I recently went one on one with Micha Magid, Co-CEO of Mighty Quinn's BBQ.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. ​How did you get here? ​What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Micha: The restaurant business is evolving at a very rapid pace. Dining habits, digital ordering and related off-premise trends are changing the business model forcing operators to adapt quickly. Being agile and responsive to dramatic changes is so important. Around eight years ago, we decided not to purse the delivery market but we changed our thinking quickly when we saw the channel gaining small (but rapid) market share. Making this quick pivot allowed us to get our tech stack built early. This was the foundation to drive solid performance as we entered the pandemic. The team was very well prepared to transition to 100% take-out and delivery. 

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?

Micha: My two partners and I saw a huge culinary void in the NYC dining scene. Where was all the legit BBQ? It was a category that was universally loved but somehow not represented in what was supposed to be one of the most diverse dining markets in the world. We set out to change that! In economics, the theorists will say that markets are efficient… and so the analogy goes that if you see a dollar bill on the street it can’t really be there because someone would have picked it up. Don’t make that assumption. Sometimes a great idea is just that, great, and it should be pursued. 

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?

Micha: Having a proof of concept is a great confidence builder. At Mighty Quinn’s we started selling smoked meats at a weekend market in Brooklyn before opening up the first restaurant. We had hour long lines all day which was a clear validation that there was strong demand for what we were offering. Be creative and find a way to test before investing time and capital.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Micha: Having a team with a complimentary skill set is a big advantage. The often used sports analogy is spot on for many reasons. Everyone is accountable to each other. You need to have someone to throw the ball, another protecting the line and a sprinter running down field. My advice to others would be to identify what players you need in place given your goals. Maybe you’re selling something and it’s one QB and a bunch of sprinters generating leads and making sales. Being dynamic, efficient and utilizing your resources at close to full capacity in the beginning is critical to achieving escape velocity for your business. 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Micha: People have excellent bullshit meters and a lot of what guides us to resonate on a message or not is filtered through in a second. It either hits and makes an impression, or is instantly disregarded. All content that is generated for sales and marketing needs to be authentic to the brand and within your “lane”. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Micha: Leadership roles take on very different forms depending on the mode of the organization. At the startup level, successful leaders are more hands-on and involved in the details of the complex web of decision making that takes place as an organization achieves “escape velocity” to steady state growth. As business scales, it’s important to evolve the leadership role in a way that divides responsibility to a team. Knowing when and how to do this often becomes the gage for growth and success. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Micha: Build a team who takes ownership of their roles as if they owned the company. You want to remove the agency risk that can plague an organization if managers are only looking to maximize short term goals. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Micha: Tune out the noise and follow the data presented by the facts. Study the journey of others to avoid their mistakes. Don’t overcook your briskets. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Micha: You have two eyes, two ears and one mouth. Use them proportionally. 


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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