From 10 Employees to 450: The Love-Based Leadership Philosophy Behind 12th Street Catering

What does it take to rebuild a hospitality business from 10 employees back to 450 after COVID — and do it right this time? Adam DeLosso, COO of Philadelphia's 12th Street Catering, joins Marcia and Meghan to talk about the leadership philosophy that's driving real growth: making decisions from love instead of fear, hiring for care over credentials, and building a culture where people rise to the top.

Adam gets real about his cancer diagnosis, work addiction, the grind that nearly cost him his family, and how he finally learned that being present — at home and at work — is the most important leadership skill of all. If you're scaling a team, navigating uncertainty, or just trying to keep your people engaged in a chaotic world, this one's for you.

In this episode:

* How 12th Street Catering went from 10 people during COVID to 450 employees today
* Why Adam makes every business decision from love — not fear
* The EOS framework and how it reshaped hiring, accountability, and culture
* Identifying and developing leaders inside a 450-person hospitality operation
* The cancer diagnosis that forced Adam to rethink everything
* Why working harder isn't the same as working smarter — and what to do instead
* Celebrating wins louder than fear in an uncertain economy

🎙️ Guest: Adam Delloso, COO — 12th Street Catering
🌐 12thstreetcatering.com
HR After Dark is hosted by Marcia and Meghan of The TOC Group — where real talk meets real HR.
🔗 Learn more: https://tocgrp.com/insights/podcasts

#hrleadership #hospitalitybusiness #scalingabusiness #workplacewellness #hospitalitymanagement

0:00 — Introduction: Meet Adam Delloso, COO of 12th Street Catering
1:15 — From Dishwasher to the CIA: Adam's Path Into Hospitality
4:00 — COVID Survival: Going from 250 to 10 Employees and Back to 450
7:25 — Making Decisions from Love, Not Fear
9:40 — Hiring Strategy: Slowing Down to Find the Right People
11:20 — You Can't Teach Someone to Care: Building Culture Through Core Values
16:45 — Work-Life Balance in Hospitality: Family, Cancer & Finding Boundaries
21:50 — Town Halls, Transparency & Celebrating Wins
27:40 — Rapid Fire: Leadership Lessons, Favorite Dishes & What Keeps Adam Going

Видео From 10 Employees to 450: The Love-Based Leadership Philosophy Behind 12th Street Catering канала The O'Connor Group