Josh Kern’s leadership journey has taken him from Capitol Hill to marketing to the CEO seat, with plenty of restaurants along the way. Now CEO of Snooze, Josh brings a marketer’s curiosity to leading a beloved breakfast brand through its next stage of growth. His experience has taught him that leadership isn’t about arriving with a ready-made playbook. It’s about listening first, understanding what makes an organization special, and then getting clear about what needs to change.

For Josh, that meant starting at Snooze with a simple stop, start, continue exercise and listening closely to what people had to say. Those insights helped shape a focused “true north” for the organization while protecting the culture and magic that already existed. It also reinforced an important leadership lesson: when you’re the CEO, even a casual idea can suddenly become someone else’s priority. For an idea-generating marketer, that requires a little self-governance.


Episode Takeaways

  • Listen before you lead change. Understanding what people value, where trust is lacking, and what makes the organization distinctive creates a stronger foundation for alignment.
  • Prioritization starts at the top. Leaders need to recognize the weight their words carry. Too many ideas can create churn, disrupt priorities, and send teams running after every shiny penny.
  • Build a team that challenges you. Josh intentionally surrounds himself with leaders who complement his strengths and welcomes healthy debate. Alignment doesn’t require everyone to think alike. It requires people to debate openly, decide, and then move forward together.
  • Culture lives in everyday experiences. From long-tenured general managers to Snooze’s focus on hospitality and community, culture is reinforced through how people are treated, developed, and connected. Apparently, great pancakes don’t hurt either.
  • Stay curious and be willing to fail. Whether testing a new menu item or pursuing a strategic priority, leaders need the courage to make smart bets, learn what works, and stick with an idea long enough to understand the results.

Josh closes with an idea bigger than breakfast: bringing people together to restore confidence in downtown Denver. It’s a fitting reminder that meaningful change requires more than agreement about what should happen. It requires people with different priorities and perspectives to align on HOW they will make it happen together.

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Dr. Julie Williamson wrote the book on how to Make HOW Matter. After working with hundreds of executives and leadership teams at Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies, she created the Make HOW Matter Accelerator™ to bring the power of leadership alignment to more leaders at every level.


Grounded in both real-world business experience and social science, this virtual, self-paced program helps you turn the principles of Make HOW Matter into practical leadership skills you can use every day. Whether you’re a small business owner, leading a division, or simply looking to increase your influence and drive better results, you’ll learn how to close the gap between agreement and true alignment, and turn priorities into action. Ready to make HOW matter? Explore the Make HOW Matter Accelerator™.


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