Carla Hall has been a restaurateur, a “Top Chef” competitor, a host of “The Chew,” a cookbook author and humanitarian. It’s a journey fundamentally related to her passion for food.
But Hall is also someone who understands the value of a well-built team.
As the keynote speaker at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago on Sunday, Hall shared the story of how she came from “wanting to be the Black Carol Burnett” at age 12, to studying accounting and working in Paris as a model, then “fluking” into a food delivery business that eventually led her to culinary school. And that, in turn, led to opening a Southern restaurant in New York City, a catering company and a cookie brand. Oh, and becoming a celebrity chef.
Along the way, she learned a thing or two about building teams. Here is some of her advice:
Remember that your goal may not be the goal of the individuals working for you.
When Hall opened a hot chicken restaurant in New York City, she wanted to have a successful restaurant. But she also wanted to bring the South to New York City.
“But then I realized I had to teach New Yorkers about my culture,” she said.
So she hired a “church lady” to serve as a greeter of sorts, who would work the dining room and say “hello, baby, how you doing, do you need a napkin?”
It was important for Hall to “share her why” so her team could understand her goal.
When you’re building a team, notice when someone lights up.
Hall shared the story of a worker she called “Marcus,” (not his real name) who was frying chicken in the restaurant, but struggling in the position. She pulled him aside to teach him how to make biscuits, something he had never done before.
There was a moment when he watched his biscuits rise in the oven. “His face was priceless when he took them out and pulled them apart. And they were perfect,” she said. That worker ended up becoming the best biscuit maker in the concept, and his trajectory changed.
“An employee who believes in themselves, and you are mentoring them in that way, they are going to be so loyal to you,” she said.
Allow your weakness to be someone else’s strength.
“I don’t have to do everything,” said Hall. When she left her catering company to do “Top Chef,” it was hard for her, but it was the best thing for those on her catering team.
“I said, ‘Okay, I may have a business when I get back, or I may not. I’m willing to take that chance,” she said. “But I’m not micromanaging them so that they can flourish and do things the way they want to do it. Because sometimes we hinder people by wanting them to do exactly how we would do it, but they’re not us, right?”
Hall describes herself as an idea person, but one who needs someone else to tell her when ideas stink, or to help her execute on that idea. Knowing that about herself has allowed others to grow.
People need to understand how their role fits into the bigger picture.
When Hall was working as an intern in restaurants, she would spend all day doing prep but never ate the final dish. Now she advocates allowing all workers to see how all the parts come together.
“Communication is understanding how everyone fits together,” she said.
When you think about giving back to the world, give back to yourself.
Hall’s humanitarian work has touched on food insecurity, children in African, empowering women and teaching the next generation how to establish healthy sleep habits.
But good leaders also have to take care of themselves.
Hall recommends planning an “exit plan for a day,” a time when no one is texting, and the people you hired are handling things that need handling.
“I put it on my calendar as ‘do nothing,’” she said.
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