315. Culture Isn’t a Vibe—It’s a Strategy (Here’s How to Build It Right)
For years, the events and hospitality industry has glorified burnout—long hours, nonstop chaos, toxic management—and called it passion. But what if there's a better way?
Anthony Lambatos, CEO of Footers Catering and founder of Make It Better Every Day, joins us today to prove that you can build a thriving business and a culture people actually want to be part of. He’s created a workplace where fun and productivity go hand in hand, and where culture isn’t a poster on the wall—it’s lived and breathed, every day.
Whether you lead a team now or dream of growing one someday, this episode will get you thinking about what’s possible when you lead with heart.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why fun and productivity aren’t mutually exclusive
✅ How to identify the biggest culture killer in your business (hint: it might be your “top performer”)
✅ A simple matrix to assess culture fit vs. job performance
✅ What it really takes to live your values, not just list them
✅ How to spark team buy-in and momentum when shifting culture
✅ Anthony’s favorite interview tactic to determine who’s truly aligned
✅ What “balance” really means in hospitality—and how to model it
✅ The one piece of advice he wishes he could give his younger self
Connect with Anthony Lambatos:
Website and Weekly Leadership Newsletter: https://themibe.com
Heart Leadership Workshop: August 18–19, 2025: https://themibe.com/mibeworkshop
MIBE Summit: January 2026 (dates TBA): https://themibe.com/summit
00:00:00 – Burnout, chaos, and shifting toxic norms in hospitality
00:03:38 – Why bad leadership models persist—and how to break the cycle
00:05:24 – The culture boulder: how to build momentum (and know who’s pulling it back)
00:08:07 – The culture vs. performance matrix—and how to handle toxic high performers
00:13:25 – Values on the wall vs. values in practice
00:17:04 – Fab Tigers, Jimmy Bucks, and reinforcing behavior through story
00:19:15 – Why they all eat lunch together—and what happens during it
00:23:45 – How Anthony’s team handles feedback and vulnerability
00:25:41 – The 7-step hiring process (and the “deck of values” trick)
00:30:00 – 4 characteristics of top performers: perseverance, initiative, teamwork, positivity
00:33:48 – Where Anthony learned to lead—and how he learned what not to do
00:36:00 – Pom poms, productivity, and making work fun again
00:38:36 – The three foundations of culture: strengths, purpose, and people
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Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Walk West.