Roxana Guardia

Background

About Roxana Guardia

My name is Roxana (Nana) Guardia. I hold a degree in Business Administration, but have spent the majority of my life cooking in restaurants. What started as a good job, working with good people has turned into a career. A career in an industry built on caring, caring for the team, the guests, the ingredients, the environment, the culture, and myself. I have been in a management position for over 12 years and am currently responsible for leading two separate teams at two different restaurants. Liholiho Yacht Club and Good Good Culture Club. These restaurants have created names for themselves in San Francisco for multiple reasons, but primarily due to their core values which I participated in the creation of. We as a leadership team came together and committed ourselves to the following values which we work with on a daily basis and reflect back to for all decisions, big or small. Care, Growth Mindset, Empowerment and DEI. It is uncommon for a restaurant to have core values, but we hope to set an example for the industry as a whole. One example of how these values have shifted our approach can be seen in our hiring process. We no longer look at resumes. We evaluate a applicant, based on a series of questions about their life and experiences. These answers are reviewed anonymously by the team without seeing a name, age or gender of the applicant. We look to see how this person could be part of a team and if they have the potential to grow. This new hiring process has opened our doors to some phenomenal individuals who may have never had the opportunity before. What makes me a strong leader in my current role is my ability to care for others and my commitment to never stop learning. I am bilingual in Spanish and English which has allowed me the honor of being a mediator and mentor to the Latino communities I work with. I have helped implement and translate training courses and materials as well as benefits packages including insurance and 401K administration and most rewarding I have been a communication liaison for the teams I work with. For as much as I love food and everything it entails, I love the people I work with and the connection I have with them every single day even more. I am fascinated by how each individual contributes to the overall success and I love being part of that. I have a strong ability to connect with people and teams. I know how to care for people, I understand that each individual is unique and requires personal connection. I care for the overall well being of the team, and I can create trust. Sincerely, Nana