I am not allowed to say anything
24:32
further than, but there are certainly articles that lead to
24:38
the, the, the thought of expansion.
24:41
And it is mirrored in some of those conversations with our
24:44
head of brand that there are others in the future as well.
24:47
And so stay tuned as as soon as we announce anything the the the
24:52
media picks it up immediately. OK, I love the mystery.
24:56
We're we're hanging on the future words from you guys.
25:02
Let's see. I know that you know, throughout
25:04
your career you put a big emphasis on sourcing locally.
25:12
What in your current work maybe makes that challenging to drive
25:16
those locally sourced menus? This is a massive issue that
25:24
I've kind of been shouting at the walls for a while now,
25:27
especially since it was an issue before COVID, But it's
25:30
definitely an issue after we have seen the largest
25:36
opportunity for corporations and individuals with the financial
25:40
power to kind of make the competitive space non
25:45
competitive to small companies and small people.
25:48
I have seen so many small places give in or give up or be
25:52
absorbed by larger company that it's we're in danger of losing a
25:57
lot of our local representation. There's far less than there ever
26:01
has been of farms that are able to sell on the public market or
26:04
even willing to or capable of. The cost of goods has gone up so
26:08
greatly that every company tries not to give that cost to the
26:12
consumer. But in order to do so, they end
26:14
up having to go with larger groupings that have the
26:17
availability to bend their margins a little to make sure
26:21
that they can still keep the business while local can't do
26:24
that. So the first thing that goes is
26:26
people, if you can no longer afford to keep your doors open,
26:29
you're definitely not going to pay five extra dollars for that
26:31
vegetable from the market, right?
26:33
And so that's a massive threat at the moment.
26:37
I mean, like when, when we saw Walmart come through and we
26:40
thought they would never take out that small bait and tackle
26:43
shop, that small clothing store, that small, this, that.
26:46
Well, we blinked and they're all gone.
26:47
And there's nothing you can do about it.
26:48
They're never coming back Now. Those streets, especially in
26:51
places like Baltimore, remain empty.
26:54
You're looking at the same thing as far as food and beverage
26:58
goes. Independence are almost gone and
27:00
there's hardly anything we can do to get them back once they
27:03
are. It was going to be my question
27:06
it what's to be done about all this.
27:08
I I'm very worried about that. I can tell you to shop local
27:11
till I'm blue in the face, but that's obviously not going to
27:15
help you if you're struggling or you just simply can't add that
27:18
extra couple 100 bucks a month, which I completely understand.
27:21
I'm not going to guilt anybody into into into going to the
27:25
local farmers market and it is difficult.
27:27
It's much harder than ordering on Amazon.
27:29
I'm I'm I'm very hopeful that we're in a space where we have a
27:33
little bit more time and we are are a little bit more conscious
27:36
to where you have the moment. When you have the moment, you do
27:39
spend the moment and you do take the time to spend it at these
27:42
places. Hopefully restaurants are still
27:47
doing everything that they can in order to be able to uphold
27:51
certain contracts to be able to fulfill those orders to those
27:54
individuals. Obviously, we're in a very
27:57
seasonal market. So unless you want tubers,
27:59
that's that's really all you could get from the farmers
28:02
market at the moment if they're open.
28:04
But as soon as spring is back and get on out there, find
28:07
something new. There's a lot of great heirloom
28:09
projects. And even in Baltimore there's a
28:12
lot of really cool places that are gaining identity and taking
28:17
over abandoned lots and growing for their communities.
28:20
There's a lot of really cool initiatives happening in artsy
28:23
areas and that have a lot of passion and a lot of creativity
28:27
that it is finding ways to stay alive.
28:30
I think everyone just needs to be a little bit more conscious
28:33
of where exactly we're spending those dollars because you might
28:37
be able to survive now, but it's going to, it's only ever going
28:42
to become more difficult. When you say you'll be able to
28:46
survive, now you're talking about in terms of like, true
28:49
survival. Like, you know, I found the food
28:51
that I need to eat to stay alive.
28:54
I guess that's sort of like. The, the, the corporate options
28:57
will always be there for you, but the, the, the trickery there
29:01
is when you walk into a, a grocery store, most people, if
29:04
you've only ever shopped at a, a big box, you understand that
29:07
there are three bell Peppers, right?
29:09
This is one of my favorite examples, which may just be
29:12
different levels of the same pepper, right?
29:16
But once you go to a farmers market and you talk to some of
29:20
these individuals and you understand there's actually
29:22
thousands with different and varying flavor and taste
29:26
profiles, We're, we're letting the world become small.
29:30
After we started to learn that there was a bit more in it and
29:34
people were very excited about the expansion.
29:37
And all of that at our fingertips has allowed us to
29:40
open our minds a little bit more.
29:42
And we're kind of allowing our wallets to determine the the
29:47
shrinking again for the ease of access.
29:50
And that's probably going to continue.
29:51
But hopefully the individuals and by survival, I mean the the
29:56
passion of the smaller establishments, the row home
30:00
kitchens that are just doing what they're doing because they
30:02
really want to present a great product to you.
30:05
I think places like small cities like Baltimore or even there's a
30:10
lot of them up and down the East Coast that are are trying to
30:14
feed you just because they love what they do.
30:17
It's becoming very, very difficult for them to keep their
30:19
doors open due to the cost of goods, the cost of electricity,
30:22
and just how little people are going out these days for one
30:26
reason or the other. The survival of those
30:29
establishments depends solely on you getting out there.
30:32
And I understand that everyone can.
30:34
Yeah. I know a lot of your work over
30:36
the years has been about, you know, emphasizing efficiency and
30:41
profitability, right? You got to keep the doors open.
30:44
I'm wondering if you can walk us through an example of a process
30:48
that you introduced that improved operations without
30:52
having to sacrifice the guest experience on the back end.
30:56
Yeah, everything is about percentages.
30:58
So at the end of the day, you have a profit margin that you
31:01
protect that tries to keep your doors open even in moments that
31:06
aren't as kind to you. And so if you're doing something
31:10
in one region, you're just taking it away from another.
31:12
So you're balancing percentages. And so whether it's shared labor
31:17
from multiple facilities that are allowing you to still do a
31:20
great job because you've lessened that margin for
31:24
yourself or whether it's if you still remain, if you need to do
31:30
or you want to continue to do local, you may have to contract
31:33
with those individuals, right? You may be like, OK, great, I'm
31:35
going to guarantee this much sales from you, but I need to
31:38
guarantee this pricing from you, right?
31:41
And so there there's a lot of a give and take and like what's at
31:45
the market is usually negotiable, especially if you
31:48
have your buying power understood.
31:51
And so there's, there's a lot of initiatives of hey, I'm, I can
31:55
guarantee you this many sales based on the volume and what we
31:58
do. And like if we don't use those
32:00
items, we can obviously preserve them and find other ways to use
32:02
them throughout the year. And so massive preservation
32:05
programs everywhere that I've been have generally kept us in
32:08
good standing with those with those options or items.
32:12
Yeah. But as far as any single fire
32:14
unique one-size-fits-all solution to move?
32:18
With that low hanging fruit that any restaurant can put in.
32:22
Oh yeah, no, it's any. Hotel No.
32:25
That's, that's a difficult one. Yeah, it's, well, the biggest
32:28
one is the key to success is having happy staff.
32:31
And, and like, it's such an overrated thing because everyone
32:35
assumes there's a line out the door for line level or entry
32:38
level positions. A, that's not necessarily true
32:40
and B, treating yourself well is going to cut your cost of
32:45
turnover down tremendously. What's cut your HR down
32:48
tremendously? Which cuts?
32:50
I'm trying to find these individuals down tremendously.
32:52
Training time, like training is money.
32:54
Mistakes is money, which is the biggest one people don't
32:57
understand. Everyone makes so many mistakes
33:00
within their first so many months that cost the business a
33:03
lot of money and you can say, oh, they're new, great, but they
33:06
didn't have to be. Putting a little bit more money
33:09
and indexing earlier in taking care of your individuals is
33:13
going to lead to better and happier customer understanding
33:17
and better retention as far as customers go.
33:19
And overall, it does come down to if you're not an employee
33:23
first company, you're probably going to have challenges and
33:27
have to make cuts somewhere along the line.
33:29
And I think that's probably the biggest one that's overlooked.
33:33
So what is the labor market there in DC here at the end of
33:36
2020? Five, I was surprised.
33:39
And where do you need positioning?
33:41
And so we're not, we're in luxury, but we're not in public
33:46
facing luxury, which presents us a couple issues.
33:49
We obviously can't get Michelin recognition, we can't get 50
33:52
best. We can't get certain public
33:54
recognitions that most people can because of the gate capped
33:57
membership. And so a lot of employees that
34:00
work here that are left here in this industry are driven by
34:03
passion and accolades and what they can achieve in the
34:05
visibility of where they work. And so a lot of individuals
34:09
can't necessarily like they don't have visibility of what
34:13
this is and their perception of membership clubs are some of the
34:15
older ones that they don't necessarily take pride in
34:17
working in. And because there's not much
34:20
creativity in them or this or that.
34:22
So we don't have a huge pool of employment ready and willing and
34:29
waiting. We have built more of a base now
34:32
due to the amount of prestige through media and things of that
34:36
sort that people have seen out there, some public events in
34:38
which we've hosted that allow people through that can see what
34:42
we are and what we stand for and the level in which we operate or
34:44
are continuing to establish. And so we're gaining more of a
34:48
base. But it, it was a struggle.
34:50
It's still a struggle. And, and the holidays,
34:53
everyone's heads down, nobody's leaving their job in the
34:55
holidays. So January will be another run,
34:58
but we're going to have to over index again on training, on
35:03
making sure that everyone is up to speed and understanding.
35:05
There will still be loss and attrition.
35:07
Everyone who works here in DC, especially in the financial
35:09
district, no one really lives right here because of the
35:12
expense. And they also have more than one
35:15
job. And so it's very difficult to
35:19
try to pertain extremely dedicated individuals because
35:23
they're leaving here to go to another job.
35:25
So we can't say, hey, we really need to work a double today
35:27
because this person's out. The answer is usually no.
35:30
I'm so sorry. I have another job to get to.
35:32
And or if they're beat, they're tired, they're worked their
35:35
other job or other other job. And there's a lot of call outs.
35:39
There's a lot of individuals with less passion to be here or
35:44
existing because of how many jobs they have to have to
35:47
survive in DC. Wow.
35:49
So what are some of the, you know, kind of understanding that
35:52
employment landscape that you guys are in?
35:55
What are some of the things that you guys are able to do to make
35:59
that employment experience enjoyable?
36:02
So we, we have great benefits. We are above market in just
36:08
about every way in that facet, even pay and we have continued
36:12
training. There's high visibility to
36:14
leadership. We do have the availability if
36:17
someone's been here for long enough, we're we're happy to
36:20
send a good word and to send you to off to another one of our
36:23
locations that looking for a similar position.
36:25
Or if you can't find growth here, we can set you up on a
36:27
path to do so. Every single one of our leaders
36:30
is from all over the place and they're all from fantastic
36:32
establishments. And so there's a lot of
36:36
different opportunities, a lot of different personality and a
36:38
lot of different leadership styles to learn under, to grow
36:41
under to kind of establish your footing here.
36:45
There's not really many multi units available in DC to work
36:49
in. So to work in a place where you
36:51
can kind of climb the ladder in a multi unit is it's a unique
36:54
market to break into. So this I would consider this an
36:58
entry level in that way that you kind of an A happy thing that a
37:03
lot of people aren't necessarily looking at it for.
37:05
And we also have a lot of soft management positions for people
37:08
to grow into. We have supervisor roles, we
37:10
have leads in just about every position and there's we're
37:13
growing our positioning in each of our establishments.
37:17
As our, as our identities become more solidified and we gain
37:22
ground in understanding of what we are, we're adding more and
37:24
more layers to make each establishment better.
37:27
And so the wine programs are improving, the cocktail and
37:29
programs are improving, our offerings are improving,
37:32
culinary is improving. And so to be a part of this and
37:35
to ride the wave from employment is a truly a really awesome
37:38
thing to be a part of. I think what I'm hearing you say
37:42
is something that I've heard a lot of other folks in the
37:45
hospitality space talk about, which is what a great industry
37:50
to be in, in so much that you don't necessarily have to have
37:54
come from a traditional high education background, right?
37:58
You don't need a college education.
38:00
You can start out in your case as a 13 year old washing dishes
38:05
and you know, using a knife and work your way up.
38:08
And if you're if you're willing to put in that hard work in the
38:13
long hours, there are opportunities that exist for
38:15
you. I what I love most about this
38:18
business is that it's for literally everyone.
38:23
There are so many facets and I know I've been through all of
38:26
them. Whether it catering, whether it
38:28
luxury, whether it casual, whether it hotel, whether it
38:32
resort, There is so many options for everyone that provides the
38:36
work life that you're looking for, provides the level of
38:38
education, passion and reward that you're looking for.
38:42
But you don't have to start knowing anything about your
38:46
future, where you want to go. This industry will welcome you,
38:49
shape you, be excited about your wins and find places for you to
38:54
go where you are rewarded for being what you are and what
38:57
you're great at. It's truly one of the only ones
39:01
in the world that I have seen that will accept just about
39:05
anyone of any experience level. And no matter how hard you're
39:08
willing to work, you will be rewarded for that.
39:11
Or you can find somewhere that is better suited for exactly
39:15
what you're looking for. And it does.
39:17
I this industry doesn't see color, it doesn't see
39:20
background, it doesn't see where you're from, your social status.
39:23
It sees none of that. All it sees is how hard you're
39:27
willing to work, that you're willing to show up everyday, and
39:30
that you're hungry to be the best at whatever it is that you
39:33
might be doing. Whether it's your job or an
39:35
absorbed position. It's it's it's true.
39:38
What? Do you mean by that or an
39:40
absorbed position? Well, because if you, a lot of
39:44
smaller establishments can't break out positions the way that
39:48
a larger company would. And so if you're an early
39:51
manager, you're also now the financial department, you're
39:53
also now the HR, you're also now a lot of hats that you're
39:56
responsible for, that you're learning things that you would
39:59
have had no business learning in a larger corporation, that they
40:02
keep it in silos. And so you learn so much about
40:05
the industry in early management positions that if you chose to
40:09
expand upon those and to be great at those and to take a
40:13
burden off of someone above you, they're happy to give it to you
40:16
and they're happy to let you learn and they're happy to let
40:18
you assist them. I mean, obviously the higher you
40:20
get up or in different parts of the industry, they'll they'll go
40:23
back to their silos and they want to protect their payroll.
40:26
They want to protect the things that obviously could end up in
40:29
lawsuit or items of that sort. But if you're working on a mom
40:33
and pop or if you're working in a smaller stand alone location,
40:35
the opportunities of what you have access to learn are wild.
40:40
And it's a large misunderstood thing to people.
40:45
And if you want to just put your head down and be a great server,
40:48
you can absolutely do that and make a career out of that as
40:50
well. I know servers that make 6
40:52
figures easy in this industry, but they again, they have to
40:55
decide that that's profession for them.
40:57
And so they've studied it, they've become, they've gotten
41:00
solemn certs, they've gotten a little bit of culinary
41:03
background or education to understand exactly what it is
41:05
that they're selling that they're offering how to create
41:08
an experience for you and to make sure that they're
41:11
anticipatory in every single way possible.
41:14
You can't just wander into this and do bare minimum and be fine.
41:17
Some people do and it's, it's weird when they do, but that's
41:20
not a long term strategy. You have to be great.
41:24
And by great, I just mean you have to show up and you have to
41:26
want to be here. And the excitement to learn that
41:29
I have that again, I, I said earlier, I can get passionate
41:33
about just about everything. The people that want to take
41:35
care of people accidentally or subconsciously find themselves
41:39
doing that anyway. And I, I absolutely love that.
41:44
What's a trend or a shift that you see in the dining and
41:47
hospitality space that you're excited about?
41:51
I think there is a return to focusing on employee first, as I
41:56
had stated earlier, I think as we went to the celebrity chef,
42:00
as we went to glamorizing with a lot of TV show or reality show
42:04
or things of that sort, individuals had a false sense of
42:08
of lying out the door for employment.
42:10
And so it became more about how much money can you make, how
42:14
quickly can you make it, how much can you expand your
42:16
business? And the focus became on a few
42:19
select celebrity in an establishment.
42:23
But I think it's moving back towards the server is just as
42:27
important. That server who's been there for
42:29
five years is even more important that staffing level at
42:32
every level. Do you want them around?
42:35
Do you want to know their name? You want to know their families?
42:38
I think like, besides big bigger TV shows like just came out,
42:41
they have glorified maybe in bad ways, parts of the industry.
42:45
Yeah, the, the, the industry is not like that.
42:47
By and large. I feel like it is healing.
42:50
I feel like conversations have been started and are having
42:52
about the toxic culture and nature and cycles.
42:56
And I, I think we're trying to protect the 40 day work week for
42:59
individuals. You're starting to see a lot
43:01
more competitive benefits. I think you're starting to see a
43:05
lot more like included things like therapy and pet insurance
43:09
and Wellness plans and making sure that people are treated as
43:14
people or along the same lines as other other industries are
43:18
treating their individuals. This is becoming more of a home
43:21
for more individuals. My previous statement for this
43:23
industry doesn't necessarily love you back.
43:26
And I, I feel like it's starting.
43:31
I'm starting to see wounds heal and I'm starting to see us get
43:34
away from bad pattern, which is, which is allowing each place
43:39
that you go to breathe new life and gain new identity by
43:43
trusting in its people as opposed to treating him as
43:45
turnover, which I I think is is a great movement that I hope
43:50
continues momentum. What do you think has opened the
43:53
door to that healing? I think the fact that it forgot
43:57
about those individuals and that they weren't there for them when
44:02
COVID ended made forced the industry to become competitive
44:08
and find new and exciting ways to either understand if if they
44:13
didn't want to reinvest in their employees, what is it that their
44:19
focus is right? And I think everyone had to take
44:22
a deep, hard look at what you really want your business model
44:25
to be. And some people dumb down their
44:28
up their opportunities and what they are and what they want to
44:31
be to smaller establishment. So they had to have less staff.
44:35
And some places said, no, no, no, we're just going to over
44:38
index and we're going to move this percentage over here.
44:41
We're going to turn this lever so that we can turn this lever
44:43
up and so that we can try to attract individuals that we
44:46
actually want that family feeling back in a restaurant,
44:49
right? Which is like, we don't want
44:51
that individual to burn out. We want to be able to give them
44:53
days off because we see that they're struggling.
44:55
You know, it's I, I think there's been a, a massive push
44:58
in that arena and it started past COVID.
45:01
Absolutely. And there's there's no hiding
45:04
the fact that the industry got to a bad place and that like
45:08
tourist towns, resorts definitely treated individuals
45:12
like numbers and understood that every year is a new slew of
45:15
individuals and they're going to start all over again.
45:18
They're you can only do that until you're faced with that
45:23
list not being out the door, that list of being cherry
45:26
pickings of individuals that you may have hired previously that
45:30
have to be convinced or just a much leaner pool.
45:36
And the talent as well became leader with it because people
45:39
found how to transition out of the industry and use the talents
45:42
or the multiple hats that they learned isn't necessarily
45:45
something that's synonymous with every industry.
45:47
So other industries learned that a lot of hospitality individuals
45:51
were great employees because they're thinking about more than
45:54
just their jobs. And their transition was easy
45:58
and amazing. And people loved how much work
46:01
they they expected of themselves to do every day.
46:05
Because of how much this industry demands of you and how
46:07
much it doesn't sleep. They transitioned well to a lot
46:10
of different opportunities. Did you have any visibility into
46:14
specific industries where a lot of folks transitioned into?
46:18
I hear what you're saying that, you know, because the
46:21
hospitality folks that wear so many hats, they're always
46:24
worried about the customer experience, always focused on
46:26
that, that they transitioned well into lots of different
46:29
kinds of roles. But did you see any specific
46:32
places where more of these folks kind of landed?
46:35
It was pretty even across the board, but if you actually a lot
46:39
of individuals went into sales because they were already used
46:42
to achieving something and they were already used to working for
46:44
a Commission and they were already used to working day and
46:46
night for something. Logistics sales, I saw a lot of
46:51
individuals go through to some larger corporations in kind of
46:55
just operations. Like you saw a lot of
46:58
operational directors, you saw a lot of director roles, you saw a
47:01
lot of soft management. And so and I know a lot of
47:05
individuals that did very, very well in travel or international
47:08
company that the transition was very easy for a lot of people.
47:12
I know the job market right now is much less than it than it was
47:17
then. I I know everyone has tightened
47:19
the strings and there's a lot of vacancies that are not being
47:23
refilled or waiting until the new year, waiting to see what's
47:25
happening politically. But when jobs were open and
47:29
available and the market was flush, individuals had a very
47:34
easy time transitioning. So Dane, there's probably some
47:38
folks that look at you and like, man, look at all these dining
47:42
awards, these catering awards, these recognitions, these
47:45
certifications, and this guy, just everything comes easy to
47:48
him. But no doubt there have been
47:50
some hardships and difficulties to overcome in your life.
47:54
Can we explore just one of those?
47:57
Talk through what it was, how you got through it, and what you
47:59
learned. Yeah, one that I like to talk
48:03
about frequently to allow others who don't think that they have
48:06
the opportunity to break into this industry or into luxury.
48:11
I, I did not come from wealth and this was so far away from
48:16
where I ever would have imagined that I would have been because I
48:19
didn't think I was allowed access to this part of the
48:22
industry or to this part of the world period.
48:26
The only access I had to this was by working it, by lifting
48:31
it, by, by providing that experience for others in this
48:34
market. And so it was a massive eye
48:37
opener in a fantastic window into a world I wouldn't have
48:41
known otherwise. But I had such a point of pride
48:44
of breaking into every social tier and learning and meeting
48:49
and being accepted by individuals far beyond where I
48:54
would have been had I stayed in my hometown just outside of
48:57
Baltimore. But it was accepting.
49:00
This industry continue to be accepting.
49:03
But the biggest thing people don't realize is you have to
49:06
continue to work the the modern day philosophy of Oh yeah, just
49:13
do your best, show up every day and it'll come to you.
49:16
That's not necessarily true. You, you have to look for the
49:19
opportunities and you have to keep looking for the
49:21
opportunities. You have to network and you have
49:24
to have pride in yourself and your work and you have to sell
49:27
yourself. It's a lot of work to make it or
49:31
transition. But if there's something that's
49:33
not treating you well, you have to stand up for yourself and you
49:37
have to fight for the next thing.
49:38
The next best thing is for you. And it's it's difficult.
49:42
It's not easy to find. These items don't come easy.
49:48
And like some things, yeah, they happened overnight and I woke up
49:51
and this fantastic thing happened and we all clinked
49:54
glasses and then we moved on the next day and kept moving towards
49:58
the goal. We are moving towards the whole
49:59
time, right? There's no stop sign.
50:01
There's no, you're good, you made it and someone is looking
50:04
at you and we'll pick you up. Now.
50:06
The, the, the answer is you're, you're going to have to work
50:09
just about every day if you want to keep moving forward.
50:13
And if you don't, that's OK. There's also a stopping point
50:17
for a lot of individuals that we had discussed earlier that this
50:21
industry is demanding and it's going to continue to be
50:23
demanding and it may be more demanding than a family life
50:27
could mean for you. It may be more demanding than
50:31
what your current situation allows.
50:34
Some people fail physically and due to the physical demands of
50:38
this industry and like that's also, that's perfectly fine,
50:42
that's OK. There's so many people who have
50:47
transitioned for one reason or the other and come out happy how
50:51
much happier they had found success and they put to bed.
50:55
Especially chefs. Chefs are such a prideful bunch
50:59
that they they don't find themselves gratified or think
51:05
that the world sees them or understood or cared about them
51:08
until they achieve the highest form of recognition possible.
51:12
But no, to all of my friends out there, you did you.
51:16
You did enough. You've always done enough.
51:19
The people around you saw it. Those diners who had fantastic
51:22
experiences, who you were ingrained in the rest of their
51:25
life because of that birthday dinner or that celebration
51:27
dinner or that meal that they'll never forget.
51:29
And there's more of those out there than you'll ever imagine.
51:32
You've impacted more people's lives than you'll ever imagine.
51:37
And it's okay to say I'm done. It's over.
51:40
This is it for me. I have accomplished as much as I
51:43
can or should or want to. And you can pick it back up at
51:46
any time as well. It doesn't go away.
51:48
You can hit the books, you can get back in there and you can
51:51
call up one of your chef friends and say, hey, I want to get back
51:54
in the industry. Can you help me out for a couple
51:56
months while I get my my knife skills back while I get my feet
52:00
under me? Like it'll always be there for
52:02
you again when you're ready for it, But you can take time for
52:05
your family. You can back out.
52:07
You can say enough is enough. Now it's.
52:11
Yeah. And Dane, do you ever think
52:13
about saying that? Oh, I always have.
52:16
Every relationship that's ever ended, every time I go through
52:22
again, a new opening or something of that sort where
52:25
you're pushed far past where you should be as a human.
52:29
I, I find myself sometimes sitting in a grocery store
52:32
lying, being like, oh, this is nice, right?
52:36
Just to be a part of society in a way that is intolerable
52:41
normally. I personally always bounce back
52:45
because I've taken such pride. This has been so much of my life
52:49
that I know that one day that that focus will shift and I will
52:54
have to face if I want a family, if I want a happy relationship,
52:59
if I want these things, I will have to change the percentages
53:03
of where my work effort and ambition go.
53:06
And and so are those things so hard for folks that are highly
53:09
ingrained in the industry to achieve because of the late
53:14
hours, because of the long hours, because of the physical
53:18
demand, because the customers are rude.
53:21
Like what kind of paint a picture for people who are
53:23
outside the industry and help us understand.
53:26
Yeah, especially being in management or of a higher
53:29
position and even lower when you're needed, you're needed.
53:32
And, and so in a position like mine, especially with a new
53:35
opening and I've done so many of them.
53:37
Most people do one or two and they're done.
53:39
They they don't want to do any more of that.
53:41
You're putting out fires every single day at every point of the
53:44
day. Now payroll, if it went wrong,
53:48
it can last you a 24 hour stretch of constant calls and
53:54
trying to correct systems and deadlines that you may not be
53:58
able to meet. And then you have to push it off
54:00
further and let chains of other people who were waiting on you
54:02
know there is. Or there can be an emergency in
54:06
the building where the fire suppression system went off or
54:08
something's not working or the fire or the walk-ins had gone
54:11
down. And someone needs to be there to
54:13
mediate for damage loss and control.
54:16
Like there, there is so many things that keep you moving at
54:20
all hours of the day that you have to pay attention to
54:22
consistently that are you're, you're always on call, you're
54:26
always working, you're always there.
54:28
And if you're not, the ramifications or the damage that
54:30
could happen thereafter is felt by someone somewhere.
54:33
Yes, you have teams you can delegate to, but someone's
54:35
paying attention to it. And at the end of the day,
54:39
especially in newer openings or smaller facilities, because the
54:43
less shared services you have, the more hats you have to wear.
54:47
So the more things you have to pay attention to.
54:50
And so especially ownership or management of smaller
54:52
facilities, they can't pay for an expansive team.
54:56
They're on call all day every day.
54:58
If in case the fire alarm goes off, in case something happens
55:01
to their business, in case they're shorted something or
55:03
something happens in the world that could affect their
55:05
business. They're immediately scrambling
55:07
how wondering if they have enough money to make it through
55:09
and how to allocate something to make sure they're paying staff
55:12
or how they have to cut down if not like everyone is worried
55:15
about this consistently. This isn't just a nine to five.
55:18
I'm turning my brain off and I'll see you tomorrow.
55:21
For the individuals, there are parts of this industry that are
55:23
like that and there are people fortunate enough to be able to
55:26
do so. But the inability to do that for
55:29
a lot of individuals in order to keep things moving or to keep a
55:33
grasp on what's happening, that that burns folks out more than
55:36
anything else. And individuals like myself, I
55:39
enjoy it, I don't mind it. I love being immersed and I, I
55:43
can think about a lot of different things at the same
55:45
time. But if I had three kids and
55:49
wanted to take off for this holiday season now, I guarantee
55:53
you I would be receiving a lot of phone calls and I would be
55:57
checking my e-mail everyday still.
55:59
And I would. I'd still be here mentally to
56:02
make sure that everyone is supported.
56:05
So if and when you are able to disconnect from work, even for
56:08
just a little bit, what do you enjoy doing outside of work?
56:13
Oh, funny question. I, I enjoy nature it it kind of
56:19
heals me in ways it does a lot of individuals, but I also enjoy
56:24
education. The way that I survive burnout
56:27
is actually by learning and feeling fulfilled and better for
56:30
the people around me and my own industry.
56:33
And so I, I usually take trips with a focus on education, but
56:38
also reconnecting with nature. I am a avid rock climber.
56:42
I enjoy sailing. I enjoy all kinds of really fun
56:45
things that connect me back to the world.
56:49
Obviously less dangerous things these days I can't afford, I
56:52
can't afford any broken bones. But I, I, I enjoy big cities as
56:57
well. The seeing all the culture and
56:59
what everybody has to offer provide.
57:00
Being provided new and constant experiences is something I look
57:06
for. Dane, I've just got one more
57:08
question for you today. But before I ask that, I want to
57:10
do 3 quick things. First of all, anyone who wants
57:13
to get in touch with Dane, he's given us his personal e-mail
57:17
address to share with you. Dane, jwilfong@gmail.com.
57:22
Dane jwilfong@gmail.com. And we'll have that in the show
57:25
notes for folks too. Also, as a reminder, if you want
57:28
to get more hospitality employees, access to therapist
57:31
doctors and prescription meds that Can you believe it actually
57:35
puts more money into the company's pocket, reach out to
57:38
us at add back benefits.com. Finally, if you'll take a moment
57:42
and just leave us a comment or review on your favorite podcast
57:45
app and you'll hold a special place in my heart forever.
57:48
Thank you. So Dane, last question, a year
57:51
from now, you and I reconnect and you're celebrating one very
57:54
specific thing. What is that specific thing you
57:57
hope to be celebrating one year from today?
58:03
That's that's, that's a good one.
58:05
I like that. Well, I look to be celebrating
58:12
another year of fantastic successes.
58:15
Absolutely. And I, I look to be celebrating
58:19
it with a like minded team of individuals.
58:24
I would like to as well be celebrating that the industry
58:32
has healed ever so slightly right, that you hear that jobs
58:37
have opened back up and that you hear that local markets are
58:42
flourishing, that it becomes more abundant and more clear.
58:48
And I, I just look to be celebrating the world a little
58:53
bit more at peace than it was this this this year.
58:58
I think that's the biggest thing I could possibly ask for.
59:01
Love that. Hope we're all celebrating that.
59:04
Well, Dane Wilfong from Nets Club, specifically in Washington
59:07
DCI, want to be the first to thank you for sharing both your
59:09
time and your story with us today.
59:12
I really appreciate you. Thank you so much for having me.
59:15
Folks, that's a wrap on another episode of the Inspired Stories
59:18
podcast. Thanks for learning with us
59:19
today.