Episode 11:
Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory and the newest business—Cornman Farms. Zingerman’s produces and sells all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $60,000,000 a year in annual sales. Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including “Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon” (Zingerman’s Press), “Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service,” “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating” (Houghton Mifflin), “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business,” and “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Being a Better Leader.” “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Managing Ourselves,” was released in December of 2013. “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business” is scheduled for release in 2016.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Ari’s background
- What “A Players” look like to Ari and why they’re different from other employees
- Ari’s customer service philosophy
- Ari’s employee onboarding process for developing the right employee mindset from the very beginning
- Why Ari treats his employees as his customers
- How Ari is able to retain employees and help them develop
- Visioning and getting clear on the future you want to create
- Ari’s four Zingerman’s business books (these don’t have to be read in any specific order!)
- How Zingtrain came to be
Ways to contact Ari:
- Email: ari@zingermans.com
- Website (for food mail order): zingermans.com
- Website (for business training): zingtrain.com
- Website (for general info): zingermanscommunity.com
- New Book: “Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business”