IWD 2024 - Michelle Herndon

A little about your career journey leading to where you are now.

I started in the hospitality industry much like a lot of people as a server with no plan of making it a career, just an end to a means. As I continued to meet others in the industry, I was inspired and realized I had a love for the business and the culture. I was fortunately surrounded and influenced by many great leaders and mentors that impacted my path and opened doors for me. As a Black woman, most of my mentors were white males that believed in my talent and abilities. From Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago to plant deep roots I moved through many great projects including event planning to event creation and production. I have opened many restaurant concepts that forged many collaborations and opportunities to learn and grow. I came to Boka Restaurant Group in 2012 and have carved a path that has led me to the leadership team where I am able to impact on a larger scale and help support all people in our company in their career journey. 

What inspired you to pursue a leadership role? 

My journey happened organically as leadership became a natural strength and fit. It was so organic but looking back now I see a common thread of leadership in my career path as it evolved and where I was given the opportunity to lead and have real input and impact with groups that I worked for and with.

What is or are your biggest career achievements? 

It would be hard to pick just one; however, each time I learn that I have impacted an employee, colleague, or company. The perpetual providing of takeaways for others feels big to me. And of course, any time I can take another step in the evolution of myself, and career feels like a huge achievement that doesn’t have an ending rather another impactful step. Being present.

How did you develop your leadership skills? 

In many ways. Personal inner work, taking time to identify areas that I need to work on. Taking classes, webinars, certifications, education.

How do you define your leadership style? 

Listener, coach, mentor. 

What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned? 

Listening is the most important thing a good leader can do followed up with action. And that “Hope is not a plan”-Mellody Hobson.

Have you achieved everything you wanted in your career so far? 

It’s the journey for not an end goal or destination. 

How important is personal development to your success, and how do you approach it?

It’s paramount and intrinsic to being successful both personally and professionally. The personal development feeds the professional in my humble opinion.

How do you prioritise tasks when everything feels like a priority? 

In the restaurant business this is a perpetual challenge. Thankfully we have a great team that we can collaborate with to help keep all of those plates spinning. It is not a perfect science.

What was the hardest decision you have taken as a leader? 

That changes from day to day however, maintaining the constant balance between helping employees and the cultivating positive business results. Both are dependent on each other.

What steps do you take to measure your own performance? 

Daily inventory of what’s working and what’s not. I am actually harder on myself than anyone I work for and with. 

What does success mean for you as a business leader? 

It’s the intangibles for me. Positive and collaborative work culture makes fulfilled team members and in turn, happy guests.

What advice would you give to someone starting off their career as a future business leader? 

Stay open, listen, identify mentors along the way. Surround yourself with people that you admire and that can help you grow and develop, whether you know them personally or follow them on a platform. Humility and kindness go a long way!