Milton McGowian, DBA, FMP, CDM, CFPP

Charlotte, NC
ANFP Member since: 2020

Dr. Milton L. McGowian, DBA, FMP, CDM, CFPP has worked in the culinary industry for over 30 years and has been in the senior living industry for over 20 years. He currently serves as the Vice President of Resident Services at Sharon Towers at South Park in Charlotte North Carolina. Milton received his bachelor of business degree in 2017, his masters of business administration in 2018 and his doctorate in business administration non-profit leadership and management in 2022 from Liberty University. 

Milton's Recipe for Success 

1. Always practice patience. Patience is a continuum, anchored by present rewards on one side, and future gratification on the other. Patience is a moral virtue that moderates the emotion of anger, and your physical & mental health grows when you practice patience. You can make more rational, realistic decisions and you make others feel comfortable. When others feel comfortable, they will enjoy being around you. 
2. Put your thick skin on. Working in the foodservice industry can be challenging, so don’t take things personally. Counter propose a new solution when your idea is criticized. Listen to criticism about the food or process you created without becoming offended. Remember, food is subjective, and everyone has their opinion.  
3. Be transformational. Produce a big change or innovative improvement in a situation. Offer inspirational motivation to the team members around you and build trust within your foodservice department. Work together to achieve the departmental goal. 
4. Create a culture that is inviting. Treat team members fair, care for them and be interested in their wellbeing. Offer support, compassion, and kindness in their time of need. Show the people that you work with, you really and genuinely care about them. Also, identify your organization’s core values, establish trust by representing those values and maintain clear and consistent expectations. Inspect what you expect. Ensure your team members feel valued. 
5. Be a trend setter, think outside the box. Do your homework, be confident about food and create new ideas to satisfy the foodservice industry and your customers. Be in touch with trends of the industry and create your own style. Don’t be afraid to fail. 
6. Know your purpose and recite it daily. Appreciate the sacred nature of your work. Understand why the work in the foodservice industry is meaningful to you. Explore your passions and develop a growth mindset. Turn your challenges into purpose. 
7. Develop yourself & the people around you. Lean new things and build new skills. Control your own destiny and seek growth opportunities, organizational commitment, social support and career development for you and your team members. Review your growth path and ensure that you are on the right track. 
8. Respect the differences in others. Accept individuals for who they are. Be excited about what new ideas they can bring to the table and how you can improve processes with new, outside the box knowledge. Remember, diversity is being invited to the dance, and inclusion is being asked to dance. Belonging is feeling comfortable and being wanted at the dance. 
9. Listen to your customers & your team members. The art of listening is powerful and rewarding. Listening to your customers allows you to connect with them and it opens the window to manage customers experiences, satisfaction, and loyalty. Your team members are your greatest asset, learn from them by listening to them and acknowledge what they are saying. 
10. Never forget where you come from. Don’t be afraid to get in the dish pit, serve on the hot line or wait tables. As your paths turn greener, never forget the past struggles that helped you get to where you are today. The shoulders that you stood upon to rise up the ranks teaches you to offer your shoulders to help the new generation of foodservice workers to rise up. 

View the archive of My Recipe for Success articles at www.ANFPonline.org/myrecipeforsuccess. 

Nominate Yourself or a Fellow ANFP Member

Have you spent a career in foodservice? Share your wisdom and advice in a new feature from ANFP. My Recipe for Success is aimed at retired members or those who have spent a long career in foodservice. Share the biggest lessons you’ve learned to a lengthy, fruitful, and successful career in the non-commercial foodservice industry. 

Nomination Form

My Recipe for Success Archive

January 2021 - Dorothy Radermacher, CDM, CFPP
March 2021 - Wanda Dickson, CDM, CFPP
May 2021 - Tom Thaman, CDM, CFPP
July 2021 - Chef Richard "Nick" Nickless, CEC, CCA, AAC, CDM, CFPP
September 2021 - Karen Swift, CDM, CFPP
November 2021 - Paula Bradley, CDM, CFPP
January 2022 - Deborah McDonald, CDM, CFPP
March 2022 - Trish De Leo, CDM, CFPP
May 2022 - Deb Dawson, CDM, CFPP
July 2022 - Rosalind Davis, CDM, CFPP
September 2022 - Ken Owens, CDM, CFPP
November 2022 - Janice Hemel, CDM, CFPP
January 2023 - Bonna Brown, CDM, CFPP
March 2023 - Becky Massey, CDM, CFPP
May 2023 -  Colleen Zenk, CDM, CFPP
July 2023 - Joey Rost, CDM, CFPP