Hi
I’m John Self.
Author
Speaker
Restaurant Guy
You don’t have to make the same mistakes as most new restaurant managers. Those mistakes can slow or stop your career before it even has a chance.
You don’t have to make wrong career decisions that you’ll regret.
Through his books and workshops, John Self leads new restaurant managers through typical career situations and common mistakes that many, if not most, new restaurant managers make.
John Self has 16 years restaurant management experience ranging from manager trainee to vice president of operations, including owning three restaurants and a comedy club. After his restaurant career, he went back to school, and taught hospitality management at the University of Alabama, Golden Gate University, and is professor emeritus at Cal Poly Pomona. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Helsinki, Finland where he taught hospitality management and taught hospitality management twice in universities in China.
My Philosophy
I want you to get ahead
Management is competitive. With so many assistants and so few general managers, getting to general manager is your goal.
I want you to avoid mistakes
Why not learn from the mistakes of others? You don’t have to make mistakes that could slow your promotion or make career decisions that you might regret.
I want you to have a life
It is far better to work smart, rather than harder. You’ll have more time with your friends and family and feel better about your day. Every day.
Promotable Managers' To-Do List
- Do more than expected
- Anticipate problems, don’t just react.
- Stay focused on your area of responsibility
- Take work seriously
- Get better and smarter each week
- Share successes
- Have weekly and monthly goals
- Think like your boss


