We recently connected with Michelle Griffith and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?
When I first started working in corporate America, I was intimidated by the experienced employees at Carrols Corporation. However, I quickly learned how important it was to be vocal and communicate with the managers of the 100 restaurants that I was responsible for. I also learned how to manage my daily workload, emails, and call logs. These experiences helped me develop my organization and multitasking skills, which have been essential in my career as CFO at Calabrese & Winkler Holdings.
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?
Simply put, my name is Michelle Griffith, and i am currently the CFO for Calabrese & Winkler Holdings. The brand owns some of Dallasites favorite restaurants. The Nodding Donkey, a great laid-back sports bar with a local feel, State & Allen, a neighborhood staple in the Uptown Dallas area for over 16 years now; Social Pie, a socially responsible pizza joint in the Medial District, Maple Landing, a nouveau BBQ joint that also specializes in local beer, bourbons, and burgers, and Savory Catering, which is one of the largest and most respected catering companies in the DFW area.
How did I get into the industry?
I have always wanted to be an accountant. I took accounting classes in high school and then went to a business college that specialized in accounting. College helped me get my first professional job at Carrols Corporation, which owns many well-known restaurants, including Burger King. My first job ever was actually at McDonald’s, so I was familiar with the service industry and enjoyed working in it. I loved the efficiency of the service industry and knew that I would be involved in it in some aspect of my adult career.
What problems do I solve?
I manage many aspects of my current job in a restaurant. I am responsible for ensuring that the restaurant continues to make a profit by keeping costs down, providing benefits to employees to retain them, and stepping into other roles as needed. I enjoy helping others.
What are you most proud of when it comes to the work you do?
Being able to make a company show profits after over 20 years within the industry.
Any advice for managing a team?
Always be a leader and never a boss. With being a leader, you have to also lead by example. For me, that means never being afraid to do something you would require from your staff. You cannot expect them to do something that you aren’t even willing to do yourself.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think my reputation comes from my long experience in the industry. I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and made many connections over the past 25 years. I attend seminars and conferences to learn from others in my field and grow my network. I also treat others with respect, which helps me earn their respect in return.
Image Credits
Headshot by: India Wilkerson Photos by: Kayla Enright & India Wilkerson