Christin Marvin started as a line cook at 15 and became a managing partner by 30 — over the past two decades she's helped open 13 restaurants and scaled an independent hospitality group from 6 to 48 locations, and now runs Columbine Hospitality, coaching food and beverage business owners on leadership, systems, hiring, and culture. In this episode, she joins us to talk honestly about hustle culture, burnout, and how to build a business that scales without burning you out in the process.

In this episode we cover:

• What "hustle culture" looks like in the restaurant and food industry, and how it can quietly turn toxic
• The physical, mental, and emotional signs of burnout — and how Christin worked through her own using tools like positive intelligence to quiet her inner critic
• How to build systems that create more freedom instead of stifling creativity
• Why letting go of control and learning to delegate is one of the hardest (and most important) parts of scaling
• A favorite client success story about growing leaders from within a team

To learn more about Christin, visit irfbook.com

Guest: Sara Cann — co‑founder of Birdie's Batch. (birdiesbatch.com)

Topics we cover in this episode:

• Sara's transition out of the restaurant industry and why the pandemic created the opportunity to start a cottage‑food business.
• The practical and emotional challenges of launching and scaling a home‑based food business.
• How a cancer diagnosis changed Sara's priorities, influenced her business decisions, and shaped her outlook on life (personal reflections and lessons learned).
• The role of family, community markets, and ingredient sourcing in building a brand people trust.
• Advice for other food entrepreneurs about resilience, keeping product quality consistent, and finding balance.

This episode marks our exciting first interview as Ben & Nicole welcome Jasmin Parks-Papadopoulos from CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach Wellness)!

• Jasmin shares the mission of CHOW and the inspiring story behind its founding.
• She discusses her personal CHOW success story and its impact on her life and career.
• The conversation highlights the importance of CHOW's movement to break old patterns and stigma in the culinary and hospitality industries.
• She shares the variety of free resources CHOW offers for culinary and hospitality workers at all levels, encouraging listeners to seek help and support.
• For more information about CHOW and their initiatives, visit chowco.org