We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Steven Gostin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Steven, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I recently found myself at a crossroads, forced to make some difficult decisions. I kept asking: Why am I here, and what am I going to do next? My job was coming to an end, and truthfully, I hadn’t been happy in it for a long time. I stayed because my family needed me to, but it wasn’t feeding my purpose.

Turning 60 changed something in me. I felt a pull toward more, more meaning, more courage, more alignment with who I truly am. I prayed, reflected, and asked God what He wanted me to do. In that quiet space, I felt clarity: it was time to pivot again, to reinvent Steve, and to reshape the direction of my life.

Baseball has always been one of my greatest joys, coaching, umpiring, teaching kids, and building confidence on the field. My umpire operation was growing fast: from 20 umpires to over 50, and from 200 games to more than 500 in a single season. Being on the field felt right. It felt like home.

Then, in December 2025, I sat down with an idea: maybe I should write a book. And guess what, I did. I wrote an inspirational children’s book rooted in baseball, Chase at Bat: Lift Up, Don’t Put Down. I wrote the story, collaborated on the illustrations, and self‑published it on Amazon, all in less than a month.

Steven, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started in this industry many years ago as a door host, eventually working my way into roles as a bartender and manager. Those early years taught me the value of hard work, humility, and connecting with people from every walk of life. Over time, I moved into larger leadership roles, serving as a Vice President for a small fast‑food chain, a Director in Native American gaming, and a General Manager for various restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. I also spent time consulting for multiple locations and concepts, helping teams strengthen operations, elevate service culture, and build environments where both guests and employees could thrive.

Later in my career, I was fortunate enough to land at the Art Institute of California–Orange County. What began as a front‑of‑house instructor quickly grew into teaching lecture courses and eventually stepping into the role of Program Chair for the Culinary and Hospitality Management programs. That experience opened the door to curriculum design, student mentorship, and a deeper understanding of how education can transform lives. From there, I joined Santa Ana College, where I wrote curriculum and launched a culinary program for the School of Continuing Education, a project that allowed me to expand access to hands‑on learning for adult students. Most recently, I served as the General Manager for Instructional Food Services at Orange Coast College, leading campus dining operations with a focus on student experience, workforce development, and community connection. Presently, I am working for Bon Appetit Management and running the food and beverage operations at Concordia University Irvine. Concordia is an amazing university with incredible people. I am very blessed to be here.

Outside of hospitality and education, I’ve spent years on baseball fields as an umpire, coach, and mentor. Working with youth athletes has shaped not only how I lead, but also the focus of my doctoral research, which explores the psychosocial challenges young athletes face and the adult behaviors that influence their development. Whether I’m teaching, leading a team, consulting, or standing behind home plate, my purpose is the same: to help people feel seen, supported, and capable of becoming their best selves.

Never did I imagine I would find myself here, reinventing my path, pursuing my doctorate in education, and building a program designed to help kids discover leadership, courage, and the strength within themselves.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

In hospitality, I’ve always known how lucky I am. I can go years without seeing someone, pick up the phone, and within thirty seconds we’re laughing like we just closed down the bar together last week. Those relationships, the kind built on long nights, hard work, and a whole lot of humanity, are something I’m genuinely proud of. They remind me that when you treat people well, they don’t forget you. They just wait for you to call.

Baseball, though…that’s a different universe. Let’s be honest: nobody wakes up thinking, “You know who I really admire? The umpire.” But that’s exactly why we wanted to be different. We’re all former coaches who love the game, love the kids, and love the chaos that comes with both. So, we decided to show up as ourselves. not as rule robots, not as grumpy statues behind the plate, but as real humans who actually enjoy being out there.

We’ve all seen the other kind of umpire, the ones who yell at 8‑year‑olds like they’re in Game 7 of the World Series, or the ones who refuse to move more than three inches in any direction. Some umpires act like the rulebook is the Bible and the kids are just…inconveniences. That’s not us. That’s not who I want us to be. That’s why I’m building a better group of umpires, ones who remember that baseball is supposed to be fun.

So, we fist bump. We laugh. We joke with the players, the coaches, the families, even the hecklers. Especially the hecklers. I’ve always said a fist bump goes a long way, and it does. When a kid steps up to the plate, we greet them. We encourage them. We help them figure out where to stand or how to hold the bat. And parents notice. Coaches notice. They tell us all the time how much they appreciate the way we treat their kids.

And then there are the fans in the stands, the self‑appointed experts who are absolutely certain they can see the strike zone better from twenty feet away, at a 45‑degree angle, while eating sunflower seeds and the sun in their eyes. I love when someone yells, “Come on, Blue! How could you miss that?” I’m standing directly behind the plate, but apparently, they’ve got eagle vision. So, we laugh. We play along. We make it fun. Because if you can’t laugh at yourself while umpiring youth baseball, you’re in the wrong profession.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

When I look back at everything I’ve done over the years, one theme rises above all the rest: service. Whether I was running a restaurant or standing behind home plate, it has always been about hospitality, humility, and leading with heart. That’s who I am. That’s who I’ve always been.

I started as a Little League manager for my son, five years of sunscreen, sunflower seeds, and trying to convince a group of 8‑year‑olds that running to first base after hitting the ball is, in fact, the correct order of operations. From there, I began coaching individual kids. I’m not the greatest coach in the world, and I know my limitations, but that’s exactly why I love working with the younger ones. They don’t need perfection, they need patience, fundamentals, and someone who believes in them. And that, I can give.

What I’ve learned is that whether you’re serving a table or calling balls and strikes, it’s all about people. It’s about showing up with humility, offering encouragement, and making someone’s day a little better than it was before. Hospitality isn’t just an industry; it’s a way of moving through the world. And for me, it shows up everywhere: in the restaurants I’ve led, on the baseball fields I’ve worked, and in the kids, I’ve had the privilege to coach.

At the end of the day, I’m just a guy trying to serve well, lead with heart, and make sure the people around me feel seen, supported, and lifted up, whether they’re carrying a tray or carrying a bat.

This has prompted the phone to ring as people are hearing about Orange Coast Baseball Group and how we are reliable and fun!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stevegostin.com, www.ocbaseballgroup.com
• Instagram: @ocbaseballgroup. @stevegostin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegostin