A reflection from Tia Glave, Catalyst Food Leaders

I didn’t have to unlearn control—I never led that way.

My childhood friends would tell you I’ve always had a flair for connecting with others and appreciating their uniqueness.  I am genuinely curious about people.  I strived to create an environment where each person can show up as themselves - even if it’s on the playground.

In my career, I leaned into this strength. I knew that teams work best when they feel connected, and I saw myself as ...

You’ve said it. We’ve all said it:

"We just need people to take more ownership."

But what if your leadership habits are unintentionally training people not to?

The Control Trap

In high-pressure environments like food manufacturing and production, it’s easy for leaders to default to control. We manage tasks, make decisions quickly, and expect people to follow through.

And it works—until it doesn’t.

Because control creates compliance, not commitment. And cultures built on compliance don’t gr...

With shifting labor dynamics, shrinking resources, and a noticeable drop in team engagement, food leaders are facing the constant pressure to do more with less. The chaos isn’t slowing down—and neither are the expectations.

When the whirlwind picks up, leaders must get intentional about taking care of themselves.

“If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of others.”
– Jill Stuber

In this week’s episode of Real Talk with Tia & Jill, we dive into 3 practical shifts to stay ground...

Rewriting Your Leadership Story: Why Intentional Leadership Changes Everything

A reflection from Jill Stuber, Catalyst Food Leaders

We all start building our leadership story long before we realize we’re writing one.

We absorb what we see — how our bosses handle pressure, how meetings run, how feedback lands, how people get promoted (or don’t). Somewhere along the way, those experiences start shaping how we lead — often without us even noticing.

For a long time, that’s exactly how I led too....

What really kills a culture? 

Join Tia Glave and Jill Stuber as they talk about the known causes of what kills a culture — and how to shift it. Ownership, trust, and straight talk.

Learn more in THIS episode of Real Talk with Tia & Jill.

Most feedback fails. In this episode, Jill and Tia break down why — and what to do instead. No fluff. Just clear, honest shifts leaders need to make now.

Learn more in THIS episode of Real Talk with Tia & Jill

Being a Better Human: My Lifelong Quest

I would have never said that in my 20s. Back then, I had a therapist who gave me two daily prescriptions:
🌿 Spend 20 minutes in nature
🧘 Do yoga every day

At the time, I didn’t realize it, but those practices became my spiritual path. I’ve been a yogi for over 30 years—sometimes consistent, sometimes not—but always learning.

Returning to the Basics

Each fall, I come back to the basics: the Yamas and Niyamas, the ethical foundations of yoga. This year...

Let’s be honest: KPIs are everywhere.
 

You put dashboards on dashboards. Teams are tracking metrics like their lives depend on it.
Culture is squarely on the radar too—hence Gemba walks, value posters, town halls (and yes, you’ve done that too).

But if leadership doesn’t shift first, neither of those things will.

The Missing Third Success Factor

At Catalyst, we talk about three success factors that actually drive real change:

1. Outcomes (what goals you're aiming for)
   
2. Culture (how people ...

Scaling a food brand takes more than great products—it takes great leadership. 

Join Tia and Jill, with special guest Nikita Jackson, as we dive into why vision, inspiration, and people-first leadership are essential for food businesses in growth mode. Learn how strong leaders retain top talent, keep teams engaged, and sustain the mission that sets a brand apart.

Learn more in THIS episode of Real Talk with Tia & Jill.

For more information about our guest, click HERE.

What does it really take to lead culture change? 

Tia and Jill get honest about what it really takes to change culture within the food industry. We will explore some of the real losses and wins we've had in our decades-long careers in food, and what happens when we intentionally connect with others.

Do you agree that Culture is a contact sport?

Learn more in THIS episode of Real Talk with Tia & Jill.

We’re back — and bolder than ever. In this season premiere, Jill and Tia pull back the curtain on what’s changed in leadership, why surface-level conversations aren’t cutting it anymore, and how Real Talk is here to lead food forward. No guests, no fluff — just truth, courage, and clarity to kick off Season 3.

Learn more in THIS episode of Real Talk with Tia & Jill.

The moments you’re most under pressure are the moments your team and those around you remember most.

Not the calm days. Not the wins.
But the heat. The urgency. The curveballs.
That’s when leadership patterns get revealed—or rewritten.

And in food and manufacturing environments, pressure isn’t the exception. It’s the rhythm.

When firefighting becomes your leadership style

One of our clients—an operations leader in a national food brand—described their team dynamic like this:

“We’re so used to...