Robert St. John grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. At age 19, Robert entered the restaurant industry at a delicatessen where he became the manager. During his very first shift at that job, he decided that he wanted to make restaurants his career. After struggling with substance abuse in his early adulthood, Robert got completely clean in 1983 and went to school to study the industry and in 1987 he opened his first restaurant, The Purple Parrot, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He opened that restaurant with 2 other partners, and he believes partnerships are the right way to go toward success in this industry, still to this day. His restaurant group, New South Restaurant Group, now has 10 unique concepts throughout Mississippi. New South Restaurant group includes: Crescent City Grill, Tabella, The Midtowner, Ed's Burger Joint, The Mahogany Bar, El Rayo, Highball Lanes, The Capri Theater, The Pearl, and Lakewood Social. You can check them all out right here. Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and get your first 30 days on me!  Connect with my past guest and a community of superfans. Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favorite successes quote or mantra: "Onward." In this episode with Robert St. John we will discuss: Get a little bit better every day The benefits of partners Restaurant culture Labor shortage today Today's sponsor: Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Passion What is your biggest weakness? Not being able to say no What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team? Happy people What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Labor Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Honesty What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Look for every opportunity to say yes What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? The Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast (thank you, Robert!) What is one thing you feel restaurateurs don't do well enough or often enough? Don't prioritize their family If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Prioritize family Prioritize friends Prioritize coworkers Contact: nsrg.com robertstjohn.com Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.