Rising Tides Live: 2025 Successes And Challenges + Goals For 2026

Interview Takeaways

Showing Up Is the Foundation of Growth – The episode highlighted that consistency is what moves careers, businesses, and relationships forward. Whether posting your first imperfect video, attending industry events, or joining weekly sessions, momentum begins the moment you decide to be present.
Small Actions Compound Into Big Wins – From blocking time to think, to recording early podcast episodes, to taking first steps on dream projects, everyone proved that progress doesn’t come from sweeping gestures. It comes from daily effort, tiny experiments, and the willingness to improve one brick at a time.
Community Makes Ambition Sustainable – The most meaningful 2025 wins came from collaboration: helping a child with a brain tumor live out a dream, supporting new operators, sharing tools, giving honest feedback, and celebrating milestones. When people invest in one another, aspirations feel lighter—and success becomes shared.

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef and Troy Hooper, the community looked back at the wins, lessons, and momentum that shaped 2025 while setting intentions for the year ahead. Operators, creators, technologists, and founders reflected on what it means to grow through consistency, vulnerability, and showing up even when life and business feel chaotic. From launching new ventures to giving back locally, from shifting travel schedules to embracing content creation, each story highlighted a shared theme: progress comes from participation. When people lean into connection, share real experiences, and commit to steady action, the tide rises for everyone.

Listen to the replay of the latest room where the participants discussed community service and follow Cali BBQ Media to keep up with the latest and join the rooms to tell your story and have your voice heard

Every Wednesday and Friday at 10am PT, Shawn Walchef hosts the Rising Tides Live room streaming with StreamYard on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more. Leading voices in hospitality, and otherwise, from near and far join to discuss all things business and much more.

The Big Quote

Homework Assignment

Pick one meaningful goal for 2026 and reverse-engineer the first three steps you can take this week. Then block time on your calendar to actually do them.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More

Episode Links

Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/
Troy Hooper on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtroyhooper/

Listen To This Episode

Watch on YouTube

About Cali BBQ Media

Digital Hospitality is an interview-based video podcast hosted by business owner Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) and produced by his Cali BBQ Media company. The weekly digital series explores the ways successful businesses and entrepreneurs have merged old and new with innovative digital strategies that harness the power of the Internet and social media. Shawn is the founder of Cali BBQ Media and creator of the Restaurant Influencers podcast on Entrepreneur Media.

Follow Digital Hospitality

Follow Restaurant Influencers

Connect on Social

Join our Newsletter

Share This Article

Recent Articles

Christian Mouysset Built Tenzo to Answer One Question: Where’s the Money?

Showing Up Is 80% of Success — Laura Wilber Says Consistency Makes the Difference

Be the Show, Not the Commercial

Tell your story, share your mission, build stronger connections. See how the Cali BBQ Media team can help your business grow through the power of your own story.

mikebisceglia

Listen

Watch