Meet Matthew D. Anderson, MS, MBA.Location: East Lansing, MI
Employer: Leadership Coaching for Results Title: CEO Why did you want be an instructor for the HTIM business management course? I love serving those who are seeking to grow and develop themselves, and I love the hospitality industry, so this was a perfect pairing! My undergraduate degree is from Michigan State University's The School of Hospitality Business, where I went on to serve for over a decade as an alumni board member, endowment founder, guest lecturer, and student mentor. From managing a coffee shop in a grocery store at 17, to turning around a fine dining steakhouse on the brink of closure, to coaching AGMs through the final growth necessary to earn their own store, to facilitating ROI-focused initiatives that have generated tens of millions of dollars, I've spent over 20 years in our industry, and am thrilled to serve in this new way. How will this course help individuals step up in their career? Our participants are all saying how much they're finding value in the program's content. We've found a widespread in terms of the demographics who are joining us and stepping up in their careers. One of the realizations I had early on was how diverse the participants are in terms of industry tenure and seniority. We've clearly defined in the classroom that if content is new, it's important to study in order to earn one of the many major certifications the program awards, and if the content seems rudimentary, it's important to understand it well enough to be able to share the appropriate concepts with their respective staff. What advice do you have for others in the hospitality industry who are looking for ways to grow in their career? Registering for the HTIM Program is a no-brainer. The value is both tangible and intangible, and the cost has been completely underwritten by the State of Michigan. There are plenty of development programs that you could send your people to, but after having had the opportunity to participate in the programmatic and instructional design for three of the major products that you would likely be considering, I can say with true honesty, there really isn't a better value for this type of development and certification. What is your favorite part of teaching the HTIM business management course? As much as I love being able to share experiences to help fast-track folks towards their goals, it is so much fun to learn about the dramatically different ways in which each of us engage in this industry. In one cohort alone, we have folks in craft beer and burgers, golf course management, those who have managed food service for higher ed, cannabis production, independent and family businesses, and a trampoline park! Even when we're all looking at the exact same thing, we're all looking at it in such dramatically different ways, and that really excites me. It makes for meaningful and transformational learning experiences where, in addition to new skills, we have the opportunity to relearn old lessons in completely new ways. In this way, everyone becomes the teacher, and we all get better because of each other. Can you share more background on your current role? In my company, Leadership Coaching for Results, we help individuals behave like the leader that they need and want to be. I consider myself to be a leadership coach, as well as a DEI practitioner, and organizational culture consultant. I work with enterprise clients like Delta Dental, Michigan State University, the State of Michigan, and serve small business owners like a Team USA para-athlete with a video production company, a disabled military veteran who opened a boxing gym to empower people of all shapes, and a multi-unit craft burger chain that has each of their Assistant General Managers spend a year with me 1-on-1 before being awarded their own store. What was your first job in hospitality? How did you get into this industry? I started in the industry at 17, when I was tapped by the Store Director of a Meijer grocery store to be the leader of the new Starbucks they had just been approved to open. I had just graduated from high school, and intended to study hospitality business with the dream of being a successful restaurateur before entering politics. The leaders at the store knew of my goals, and offered me the opportunity to go through Starbucks Manager Training, and be an active player in all aspects of launching a new coffee shop, like hiring, product purchasing, inventory, ensuring we met Starbucks quality and experience standards. It was an incredible experience that I still feel grateful to have had. Interesting and fun fact: My wife and I love to travel to new countries and experience different cultures. While traveling we always do two things: Purchase a piece of art from a local artist, and try food we’ve never eaten before. |