Rising Tides Live: Looking Back At The National Restaurant Association Show

Interview Takeaways

Content Creation + In-Person Connection = Impact – Participants emphasized the power of combining digital storytelling with face-to-face interactions. Whether capturing smartphone footage on the expo floor or showing up in-person to build deeper relationships, the fusion of content and connection was a recurring theme.
Innovation Only Works if You Use It – Tech was everywhere—from smart lockers to AI-powered menu optimization—but the real conversation centered on action. Attendees asked: how do we actually implement what we saw, and how do we make it stick without losing focus on people and operations?
Community Over Competition – Whether it was a spin class led by Wow Bao’s Jeff Alexander or impromptu hallway interviews, the show revealed a shift in mindset. Leaders are dropping competitive barriers and showing up for one another—because in today’s hospitality landscape, shared stories and mutual support matter more than ever.

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the community reunited to reflect on the stories, lessons, and breakthroughs from the 2025 National Restaurant Show. Attendees shared tips on balancing content creation with human connection, leaning into both high-tech tools and handwritten takeaways. Whether filming with drones or just showing up with a phone, the message was clear: hospitality is still a people business—and the best innovation is rooted in real relationships.

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 Riverside 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

Write down three ideas or tools from the show you want to implement. Choose one and take the first step this week.

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Episode Links

National Restaurant Association Show: https://www.nationalrestaurantshow.com/
Restaurant Show App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-show-to-go-2025/id1492482397
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/

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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.

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