Small Stones Podcast

Incremental change leads to real growth in life and business. Join Business Coach Andrew Schory and his guests as they explore personal and professional growth as leaders and discuss current marketplace trends.

Small Stones Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Andrew Schory, with 22 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Andrew Schory hosts Small Stones Podcast, a business show with 22 episodes published.

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  Episode #22

  Jeff Noel, the Authentic Pastor

  Aug 18, 202638 minS1

  Episode Summary Jeff Noél has led churches of forty and churches of fourteen hundred. He has served on the board of the National Day of Prayer for twenty-one years, worked with Harvest Prayer Ministries, and watched the pastoral burnout crisis up close for decades. Now, through The Authentic Pastor, he coaches pastors through a six-month cohort model built around six pillars of whole care — because, as Jeff puts it, the current pastoral model in most American churches is simply unsustainable. In this episode, Andrew Schory and Jeff cover what trust really means in organizational leadership, how culture happens whether you plan it or not, why prayer works best when it stops being a discipline and starts being a relationship, and the one piece of advice Jeff's father gave him that took years to fully understand. Guest Information Guest Name: Jeff Noél, Pastor-Coach, The Authentic Pastor Bio: Jeff Noél has spent forty years in ministry, most of it as a lead pastor. A pastor's kid who grew up in the church, he has led congregations ranging from 70 to 1,400 — small staff to large, healthy cultures to toxic ones. He spent eight years with Harvest Prayer Ministries and served over two decades on the Board of Directors for the National Day of Prayer. Jeff is the person pastors turn to when they need someone who genuinely sees them and understands what they're going through. Through The Authentic Pastor, he offers a six-month cohort model built around six pillars of whole care, as well as customized individual coaching. Jeff is married to his wife Laure and is the father of one daughter, Marie — and three stepchildren, Mason, Jana, and Wesley. Website: theauthenticpastor.com Email: jeffnoel@theauthenticpastor.com Episode Outline What The Authentic Pastor Does: Cohorts, Coaching, and Whole Care (00:38) Jeff describes The Authentic Pastor's core model: a six-month cohort that opens and closes with an in-person weekend gathering, with monthly individual and group coaching in between. The program is built around a Whole Care course — an intensive opportunity for pastors to reflect, renew, and build the personal foundations that ministry tends to erode. Jeff also does customized individual coaching for pastors at any stage, from men brand new to ministry to those navigating the quiet tipping points of mid-career. What Great Leadership Looks Like Regardless of Organizational Size (03:30) Jeff has led churches big and small, and his answer to what great leadership requires at every size is the same: trust. Those you lead must believe you genuinely have their best interests — and God's agenda, not your own — at heart. He draws on Henry Blackaby's definition from Spiritual Leadership: influence is not moving people where you want them to be, it is helping them get where the Lord wants them to be. Andrew adds the parallel for business coaches: often the most valuable thing a leader on the outside can do is ask, "Is this truly what the Lord wants, or is it what you want?" Culture Wins — or It Happens to You: Building Intentional Staff Culture (09:07) When Grace Heartland's seventeen-person staff began showing signs of trust breakdown in 2018, Jeff traced it to lack of communication, unmet expectations, and people feeling left out of decisions. The team picked up William Vanderbloemen's Culture Wins, worked through a culture rebuild together, identified core cultural values, wrote a culture statement, and had every staff member sign it. What Jeff did not know then: COVID was eighteen months away, and that culture work became the scaffolding that held the staff together through it. His principle: culture happens whether you plan it or not — and the culture that just happens is almost always toxic. Reinforcing Culture Through Specific, Public Recognition (14:06) One of Jeff's favorite applications of the culture statement was using it to publicly celebrate team members who lived it out. A staff member would call out a colleague by name, connect their action to a specific cultural value, and name it as a win for the whole team. Andrew ties this directly to a core leadership principle: values are reinforced not by posting them on a wall but by connecting them to real, specific actions in real time. Prayer as Relationship, Not Performance (16:15) Jeff spent twenty-one years on the board of the National Day of Prayer and worked with Harvest Prayer Ministries, and his most important insight about prayer is simple: the breakthrough came when he moved it out of the category of spiritual discipline and into the category of intimate relationship. He points to Jesus' instruction to pray in private rather than performing publicly — not a rule about location, but a call to authenticity. His practical counsel: if prayer does not feel natural, start by asking who you believe Jesus actually is, because your concept of who He is shapes whether talking to Him feels like love or obligation. The Pastoral Burnout Crisis: Why the Current Model Is Unsustainable (21:01) Jeff's diagnosis of the crisis in pastoral ministry is direct: the current model places too much emphasis on the pastor's personality, abilities, and draw, and not enough on the shared ministry of every member of the congregation. The result is burnout — pastors carrying full loads alone, feeling pressure to compete with megachurch platforms, with no one they can be honest with about struggling. He draws a line between the CEO model of church leadership and the shepherd model, arguing that when a church becomes primarily a personality platform, something essential is lost. The vast majority of American churches have two hundred members or fewer, and their pastors are feeling that model's weight without its resources. What Jeff's Father Taught Him: Just Love the People (28:05) Jeff's most formative mentor was his father — and some of the most important lessons came from watching what his father got wrong. His dad had a heart attack at forty-two because he carried the full weight of pastoral stress without close friendships, living by the prevailing wisdom of his generation: vulnerability in the church creates enemies. Jeff learned to build friendships, maintain hobbies, exercise, and protect his emotional health. But the most important thing his father ever told him was the simplest: "Jeff, when you pastor, just love the people. Just love the people." It sounded obvious at the time. It took years to understand how much it meant. Speed Round Highlights (32:10) Books & Resources Mentioned • Spiritual Leadership by Henry Blackaby & Richard Blackaby — Jeff's favorite definition of leadership: influence is not moving people where you want them; it's helping them get where God wants them • Culture Wins by William Vanderbloemen — The book Jeff's staff used to rebuild their culture in 2018 — which proved essential when COVID hit eighteen months later • Disciplines for the Inner Life by Bob Benson & Michael W. Benson — Out of print but findable — Jeff's most impactful non-Bible book; a treasury of short excerpts from classic Christian contemplative writers throughout the ages • Gods at War by Kyle Idleman — Jeff's current group read — a study on the modern idols that quietly compete for the center of a person's life • Mark Twain by Ron Chernow — Jeff's current personal read; a long biography he is working through slowly How to Support The Authentic Pastor • Know a pastor who is struggling or approaching burnout? Refer them to Jeff directly or point them to the resources at theauthenticpastor.com. • Encourage the pastors in your life — a word of genuine encouragement to a pastor can go further than you know. • Pray for Jeff and the Authentic Pastor ministry — he specifically named it as one of the most meaningful ways to support the work. Learn more or connect pastors with Jeff at theauthenticpastor.com Host & Show Info Host: Andrew Schory, Business Coach About the Host: Andrew Schory is a business coach dedicated to helping leaders build momentum through small, intentional actions. Each episode of the Small Stones Podcast features conversations with business and thought leaders to uncover the habits and decisions that move life and business forward — one small stone at a time. Podcast Website: smallstonespodcast.com Community • Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts — The most impactful way to support the show and help other listeners find it. • Work with Andrew: Interested in one-on-one or group business coaching? Visit smallstonespodcast.com to schedule a session. • Join the Mailing List: Get tools, insights, and episode updates at smallstonespodcast.com Share this episode with a pastor, a church leader, or anyone who is carrying more than they should be — and needs a reminder that the most important thing they can do may be the simplest: just love the people.

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  Episode #21

  Rob Fogle, Mammoth Liquors

  Aug 11, 202626 min

  Episode Summary 14 years ago, Rob Fogle saw an opportunity. Twenty-nine years in the grocery business had taught him retail, pricing, merchandising, and how to read vendors — and when he applied for a liquor license in Radcliff, he got one. Now, Mammoth Liquors operates three locations across Kentucky. In this episode, Andrew Schory sits down with Rob for a candid, practical conversation about what it actually costs to go out on your own, why trust is the most important asset in a multi-location business, how the 80/20 rule applies to inventory and people management, and what three decades in retail have taught him about money, family, and finances. Guest Information Guest Name: Rob Fogle, Owner, Mammoth Liquors Bio: Rob Fogle is the owner of Mammoth Liquors, a three-location retail liquor operation in Kentucky with stores in Radcliff, Cave City, and Campbellsville. Before launching Mammoth Liquors fourteen years ago, Rob spent twenty-nine years in the grocery industry building deep expertise in retail operations, vendor relationships, merchandising, and pricing. He co-owns and operates Mammoth Liquors alongside business partner Eric Hall. Rob is married to Davisa, the father of three adult children, and a soon-to-be grandfather. Episode Outline From Grocery to Liquor: The Decision That Started It All (00:35) Rob traces his path from twenty-nine years in the grocery industry to the moment Hardin County voted to go wet. He saw the opportunity, talked it over with his wife Davisa, applied for a liquor license in Radcliff — and got one. The foundation he brought with him: a deep understanding of retail, vendor relationships, merchandising, and competitive pricing, including time in a Meijer liquor store that gave him early exposure to the category. The Biggest Surprise of Business Ownership: Taxes (02:21) Rob's most candid moment: when you stop being an employee and start writing tax checks yourself, the shock is real. Sales tax is a pass-through — you collect it and pay the state — but it still flows through the same account, and if you spend it, you still owe it. His solution was to move from quarterly to monthly payroll tax payments, so the hits were smaller and the discipline was easier to maintain. Andrew extends the point: without clear accounting systems that mark certain dollars as already spoken for, a business owner can be fooled into thinking they have money they do not have. The First Six Months: One Man, Open to Close, Dinner in the Back Room (06:32) For the first six months of Mammoth Liquors, Rob was the entire operation — open to close, every day. His wife would bring the kids up and they'd eat dinner in the back room. It was difficult, he says plainly, but the liquor retail business has a low failure rate, and they felt good about the decision. Looking back, it is a family story they all tell with humor. Andrew connects it to the shift from renter to owner — the moment when every paper bag on the shelf has a dollar value you personally paid for. The Partnership: Why Trust Is the Foundation of Multi-Location Retail (08:00) Rob and Eric Hall have been business partners for eleven-plus years across three Mammoth Liquors locations. Rob's framing of the relationship: unlike a marriage, you cannot divorce your business partner, so you had better choose right the first time and commit to flexibility and trust. Each partner has clear niches — Eric handles inventory, orders, and shrinkage monitoring; Rob handles store presence, staff relationships, and operations. With three locations and only two owners, trust in your team is not optional. Rob describes their verification approach simply: he visits stores, talks to people, and makes clear he is not an absentee owner. The 80/20 Rule: Inventory, Personnel, and Where to Put Your Energy (12:41) Rob applies the Pareto principle across two dimensions: eighty percent of sales come from twenty percent of the items, and eighty percent of personnel problems come from twenty percent of the people. The inventory implication is clear — never run out of your top twenty percent of SKUs. Everything else can be moved between stores or managed flexibly. Having three locations creates an advantage: items can be transferred rather than back-ordered, and the purchasing threshold for better pricing is easier to reach. Money, Kids, and the Credit Card Conversation (21:44) Rob describes himself as a "buy here, pay here" person: if he cannot buy it outright, he probably does not want it. He and Davisa went through Dave Ramsey's financial program roughly twenty years ago, and it reshaped how they handle money. They have passed the same philosophy to all three of their adult children — none of whom have a credit card. Rob's view on credit card debt is blunt: it is a trap that is nearly impossible to escape once you are in it. Andrew ties it to the same lesson Rob learned from a vendor: if you cannot afford the twenty-case minimum to get the right price, wait until you can. Speed Round Highlights (23:20) Books Mentioned • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey — Rob notes the order of the habits surprised him — a book that rewards reading even if you think you already know it • The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey — Rob went through the Ramsey financial program with his wife Davisa roughly twenty years ago; he credits it as a major turning point in how they manage money • No Plan B by Lee Child — Rob's current audiobook — a Jack Reacher novel he listens to on the road between store visits Host & Show Info Host: Andrew Schory, Business Coach About the Host: Andrew Schory is a business coach dedicated to helping leaders build momentum through small, intentional actions. Each episode of the Small Stones Podcast features conversations with business and thought leaders to uncover the habits and decisions that move life and business forward — one small stone at a time. Podcast Website: smallstonespodcast.com Community • Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts — The most impactful way to support the show and help other listeners find it. • Work with Andrew: Interested in one-on-one or group business coaching? Visit smallstonespodcast.com to schedule a session. • Join the Mailing List: Get tools, insights, and episode updates at smallstonespodcast.com Share this episode with a new or aspiring business owner who needs a grounded, honest look at what going out on your own actually costs — and what it can build if you stay the course.

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  Episode #20

  Nelle Thomas, Hope Academy for Kids

  Aug 4, 202632 min

  Episode Summary Twenty years ago, Nelle Thomas walked into a small living room in a low-income neighborhood in Elizabethtown and had what she describes as the biggest flop of her life. She almost didn't go back. What she built from that moment is Hope Academy for Kids — a free, holistic after-school mentoring program that now serves approximately 200 students from age four through twelfth grade, with two additional campuses and a reproducible model being adopted in other Kentucky communities. In this episode, Andrew Schory talks with Nelle about what it means to invest in children before the problems start, why mentorship changed her own life after losing her father at fourteen, how she almost missed her calling by not wanting to get messy, and the big news she can barely contain: Hope Academy's first permanent home is almost official. Guest Information Guest Name: Nelle Thomas, Founder & Director, Hope Academy for Kids Bio: Nelle Thomas is the co-founder and executive director of Hope Academy for Kids, Inc, formerly known as Mission Hope for Kids. With 35+ years of experience as a Christian educator, Nelle has dedicated her career to teaching and mentoring women, children, and youth in both Christian school and church settings. In 2007, Nelle discovered her true passion when she began working with underprivileged children in a local neighborhood. Recognizing the need for a safe space where these children could be nurtured and mentored, she, alongside her husband of 40 years, David, set out to make a difference. After careful planning, much prayer, and lengthy discussion, Nelle's vision came to fruition with the founding of Mission Hope for Kids, a nonprofit organization, in December 2011. Nelle's mission is to positively impact her community by investing in the lives of local at-risk children and youth. She believes that a united community, working together for the benefit of its children, can create lasting change in her own backyard. Outside of her ministry commitments, Nelle enjoys spending time with her husband, their four grown children, and nine grandchildren. She remains actively involved in her community as a member of the Hardin County Ministerial Association and was honored with the Kentucky Missionary of the Year award in 2020. Alongside her husband, she continues to serve as a Kentucky Mission Service Corps Missionary, committed to making a lasting difference in the lives of those she serves. Website: hopeacademyforkids.org Social Media: Search "Hope Academy for Kids" on Facebook and Instagram Episode Outline What Hope Academy for Kids Actually Does (00:37) Hope Academy is an after-school mentoring program — free to all students — serving approximately 200 young people ages four through twelfth grade in Hardin County. Nelle describes it as "the whole enchilada": educational support, emotional, physical, and spiritual care, all delivered through a network of volunteers and staff who build long-term relationships with students from enrollment through graduation. The goal is not a quick intervention but a second family — one that journeys with a child through their entire school years. Children Are the Most Valuable Resource in a Community (02:50) Nelle's conviction is direct: if you do not invest in children proactively, you will pay for it reactively. Generational cycles of poverty, absent fathers, early pregnancy, and disconnection from faith and work ethic do not break themselves — someone has to step in and say there is a better way. Her frame: it is far easier to raise a child than to repair a broken adult. Andrew extends the point to the question of what mentorship does to the mentor: volunteers consistently report that they came to give and came out changed. The Living Room That Almost Didn't Happen: Don't Despise Small Beginnings (06:10) Twenty years ago, a woman named Anna invited Nelle into her living room in the Haycraft subdivision to do a Bible study with the neighborhood kids. It was, by Nelle's own description, the biggest flop of her life — kids running in and out, no one listening. She left that night certain she would never go back. Before she got home, the Holy Spirit changed her mind. The breakthrough came not from a lesson plan but from a kitchen table and a pizza: the kids never left. They sat, they talked, they engaged. The lesson Nelle drew: these children did not want to hear about her faith; they wanted to see it. Three years later, she was busing 150 kids on Wednesday nights to a small Elizabethtown church and had outgrown the building. The Personal Why: Losing Her Father at Fourteen (16:43) Nelle lost her father to cancer in ninth grade. Her mother, a Spanish-speaking widow navigating language barriers alone, could not fill the gap. Nelle graduated high school with honors — and then spent years without direction, not because she lacked ability, but because she had no mentor to help her find the path. That experience of lost time and unguided potential is the engine beneath everything Hope Academy does. One in three young people in the United States is growing up without a trusted adult, she notes — and that is a very lonely world. Building It Together: Family, Faith, and Forty-One Years of Partnership (13:36) Nelle credits her husband as the co-founder of Hope Academy in every meaningful sense. He held a full-time job as the family's provider while Nelle took a significant pay cut to launch the nonprofit — which began $800 in the hole. She spent fourteen years at home raising four children before launching Hope Academy, and describes the transition as a natural next season: she had invested deeply in her own children, and it was time to invest in someone else's. Her family served alongside her from the beginning, modeled sacrifice, and made it work together. What Living Life to the Fullest Actually Looks Like (19:58) Nelle's answer comes with a story: one of Hope Academy's first graduates — a young woman whose father was in prison and whose mother had died — graduated from Central Hardin with honors in 2019, went on to WKU, and is now serving in the United States Army in a high-security role. She called Nelle to say: my success is your success. Nelle's conclusion: living life to the fullest means giving God what you have, however small it seems, and letting Him use it to make someone else's life better. Breaking News: Hope Academy's First Permanent Home (22:47) After thirteen years of leasing space — starting at the Von Reno Starks Community Center and later moving to their current location — Hope Academy is on the verge of securing its first permanent building. Nelle could barely contain the news at the time of recording: a formal media release was expected within a week or two. The process began in fall 2025 and has been, in her words, "crawling" — but the finish line is in sight. She expects the kids' reaction to be proof of what she already tells them: they are some of the greatest kids in Hardin County. Speed Round Highlights (25:40) Books Mentioned • When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert — On how well-intentioned help can inadvertently harm — and how to serve communities in ways that build dignity and lasting change; Nelle's most impactful read for the work she does • The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster — Nelle's current read — on the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and rest as rhythms that sustain a person through high-demand work How to Support Hope Academy for Kids • Give financially — Hope Academy is a free program funded entirely by donations. Every dollar invests directly in a child. • Volunteer — mentors, tutors, and caring adults are the core of what Hope Academy does. • Follow and share on social media — search "Hope Academy for Kids" and help expand the program's reach. • Pray — for the students, the staff, the volunteers, and the new permanent building. • Adopt the model — if you have a heart for children in your own community, Hope Academy's model is reproducible. Reach out to learn more. Learn more and give at hopeacademyforkids.org Host & Show Info Host: Andrew Schory, Business Coach About the Host: Andrew Schory is a business coach dedicated to helping leaders build momentum through small, intentional actions. Each episode of the Small Stones Podcast features conversations with business and thought leaders to uncover the habits and decisions that move life and business forward — one small stone at a time. Podcast Website: smallstonespodcast.com Community • Support Hope Academy for Kids: Give, volunteer, or learn more at hopeacademyforkids.org • Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts — The most impactful way to support the show and help other listeners find it. • Work with Andrew: Interested in one-on-one or group business coaching? Visit smallstonespodcast.com to schedule a session. • Join the Mailing List: Get tools, insights, and episode updates at smallstonespodcast.com Share this episode with a parent, a volunteer, a donor, or anyone who needs a reminder that the small, messy, inconvenient first step — the one you almost didn't take — might be the most important one.

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  Episode #19

  Kyle Oldham, Area Director, FCA

  Jul 28, 202642 min

  Episode Summary Kyle Oldham has been mentored, has mentored others, and is now building a network of mentors across eight counties in Kentucky — all through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In this episode, Andrew Schory sits down with Kyle to trace a journey that runs from a church family in Hardin County, to a baseball diamond at Georgetown College, to athletic training at WKU, to a COVID-forced pivot, to a desperate late-night prayer that led to a phone call the very next morning. Kyle covers the moment-by-moment buildup of faith, the recurring theme of mentorship that runs through every chapter of his life, how the best coaches he has seen define success far beyond winning, and what it practically looks like to reach thousands of student-athletes across a region through volunteers, character coaches, and prayer. Guest Information Guest Name: Kyle Oldham, Area Director, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bio: Kyle Oldham is the Area Director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) serving eight counties in Kentucky. A lifelong athlete who played baseball at Georgetown College, Kyle went on to earn a graduate background in athletic training and sports medicine at Western Kentucky University, later working in physical therapy and sports performance coaching in the Elizabethtown area. He came to FCA after a season of prayer and discernment that brought him into full-time ministry at age 36. Kyle is a husband and father. His mission through FCA is simple and ambitious: to reach every student and every coach with the gospel and help them grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ and the local church. Connect with FCA: Find Kyle and FCA Hardin County on social media, or reach out directly through the FCA website at fca.org . Episode Outline Growing Up in Faith: A Family That Spoke the Language (00:43) Kyle grew up in a household where faith was everyday conversation — not performance. Grandparents and parents who openly shared what God was doing in their lives, a church community that reinforced it, and a mom who consistently reminded him that God loves him and he can always talk to Him. He gave his life to Christ at age eight, overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit at a church service. That foundation would anchor every decision that followed. Georgetown College: Finding Community on Purpose (01:52) Heading into college, Kyle's primary concern wasn't his major — it was whether he'd have the kind of biblical community he had found through Chrysalis. Within the first week at Georgetown, a man named Andy Hardin showed up to start a Bible study with the baseball team. Kyle was in. Through Campus Outreach, he was discipled in a way that moved beyond head knowledge to articulating the gospel and actually living it — a formative experience he would replicate for athletes years later. The Watering Hole: Athletic Training at WKU (03:52) Kyle's college mentors surprised him: instead of pushing him toward full-time ministry, they told him to go be an athletic trainer — because the world needs more intentional people in "normal" roles, not just more ministers. So Kyle went to Western Kentucky University, where he found himself at what he calls "the watering hole" — surrounded by athletes, speaking their language, building relationships. A graduate assistant baseball coach invited him to start a Bible study with the team. Ten to fifteen guys showed up each week. One of them was third baseman Casey Dykes, who gave his life to Christ during that time. From Athletic Training to a Desperate Prayer: Finding FCA (09:52) Kyle spent six years in physical therapy in Hardin County — a job he loved and never would have left. Then COVID hit, and he was a budget cut. He launched a sports performance business, which checked most of his boxes but pulled him away from his family during evenings and weekends. A year of prayer and a series of slammed doors led to a single desperate night of surrender: God, wherever you want me to go, I'll go. The next morning, Kyle received a call from David Bird, a multi-area FCA director who had been building a board in Hardin County for nearly a year and was looking for someone to lead it. Kyle's name had come up the night before. The Mentorship Cycle: Being Poured Into, Then Pouring Out (17:00) A recurring theme throughout Kyle's story is mentorship — always receiving it, always giving it, and never fully stopping either. He describes the transition not as a hand-off but as a gradual process: watch, then assist, then lead with support, then go. Andrew draws out the corollary for student-athletes: many young leaders are ready before they think they are, and the job of the leader above them is to identify that and give them room to lead, not wait until they self-nominate. What the Best Coaches Have in Common (22:29) Kyle's answer is built on two things: knowing what you lack and surrounding yourself with people who are strong where you are not, and being genuinely healthy at home and spiritually before you step into the gym or onto the field. The coaches who lead well off the field, he says, naturally lead well on it — because their athletes can see the real thing being lived out. Andrew connects this to his high school coach, whose restraint and personal standards created a culture the entire team adopted without being told. What FCA Does: Huddles, Character Coaches & Reaching 5,000 Students (28:46) Kyle's territory is eight counties and roughly 18,000 students in Hardin County alone. FCA operates entirely on a volunteer model: teachers who lead school huddles, character coaches embedded in athletic programs who can be in the dugout, on the sideline, or in the stands — all on an optional basis. In three years, FCA has reached 5,000 students and coaches across Kyle's counties. He shares a story about an exchange student from Spain whose grandfather died during football practice and a character coach who was simply there to give him a hug. Those moments, he says, are what the model is built for. Speed Round Highlights (34:26) Books Mentioned • Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer — On slowing down in a culture of speed; one of Kyle's most impactful reads of the past year • Leadership Pain by Samuel Chand — On how a leader's capacity for impact is proportional to their willingness to absorb the pain of leading people; Kyle's current read How to Support FCA • Volunteer as a character coach — if you are already coaching your child's team, you may be a step away from an FCA role. • Lead or support a huddle at your local school — volunteer spots are open across multiple schools right now. • Give financially — Bibles, volunteer training, events, and resources all require funding. • Pray — Kyle names it as one of the two biggest needs, alongside volunteers. • Buy donuts — kids eat a lot, and huddles run on them. Connect with Kyle and FCA through social media or at fca.org Host & Show Info Host: Andrew Schory, Business Coach About the Host: Andrew Schory is a business coach dedicated to helping leaders build momentum through small, intentional actions. Each episode of the Small Stones Podcast features conversations with business and thought leaders to uncover the habits and decisions that move life and business forward — one small stone at a time. Podcast Website: smallstonespodcast.com Community • Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts — The most impactful way to support the show and help other listeners find it. • Work with Andrew: Interested in one-on-one or group business coaching? Visit smallstonespodcast.com to schedule a session. • Join the Mailing List: Get tools, insights, and episode updates at smallstonespodcast.com Share this episode with a coach, a parent of a student-athlete, or anyone who has ever wondered whether the small, faithful steps they are taking right now are actually leading somewhere.

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  Episode #18

  Rene DaCosta, VP of Food, Beverage, and QSR, BrakeTime

  Jul 21, 202624 min

  Episode Summary René DaCosta has built and led restaurant teams on three continents — from Domino's in California to Pizza Hut and Papa John's in the UK to Dunkin', Marco's, and now BrakeTime, where he oversees QSR operations across a growing convenience store chain. In this episode, Andrew Schory and René dig into the tension between cost control and sales culture, why trust is the foundation of every high-performing team, what prospective franchisees almost always get wrong, and how René's Brazilian energy and open-door philosophy shape every room he walks into. Guest Information Guest Name: René DaCosta, VP of Food, Beverage & QSR, BrakeTime Bio: René DaCosta is an experienced, energetic, and versatile executive with a proven ability to build high-performing, motivated teams and deliver sales and profit results in fast-moving environments. With deep roots in the pizza business — Pizza Hut, Papa John's, and Domino's in both the UK and USA — René has also led operations across coffee, fast food, convenience retail, and pub environments. A self-starter who balances personal drive with a genuine desire to bring out the best in people, he has lived and worked in Brazil, the UK, and the United States, adapting to diverse teams and company cultures throughout his career. He currently serves as VP of Food, Beverage & QSR at BrakeTime, where he oversees proprietary food programs alongside branded partners including Popeyes, Little Caesars, and Burger King. Episode Outline From Brazil to California to London: René's Career Across Three Continents (00:39) René traces a career that spans Domino's in California, Domino's and Pizza Hut in the UK, opening the Papa John's market across England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, managing retail inside London's four major train stations, Costa Coffee, and a return to the US through Dunkin', Pizza Hut, Marco's Pizza, Shell, and now BrakeTime — a convenience store chain where proprietary food and branded QSR partners operate under the same roof. Sales Cures All: Why a Sales-First Culture Changes Everything (03:08) René's conviction is direct: sales is the answer to almost every cost problem. When a team operates inside a cost-control culture, it changes how team members make micro-decisions — including whether to give a customer the extra cheese they asked for. Andrew and René connect this to the lifetime value of a guest: it is always cheaper to retain a customer than acquire a new one, and every nickel-and-dime interaction chips away at the relationship. René's reframe of the Golden Rule also stands out: don't treat customers the way you want to be treated — treat them the way they want to be treated. The Four Levers of Revenue Growth (06:36) René lays out a clear framework: there are only four ways to grow sales in any store. Bring in new customers. Get existing customers to come in more often. Increase prices. And — the most overlooked lever — don't lose the customers you already have. His argument: businesses spend heavily on marketing to attract new guests while investing almost nothing in the training and experience that would keep them. Marketing and training budgets, he says, should move together. Trust Is the Foundation: Leading Teams Across Cultures (08:14) Whether in the US, the UK, or anywhere else, René's core leadership principle is the same: trust. He draws a direct parallel between trusting your customer (believe them when they say the order is wrong) and trusting your team (believe them when they say they're sick). That mutual trust, he argues, is what turns a team into a family — one where people cover each other on holidays not because they have to, but because they want to. Andrew extends the point: people are appreciating assets. The longer someone stays, the more valuable they become — and external hires always cost more because you're paying for appreciation earned somewhere else. What to Look for Before You Sign: Franchise Ownership Advice (12:19) René's framework for evaluating a franchise opportunity has a clear sequence: start with passion (if you don't love the industry, stop there), then do due diligence with existing franchisees by visiting their locations and asking what they like and don't like, then honestly assess whether you will be a hands-on or hands-off owner and whether the brand's model supports that. Andrew adds a sharp observation: whatever an existing franchisee describes as a challenge is almost certainly a bigger problem than they're letting on — and profit alone will never motivate you through the hard days. Energy as a Leadership Tool: The Open-Door Philosophy (17:25) René is candid that his energy is largely natural — Brazilian-born, shaped by a culture of warmth and celebration — but he is also deliberate about it. His door is open ninety percent of the time. When it is closed, his team knows something is different. He is aware that his energy feeds the environment around him and that a leader's mood travels fast through a restaurant. On his hardest days, he keeps those moments private, because he has seen firsthand what a manager's bad day does to a whole store's culture. Speed Round Highlights (21:15) Books Mentioned • From Lucky to Smart by Kyle Krause — The story of QuikTrip and how leadership culture — not luck — drives organizational success; René's most impactful recent read • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey — René's current re-read; he notes the "big rocks" framework hits differently at every stage of life and leadership Host & Show Info Host: Andrew Schory, Business Coach About the Host: Andrew Schory is a business coach dedicated to helping leaders build momentum through small, intentional actions. Each episode of the Small Stones Podcast features conversations with business and thought leaders to uncover the habits and decisions that move life and business forward — one small stone at a time. Podcast Website: smallstonespodcast.com Community • Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts — The most impactful way to support the show and help other listeners find it. • Work with Andrew: Interested in one-on-one or group business coaching? Visit smallstonespodcast.com to schedule a session. • Join the Mailing List: Get tools, insights, and episode updates at smallstonespodcast.com Share this episode with a restaurant operator, a franchisee, or any leader who wants a reminder that sales culture starts with how you treat people — your team and your customers — before it shows up on a P&L.

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