In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Christin Marvin, founder and CEO of Solutions by Christin, a fast-growing community built to connect, educate, and empower catering professionals.
With over 20 years in the hospitality trenches—from line cook to multi-unit operator—Christin now helps restaurant owners and leaders create sustainable success without burning out in the process.
They dive into what it really means to build resilient teams, retain top talent, and lead with clarity—even when the kitchen is on fire (literally or metaphorically). Christin opens up about her early days in a small Missouri town slinging tacos at her favorite Mexican restaurant, and how that journey led to her becoming a leadership coach and consultant to independent restaurants across the country.
You’ll hear insights on:
Whether you’re managing one unit or many, this episode offers practical, heartfelt wisdom to help you lead better, live better, and build a restaurant business that doesn’t run you into the ground.
Restaurant Catering Smarts is sponsored by CaterZen Catering Software.
Listen to the podcast episode below:
Prefer listening on your favorite streaming platform? We’ve got you covered!
And don't forget to subscribe to Restaurant Catering Smarts to stay up to date with the latest episodes.
Sign up to find out when we release our next episode!
✅ Leadership Longevity Starts with Clarity: Most burnout happens not from hard work—but from lack of direction. Define what success looks like for your team.
✅ Culture is the Real Retention Tool: Your people don’t leave because of the hours. They leave because of poor communication, inconsistency, or toxic environments.
✅ Hiring Isn’t the End—It’s the Beginning: Hiring someone is easy. But onboarding, training, and building connection is where the magic (and retention) happens.
✅ Slow Down to Speed Up: Taking time to pause, reflect, and realign your leadership approach pays dividends in performance and peace of mind.
✅ People Problems Are Often Process Problems: Many “bad hires” are simply the result of unclear expectations, poor systems, or lack of follow-through—not bad people.
✅ Sustainability Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Business Strategy: Burned out leaders can’t scale. Building a sustainable work culture is a growth strategy, not a luxury.
🔹 “Burnout isn’t about working too much—it’s about feeling like it never ends.”
🔹 “Your systems will either support your culture or sabotage it.”
🔹 “Hiring is a handshake—what happens next is where trust is built.”
🔹 “You can’t lead clearly if you’re constantly reacting.”
🔹 “If it’s not clear, it’s not fair—to you or your team.”
🔹 “Restaurants don’t have a staffing problem. They have a leadership problem.”
🔹 “When you get intentional about how you lead, everything else starts clicking into place.”
