Matt Eisenacher (First Watch, The Piada Group, Abbott Nutrition): Modelling Priorities for Your Team, Embracing Adversity & Individualized Leadership and Parenting #35

In this episode of CEOs & ABCs, Kevin sits down with Matt Eisenacher, Chief Brand Officer at First Watch, to explore what it actually takes to become a leader of leaders and why the hardest part isn't learning new skills, it's letting go of old ones. Matt opens with a story most high-performers will recognise: the moment you realise your presence in the room is the problem. From removing himself from creative meetings to learning when not to give the answer, Matt shares how the leap from operator to executive demands a fundamentally different relationship with control, credit, and trust. He explains why the strongest vision is the one that makes your team feel empowered enough to fail and why stepping back is sometimes the most powerful leadership move you can make. But this conversation goes deeper than the boardroom. Matt and Kevin trace the same instinct across parenting three kids at wildly different stages, a cross-country move that upended a near-perfect life in Ohio, and a spouse who, more than once, saw what he couldn't. Whether it's reading a 17-year-old's need for space or a direct report's need for acknowledgement, Matt's core insight is the same: the people around you need different things, and your job is to figure out what that is before you try to lead them. This is a conversation about presence, permission, and the quiet discipline of knowing when to speak and when to listen. **In This Episode, You'll Learn:** \- Why removing yourself from creative decisions is one of the most powerful leadership moves you can make \- How to build psychological safety without losing accountability \- The difference between setting a vision and steering the outcome \- What the Florida move taught one family about adversity, resilience, and what comfort really costs \- How youth sports becomes one of the best leadership classrooms available \- Why the same DISC framework that shapes your team management applies directly to parenting \- What modelling behaviour actually looks like and why your team is watching more closely than you think \- How to read what your kids need versus what they're asking for \- Why the 9 o'clock conversation is the one that matters most \- What it means to let someone fail, at work and at home, and when to step in anyway **Top Takeaways:** \- When you become a leader of leaders, your job is enabling, not doing. Most people know that. Few make the change. \- If you constantly step in, the problem is usually your vision, not your team's capability. \- Hide your own failures and your team has no permission to have theirs. \- Your team won't follow your words. They will follow your choices. \- Observe before you act. The parent and manager who does this will always outperform the one who leads with solutions. \- Adversity is a gift you can give your kids. Comfort has a cost that doesn't always show up until later. \- At home, efficiency is a liability. The conversation your child needs to have will not happen on your schedule. \- Hard limits and guardrails are not the same thing. Knowing which one a moment calls for is most of the job. **About Matt Eisenacher:** Matt Eisenacher is Chief Brand Officer at First Watch, the daytime dining brand he has helped grow from 200 to over 500 locations, including through a successful IPO. Before First Watch, Matt held senior marketing and brand roles across the restaurant and food industry, building high-performing creative teams grounded in trust, clarity, and culture. Known for his directness, his instinct for talent, and his commitment to family, Matt brings the same values to his team in Bradenton that he brings home to his wife Brooke and their three children. ### Chapters - (00:00:00) - How to Get the Team to Think Creatively - (00:00:17) - How to be a Leader of Leaders - (00:01:39) - First Watch's Chief Brand Officer on the Company's Growth - (00:04:47) - Are You a Different Leader Today? - (00:07:08) - Grow as a Leader: - (00:12:18) - How Sports Affects My Daughter's Life - (00:17:58) - Married Couple on The Florida Move - (00:22:43) - How to Manage People's Lives - (00:25:56) - Top Executives on Parenting - (00:30:28) - Employees Share Their Values at First Watch - (00:35:06) - Dad on How to Parent Different Kids - (00:41:14) - Senior Leaders: Model the Behavior - (00:46:36) - The Importance of Family Time - (00:47:32) - How Do You Want Your Kids To Feel About You? - (00:51:18) - CEO and ABCs: Balancing Work and Family