Mission Statement

Countertalk is a platform FOR the hospitality industry, BY the hospitality industry. We build and empower community through education, starting powerful discussions, hosting incredible events and highlighting positive, healthy work environments. We want business owners and employees to be the very best they can be and to go into work HAPPY.

We are always here to lay it down and be real, straightforward and honest. We are friendly, approachable and inclusive and our mission is to encourage, empower and uplift YOU – our amazing community.

Countertalk is a constant exchange between us, and you. We’re here to LISTEN. ACT. GIVE. GET FEEDBACK. REPEAT.

OUR VALUES

COMMUNITY

COMPASSION

POSITIVITY

EMPOWERMENT

LEADERSHIP

HARD WORK

ACCOUNTABILITY

GIVING BACK

 COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY BUILDING is at the core of everything that Countertalk does – listening and acting on feedback to take action towards collective improvement.

At Countertalk you can choose to be around people who understand, who lift you up, whose values you are proud to take to heart, and who never shut the door. We all listen, talk, teach, build bridges and keep our arms open for everyone who wants to join us: we’re a community, not a clique. We’re stronger that way.

COMPASSION

COMPASSION and KINDNESS runs through our every interaction, both personal and business. We provide different perspectives which helps us all understand each other’s points of view. We call IN, we don’t call OUT.

We’re compassionate because we’re human, and humans are at the heart of our amazing industry. We extend hands, support and actively listen; because each person’s happiness and security contributes to the happiness of our whole industry.

POSITIVITY

Working in the world of food is our PASSION, and we want to keep it that way. That means always tapping in to why you started in the first place – the sense of OPTIMISM and GENEROSITY… and above all, FUN.

Where we see a negative, we use it to identify action we can take to make positive change in your lives – and in the whole industry.

EMPOWERMENT

Empowering YOU is OUR priority. We want to use our voice to make yours louder, giving you the knowledge and confidence to reach your goals.

Knowledge is power, and helping others understand topics which can feel difficult or confusing will give our community power to move forward with their ambitions, or speak up to voice concerns and ask for the changes they need. We are committed to providing you with the tools to elevate your knowledge and skills at every stage in your career journey – and have a lot of fun along the way.

LEADERSHIP

We want EVERYONE in the Countertalk community to feel and act like industry leaders, unafraid to lead by example towards the change we need. 

Leadership is a position of privilege, and success is not a zero-sum game – one person’s achievements don’t threaten our own, they elevate all of us and we’re here to celebrate them. We want our community to elevate others, to ask what they need and provide it generously, to extend a hand to help them up the ladder. 

HARD WORK

HARD WORK is a given in hospitality – but that’s not the same as struggle. We’re here to take out that struggle, and make sure that your work is recognised.

What you go through can be tough, and it should always be rewarded with proper respect, proper pay and proper consideration – both towards others and towards yourself. That recognition is when you really start feeling your success, and that’s what we’re here for. 

ACCOUNTABILITY

Each one of us is fully accountable for our own journey. At Countertalk we want you to be the best you can be, to realise your full potential and absolutely smash it.

We are cheerleaders for our industry and our community, and we approach goals with our eyes open and with the full understanding that each one of us has full ownership of our own futures.

GIVING BACK

GIVING BACK is how you know that our words mean something. Our core principle is a generosity with resources, education, knowledge and time. Our door is always open. We want to be part of a movement which ensures that promises are meaningful and turns words into change.

Countertalk is about YOU. Knowing what you want and who you are is how we give back – holding incredible events, giving you the tools to grow in yourself and your career, opening up about the things others don’t, and ensuring that all our employers are fully vetted to the high ethical standards which you should always expect. Listen, act, feedback, repeat. Countertalk is a constant exchange between us, and you. We’re in this industry together.