Operations
By fostering shared experiences and intentional connections, the restaurant trade serves as an important “neighborhood connector” that accelerates progress for leaders and creates a way of belonging for all.
Photograph: Adobe Inventory (AI generated)
February 20, 2026 by Kathleen Wooden — Founder, Okay. Wooden Companions
Group is among the strongest forces in our lives and in our companies. When individuals come collectively round shared values and shared goal, significant issues occur. Concepts transfer sooner. Leaders develop stronger. Companies scale with better readability and confidence. Group creates momentum, and momentum creates alternative.
That is one thing we see day-after-day within the restaurant enterprise.
When Founders come collectively — after they share experiences, insights and challenges — one thing shifts. Perspective expands. Confidence strengthens. Progress accelerates. The Founderology Development Summit displays this energy. Our month-to-month Founders Collaboratives replicate this energy. Every time leaders collect with intention, new prospects emerge.
Your internet price displays your community
There’s a purpose the phrase” your internet price displays your community” holds true.
Web price isn’t restricted to monetary outcomes. It contains relationships, entry, expertise and assist. It contains the individuals who assist sharpen selections, open doorways and stroll alongside us on the journey.
These connections create worth that compounds over time — in enterprise and in life. In a world that always feels unsure and chaotic, persons are trying to find what’s actual — actual connection, actual belonging, actual neighborhood.
Few industries are higher positioned to activate this type of connection and neighborhood than the restaurant trade.
February is a month made for connections
February presents an unimaginable alternative for our trade to do what we do finest – create unity by bringing individuals collectively in significant methods.
February is the shortest month; nonetheless, it is a month crammed with moments designed for connection and neighborhood. As you defrost from final week’s arctic blast, heat up with the numerous alternatives for February.
• Groundhog Day – Feb. 2.
• Founderology Development Summit – 2-4.
• Winter Olympics – 6-22.
• Tremendous Bowl – 8.
• Valentine’s Day – 14.
• Presidents’ Day / Washington’s Birthday– 15.
• Mardi Gras – 16.
• Black Historical past Month.
• American Coronary heart Month.
Our trade’s biggest present
Eating places are pure gathering locations. We carry individuals collectively in good, difficult, and even in instances of loss to attach and share experiences. We sit on the middle of neighborhoods and cities. We create moments of belonging by means of meals, hospitality, and connections.
This it is a highly effective time for all of us to ship our biggest present of all — a neighborhood connector. The chance to carry individuals collectively and create moments that matter. The facility to construct unity by means of neighborhood. Generally simply to be there on Tuesday. Our trade has the ability to create a seat for everybody on the desk. And that’s actually our biggest present of all of them.
About Kathleen Wooden
Kathleen Wooden is the Founding father of Kathleen Wooden Companions (KWP), an revolutionary and award-winning progress technique agency devoted to propelling Founder-led companies to new ranges of success. Kathleen and her group work with Founders in scaling and accelerating their visions into actionable outcomes by means of strategic progress options, operational excellence, aggressive gross sales methods, and transformative management growth. The KWP experience contains vary of Founder-led companies within the restaurant, hospitality, know-how, and manufacturing industries.
