• Growth Follows Clarity – Scaling too fast can stretch even strong operators. Glaze learned that density and focus matter more than planting flags. Building a solid home base first creates steadier growth and better long-term decisions.
• KitchenSync Creates Confidence – Reliable financial systems remove guesswork. By partnering with KitchenSync, Glaze gained consistent visibility across locations, giving operators and managers the confidence to make decisions without stress or surprises.
• Simple Systems Protect Hospitality – Technology works best when it stays out of the way. By keeping tools focused and reliable, Glaze removes friction so teams can concentrate on consistency, service, and the guest experience.

• Paul Krug: https://www.aprescru.com/paul-krug
• Glaze Teriyaki: https://www.glaze.com/
• Glaze Teriyaki Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glazeteriyaki/?hl=en
• Glaze Teriyaki Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlazeTeriyaki/
• KitchenSync Online: https://www.kitchensync.us/
• KitchenSync LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kitchensync3/
• KitchenSync Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitchensync.us/
• KitchenSync YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC71ERG2sErRIjRq-leoVQ4Q

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

• Clarity Beats More Tech – The problem is not a lack of tools. It is too many of them. Operators do not win by adding more software. They win by simplifying, rationalizing, and choosing technology that actually gets used and drives real outcomes.
• Trust Is the Real Platform – In a market flooded with cold emails, demos, and overpromises, progress only happens through trusted relationships. A curated, vendor-agnostic advisor model cuts through the noise and helps operators make decisions based on needs, not sales pressure.
• Objective Decisions Replace Gut Feel – The future of restaurant tech buying is not opinions and hype. It is usage data, ROI, and proof. When brands can see what is actually being used and what is not, tech stacks get leaner, cheaper, and far more effective.

• Matt Haselhoff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-haselhoff-26769678/
• One Goal Consulting: https://onegoalconsulting.com/
• Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
• Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalche

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

• Automate the Compliance, Not the Culture – You can’t automate a million lamb chops, but you can automate the tax code. By integrating Davo with Toast, S2 Grills shifted their sales tax to a “set it and forget it” model. This ensures 100% compliance and protects their cash flow daily.
• Build Your “Championship Village” – S2 Grills attributes their scale to treating their team like family. By bringing on partners with specific corporate, financial, and event planning expertise, they created a specialized unit that allows the founders to focus on the brand’s vision.
• Don’t Reinvent the Wheel – The fastest way to grow is to learn from those who came before you. The S2 founders prioritize networking and attending major industry conferences to find mentors and technology solutions that prevent them from repeating common industry mistakes.

• Watch: Digital Hospitality on YouTube
• Listen: Digital Hospitality Podcast
• Visit: S2 Grills Online
• Toast POS: Try Out Toast
• DAVO: Davo Sales Tax Automation

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

• Moments Are Built With Intention: Memorable experiences do not happen by accident. They come from preparation, strong operations, and giving teams the freedom to act when opportunities appear.
• Access Creates Stories Worth Sharing: Behind-the-scenes experiences and real process are more compelling than polished marketing. When people are invited into the story, connection and sharing happen naturally.
• Consistency Turns Moments Into Reputation: One great experience is not enough. Brands are built by delivering meaningful moments again and again through habits, systems, and culture.

• Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
• Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

Shawn Walchef’s relationship with Sam The Cooking Guy reveals how mentorship, authenticity, and proximity shape modern influence. Built through real conversations and shared experiences, their connection highlights why being yourself scales further than performing, why relationships matter more than platforms, and why today’s most durable restaurant brands and media companies grow from trust, consistency, and showing up long before the spotlight arrives.

• Authenticity Scales When It’s Lived – Shawn Walchef’s growth as an operator and media founder was shaped by the decision to be the same person on and off camera. Learning from mentors like Sam The Cooking Guy reinforced that trust is built through consistency, not performance, and that authenticity is what makes influence sustainable.
• Relationships Create Long-Term Leverage – Walchef’s partnership with Sam The Cooking Guy began long before subscriber counts or brand deals mattered. By investing in real conversations and collaboration early, Walchef built relationships that continued to open doors as both businesses and platforms grew.
• Mentorship Accelerates Better Decisions – Honest feedback and shared experience helped Walchef see blind spots around branding, storytelling, and clarity. Guidance from Sam The Cooking Guy proved that the right mentor does more than offer advice, they help operators make bolder, smarter decisions that compound over time.

• Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/
• Shawn Walchef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnpwalchef/?hl=en
• Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/
• Sam The Cooking Guy: https://www.thecookingguy.com/
• Sam The Cooking Guy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/samthecookingguy

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

• Authenticity Outperforms Ads – Customers trust real people more than polished campaigns or paid influencers. User-generated content created in the moment consistently drives higher engagement, stronger recall, and better performance than traditional marketing.
• Turn Guests Into Growth Engines – Scale happens when everyday customers become active participants in telling a brand’s story. By lowering friction and rewarding participation instantly, operators can transform casual diners into repeat advocates without asking them to be creators.
• Brand Safety Meets Local Voice – National brands need consistency, but growth depends on local relevance. Platforms like Scale Social bridge that gap by capturing authentic, location-specific content while maintaining control, quality, and measurable ROI at scale.

• Runbin Dong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/runbindong/
• Scale Social: https://www.getsocialscale.com/
• Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
• Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

• Consistency Beats Breakthroughs – The most meaningful opportunities in Walchef’s career came from years of showing up, not single moments of success. Relationships, trust, and credibility are built through steady effort and long-term commitment. Progress compounds when you stay in the game long after most people quit.
• Think Bigger. Be Visible Sooner. – Nearly every big conversation started as an unrealistic idea and an uncomfortable ask. Growth favors people who act before they feel ready and share the journey in public. Visibility creates leverage long before titles or scale arrive.
• Build Your Own Media – Modern leaders cannot outsource their story. The most influential founders today are building both companies and channels. Content is no longer marketing. It is infrastructure that compounds influence, learning, and opportunity over time.

• Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/
• Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/
• Jordan Boesch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-boesch/?originalSubdomain=ca
• 7Shifts: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7shifts/
• Gregg Majewski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggmajewski/
• Craveworthy Brands: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craveworthy-brands/
• Toast: https://pos.toasttab.com/
• Troy Hooper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtroyhooper

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...

• Progress Comes From Participation – Momentum is not created by waiting for perfect conditions. Operators, creators, and leaders move forward by showing up, contributing to conversations, and engaging with their communities consistently. Growth follows action, not intention.
• Consistency Beats Big Swings – The focus for 2026 is steady execution. Small, repeatable actions compound over time and build resilience during uncertain seasons. Sustainable progress comes from routines, not one-time bursts of effort.
• Community Creates Leverage – Sharing lessons openly, supporting peers, and building in public strengthens everyone involved. When people invest in each other’s growth, opportunities expand organically and individual wins turn into collective momentum.

• Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
• Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...