Back to Basics podcast cuts through the noise to focus on what matters in hospitality. Join Rachael Nemeth, CEO of Opus Training, as she talks with service industry leaders who are shaping today's workforce.
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Michelle JagroopChief People Officer
EP24: Why Every Business Problem Is Actually a People Problem
August 13, 2026
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Neil AminChief Executive Officer
NEWEP23: You Can't Fake Family Culture with Neil Amin, Shamin Hotels
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Heather McKeonChief Operating Officer
EP22: The Secret to Better Training? Build Systems People Actually Use
June 18, 2026
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Julian BarnesCo-Founder and CEO
EP21: Why People and Systems Are the Real Growth Bottleneck in Fitness
June 2, 2026
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Chris GriebeChief Operating Officer
EP20: Scaling Consistency Across 3,700 Employees in Fitness
April 1, 2026
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Jason ThompsonCOO, Co-Founder
EP19: Scaling the Experience Economy, From Escape Rooms to 100 Units of Play
March 5, 2026
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Gary ArcherPresent & CEO
EP18: Great Service Isn’t Expected in Recreational Sports and That’s Why It Works
February 11, 2026
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Jena HendersonChief Operating Officer
EP17: What the Modern Franchisor Actually Needs to Scale
January 12, 2026
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Josh HalpernChief Business Officer
EP16: How to Scale 19 Brands Without Breaking the P&L
December 2, 2025
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Anthony ValletaCEO + President
EP15: How to Scale Hospitality Without Losing the Human Touch
November 19, 2025
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Kelly SaundersSVP of Experience
EP14: The Real Work of Turning Smashburger’s CEO Vision Into Rapid Execution
November 4, 2025
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Jason MorganCEO
EP13: The Real Math of Restaurant Expansion
October 14, 2025
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Elle PiperSenior Director of Operations
EP12: Building the Field Leadership Team from a Field Leaders' POV
September 29, 2025
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Carl BachmannPresident & COO,
EP11: Playbook For Scaling From 10 to 50+ Units
August 20, 2025
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Etkin TekinCo-Founder & CEO
EP10: Breaking the Turnover Cycle That Kills Restaurant Expansion
July 31, 2025
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Suzie TsaiCEO
EP 9: Training as Brand Strategy
July 1, 2025
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Anthony FassioChief Retail and Operations Officer
EP8: Scaling the Brand, Not Just the Business
June 12, 2025
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Aaron NoveshenCEO
EP7: Innovating the Fast Food Experience Through People Development
May 12, 2025
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Blake BuchananCEO
EP6: Scaling a Franchise Through People Development and Purpose
April 28, 2025
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Andy HooperHospitality CEO
EP5: Building a Sustainable System of Hospitality
April 14, 2025
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Darren SpicerCo-Founder + CEO
EP4: Scaling Business through Customer Experience, Speed, and Connection
March 17, 2025
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EP3: The State of Operations: 2025 Hospitality Training 360 Report Recap
March 11, 2025
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Celton Hayden, Jr.CEO
EP2: Building a People First Culture: Training, Hiring, and Leadership in the Service Industry
February 25, 2025
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Gregg MajewskiCEO
EP1: AI in L&D for Frontline Workers with Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Brands
January 21, 2025
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Meet the host!
Rachael Nemeth is the CEO and Co-Founder of Opus Training. Drawing from her experience at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, she understands the challenges of deskless workers firsthand. Through ESL Works and Opus, she merges education, technology, and hospitality expertise to create effective training for service teams.
