Wise Tales

Welcome to Wise Tales, the podcast where we sit down with industry experts and thought leaders to discover how to enhance brand value, increase revenue and drive great organizational culture through employees, customers and partners.Tune in, with host Evan Melick, as we unlock the transformative potential and power of optimized learning, development and operations — one wise tale at a time!

Wise Tales is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 19 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.

Unknown Host hosts Wise Tales, a business show with 19 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Wise Tales

  Future-Proofing Work With AI and Smarter Tech

  Sep 2, 202531 minS0

  <p>Donna Herbel, Founder of Blue Phoenix Learning and Co-Founder and COO at Savii, joins us to share how technology and AI empower frontline teams, preserve institutional knowledge and shape confident leaders. Drawing on decades of experience in hospitality training and leadership development, Donna highlights how organizations can turn chaos into clarity through practical strategies, people-first leadership and the right tech.</p><p><br></p><p>Key Takeaways:</p><p><br></p><p>(01:43) Understand where opportunities exist but remain untapped, focusing on improvements that can drive better outcomes.</p><p>(03:16) Use technology to manage repetitive and administrative tasks, allowing people...

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  Wise Tales

  Ditch the Scripts: How Play, Failure and Improv Are Revolutionizing Hospitality Training

  Aug 12, 202526 minS0

  <p>Audrey Benet, Director of Training at GuestCounts Hospitality, shares insights into how modern training techniques can transform learning in the hospitality space. With two decades of experience leading operations, culture and training for global brands, Audrey brings a human-centered perspective to scaling systems while prioritizing team well-being.</p><p><br></p><p>Audrey outlines how humor, improv and technology help make learning more effective and inclusive. She emphasizes the importance of creating safe environments where team members can fail forward, build soft skills and grow into confident leaders through practical experience and collaborative feedback.</p><p><br></p><p>...

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  Wise Tales

  The Hidden Revenue Stream Most Restaurants Overlook

  Jul 20, 202521 minS0

  <p>In this episode, we speak to Mike Stasko, President at Sunny Street Cafe, a breakfast and lunch restaurant group headquartered in Columbus, Ohio with 22 locations across the US. Mike offers insight into how the brand scales with intention, blending consistency with adaptability to support both franchisee success and long-term growth.</p><p><br></p><p>Mike shares how a clear but flexible brand framework enables franchisees to remain consistent while still adapting to their local markets. He discusses how the business maintains operational simplicity while creating room for innovation, from regional menu options to evolving service models. He also...

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  Wise Tales

  The Hidden Power of Day One and Why It Determines Everything

  Jul 9, 202520 minS0

  <p>On this episode we feature Wesley Epstein, Director of Training and Franchise Business Consultant at Eggs Up Grill, who shares how culture and hospitality fuel operational excellence across a growing restaurant franchise. Wesley explains how consistency and connection are built from day one through onboarding, digital training and ongoing franchise support to ensure every guest and team member experiences the same brand DNA at every location.</p><p><br></p><p>Wesley also highlights the use of Wisetail’s LMS, branded internally as Egg Yolk University, to deliver scalable, personalized training while preserving the human-first values at the core of...

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  Wise Tales

  From Boring to Blockbuster: Rethinking Frontline Training

  Jun 18, 202528 minS0

  <p>Julius Ridgley, Director of Learning and Development at Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar, joins us to share how he applies a creative, culture-driven approach to workplace training. With a deep-rooted background in hospitality and a passion for pop culture, Julius shares how his role goes beyond designing courses to shaping mindset, motivation and community. He explains how humor, personal connection and cultural relevance drive meaningful learning experiences that resonate across generations.</p><p><br></p><p>Key Takeaways:</p><p><br></p><p>(02:33) Embracing titles and themes that reflect both personality and mission can create stronger identification with learning...

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Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.