Posted By John P. Palen, CEO & Founder of Allied Executives
Great American success stories are still happening, including this one in Woodbury. And like the stories of old, this story shows that hard work, the right connections, and passion can pay off.
Angelo Montes grew up in Biella, Italy, near Milan. He worked in restaurants from a young age, and held a dream of owning his own restaurant someday. It was a long time coming - including a recession-induced delay - but his dream was finally realized in October 2012 when he opened Sole Mio Ristorante in Woodbury, near I-494 and Valley Creek Road.
Montes is also now the recipient of not one, but two Chef of the Year awards from the American Culinary Federation.
As the son of a 100 percent Italian mother, I can vouch for the quality and authenticity of Montes' food. But it takes more than a great product or service to succeed in Minnesota's competitive dining scene. Montes credits many leaders along the way for helping him move from executive chef to owner.
Hard Work
After moving his family from Italy to Woodbury, MN in 1999, Montes got his start as a cook at Chianti Grill. His skills with food prep, organization and cookery soon had him consulting on improved recipes and staff management. As he advanced, Montes emphasized quality food and a great dining experience as well as respect for others.
"I am very competitive and I want to be the best," Montes said. "Not all employees take ownership in their job. I've had to learn how to motivate people to give more than they normally would."
For 10 years, Montes was head chef for three Chianti Grill locations – elevating them to be among the best Twin Cities restaurants. He learned how to communicate with different owners and learn all he could from their example. He was always upfront about his dream of opening a restaurant. "I helped them and they helped me." Montes says, "They taught me the business side of the restaurant business."
Montes also pursued certification in the American Culinary Federation, something few executive chefs in Minnesota hold. He also serves as a board member, building more connections and giving back to the industry.
Passion
As Montes will show you, big personalities can become big leaders even if they are in a small package. He is not tall of stature, but tall in character.
"I feel good because I am a good person," he says. "I love and care about people, and my integrity, the truth is very important to me."
The passion is evident when you dine at Sole Mio, from the preparation and plating of the food to the lively personalities of employees who seem to enjoy their work. The respect that Montes showed to his owners as a chef - and received in return - is coming full circle.
"I like to teach other chefs how to do more than cook in the restaurant industry," he says. "I would tell them there is risk in running your own business, but I am confident if I do the right things, the reward will come later."
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Performance and profits featuring Ted Capistrant and Andy Wondra with Profit Builder Network written May 2013 by John P. Palen for Minnesota Business Magazine
Posted By John P. Palen, CEO & Founder of Allied Executives
A new web tool helps business improve communication - and accountability.
Every great leader has skills and processes to ensure team accountability and achievement. Now, a Minnesota operations specialist has found a way to bottle such skills, he says, into an effective tool that aligns performance with profits. Ted Capistrant spent decades leading teams and ensuring efficient operations at Minnesota companies such as Securian and Marsden Building Maintenance. Then he started his own consulting practice with partner Andy Wondra and proceeded to help business owners improve their bottom line.
Their company, Profit Builder Network (PBN) in St. Paul, is a thought leader in team alignment and organizational development. Recently it launched a web-enabled tool that, when used for strategic planning, tracking and communication with employees, is designed to be like having the PBN team at the helm of your company's operations.
"There needs to be a performance feedback loop," says Capistrant. "Leaders need to plan, track the action and progress to the plan, then provide the necessary feedback consistently to ensure that people meet expectations and achieve results."
PBN built its web-enabled tool last year. Called Tracking Action, it allows owners to create concise company master, department and individual business plan summaries. "They must fit on one page and be read and understood in five minutes or less, or even the author will never read it again," says Capistrant.
Each plan includes measurable key performance indicators and milestones that are tracked each month with a high level performance dashboard. An unlimited number of employees can create their own plan, tied to each other's plans, for building a platform of cascading goals, to meet the company's overall objectives. Management can review and score each employee on his or her progress within the system. This closes the performance feedback loop. "The system is used in weekly review meetings to acknowledge progress and keep everyone accountable," says Wondra.
While many companies could benefit by hiring a planning expert to demonstrate the proper way to facilitate and utilize a great system, it normally takes years of practice to master the planning and execution process. "We take the complexity out of it because our system is set up for management down to employees," Wondra says.
One of the most significant aspects to formalizing an organizational development process is that progress is tracked historically, revealing not only the value of each employee but also the self-sufficiency of the organization. This data could become significant when owners are ready to sell because the value of talent is measurable, adding to the company's profit potential in the eyes of buyers.
Reaching goals and increasing profits is easier when everyone in the organization moves in the same direction. When employees understand their roles in that equation, you also improve retention. Capistrant says, "Our gratification comes from comparing our clients' bottom line before and after they adopt our principles and the Tracking Action system."
Tips for an accountability culture
A new web tool helps business improve communication - and accountability.
Every great leader has skills and processes to ensure team accountability and achievement. Now, a Minnesota operations specialist has found a way to bottle such skills, he says, into an effective tool that aligns performance with profits. Ted Capistrant spent decades leading teams and ensuring efficient operations at Minnesota companies such as Securian and Marsden Building Maintenance. Then he started his own consulting practice with partner Andy Wondra and proceeded to help business owners improve their bottom line.
Their company, Profit Builder Network (PBN) in St. Paul, is a thought leader in team alignment and organizational development. Recently it launched a web-enabled tool that, when used for strategic planning, tracking and communication with employees, is designed to be like having the PBN team at the helm of your company's operations.
"There needs to be a performance feedback loop," says Capistrant. "Leaders need to plan, track the action and progress to the plan, then provide the necessary feedback consistently to ensure that people meet expectations and achieve results."
PBN built its web-enabled tool last year. Called Tracking Action, it allows owners to create concise company master, department and individual business plan summaries. "They must fit on one page and be read and understood in five minutes or less, or even the author will never read it again," says Capistrant.
Each plan includes measurable key performance indicators and milestones that are tracked each month with a high level performance dashboard. An unlimited number of employees can create their own plan, tied to each other's plans, for building a platform of cascading goals, to meet the company's overall objectives. Management can review and score each employee on his or her progress within the system. This closes the performance feedback loop. "The system is used in weekly review meetings to acknowledge progress and keep everyone accountable," says Wondra.
While many companies could benefit by hiring a planning expert to demonstrate the proper way to facilitate and utilize a great system, it normally takes years of practice to master the planning and execution process. "We take the complexity out of it because our system is set up for management down to employees," Wondra says.
One of the most significant aspects to formalizing an organizational development process is that progress is tracked historically, revealing not only the value of each employee but also the self-sufficiency of the organization. This data could become significant when owners are ready to sell because the value of talent is measurable, adding to the company's profit potential in the eyes of buyers.
Reaching goals and increasing profits is easier when everyone in the organization moves in the same direction. When employees understand their roles in that equation, you also improve retention. Capistrant says, "Our gratification comes from comparing our clients' bottom line before and after they adopt our principles and the Tracking Action system."
Tips for an accountability culture
- Creative Freedom: Engage your people to participate in the creation and refinement of planning.
- Common Format: Plans and performance tracking mechanisms need to be the same across the board, or communication will break down.
- Consistent Feedback: Monthly tracking by everyone involved followed by frequent formal and informal feedback from leaders.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
This thing called culture featuring Doug Portmann with Modern Molding, Inc. written February 2013 by John P. Palen for Minnesota Business Magazine
Posted By John P. Palen, CEO & Founder of Allied Executives
How one returning founder focused on creating the right environment for his employees
It was 2008 and Modern Molding in Delano was operating like a well-oiled machine. Founder Doug Portmann had taken some time away from business to learn to fly an Xtra (an acrobatic plane) competitively and to relax at his cabin on Woman Lake in northern Minnesota.
It seemed like a time that every hard-working entrepreneur dreams about: enjoying the fruits of one's labor after building a solid management team that can operate successfully whether you're there or not. But for Portmann, something was missing.
"I would take a bit of time off here and there but could never detach fully," he admits. "Frankly, I got bored with personal exploration. I needed to get more involved with the business again."
The true spirit of entrepreneurship tugged. Portmann responded by choosing to expand Modern Molding's facility by 37,000 square feet. He is more actively at the helm again, challenging his team to fill the space with new projects at a time when many companies are still recovering from negative to flat growth.
It's a worthy challenge. In order to grow from $3 million in revenue in 2001 to $9 million in 2011, Portmann had to let go of some control and reorganize his leadership structure. He hired a vice president of sales who evolved into a general manager of operations in charge of developing a new sales team. New process and procedures were established to make every area of the company more efficient. The company became ISO-certified. On-time delivery improved to more than 99.3 percent, and defects declined substantially to below 62 parts per million.
All of this change required time, money, and trial and error. Portmann thrived on it: "I have always worked for myself in several different small businesses in Minnesota. But when Modern Molding reached $3 million, I realized I needed more help."
But he hates borrowing money. Most of the company's growth came from investing profits back into the business and planning each move with profits and customer needs in mind rather than sales. Saving customers time by offering new tools and services in-house also saved customers money, which eventually led to more orders and profit.
Long ago, Modern Molding looked at ways to partner with customers on solutions rather than just take orders. The company is known for its design, engineering, and problem solving as much as for its production.
Today Portmann has become more interested in "this thing called culture," in finding ways to give back to his employees and to the community. He wants to be sure that his working environment is one where employees can be personally fulfilled and thrive.
"Our next opportunity is to more clearly define how we can better align with our core values and create ways to reward, recognize, and celebrate more effectively," he says.
It's a trend Portmann hopes to leverage for additional growth, something he can sink his teeth into as a seasoned entrepreneur looking for a fresh challenge.
As for resting on the fruits of one's labor Portmann has a better understanding now of a true Minnesota entrepreneur.
"There are different ways to fly," he says.
How one returning founder focused on creating the right environment for his employees
It was 2008 and Modern Molding in Delano was operating like a well-oiled machine. Founder Doug Portmann had taken some time away from business to learn to fly an Xtra (an acrobatic plane) competitively and to relax at his cabin on Woman Lake in northern Minnesota.
It seemed like a time that every hard-working entrepreneur dreams about: enjoying the fruits of one's labor after building a solid management team that can operate successfully whether you're there or not. But for Portmann, something was missing.
"I would take a bit of time off here and there but could never detach fully," he admits. "Frankly, I got bored with personal exploration. I needed to get more involved with the business again."
The true spirit of entrepreneurship tugged. Portmann responded by choosing to expand Modern Molding's facility by 37,000 square feet. He is more actively at the helm again, challenging his team to fill the space with new projects at a time when many companies are still recovering from negative to flat growth.
It's a worthy challenge. In order to grow from $3 million in revenue in 2001 to $9 million in 2011, Portmann had to let go of some control and reorganize his leadership structure. He hired a vice president of sales who evolved into a general manager of operations in charge of developing a new sales team. New process and procedures were established to make every area of the company more efficient. The company became ISO-certified. On-time delivery improved to more than 99.3 percent, and defects declined substantially to below 62 parts per million.
All of this change required time, money, and trial and error. Portmann thrived on it: "I have always worked for myself in several different small businesses in Minnesota. But when Modern Molding reached $3 million, I realized I needed more help."
But he hates borrowing money. Most of the company's growth came from investing profits back into the business and planning each move with profits and customer needs in mind rather than sales. Saving customers time by offering new tools and services in-house also saved customers money, which eventually led to more orders and profit.
Long ago, Modern Molding looked at ways to partner with customers on solutions rather than just take orders. The company is known for its design, engineering, and problem solving as much as for its production.
Today Portmann has become more interested in "this thing called culture," in finding ways to give back to his employees and to the community. He wants to be sure that his working environment is one where employees can be personally fulfilled and thrive.
"Our next opportunity is to more clearly define how we can better align with our core values and create ways to reward, recognize, and celebrate more effectively," he says.
It's a trend Portmann hopes to leverage for additional growth, something he can sink his teeth into as a seasoned entrepreneur looking for a fresh challenge.
As for resting on the fruits of one's labor Portmann has a better understanding now of a true Minnesota entrepreneur.
"There are different ways to fly," he says.
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