Cultivating People-First Culture with Hawaiian Bros' Cameron McNie - Grounded Podcast - Episode #22
Take a deep dive into how visionary leadership, operational simplicity, and a people-first culture can fuel explosive business growth. Cameron McNie, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Hawaiian Bros Island Grill shares how he scaled the chain to over 66 locations using AI, strategic planning, and strong core values.
In this inspiring episode, Cameron unpacks the role of culture in building resilient teams, how to lead with integrity, and why focusing on a few things, done exceptionally well, can transform a brand. Whether you're driving operations, scaling a concept, or supporting growth across the supply chain, this conversation offers powerful takeaways to lead with vision and heart.
Takeaways:
- How a people-first culture drives loyalty and reduces turnover.
- Why simplicity in operations leads to better scalability and quality.
- The importance of starting with a clear vision and planning for scale.
- How core values shape better business decisions than reacting with regret.
- How adapting to consumer trends like delivery can sharpen your operations.
- What it means to lead with judgment and integrity in every decision.
- The role of continuous learning and mentorship in becoming a better leader.
Quote of the Show:
- “When we’re making decisions, we need to look to the past, not to beat ourselves up, but to ask what lessons can we learn going forward.” - Cameron McNie
Connect with Cameron:
- Twitter: https://x.com/CameronMcNie
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-mcnie-8524a91a2/
- Website: https://hawaiianbros.com/
Ways to Tune In:
- Transistor: https://www.groundedonthepod.com/
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2I7EoKaVff3SnW3CoIXjJ6
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded/id1680909033
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/451edb13-5534-43ee-b46c-be36a7581460
- iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-grounded-281280581/
- Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/grounded-5259267
- Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1064441
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The-Grounded-Podcast
Creators and Guests
Host
Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell is the Director of National Accounts and Custom Distribution at Produce Alliance, LLC. She is a dedicated fresh produce spend & spec maximizer for multi-unit national restaurant chains & groups. She gets to know your brand and infuses your expectation for quality, consistency and transparency to create more reliability in your produce category.
