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Pilot Light Consulting

@pilotlightconsulting

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♟️ Strategy Studio for social enterprises, hospitality ventures, & CPG
🚀 Launch 👟 Sprints 🖐️ People

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Steal this system!! Endless gratitude to guest coach Courtney Blake of @PilotLightConsulting, who joined us inside The Walk-In this summer.

Want a place to give and receive ideas like this one that make daily life in your food business a little more easeful and light?

Join The Walk-In waitlist through the link in our 👆 bio to be the first to know when our doors re-open.

Behind you,
Alison & Kimberly

P.S. Give @pilotlightconsulting a follow for more excellent operational systems tips.

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This team right here is @pilotlightconsulting and they are friggin' awesome.

I met PLC's owner, Courtney (front and center in this pic), close to 10 years ago when I was still living in San Francisco.

We instantly recognized that we shared similar values and a purpose around supporting food & beverage business owners and leaders as they bring their dreams to life in a sustainable, people-centered way.

Courtney and her team at Pilot Light are master culture-builders and systems ninjas and we had the privilege of sharing their expertise inside The Walk-In earlier this summer.

One of our group members shared that she'd been trying really hard to hold to stricter boundaries around time at work so she could be more present at home, but was still spending all day putting out other people's fires and then spending evenings doing her actual job.

Courtney's absolute 🎤 drop of an answer that I've repeated at least 10 times since she said it?

"Don't steal their struggle."

OOF!!! Say it again, sister.

Courtney was generous enough to write a blog to share with ya'll so you have the opportunity to learn from her team even if you didn't join us in The Walk-In this year. Check it out through the 🔗 in our bio.

Want to hear directly from experts like @pilotlightconsulting and have a place to ask your biggest questions every week? Join The Walk-In waitlist through the link in our bio to be the first to hear about early 🐥discounts when enrollment reopens.

THANK YOU @pilotlightconsulting for the work you do in the world. It really matters.

Behind you,
Alison

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Words of wisdom from guest coach Courtney Blake of @pilotlightconsulting, who joined us as a Guest Coach inside The Walk-In this year.

Ready to stop hoping and start building?

Read Courtney's blog through the link in our bio for immediate, free guidance on how to take the next right step in building your culture.

Want to hear directly from experts like @pilotlightconsulting and have a place to ask your biggest questions every week? Join The Walk-In waitlist through the link in our bio to be the first to hear about early bird discounts when enrollment reopens.

Behind you,
Alison & Kimberly

P.S. Give @pilotlightconsulting a follow for more excellent operational systems tips 💡

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I was 22 in this photo 👆, managing a team of Michelin starred professionals who had mostly been working in the industry longer than I'd been alive.

I was learning how to hold people accountable in the hardest possible way.

It totally sucked at the time, but it also taught me something really, really important.

Highly accountable teams don't happen because you hired all the "right" people. They happen because you've built a culture where expectations are clear, communication is consistent, and accountability feels fair instead of personal.

In this week's newsletter, I share the leadership lesson that completely changed how I approach accountability and why "everyone just knows how we do things here" isn't actually a system.

Plus, we're sharing guest coach Courtney Blake's insights on building intentional team culture that lasts as your business grows. Her work @pilotlightconsulting is transformational and the blog she wrote for us answers the age old question of how the f*** to actually systemitize culture.

📩 Want to read the full story? Join our newsletter and get this week's edition delivered straight to your inbox. Link in 👆 bio.

Behind you,
Alison

P.S. Shoutout to @johnwinterman and the whole Cafe Boulud NYC team of the early 2000's. I'm so proud of the work we did together and so very grateful for the patience and grace you all gave me as I learned how to do my job.

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AVL > NYC for @barconventbrooklyn > CHI for @labornotes > AVL

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Got problems?

If I know you, I know your biggest problem is a people problem.

And that’s not JUST because you lead a food business, serve guests all day, wrangle teams of creatives, & are suffering from a real labor shortage.

It’s because you’re a human humaning…

…and learning how to lead, love, & slow down enough to truly see and hear the people you do life with is hard.

But we got you.

One of the 4 pillars of Leadership Development we'll study & practice together in The Walk-In focuses on consciously leading relationships.

All relationships.

At work, at home, people you love, people you tolerate, people you actively dislike — every flavor of the people you lead… yourself included.

We've learned a lot about leading people from Kate Cayanni, owner of @goodsmartfunny, which is why we've invited her back as a guest coach next month. “Human human-ing” doesn’t stop at awareness — it requires skill and Kate helps us build relational intelligence to navigate conflict, communication & connection in every room.

And because human-ing at work is deeply connected to the systems inside your organization, we’ve invited Courtney Blake of @pilotlightconsulting to coach on Organizational Leadership. Since 2016, Courtney and her team have partnered with owners, independent hospitality ventures, social enterprises & CPG companies using human-centered systems design to build businesses people are proud to work for — because healthy humans need healthy systems.

And when it comes to human-ing in front of guests — in high-pressure dining rooms, on busy services, inside complex teams — we’re bringing in Jen Burgess of @plus.one.hospitality. A graduate of last year’s cohort 👏 Jen helps hospitality professionals lead with clarity to deliver best-in-class service while balancing the needs of the business, guests & employees. For over 13 years, she’s designed service team & leadership training programs and built operational systems for respected names in hospitality.

Link in bio 👆 to enroll in The Walk-In by Feb 23 and claim our last spot to be schooled by these 3 graces!

It could be the most valuable gift you give yourself this year 💝

Behind you,
Alison & Kimberly

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3 truths for hospitality leaders struggling to hold onto their vision in the face of today’s constant change from @alisonarth of @saltandroe

1. An affirmation: Leading in this business today feels hard because it is hard. You’re not doing it wrong. And you’re not alone.

2. There’s no finish line. There’s no point at which you’ll be “done”. It’s a practice, and it starts with learning how to lead yourself.

3. You don’t have to do that work alone. A pro professional sports team takes the field with a coach—its for you too.

This is why Salt & Roe exists. While you pour all of yourself into the teams, guests, and businesses you lead, they pour into you.

Salt & Roe just launched enrollment in their flagship program, the Walk-In. A 6 month group coaching program for leaders who are ready to break out of the burnout cycle and reach for their next level of growth. Our own, @marycourtneyblake will be a guest coach in the 2026 cohort.

Read our full Q&A with Alison at the link in bio.

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Nonprofits, hospitality, and community resilience intersect at @farminghope 🌱

From serving 3,000 meals a week to training apprentices facing barriers to employment, Farming Hope’s Refettorio San Francisco is employment social enterprise making a difference in the Bay Area.

Executive Director, Andie Sobrepeña, shares how the support framework at Farming Hope has helped her advance her career within the organization and how being consistent with her team and apprentices helps them feel stable and continue to progress week after week.

Read “Ask a” at the link in bio 🍽️

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What’s something every wine tasting room needs? Genuine hospitality backed with something better than a Columbus charcuterie pack. How about a burger?

In our latest Q&A, we ask Chris Walsh about operating a 🍷 tasting room that has a real food program and how that effects his way of doing things and the people he serves.

Read the full Ask a Wine Tasting Room Owner at the link in bio 🍔

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Who really benefits from No Tax on Tips + Overtime?

A floor sommelier earning $40K in tips gets a major tax break.

A sous chef? They have to work 50+ hours a week just to see a similar deduction.

This law was pitched as relief for all hospitality workers but it mostly helps those already in high-tipping roles.
 As Erika Polmar of the @indprestaurants puts it: 👉 “This bill is ultimately unfair to the line cooks, dishwashers, porters, and prep staff that are vital to independent restaurants.” 
If we want equity and sustainability in restaurants, our tax laws must support everyone—not just the high earners out front.
 📲 Tap the link in bio to see how this federal policy shifts income, taxes, and pressure over the next 3 years.

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We were taught to chase growth. But in saturated markets, more units just mean thinner slices of the same pie. The real strategy now?

• Shrink the footprint
• Optimize labor
• Expand dayparts
• Grow demand, not just coverage

It’s not about more—it’s about better.

📸 Caitlyn Ridenour for @pdxcw 2024

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