Back to Episodes
#114September 11, 202053:30

#110 with Kat Cole - Ideas From the Head of a $4B+ Business

About This Episode

Shaan Puri interviews Kat Cole, the President and COO of Focus Brands, about her meteoric rise from a Hooters waitress to leading a $4 billion global food conglomerate. They discuss the psychology of leadership, navigating the COVID-19 crisis for 7,000 retail locations, and brainstorm new concepts for personalized wellness and sustainability.

Episode Description

Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) hosts the pod today with guests Kat Cole (@KatColeATL) COO & President of Focus Brands. In today's episode you'll hear: (00:56) Kat introduce herself and the company she leads -- Focus Brands, (2:38) Kat explains her career trajectory and how she got to where she is today, (9:24) Shaan explains how he got into entrepreneurship in college and how he ended up leading an idea lab, (19:25) Shaan and Kat get into the brainstorm -- Kat's first idea is for an app that assigns people a score for how good or bad their lifestyle is for the planet, (30:50) Kat proposes her idea for a new type of restaurant that blends grocery store, convenience store, and restaurant (she calls it "food as pharmacy"), (33:40) Kat gives her opinion on ghost kitchens, (41:00) how Focus Brands and Kat dealt with the coronavirus pandemic Companies mentioned: - https://www.focusbrands.com/ Books mentioned: - https://www.secondsale.com/i/eat-right-4-your-type-the-individualized-diet-solution-to-staying-healthy-living-longer-achieving-your-ideal-weight/9780399142550?gclid=CjwKCAjwnef6BRAgEiwAgv8mQWoId6gPA1nb1ICM_usP-nwG1olrG_K4cbsBuLPvM4XklGDz2y4arhoCROwQAvD_BwE This episode is presented by Tempo! Check them out at tempo.fit and use code "Sam100" for $100 off. Have you joined our private FB group yet? It's a page where people share each others million dollar ideas or what they're already working on: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Key Takeaways

1

When moving into leadership roles, you must pair humility with the courage to use your voice, as failing to speak up out of respect for seniors often leads to professional regret.

2

In a crisis, radical focus on two primary objectives—protecting people's safety and preserving cash—is the most effective way to lead a massive organization through uncertainty.

3

People are more motivated to adopt beneficial behaviors when those actions provide social signaling or 'optics' (like a Tesla or a yard sign) rather than hidden improvements like home insulation.

Business Ideas Mentioned

Comprehensive Environmental Impact Scoring App

SaaS

Food as Pharmacy Restaurant Chain

Boring Business

View all ideas

Share Episode

Quick Stats

Duration53:30
Guests1
Ideas Discussed2
Topics4