The RebelRebel Podcast
“I help people stop working in their business and start working on their business.” In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with hospitality veteran and industry provocateur Shawn Soole. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Shawn has seen—and done—it all. From washing dishes at 13 in Australia to building bar programs, authoring books, consulting internationally, and running a podcast, his journey is nothing short of relentless. And that’s exactly how he likes it. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Their...
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“Create the things you wish existed.” What happens when a little girl obsessed with animals grows up, faces down fear, and builds a vet clinic on a dream? In this episode, Beth Barrett shares her story of grit, independence, and what it really means to live in alignment with your values. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with veterinarian and entrepreneur Beth Barrett about her decades-long career, her passion for animals, and the power of doing hard things. From...
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“Weight loss isn’t controversial in science, only on social media.” What happens when a former smoker and self-described non-athlete turns into one of Canada’s most refreshing voices in fitness and habit formation? In this episode, I talk with Oonagh Duncan about Gen X women, body neutrality, the power of pleasure, and her dream of fronting an 80s hair band at brunch. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Oonagh Duncan—fitness coach, author of Healthy as...
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“It’s never going to be as hard as you think it is.” What happens when a theater nerd from Appalachia drops out of college, moves to Hong Kong with $200, and discovers people will actually pay her to write? In this episode, I talk with Rachel Allen about words, travel, and building a business from scratch. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Rachel Allen, a writer, fractional CMO, and founder of Bolt from the Blue Copywriting. Rachel’s path has been...
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“You have a finite number of heartbeats. There are infinite possibilities.” What happens when a seven-time founder who once built a company around landing on the moon steps into the arena as herself? In this episode, I talk with Mary McCorvey about moonshots, stand-up comedy, and living life on your own terms. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie speaks with Mary McCorvey, a seven-time founder, Army veteran, broadcaster, author, and stand-up comic based in Philadelphia....
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“Kindness is never wasted—it expands into greatness.” What happens when a broadcaster-turned-salesman discovers that giving is the fastest path to success? In this episode, I talk with Bob Burg, co-author of The Go-Giver, about kindness, influence, and building a life around service. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie speaks with Bob Burg, speaker, author, and co-creator of the international bestseller The Go-Giver. Known for its simple but powerful message—that...
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““You shouldn’t use words to burn. They should be for light and for warmth.” Richard has spent the last 19 years running a near-shore bilingual contact center that thrives on empathy, communication, and human connection in an era dominated by automation. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center. Richard has spent the last 19 years running a near-shore bilingual contact center that thrives on empathy, communication, and human...
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“Entrepreneurship is the craziest, scariest roller coaster ever.” What happens when selling RVs leads to buying dental scrap, melting it down for precious metals, and then launching a startup with a mission to bless lives? In this episode, I talk with Brandon Sherwood about entrepreneurship, family, and why it’s just not that serious. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with Brandon Sherwood, an entrepreneur from Heber City, Utah, whose path has been anything but...
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In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Jodi Krangle, a professional voice actor, singer, and host of the Audio Branding podcast. Based just north of Toronto, Jodi has been a full-time voice actor for nearly two decades, lending her voice to clients around the world while exploring the psychology and power of sound . Jodi shares how her journey started in the mid-90s when she volunteered at CNIB, recording articles to reel-to-reel tape for the visually impaired. Years later, after burning out in SEO and internet marketing, she returned to the idea of voice acting and built a thriving...
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“Speed reading doesn’t work. Speed learning works.” What happens when a kid from Brooklyn grows up to become the world’s fastest reader and teaches others to learn 100% faster in just four hours? In this episode, I talk with Howard Berg about speed learning, knowledge, and why smarter decisions could change the world. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Howard Berg, officially recognized as the world’s fastest reader by the Guinness Book of Records. Howard reads at a...
info_outline“I help people stop working in their business and start working on their business.”
In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with hospitality veteran and industry provocateur Shawn Soole. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Shawn has seen—and done—it all. From washing dishes at 13 in Australia to building bar programs, authoring books, consulting internationally, and running a podcast, his journey is nothing short of relentless. And that’s exactly how he likes it.
This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.
Their conversation runs fast and loose through the evolution of the hospitality industry, the challenge of keeping pace with rapid change, and the mental health cost of working in an often-glamourised but demanding business. Shawn shares how he helps entrepreneurs stop “running around like a chicken with their head cut off,” and shift toward building processes and systems that actually serve their vision.
He also opens up about getting sober, the identity crisis that followed, and how he’s reshaped his life and business in the years since. His no-BS honesty about addiction in the service industry, burnout, and boundaries hits home. At the same time, his passion for teaching, mentoring, and helping others build sustainable businesses is clear.
Shawn also reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic forced a hard reset across the industry and why that presented a necessary opportunity for reevaluation. His work with Soole Hospitality Concepts and the Post Shift podcast continues to challenge the status quo while giving business owners tools they can actually use.
For anyone working in—or orbiting around—the hospitality world, this episode is a refreshing gut check.
PULL QUOTES
“We’ve been glamorizing a toxic industry for a long time.” —Shawn Soole
“Success doesn’t mean burnout.” —Michael Dargie
“I hit that point where I said, if I’m going to get out of this industry, it’s going to be on my own terms.” —Shawn Soole
“I help people stop working in their business and start working on their business.” —Shawn Soole
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:01,000] Origin Story | Shawn’s start in hospitality at 13
[00:04,000] Soole Hospitality Concepts | Why and how he started his consultancy
[00:09,000] Pandemic Reset | How COVID-19 shifted the industry and mindsets
[00:12,000] Sobriety and Identity | Navigating a major lifestyle change
[00:18,000] The Systems Fix | Helping owners escape chaos with structure
[00:25,000] Mental Health in Hospitality | Burnout, addiction, and making it sustainable
[00:30,000] Post Shift Podcast | Teaching the next generation of hospitality pros
[00:36,000] Legacy Projects | What’s next for Shawn
LINKS FROM EPISODE
Soole Hospitality Concepts (https://www.soolehospitality.com)
Post Shift Podcast (https://www.postshiftpodcast.com/)
Great Northern Cocktails (book) (https://www.amazon.ca/Great-Northern-Cocktails-Shawn-Soole/dp/1907434534/)
BC Spirits (https://www.bcspirits.com/)
BrandJitsu Book by Michael Dargie(https://brandjitsu.com)
Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
"BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
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