Six Leadership and Hospitality Lessons from Restaurateur Will GuidaraSix Leadership and Hospitality Lessons from Restaurateur Will Guidara
Actionable tips from the former owner of the world's best restaurant to help advisors transform how they engage with clients.
Imagine sitting at a three-star Michelin restaurant, expecting an evening replete with caviar and truffles, but instead getting a New York City street cart hotdog. Sounds ridiculous, right? Fine dining is about an exceptional experience, mastered techniques and perfect presentation—not foil-wrapped fast food.
But this is exactly what hospitality legend Will Guidara says makes a memorable experience: sometimes creating Unreasonable Hospitality means throwing the rule book out the window and making people feel seen.
The story behind the hotdog? At the time, Guidara was the co-owner of New York City-based Eleven Madison Park, one of the world’s most renowned and acclaimed restaurants. One evening, a guest arrived for the final stop on their once-in-a-lifetime culinary journey: dining at every Michelin-starred restaurant in the city. As Guidara walked by their table, he overheard a woman lament that the only thing they hadn’t eaten during their trip was a classic NYC street cart hot dog. So, instead of ignoring this snippet of information, he went out and grabbed one, plated it and served it as part of the fine dining experience. The woman was flabbergasted.
Guidara’s philosophy flips fine dining—and business—on its head. It’s not about luxury; it’s about connection and delivering an experience to your clients that truly resonates. The same principle applies to leadership. It’s about more than just hitting revenue targets for your firm — it’s about creating a culture and an environment that inspires and transforms lives.
In the Do Business. Do Life. podcast, we speak with successful financial professionals, New York Times bestselling authors and powerful thought leaders from various industries to explore what it takes to level up in business and life.
In a recent episode, I sat down with Guidara to discuss the power of going above and beyond to create meaningful experiences. He shared the playbook he used as the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which was named the best restaurant in the world in 2017. His insights offer a masterclass combining vision and effort to create unforgettable experiences–providing financial advisors with actionable lessons to transform how they engage with clients. Guidara also spoke at Triad’s Launch 2025, an experience uniting financial advisors to inspire greater freedom and growth in business and life.
Guidara was emphatic that creating memorable client experiences isn’t just about providing great service—it’s about transcending traditional norms to surprise and make people feel truly valued. These six strategies can help transform your practice into one that focuses on thoughtfulness, genuine connections and unforgettable moments.
1. Identifying What’s Working and What Isn’t
Focusing on what’s broken is easy, but great leaders also acknowledge what’s working. When Guidara’s restaurant placed last on his first entry into the 50 Top Restaurants List, he didn’t just fix mistakes—he identified Unreasonable Hospitality. He doubled down on it, turning disappointment into a springboard for success. For financial advisors, this could mean evaluating why some clients refer while others don’t, then refining your client engagement strategy based on what’s already driving strong relationships.
2. Borrow Inspiration and “Put a Scratch in the Record”
Guidara references Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game, emphasizing that true significance isn’t about outperforming your competitors but evolving, growing and improving indefinitely. He reinforces that while drawing inspiration from others in your industry is important, leaders should seek to innovate with purpose rather than imitate. The best businesses take inspiration, adapt it to their vision and make it their own. By weaving in personal insights and experiences, creating something truly unique (and unforgettable) is possible.
3. Redefine Your Clients’ Experiences with Unreasonable Hospitality
Exceeding expectations and fostering loyalty isn’t just about delivering great service—it’s about creating personal and intentional moments. Guidara didn’t want guests to feel like Eleven Madison Park was just another ritzy fine dining establishment; he wanted them to feel recognized and valued. By tracking details from past visits like favorite dishes, drinks and dietary preferences, he strived to make every guest feel at home. Advisors can apply this by remembering personal details, from a client’s preferred communication style to their concerns about retirement, to see that every interaction feels tailored and thoughtful.
4. The 95/5 Rule
Small investments in your clients can greatly impact their perception of your services, but those investments don’t always have to be big and expensive. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest impact. This sentiment is at the heart of Guidara’s 95/5 rule, highlighting that while 95% of a business’s success comes from core execution, the extra 5%—unexpected, personal touches—create lasting emotional connections. For financial advisors, this could mean surprising a client with a book on a topic they’re passionate about, popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate an in-office retirement, or proactively checking in during difficult times, turning a transactional relationship into a transformational partnership.
5. What is Your Team’s Love Language?
What truly motivates your team? Beyond competitive salaries, employees thrive when they feel heard, valued and aligned with a purpose. The best leaders take time to understand what excites their team–growth opportunities, work-life balance, or the chance to be part of something bigger. By listening, observing and engaging, you can design roles that attract top talent and boost morale. In the context of an advisory firm, this could mean providing mentorship for those who want to lead, delivering specialized training for advisors eager to serve niche markets, or offering remote work options for better work-life balance.
6. Finding the Right Balance Between Control and Creativity
Empowering your team with autonomy isn’t just about giving them freedom–it’s about showing you trust your judgment and value their input. When employees feel seen and respected, engagement and productivity naturally follow. However, too much autonomy without clear direction can breed inconsistency, while too little stifles creativity and morale. The key is to balance empowerment with structure, fostering innovation and stability. For advisors, this could mean encouraging team members to identify inefficiencies and propose improvements—whether it’s streamlining onboarding processes, enhancing client communication or refining internal workflows—while maintaining clear expectations for execution.
Building a successful business requires balancing intentionality and innovation: meeting client needs while making them feel valued. Thoughtful, small gestures go beyond basic relationship-building, fostering lasting emotional connections—Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality challenges business owners to exceed expectations, creating lasting experiences. By doing so, they can cultivate loyal clients, empowered teams and a strong company culture—the foundation for long-term success.
