Will Guidara is the author of Unreasonable Hospitality and co-founder of the world’s #1 restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. He joins us to share how lessons from hospitality can be a huge competitive advantage for your brand. We discuss the power of small but impactful gestures, intelligent naivety, the 95/5 rule and investing in the things that can’t be measured but make all the difference.

Will also reflects on the mindset that took Eleven Madison Park to the top, what businesses can learn from restaurants, and how applying unreasonable hospitality can turn any customer experience into something truly extraordinary.

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Start
00:00:57 - Will’s experience writing his book
00:02:11 - Getting 4 stars from The New York Times
00:04:43 - What marketers can learn from Unreasonable Hospitality
00:08:08 - Where did the term “unreasonable hospitality” come from?
00:14:13 - Why Will is fine being “The Dining Room Guy”
00:16:40 - Why Will added a beer sommelier - reverse benchmarking
00:20:29 - Intelligent naivety and the advantages of youth
00:23:30 - The power of small thoughtful gestures that make a lasting impact
00:27:22 - The 95/5 rule - how to succeed with things that cannot be measured
00:31:47 - Restaurant smart vs corporate smart
00:36:50 - Why you sometimes need conflicting goals
00:41:34 - Is the customer always right?
00:45:55 - Turning pain points into highlights
00:48:06 - How Will Guidara makes getting the bill a memorable experience
00:51:38 - Why nothing in the world can replace persistence
00:53:40 - Never waste a good crisis
00:56:52 - What Will would do at Cannes with no budget
00:59:56 - How Shake Shack kept 11 Madison Park going
01:00:48 - Which fast food chains does Will admire
01:03:51 - Hiring exceptional talent
01:06:17 - Getting siloed teams to work together in harmony
01:09:07 - What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail

Jess Butcher MBE has built a career at the intersection of technology and consumer behaviour. She co-founded AR pioneer Blippar and has since turned her attention to a growing issue: how AI and social media are shaping our brains, behaviour, and wellbeing.

In this episode, Jess shares what she’s learned as a founder, why female entrepreneurs still struggle to access funding, and why she believes brands must take responsibility for the attention economy they help create. We discuss how “More Soul, Less Scroll” is encouraging healthier digital habits, and the practical steps companies can take to drive positive change.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
01:41 - Jess’ background as a female founder
05:56 - How Jon used Jess’ QR code startup
13:19 - Why Blippar ultimately failed
17:34 - The lessons from Blippar’s failure
21:30 - Why female founders struggle to get funding
25:50 - The characteristics of successful founders
31:15 - How AI is re-wiring our brains negatively
34:05 - Why social media is ruining our lives
40:09 - Why is this problem getting worse if we know about it?
44:17 - What ScrollAware is trying to do about the problem
48:38 - Which brands are taking responsibility for this problem best?
54:46 - Less Scroll More Soul sleeping bags

Craig Brommers, CMO of American Eagle, joins us to go behind the scenes of one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year; Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle. Craig reveals what really happened, why the brand partnered with Sydney, and how they handled the extreme social-media reaction. We discuss the data behind the campaign’s success, the decision to pause before responding, and what the advertising press got wrong. Craig also shares lessons in brand leadership, navigating public scrutiny, and what it takes to be a successful CMO in 2025.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:35 - The Travis Kelce x American Eagle collaboration
01:51 - Why American Eagle partnered with Sydney Sweeney
03:21 - Did American Eagle know the campaign was going to explode on social media
04:24 - What caused the extreme reaction to the campaign?
06:08 - The System1 scores for the Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle campaign
08:11 - How did it feel seeing the campaign come under so much scrutiny?
11:50 - Choosing to pause instead of reacting immediately
13:41 - Dealing with the personal side of some of the comments
15:09 - The actual results of the Sydney Sweeney campaign
16:51 - The reaction vs the media buy - what was the impact?
18:11 - When Jon almost closed the London Underground with Amaretto
20:53 - Did the advertising press get it wrong about the American Eagle campaign?
22:14 - Craig’s advice for other marketers facing a crisis
27:15 - Will American Eagle continue to work with Sydney Sweeney?
28:31 - Are we entering a “Jeans Wars” era?
29:40 - The product strategy for American Eagle
30:51 - How important are celebrity endorsements in Fashion
31:45 - What are the elements for success for American Eagle
33:26 - 3 things that make a successful CMO in 2025
39:56 - What does a successful CMO look like?
40:44 - The one thing to remember from this conversation