Confessions of an Instant Gratification Junkie (and What It Taught Me About Recruiting)

Living for the Applause: Hospitality’s Secret Fuel

Early in my restaurant career, someone I worked with — we’ll call him “Adam” — described people in this business as instant gratification junkies. At the time, I laughed, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right.

In restaurants, regardless of your role, you’re there to make people happy, and when you succeed, you feel it instantly. Think about it:

• The bartender who lights up when a guest tells them it’s the best drink they’ve ever had.

• The server whose face beams when a guest leaves an extra $5 or $10 above a 20% gratuity — not because of the size of the tip, but because they know they nailed it.

• The cook who plates a dish so perfectly the chef not only doesn’t yell (rare enough, haha), but says, “That’s magazine-worthy — let’s get a picture!”

At that moment, that cook is juiced.

My Own Fix

I realized I’ve been an instant gratification junkie most of my life — from being the class clown, to chasing a career in acting, to my decades in restaurants.

I’ve always loved making people feel good. And in my operations career, it was incredibly gratifying to:

• Create raving fans for the brands I represented.

• Help team members and managers grow, develop, and earn promotions.

• Watch people LOVE their jobs.

That kind of impact often happened dozens or even hundreds of times a day.

A New Chapter in Recruiting

Now, as a Director of Recruiting for Source One Hospitality, I get to experience those same good vibes in a different way.

The text I mentioned earlier came after I presented a client with two strong candidates for one leadership role. They loved both of them so much, they found a way to hire both. The client was thrilled. Weeks later, one of those candidates reached out to thank me, sharing how happy and grateful they were to have landed with that company.

That’s the magic: helping companies strengthen their teams with great talent, while helping people find the next exciting chapter in their professional lives — roles that energize them and help provide for their families.

Gratification, Redefined

The truth is, recruiting isn’t about instant gratification. The payoff comes slower. But when you get it right, everybody wins: the company, the candidate, and ultimately, the guests.

And that’s more than gratifying.

It’s worth the wait.