Givers

Video: “Love thy … employee?”

Mark and Brian Canlis

For Mark Canlis, discovering what his employees really want and who they want to become is the “most precious, most valuable thing you can do as a business owner.”

Canlis and his brother Brian are the third-generation owners of the three-Michelin-Star restaurant that bears their name. Food & Wine Magazine has called Canlis “one of the 40 most important restaurants in the past 40 years.” They’ve won 22 consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards. They’ve been nominated for the James Beard Award 15 times (and won three in the past three years). Outstanding wine … design icon … best chef … the list goes on and on.

“It’s a big deal if somebody walks through and says, ‘I wanna work here,'” Mark says. “Really do you? Do you really wanna be here with us bleeding, sweating, crying, trying to make this place work? Let’s help you figure out what you want.”

I’ve always hoped to have the courage to wreck the company doing what we believe is right.

– Mark Canlis

That’s what the Canlis’ days are about, helping their 100 employees figure out what they truly and deeply want. “Our goal is to help them discover that and help them get it.” Mark says they seek to peak employees’ curiosity about change and then open the door for the Holy Spirit to move through. So who they’re becoming is the operative conversation.

“That’s the magic. If you can get 100 employees flourishing, your company is gonna do just fine.”

Watch the video to learn more about how Canlis invests in their employees.

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