Everything is Fixable or Livable

Hey, Nikki here!

This week I sat down with Mandi Naylor, who has spent over a decade running food and beverage at some of the largest events in the country — the NFL Draft, the Super Bowl, Bonnaroo, ACL, Lollapalooza, CMA Fest, KAABOO, and many more.

Mandi got into events through a mentor, Dennis Freeman. On her first day, she ruined the laminator. He told her something she's lived by ever since: everything is fixable or livable.

That phrase quietly runs through her whole approach to the work. The food didn't show up: call your backup. The oven broke: figure it out. The guy stuffed a whole chicken breast in his pocket: well, that one needed its own response...

Why this one matters:

Event catering is one of those roles people underestimate until they've done it. First in, last out. Feeding thousands of people three to four times a day for months straight. And the part that surprises most newcomers: it's not just a physical job. It's a mental one.

Mandi was clear about that. Anyone can plate food. The job is showing up with positivity and hospitality on day 28 because the next person walking in might be having the worst day of their tour, and your tent is their 30-minute escape.

#1 Everything is fixable or livable

Mandi has had food not show up, fridges break, and plates of food thrown at her. None of it broke her. She always had a backup caterer, a list of restaurants in every city, and the same “we’ll figure it out” posture. The mindset isn't blind optimism, it's preparation paired with refusal to panic.

Takeaway: Calm under pressure is a skill, not a personality trait.

Try this: Before your next show, write down a backup contact you could call if something critical falls through. Do the research ahead of time and form those relationships early.

#2 Don't just serve, nourish

Mandi pulled apart the difference between hospitality and customer service. Customer service hands you a plate. Hospitality notices you came in alone and quietly brings you a cookie. 

Her ice team kept water in their golf carts for security guards in 90-degree heat. None of that is on a job description. All of it is the actual job.

Takeaway: The extra step is what people remember.

Try this: Find one person on your show who isn't normally taken care of, a security guard, a local hand, a runner, and do something small for them this week.

#3 Your attitude is contagious

Mandi told her teams plainly: catering touches every department. Everyone needs water. Everyone needs food. If your attitude is bad, it spreads to every department on the show. And people remember. 

She's hired hustlers, sent the wrong fits home, and watched first-time catering hires turn into production careers because they showed up with the right energy repeatedly. 

Takeaway: A bad attitude is the loudest thing in the room.

Try this: On your worst day this week, give yourself a private reset before you walk back in. Your team is reading you whether you realize it or not.

If you want the full conversation, listen to Episode #60 of The Giggs Podcast with Mandi Naylor.
SPOTIFY | APPLE | YOUTUBE 

— Nikki

P.S. One line I loved: Mandi said the catering tent should be a place where you can do whatever you need to do. Sit alone, laugh with friends, complain, throw chicken at her if you must… The best support roles in this industry are built around allowing people to be human for half an hour before they go back out there.