We want to share some fantastic news and recognition for the Take the Long View with Matt Hall podcast, which, despite being on hiatus since May of 2022, just earned a Signal Gold Award in the “Money & Finance” category. This international award had more than 1,700 entries from 30 countries! Revisit some of the episodes that earned Matt’s podcast its second significant award here.

Want to know the most popular episodes of all:

1. Sid and Ann Mashburn: Tastemakers with Heart and Soul
2. Morgan Housel: The Psychology of Money
3. Danny Meyer: Creating a Better World Through Enlightened Hospitality
4. David Kabiller: From “Goldman Slacks” to AQR

For details about the Signal Awards, read more here.

Building a restaurant and hospitality empire from the ground up doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the product of unwavering attention to detail complemented by a bold vision. That’s where Danny Meyer’s classic book comes in: Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.

Restaurants have a notoriously high failure rate. By some estimates, more than half of new restaurants shutter before their fifth anniversary. When you’re a restaurateur, the odds are stacked against you—especially if you’re a novice. But what about the outliers? The mavens, the tastemakers who have the magic touch?

Enter Danny Meyer: St. Louis native, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, and founder of several restaurants including the beloved Shake Shack. At the age of 27, Meyer opened Union Square Cafe in New York City which became an instant hit. But he wanted to prove to himself that his success wasn’t a fluke–and it wasn’t. Today, Meyer has a portfolio of restaurants and is widely regarded as one of the most successful restaurateurs on the planet.

In his memoir-manifesto hybrid, Meyer illustrates the philosophy which he credits to his success: Enlightened Hospitality. “[Enlightened Hospitality] stands some more traditional business approaches on their head, but it’s the foundation of every business decision and every success we’ve had,” says Meyer.

Meyer’s writing is undeniably entertaining and intriguing, but what’s most impressive about the book is how easily it can be applied to industries outside of hospitality. Whether you’re managing a coffee shop or a publicly traded corporation, Meyer’s behind-the-scenes stories are guaranteed to equip you with priceless insights into leadership, creativity, and customer service.

At Hill Investment Group, we don’t limit our reading to books strictly about finance. In fact, some of the best Long View lessons we’ve learned come from stories completely unrelated to money. Now, thanks to Danny Meyer, we can add hospitality to that collection.

Why would a man pursuing a career in law and politics suddenly give it all up and gamble his future on a restaurant? Just ask the legendary St. Louis native Danny Meyer, who turned that one restaurant into a hospitality empire and eventually founded Shake Shack, the beloved burger spot with over 250 locations around the world.

Today, with his philosophy of enlightened hospitality and belief in the importance of building community wealth, Meyer continually prods the restaurant industry to level up and create better career opportunities for its workers, while challenging himself to share his insights with new industries through his investment fund.

Matt Hall met up with Meyer in New York to talk about everything from why there is a no-tip rule in Meyer’s restaurants to St. Louis Sports. Get to know more about Meyer’s legendary career in episode 9.

Listen to Episode 9