Note: This article was originally published in the June 2026 issue of RePlay Magazine. I’m expanding on it here with some extra "Consultant's Corner" strategies and a hands-on walk-through audit you can use with your management team this week. We spend a lot of time as operators looking at the "back of the house." We’re deep into P&L statements, labor percentages, and the day-to-day coaching of a young, energetic staff. But when was the last time you actually experienced your

Note: This article was originally published in the May 2026 issue of RePlay Magazine. I’m expanding on it here with some extra "Clint’s Corner" strategies and structural advice for operators who need to transition from "survival hiring" to "excellence hiring." As I travel the country on the Novak Roadshow, I hear the same refrain from nearly every operator I meet: "Clint, I just can’t find good help." It’s the universal struggle of the 2026 FEC landscape. We are all fighting