#19 Belonging + Leadership

Jun 27

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In this episode, Dr. Mona chats with guest Van Eure, the owner of Angus Barn. Kicking off the conversation, Van shares the history and the story behind the restaurant. Van’s Dad was supposed to be a pro football player, but then was drafted into the military. After he had three kids and came back from the military, he and a friend created a steakhouse. The first lesson Van learned about leadership from her Dad, which was about dishwashers, is to always listen to her employees because they know the solutions to problems. She listens to her team and what they tell her they need because they have direct contact with the customers. The secret is to care what your guests want and what your employees want. It’s so simple that it’s hard. You have to be sincere in all your interactions with customers and employees. For most restaurants, the turnover rate is about 70-80%, but at Angus Barn they have a 14% turnover rate.

At Angus Barn, Van turns the work pyramid upside down with the boss at the bottom. Her job is to serve the people who work with her, so they can all serve the guests. If she doesn’t do that, then they don’t have the tools to do their job. She also says you have to trust your employees to make decisions and give them that power. There will always be bad apples and people who abuse that power, but you need to empower your team to take that power seriously. Van also shares their process for hiring employees at Angus Barn and breaking down that barrier in trusting the team. They let the team members interview their potential peers and the rule of thumb is that if you feel on the fence, the answer is no. Van says they can teach people the skills, but they can’t teach them to have a servant’s heart that loves to make people’s days. They aren’t selling meals at Angus Barn – they are selling memories.

Next, Van describes her experience living and working in Kenya and what it taught her about leadership. She was a teacher there and created her own school to teach students to read and write. She was in the minority in Kenya and was the only white person for miles around, so she learned what it feels like to be in the minority. She lived very simply in a hut with an outhouse, so she had to be resourceful and figure things out herself. She also had to understand a whole new culture and language.

Van then shares how she led the team through the COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID, she and the managers called every single one of the 400 employees and asked what they needed, and said they would help them in any way they could. They checked on employees who were suffering. They also set up a fund through the North Carolina Restaurant Association that gave any previous or current employees $500 if they had an immediate need. To support the restaurant, they created a to-go service, which Angus Barn had never done. Van worked at the pick-up line herself to help her team. Her Dad always said everyone had to work in every single department at the restaurant. She also requires every employee to help the dishwasher crew for 15 minutes a day, so they can get out at 11:30 pm instead of 1:30 am. She is teaching them humanity and empathy, and that everybody has to help each other.

Van also describes the Foundation of Hope that her family founded in honor of her brother who has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This Foundation of Hope funds research for doctors doing cures for mental illness. When her Dad passed in 1988, they started the Walk for Hope. The walk today has over 4,000 visitors with a festival and food, and all the money goes directly to fund research and treatment facilities all over the U.S.

Lastly, Van says that belonging to her means to believe in something greater than yourself in this world that helps and connects us all.

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1:06 - Dr. Mona introduces today’s guest, Van Eure.

2:34 - What is the history and the story behind the restaurant?

13:36 - What is the barrier in trusting the team?

19:01 - What did your experience in creating a school in Kenya teach you about leadership?

27:39 - How did you handle COVID in the restaurant industry?

38:11 - Van describes the culture and the event at Angus Barn that happens every year.

46:14 - What does belonging mean to you?

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Learn more about Angus Barn

Follow Angus Barn on Instagram @angusbarn