Lee K. Schulman judges his success on the people he has hired and trained. “I try to teach the people around me everything I know, but each person adds to the mix, and I want to learn what they know, too,” Schulman said. “A good leader knows not only how to impart knowledge and wisdom, but also knows when to listen and learn.”
Schulman, the President of Panacea Management Group Consulting, a restaurant consulting firm, said you can never stop learning. “As soon as you think you know everything, you stop being an effective leader,” he said.
Schulman started his long career path at a young age, running summer camp canteens and kitchens in the Catskills and Poconos in New York and Pennsylvania during high school and college. After graduating from Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree in restaurant economics and management, he gained his culinary degree and began working numerous operations in back-of-house capacities.
He soon realized his talents were not just his passion for food, but also for pleasing people and building winning teams. This led him to move to Atlanta and worked for some of the most well-known and highly regarded restaurant companies. Since 2014, he has been a restaurant owner, currently the owner and operator of Old Vinings Inn, and runs the consulting firm that offers consultations in menu research and development, service auditing and training and restaurant operations procedures and systems
“When I was younger, just starting out in business, I think I defined success in terms of financial success, including how much volume the restaurant was doing, what perks I was getting from my job, and those things translated to money in the restaurant’s pocket and my pocket,” said Schulman. “But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken a more holistic approach to success and what it means. Success is finding satisfaction, happiness and most importantly, balance in all areas of life.”
Finding a balance while tapping into his entrepreneurial spirit and skills has resulted in recognition as the general manager of the year and restaurant partner of the year by the Cobb Travel and Tourism Bureau.
He also finds happiness in seeing his staff navigate challenging periods with ease while finding their own success. “The accomplishments that I am most proud of are the people who are promoted from my ranks,” Schulman said. “I love watching their development.”
