Captive Conversations, The Hospitality Podcast

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we go behind the scenes with the founder of two standout hospitality brands — one that built a cult following for handcrafted doughnuts, and another powering seamless online ordering and loyalty for restaurants across the UK.

We dig into the real story behind the rise of these brands, the philosophy behind digital experiences that don’t feel digital, and what it means to scale hospitalit...

The local visibility game in hospitality is broken,  but it doesn’t have to be.

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we discuss local listings, menus, and guest experience with one of the sharpest marketing minds in the business.

Kelsey from Marqii joins the show to share:

✅ Why most brands are still missing the basics when it comes to local SEO

✅ How digital presence connects directly to in-store guest experience

✅ Wha...

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we sit down with Laura Mimoun — now Chief Marketing Officer at Fulham Shore, the group behind Franco Manca and The Real Greek — to unpack her remarkable journey from FMCG to foodpreneur to boardroom leader.

Before leading the marketing strategy for some of the UK’s most loved restaurant brands, Laura launched Kaleido, a colourful and healthy salad roll brand that grew from food markets to Se...

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we sit down with Christophe and Angus from StoreKit to dive into the future of digital ordering, why some platforms slow you down, and how StoreKit helps operators stay lean, agile, and guest-focused.

We cover:
✅ What operators actually need from their tech✅ Why speed and flexibility beat bloated platforms✅ The evolution of StoreKit’s checkout and at-table tools✅ And why empowering the guest ...

Two standout panels from TISSL’s Tech Tastings: Beyond the Till event hosted by Tech on Toast’s Chris Fletcher.

🎙️ Panel 1: “Beyond the Rush: Unlocking Consistent Revenue”
Daisy from JKS and Bex from Wolseley Hospitality reveal how marketing, loyalty, and brand touchpoints drive steady growth outside of peak service.

🎙️ Panel 2: “At-Table Tech: Friend or Foe?”
Christophe from StoreKit, Travis Fish from Ops Club, and Willi...

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we sit down with Nick Philpot, MD of Yolk—London’s fast-growing breakfast, brunch, and coffee brand.

Nick shares how Yolk has built a loyal fan base through consistency, simplicity, and a deep understanding of customer experience. We talk about:

• The Yolk ‘Brew Club’ and how it builds daily habits

• Scaling a brand without losing its soul

• Balancing tech with old-school hospitality

• The power of ...

Bal Mahey’s story reads like a hospitality survival manual.

From launching Shake Shack in the UK to leading Subway and by CHLOE through turbulent growth, he’s seen it all. Now, through Auden Hospitality, he’s helping brands avoid the same scars.

We talk:

• Growing too fast and breaking everything

• Culture clashes in high-growth teams

• Loyalty, CRM, and why ops is marketing

• Building better systems for the people actually using them

Th...

In this episode, we explore how AI agents are reshaping people operations in hospitality. Matt Grimshaw from Youda joins us to discuss:

• Automating time-consuming HR tasks with AI

• Using data to predict and prevent staff turnover

• Why legacy systems are holding operators back

• How to personalise onboarding at scale

• Creating better experiences for managers and frontline teams

  
  

This is a must-listen for hospitality leaders, HR team...

🎧 Episode 50 – Hospitality Unfiltered: Where Ops, Marketing & Loyalty Collide

In this special live episode of Captive Conversations, we bring together leading voices from hospitality operations, marketing, CRM, and tech to unpack one big question:
Why does it still feel like ops and marketing are speaking different languages—and how do we fix it?

From loyalty programs to data overload, AI tools to team alignment, this episode...

In this episode of Captive Conversations, we chat with Paul Molinari, the founder of Popcorn GTM and former head of marketing at Crunchtime.

Paul shares his journey from working hospitality jobs at a yacht club, to selling stereos at The Wiz, to leading B2B marketing teams for iconic brands like Crunchtime and Digitas (running CRM for General Motors!).

He dives deep into what makes sales and marketing alignment critical, how to buil...

This week on Captive Conversations, I sat down with a creative force in hospitality: Dhilon Solanki — founder of Story Locker, co-founder of Pecking Order, and previously behind one of the most useful tools in the industry — Sprout.

Dhilon's journey is a masterclass in brand building with heart. He’s grown tech tools for hospitality, helped operators train better, and now helps people preserve their life stories through beau...

In this episode, Adam sits down with hospitality legend Kieron Bailey – co-founder of People on Purpose and a 30-year industry pro with a story (and scar) for every table he’s served.

From dodging flying ashtrays in his first pub to leading training for major brands like Wagamama and Hard Rock Café, Kieron shares his no-BS wisdom on what really makes hospitality tick:

✨ Why empathy and accountability must go hand-in-hand
✨ The leaders...

🎙️ EP46: From Nando’s to Tech to Ball Pits – The Wild Ops Journey of Travis Fish

In this episode, Adam sits down with Travis Fish, Operations Director at Comptoir Group, co-founder of BabaBoom and his new baby 🔥 Ops Club.

Travis shares a candid look at his journey from traditional hospitality ops at Nando’s to launching his own brand, diving into tech startups, and bringing competitive socialising to life with Ballie Baller...

🎙️ Episode 45 – Frederick Szydlowski, Co-Founder of Embargo

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Fred from Embargo to explore the gritty, real, and often hilarious journey from working at Joe & the Juice to building a loyalty platform used by 200K+ hospitality businesses.

🎯 What you’ll hear:

• Fred’s early career story: from basketball to slinging juices at 19

• How he landed his first marketing role by s...

In this episode of Captive Conversations, Adam sits down with Susan Zwinkels, CMO of Kitch Social, to unpack what’s really working in hospitality marketing right now.

From the explosive power of TikTok to the untapped potential of employee-generated content, Susan brings a no-nonsense, refreshingly real view of how hospitality brands can stand out online—without blowing their budgets.

✨ Key Highlights

• Why TikTok is dominating atte...

🎙️ In this episode I sit down with Ruth Carpenter, the creative force behind the marketing of one of the UK’s most iconic and playful pizza brands — Pizza Pilgrims.

From navigating career leaps to scaling a national brand, Ruth opens up about the realities of marketing in hospitality, how to stay authentic as you grow, and why being serious about not taking yourself too seriously is a powerful strategy.

👀 Expect real talk about:

🍕...

In this episode, I’m joined by Michelle Moreno—founder of QAB Leadership and an unstoppable force in the hospitality world—for a raw, funny, and wisdom-packed conversation about everything from global openings to personal reinvention.

We go deep into the journey: from starting out as a waitress at Asia de Cuba (serving Leonardo DiCaprio, no less) to launching 50+ restaurants and bars across London, Dubai, Mykonos, and beyond. 

Michel...

In this episode, I’m joined by Ben Heppell, Global Head of Digital at Aqua Restaurant Group, for a proper deep dive into the real world of hospitality, digital, and brand building.

From sharing advice he'd give his 16-year-old self (spoiler: it's all about valuing experience over things) to calling out overhyped nights like that Wembley boxing match, Ben brings the honesty—and a fresh take on what really matters in this indu...

🚀 From Pot Wash to Hospitality Tech Founder – The Journey of Michael Radley, Joli 🚀

🔥 Episode 40 of Captive Conversations! 🔥

We’ve hit a milestone—our 40th episode, with a fresh new design and some incredible guests lined up for the next few weeks! 🎉

To celebrate, I sat down with Michael Radley, co-founder of Joli, to talk about his journey from pot washing in a local pub to revolutionising influencer marketing in hospitality. 🏨...