Digital Hospitality

Wil Brawley of Schedulefly Fostered Trust Through Storytelling

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Description

The birth of Schedulefly was rooted in the chaos of manually creating restaurant schedules using Post-It Notes. Wil Brawley and his partners recognized the inefficiencies in this process and envisioned a streamlined solution aimed to eliminate the constant need for phone calls and last-minute changes. Schedulefly emerged as that solution, and revolutionized communication within the restaurant industry, simplifying scheduling processes and enhancing efficiency.

"The idea was, why don't we just provide this really simple solution that eliminates the need for all these phone calls and all these fire drills when somebody's sick and just have email and text and an app and just a way to just get this information to people. And then when the changes happen, it's automatic." said Brawley to host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media.


Facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a ransomware threat, Brawley and Schedulefly experienced the power of storytelling and transparent communication. In times of crisis, Brawley embraced openness, regularly sharing updates through videos posted to Instagram. This genuine approach not only strengthened the connection with Schedulefly's community but also showcased the resilience of a small, independent restaurant-facing adversity.

“We were very clear with what was going on.” recalls Brawley. “That's when we really realized the power of storytelling and communication in a big way.”

Wil Brawley's journey extends beyond scheduling software; it delves into the realm of storytelling. Despite initial hesitations, Brawley compiled impactful stories of independent restaurant owners in the book "Restaurant Owners Uncorked". Taking a leap of faith, Schedulefly self-published the book, and it turned out to be a success. Brawley's dedication to sharing these stories and connecting with the community reflected a belief in the importance of authentic narratives and has since evolved into a podcast of the same name, which has featured Cali BBQ Media’s Shawn Walchef.

Interview Takeaways:

  1. From Post-It Notes Came Schedulefly – Grit is often the foundation for innovation. That rings true for the genesis of Schedulefly. What started as a chaotic process of gathering intel to create a schedule, morphed into the efficient, streamlined process Wil Brawley and company creating Schedulefly.
  2. The Power of Storytelling and Communication – COVID brought about unforeseen struggles in many businesses. On top of being shut down, Wil Brawley and company experienced the added stress of a true threat to their business. 
  3. You Are Not Alone: Publishing Important Stories  – Like many of us, Brawley has had hesitations throughout his career. He knew he had a love for storytelling and had compiled great stories in his book. Restaurant Owners Uncorked. Once he took the leap and published it, though, things took off for him.



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