We were lucky to catch up with Vincenzo DiSalvo III recently and have shared our conversation below.
Vincenzo, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?
I think it is always more difficult to discuss your failures, than it is your successes. When I graduated college, like many graduates, I still wasn’t sure what was next. I eventually was considering going back to school for a master’s degree in a more directed path but eventually ended up grinding out 60+ hour work weeks. Soon after college, I got a job at a small, local bank in the customer service side of the business. I realized soon this was not for me but continued to work there while I figured the rest out. While working full time at the bank, I also started to work at my family’s restaurant. The restaurant was like a second home to me. I had worked there throughout my life, so adding in some hours serving there (and making way more money than at the bank!), wasn’t a big surprise. What I didn’t expect, was that this would turn into a seven-year speed bump in my eventual career path. I continued to apply to other jobs that I found interesting, and more so in the fields I was hoping to end up in eventually, but with no success. I always wanted to be involved with sports in some fashion, and planned to go back to school, hoping to end up in sports management, or as an agent, eventually. I took a few shots, applying for jobs I was underqualified for, but also applied for positions where I was overqualified, just hoping to get in the door for an interview, with no success. It didn’t matter if the position was local, or in a different market, I just couldn’t seem to catch a break. After meeting my wife, and eventually getting married, we decided to move from our small PA town to a place with more opportunity. We focused on a few cities we enjoyed and began looking for the right fit. Eventually I found a sales job for a catering company in a city I always loved to visit (Charleston, SC). I had no formal sales experience, but figured if I could just get an interview, I could sell myself on the knowledge I had of the food and beverage industry to convince the company to give me a chance, since they too were fairly new to the scene. Well, I didn’t even get an interview…. A few months later, after our New Year’s Eve dinner service, I walked up to a client who was a well-known, successful entrepreneur in our town, and someone I always trusted when asking for advice about career moves, and I told him I was going to Charleston, SC, and I wasn’t planning to leave without a job offer. In the coming weeks, I reached out to a few places that I felt I had an opportunity to get a shot. I didn’t need a lifetime position, just something that could get me there, and comfortably provide for my family (including my newborn son). I met with 4 or 5 different companies, all of which were excited to offer me some limited part-time work, which I knew couldn’t be the answer. The last meeting I had was with Salthouse Catering. This was the same company that turned me down for their sales position initially. I didn’t even have a true meeting scheduled, but I reached out to one of the owners (Tanya) to let her know I would be in town and would like to stop by to say hello. She agreed, and I stopped by their warehouse, and struck up a conversation over industry related concerns. Before I left, she brought her business partner in (Chef Todd), to meet me as well. At the time, there was a third partner involved with the company, who they asked me to also meet before I left to go back to PA. After meeting with all three partners, I was eventually offered the sales position that they initially turned me down for weeks prior. I have been with the company nearly 8 years, helping them to grow exponentially along the way, and surpassing the sales number they expected my position to max out at 4 times in 7 years. As of the first of the year, I have taken over as the first General Manager for the company, and look forward to not only the challenges, but the opportunity to continue the growth trajectory of the company.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Before moving to Charleston, I grew up in a small town in Central Pennsylvania (Williamsport, the home of the Little League World Series!). From the time I was born, quite literally, into the Food and Beverage industry. Growing up in a family run pasta manufacturing business that evolved in to a multi restaurant operation as I got older, I was always around the business. As a child I would help with any prep tasks in the kitchen that my Dad (the Executive Chef) would allow. I always enjoyed being around my Dad in the kitchen when I wasn’t in school, or playing sports with my friends, and like to say that I received a culinary degree by default as a result. I also learned the value of hard work, as my family grew a small pasta company into the business that it is currently. Throughout high school, I continued to work in the restaurant. In fact, there was a point when I am pretty sure our entire banquet team was comprised of my friends from school, which always made it a good time. we worked great together, and also knew how to celebrate after, not at the restaurant of course. I went off to college after high school, but stayed fairly close, attending Bloomsburg University where I graduated with a bachelor’s in business management. I returned home on weekends often to work in the restaurant, unless I was able to visit my friends at PSU for a football weekend. After graduating college, I returned to Williamsport, unsure of my next steps. I started working in a local bank, while also serving tables at night in the restaurant, eventually deciding that I would like to go back to school for my Master’s. Ultimately, I wanted to be an agent in the sports world, but then I met my wife, and my thoughts changed. I continued to work in both the bank, and restaurant for almost 8 years. I knew the bank world was not for me, and continued to seek out a full-time job that I could evolve into a career, but with no luck. After years of grueling 60+ hour weeks, I decided I had enough, and put all of my energy into finding a job at a place where I fit well and could develop as a professional. I also had a son at this point and wanted to be able to spend time with him, instead of constantly being on the go for work. It was very important that I find a position where I would be able to enjoy my son growing up, and not constantly be consumed by work. After being turned down by Salthouse initially, I stopped by their office on a trip to Charleston to seek out that perfect fit. I must have said something right when I came by to introduce myself after not getting the position, because I met with all of the partners during this trip, and eventually had an offer to work for them (in the position I initially applied for) before returning to my wife and newborn son in PA. It was a tough decision to move away from the family business because I was so invested in its success and wanted to continue to help them grow. Our family is very close, and I didn’t want them to think I was abandoning them, but they understood my decision to get in with a relatively new company and help them grow in a city that I always enjoyed visiting. I began working for Salthouse as their Sales Manager. I had never formally sold anything, but I always said serving tables is selling, if you are good at what you do. Listening to clients, presenting a product that fits their interests while being mutually beneficial to them and the company, and building the relationship with them are universal to any successful salesperson. I knew food and knew that I could use that knowledge to my advantage when selling catering services for these client’s special events. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty of learning to do, but I was confident that if I could use this knowledge, and gain clients trust, I could make up for the things I still needed to learn. Almost 8 years later, I have helped to develop Salthouse Catering into a name that is synonymous with producing a restaurant quality experience for events of all sizes, sometimes in an environment that leaves clients asking how we made it happen. Our team has gone from just a few, to many, and I am very fortunate to work with so many dedicated people who feel the same way about providing our clients with an experience that they did not expect in a catered environment. I am extremely proud of the team we have developed and look forward to continuing to help them grow both individually, and as a company as the new chapter of Salthouse is written.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Our food production quality, and standards helped to build a great reputation in Charleston. The majority of our team comes from a restaurant background, so it is important to us to deliver great food in a catered environment, especially in a city like Charleston. We work with plenty of out-of-town clients who hear great things about the food scene and are excited to sample all of the great restaurants during their time in the area. It is very important for us to ensure that when they are dinning at their best friend’s wedding, that expectation is maintained. The best compliments we receive are from clients who tell us that “your Shrimp and Grits were better than (insert acclaimed restaurant here)”, or this is some of the best food I have had in Charleson. Even better yet, ” how did you do this in the middle of a field?!”. Our expectations for ourselves bleed over into the quality of the product we provide our clients.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Having newly been promoted to be a true leader in the company as our first General Manager, I certainly have plenty to learn. I will say that I have always tried to lead by example. Growing up, my Executive Chef Dad was not above jumping in the dish pit when they were backed up at the end of service or mopping the floors after a busy Saturday. He was an owner, and didn’t need to do these things, but he did, and you could always see the appreciation from his team. Seeing this week in and week out, I developed the same mentality, almost unknowingly. I could never be the leader that dictates and doesn’t do. I always felt that this mindset was the best way to earn the respect of your team. In developing in my new position, I also think it is very important to show that value of everyone’s opinion. I want to know everyone’s “why”, which is likely the sales manager in me, but I do think it helps to develop a team and keep morale high by better understanding your staff. You cannot effectively lead a team without knowing the strengths and weaknesses of everyone and putting them in the best position to succeed.