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Sleep better: free HR resources from Homebase + Restaurant HR Group
Sleep better: free HR resources from Homebase + Restaurant HR Group
Last week, we launched out of beta to make our free timesheets and scheduling available for all businesses. Today…
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Time to get rid of the paperwork.
Time to get rid of the paperwork.
I am happy to officially announce the launch of Homebase. Starting today, every business and employee can have access…
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John Waldmann shared thisStopped by Mintish last week, a coffee shop in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood run by Mahmoud Farajallah. Mahmoud spent years working as an accountant. When he get laid off in 2024, he didn’t chase another desk job. He and his brother started building the coffee shop he'd always dreamed of. Small businesses like Mintish show what happens when you build your business with care and connection. The drinks and food are inspired by the Middle Eastern regions where Mahmoud grew up. (I can personally testify: they are delicious!) He teaches regulars new Arabic words and his menu is an education in the region. Customers love coming back to Mintish because, as one put it, “it feels like home.” Mintish is an incredible example of how our local businesses build community. Mahmoud hits his first anniversary soon. Stop by when you’re in Seattle.
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John Waldmann shared thisYesterday I made my way to downtown Seattle to have lunch with a group of small business owners. We had operators who had been in business for 13+ years, and one coffee shop owner who’s just shy of the one-year mark. They all learned from each other, which is the best part of bringing our customers together. A few things worth sharing from our conversation: No-show rates for interviews have gotten worse, especially with the labor market contracting. (We've built automated screening and scheduling into our Hiring product to help, but there’s more work to be done. ) There’s a hidden cost to rising wage rates. Smart operators used to build buffer into the schedule, which gave the team more hours and more flexibility to support time-off requests. That buffer is gone--and so is some worker flexibility. Team culture fit also involves the customer. One operator shared how different the personalities of the customer bases were across 3 locations, and the types of team members that thrived in each. Just another way local businesses are helping to build their neighborhoods. I love these customer meals and conversations. Next one is a dinner in NYC in September--let me know if you want to join
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John Waldmann shared thisTheo Dai, the founder of DIY Tea Lab, had no retail experience when he opened his first location in Newcastle, WA. But he had a love of Boba tea and a potential space. He decided to jump on it. That first year, he was drinking 2-3 teas per day. But beyond the sugar rush, it was tough. Getting permits took months longer than expected. Construction was more challenging than expected as he converted an eyeglass store into a tea shop. Then Covid hit. Less than a year later, Theo opened his second location (he’s up to 6 today), and it’s gotten easier every time. He still visits competitor Boba shops regularly to learn what he’s not doing and apply it to his stores. Hard-won experience and continued curiosity are how customers like Theo go from one location to many. They learn from every experience, taking those lessons to build better teams, systems, and scale locations. Theo is a perfect example of the resilience and constant learning I admire about the local businesses we’re lucky to serve.
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John Waldmann shared thisBefore he was a restaurateur, Ed Muña spent 20 years in the military. When he retired, he applied the core values he learned during his service to founding Pasifika Grill & Bar. Like other small business owners I’ve talked to, Ed’s biggest challenge is finding great people. When Ed hires today, instead of looking for skills, he looks for core values he learned in the military, like loyalty and selfless service. When people share these values, Ed knows they’ll be a great fit on the team. That team now spans 80 employees across two locations, and they’re still growing. We built Homebase for customers like Ed. It was inspiring to see firsthand how he built a culture around the values that kept him and his unit going when they were stationed thousands of miles from home.
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John Waldmann shared thisThe latest National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) index shows small business optimism is at its highest point in nearly a year. We are officially above the 52-year average, which is great news. What drove the increase? The number of owners planning to hire is the highest it’s been since October 2022. More great news! So why can’t 85% of the businesses actively hiring find qualified applicants? Our data backs this up: hiring across small businesses on our platform is running below last year’s pace, and turnover is up 4.2% year-over-year. Owners are optimistic and want to grow their teams, but they’ve got to deal with worker turnover before they can grow. Labor force participation remains a problem, and small businesses are uniquely positioned to change that. They offer good jobs that go beyond a paycheck, giving someone a real team, more development, and a reason to show up. If you’ve got friends or family members on the fence, tell them to look local. It’s a great time to join a small business.
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John Waldmann shared thisThe economy shed 23,000 jobs in July. Unemployment hit its lowest point in 18 months. Both are true. Not the mix we were expecting, but it reflects what we're seeing across Local Business. Our friends at Flatstick Pub show the story. Their Pioneer Square spot in Seattle sits right next to where the US played during the World Cup. On game days last month, they saw 10x their normal volume. The World Cup pulled workers into local venues across the country. But underneath the World Cup bump, small business hiring is running below last year's pace. Hourly workers are leaving faster than they did in 2025, even as the total workforce shrank, leaving owners to manage leaner teams. The operators investing in cross-training, flexible scheduling, and faster access to pay will keep their teams running smoothly even when the broader labor market stays stuck.
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John Waldmann shared thisMeet Andy Largent co-founder of Flatstick Pub 12 years ago, Andy turned a wild idea (what if we put a mini-golf course in a bar?) into a business. He and his brother scraped together everything they had to open the doors to their first location. Then one Friday night, he was behind the bar like he was every night of that first year. This time, there was a line out the door, and Andy had a feeling this could work. Today, Flatstick Pub has 5 Greater Seattle locations, with a sixth on the way. I love getting out to visit customers like Andy. Hearing the grit it takes to get an idea off the ground and turn it into a thriving business is a reminder of why we do what we do. We owe it to the local business owners connecting communities and creating jobs to build tech that makes their lives easier. When we do that, it gives them more time to make their wild ideas a reality. This one was extra special to film: they were one of our earliest Homebase customers! And of course, it’s always fun to pick up the putter and see if I can make par.
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John Waldmann posted thisLabor force participation is at a 50-year low. Demographics aren’t helping businesses, and it’s not getting better: the number of high school graduates entering the workforce declines starting this year. Hiring and retention are always big focuses for operators, and it’s only getting more important. I’ve been hearing from business owners about how they’re getting more creative on their staffing plans to combat this: creating more part-time shifts to increase flexibility, providing more on-the-job training to lower the experience requirements, providing faster access to pay to compete against gig work. I’m also hearing business owners get creative on their benefits to recognize the growing tenure divides in their teams. They’re dramatically increasing benefits after the one year mark to reward retention. They’re investing more in long-time employees to reward the “team anchors” while assuming higher turnover and less stability in other roles. They’re building schedules and systems that support this divide. In a market projecting a 6 million worker shortage by 2032, you’re going to see operators getting more creative. The good news is that local businesses provide good jobs–they provide higher levels of community, development, and purpose. That’s the biggest leg-up in a competitive labor market.
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John Waldmann posted thisEarlier this week, I had dinner with a group of small business owners in Bellevue, Washington–the city I grew up in. This was a group without a traditional path, which is one thing I love about local business owners: We had an Iron Chef winner opening restaurants and cafes, a 20-year military vet turned restauranteur, and a tech product leader turned chai shop owner. A few themes that stood out across the operators: Customers aren’t the hard part; employees are. Labor costs are up 60% since COVID. Finding and keeping great people is everything. Crime needs more attention. If businesses (and their teams) don’t think they can operate safely, they stop opening. It’s a much bigger factor in where to open future locations now than it used to be. With labor costs high, the schedule grows in importance. The best operators are thinking beyond shift availability to track local events, weather, reservations, and team preferences. They want tools smart enough to do the same. Recognition builds culture in ways pay can't, and is a great advantage local businesses have. One owner gave playlist control to whoever earned the most peer shout-outs. The best part of my job is always spending time with the inspiring customers we serve, and this evening was no different. Seattle, we're coming for you next month. Let me know if you want to join.
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John Waldmann reacted on thisJohn Waldmann reacted on thisLIFE UPDATE: After almost 16 years, I'm officially hanging up my shorts. As Chubbies Shorts closed out 2025, we recorded one of the best years in our companies history, growing top-line revenue by double digits and expanding EBITDA by more than 40%. Coming out of that year, I knew it was time for me to move on. I worked with the Solo Brands team to plan a transition and stepped down as President in May. Over the past three months, I've continued to advise the team, but as of this week, I'm officially out of the business. It's hard to summarize what the last 16 years have meant to me. We started Chubbies as four friends selling shorts on the internet. Somehow that turned into founding multiple companies (Chubbies Shorts, Cheekies Swim, Loop), building a community that has donated over $1m to charities via Foundation 43 and a journey that changed my life. I'm leaving it feeling incredibly full. Proud of what we built. Proud of myself. And so, so grateful for the people I've met and opportunities I've had along the way. There are a few people I especially want to thank: My Co-Founders: Kyle Hency, Tom Montgomery and Preston 🩳 Rutherford. What an unbelievable privilege it was to build this thing together. The Chubbies Decade Club: Lauren Haugh Neville, Timothy Kauer, Kit Garton, Austin Freed, James Hargett, CLTD, Matt Wardell and Niquolas Lagleva. You each put more than 10 years of your lives into Chubbies. Calling you employees never felt right. You were the heartbeat of this company and partners throughout the journey. The Chubbies team: Some of the most talented, creative and high-performing people I've ever worked alongside. Whether you were with us at Beach St., Texas St., Pacific Ave, Fisherman's Wharf, South Congress, Oltorf (or all of the above), my gratitude and respect for you is through the roof. Our advisors and partners: Marc Randolph, Alexander Rosen, Chris Burch, Blair Lambert, Tulika Choudhary, Devender Gupta, Anil Mishra, George Arvan, Lauren Hobart, Ciara Beavers, Lauren Salzinger, Danielle Zimmerman, Peter Raskin. Thank you for believing in us, challenging us and helping us build something bigger than we could have built alone. The three Solo Brands CEOs: John Merris, Chris Metz and John Larson. This acquisition changed my life. I'm proud that I stayed for five years to provide continuity and to set this brand up for its next chapter. Thank you for the opportunity and the trust. And last, but certainly not least, my family. Lauren, Hartley, Grace and Quino: Thank you for letting me go on this journey. Building a company asks a lot from a family and you sacrificed alongside me every step of the way. I could never have done it without you. So, what's next? For the first time in a long time, I don't know exactly what comes next. I'm enjoying that. For now, I'm focused on being a really present Dad. I'll keep you posted along the journey here and on Instagram (@rainercastillo). Forever a Founder 🩳
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John Waldmann liked thisBig thanks to Jaime Oikle and the Running Restaurants team for having me back on the show. We dug into Homebase's workplace data and what our numbers show matters right now to hourly workers. It’s a good reminder that the best managers in 2026 are the best at building human connection. Restaurant operators and employees clash when they treat retention like a pay problem. Once base needs are covered, employees stay for community, culture, and their relationship with their manager. They leave for the same reasons. The operators winning right now, and keeping employees in the door, are letting software handle the scheduling Tetris, payroll, and HR compliance. They put that recaptured time back into their people, especially in the first 30 days. Full conversation in the link below. Worth the listen if you're managing a restaurant team.John Waldmann liked thisWhy do restaurant employees quit? Rushi Patel of Homebase says data from their study shows that money isn't the primary reason why employees quit. Hear their take...
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John Waldmann liked thisJohn Waldmann liked thisMy childhood friend Ian Ritchie has believed in fantasy football for almost 30 years. He believed it would be a cultural phenomenon. He believed it would be on television. He believed it before anyone was paying attention. Yesterday, 700 people showed up to Circa Hotel in Las Vegas for National Fantasy Football Day. The mayor of Las Vegas did a ribbon-cutting. Former NFL players were there. They launched the first-ever $100,000 buy-in per team tournament. Ian built all of it. And if you told him that, he'd correct you. He'd tell you it was a team effort. He'd tell you the owner of Circa is brilliant and none of it happens without him. That's who Ian is. The guy who builds something massive and immediately points to everyone around him. He's not the guy at the podium. He's on TV and radio regularly talking fantasy strategy, but if you met him you'd never know it. He's one of the most humble people I've ever been around. Here's what got me. I must have had ten different people come up to me and say the same thing. "Ian's my best friend. I'd do anything for that guy." Every single one of them meant it. That's not luck. That's 30 years of believing in something when nobody was watching and treating every person along the way like they mattered. Most people would have moved on to something easier a long time ago. Ian kept going. And he did it without ever making it about himself. You don't get 700 people in a room and a line of guys who'd run through a wall for you by accident. You get it by being someone worth showing up for. I flew down with Leslie and some friends because that's what you do when your childhood friend has the biggest night of his career. I got to DJ at Stadium Swim, which was a bonus. But I wasn't there to play music. I was there for Ian. When your people have their moment, be in the room.
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John Waldmann liked thisJohn Waldmann liked thisFor this week's #WorkplaceIntelligenceWeekly newsletter, I asked 14 business leaders for their views on AI, careers, and the future of work. They include Alexi Robichaux, CEO and Co-founder of BetterUp; Bijal Shah, CEO of Guild; Brad Kreit, Senior Manager at Deloitte Center for Integrated Research; Brian Snodgrass, President of Terryberry; Emma Harvie, Global Head of Recognition and Rewards Insights at Achievers; Heidi Farris, CEO of ActivTrak; John Waldmann, CEO of Homebase; Matthew Bahl, VP of Workplace Solutions and Innovation at Financial Health Network; Mohamed El-Demerdash, President of TELUS Health; Rajeev Singh, CEO of Smartsheet; Rick Song, CEO of Persona; Samarth Keshava, Co-founder and CTO of Sparrow; Matt Schulman, CEO of Pave; and Molly Sands, PhD, Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian. Subscribe to the Workplace Intelligence Insider Newsletter for the full article: https://bit.ly/3hs9Yt814 Business Leaders on AI, Careers, and the Forces Quietly Transforming the Workplace14 Business Leaders on AI, Careers, and the Forces Quietly Transforming the Workplace
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John Waldmann reacted on thisJohn Waldmann reacted on thisSomething exciting is coming, and I wanted to get ahead of it here before it's official. I'm growing my Payroll Implementations team at Homebase, and if you're someone in the Denver area who's been working in payroll operations, support, or onboarding and wondering what the next step in your career looks like, I'd love to talk. Homebase is not a typical payroll company. We're a small business platform that genuinely believes in taking care of the customers we serve and the people who work here. The mission is real, the values are lived out day to day, and the team is one I'm proud to be a part of. The role I'm looking to fill is an Implementation Project Lead based in Denver. In this role, you're managing multiple customer onboardings at once, serving as a trusted guide for small business owners getting started with Homebase payroll. It's meaningful, fast-paced, and something you'd be great at if you've spent time on the operational or support side of payroll. The job posting won't go live for another week or two, but if you or someone you know in the Denver payroll world might be interested, send me a DM. Happy to share more details and answer any questions.
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John Waldmann liked thisJohn Waldmann liked thisWild journey over the past couple years! Industries can change faster than companies. Incredibly proud of our team for re-inventing the company and category yet again, and for the support of our investors, customers and partners for backing a massive swing several years ago. Here's the story:
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