Long before I worked in Human Resources.

Long before I built a restaurant safety program.

Long before I helped reduce workers' compensation claims and improve safety performance across multiple restaurant locations.

I was a teenager working at Disneyland.

Like many young people, I thought I was getting a job.

What I didn't realize was that Disney was about to teach me lessons that would stay with me for the next 30 years.

Disney Did Things Differently

One of the first things that surprised me was how seriously Disney took training.

Most restaurants throw new employees into the operation as quickly as possible.

Disney didn't.

Before I was ever allowed to interact with guests, I spent weeks in training.

At Disney, guests were called guests, not customers.

And employees were expected to understand much more than just their job.

• We learned about service.
• We learned about quality.
• We learned about guest experience.

And we learned about safety.

LOTS of safety.

Because Disney understood something many organizations miss:

Safety isn't separate from the guest experience.

Safety is part of the guest experience.

And it's part of taking care of employees too.

The Story I'll Never Forget

One day during training, our instructor was talking about safety.

He told us that safety wasn't something you thought about once.

It wasn't something you thought about during orientation.

It wasn't something you thought about only when a manager reminded you.

He said:

"You've got to be thinking about safety every moment, every day."

Then he gave an example.

He said:

"Don't be like the girl who dropped the spoon into the fry vat and then reached in to pick it up."

Then he stopped.

The room went completely silent.

He waited until that visual took hold.

Then, he finally said:

"Yeah. Burned down to the bone in seconds."

And slowly, very deliberately, he said:

"Because hot oil...Doesn't...Let...Go."

I can still hear those words today.

• That training happened more than 30 years ago.
• But I've never forgotten it.
• Not because he showed us a video.

Not because he handed us a manual.

Because he made safety real.

He made us understand that injuries happen in seconds, but the consequences can last a lifetime.

And from that day forward, I paid attention.

• Every kitchen.
• Every restaurant.
• Every employee.
• Every shift.

Safety wasn't just a policy.

It became a mindset.

Safety Became Part of the Culture

What made Disney different wasn't the story itself.

It was what happened after the story.

The message didn't disappear.

Safety wasn't discussed once and forgotten.

It was reinforced.

• Repeated.
• Modeled.
• Expected.

Safety became part of the culture.

And that's the lesson I carried with me throughout my entire restaurant career.

Because safety isn't a poster on a wall.

It isn't a handbook sitting on a shelf.

It isn't a video someone watched six months ago.

Safety is a habit.
 

The Result Over 30 Years

Throughout more than 30 years in restaurant operations, management, and Human Resources, I carried that lesson with me.

I constantly reminded employees:

• Be careful.
• Use the proper procedure.
• Take the extra second.
• Think before you act.

Because once an injury happens, you can't undo it.

Looking back, I believe that focus on safety made a difference.

During my years leading restaurant teams, I never had an employee suffer an injury that required more than basic first aid and a Band-Aid.

That wasn't luck.

It was the result of creating awareness.

The result of keeping safety visible.

The result of making safety part of the culture rather than an occasional topic.

The Lesson That Shaped REST

Years later, when I began building a restaurant safety program, I found myself returning to the same lesson Disney taught me all those years ago.

Training matters.

But culture matters more.

People don't stay safe because they watched a video or read a handbook.

People stay safe because safety becomes part of how they think, work, and make decisions every day.

That's why the REST Compliance Protection System™ was never designed to be just another training program.

It was designed to reinforce safety over time.

• To keep safety visible.
• To help managers stay engaged.
• To create accountability.

And ultimately, to help make safety part of the culture.

Because the most important lesson Disney taught me wasn't about rides, attractions, or guest service.

It was this:

When safety becomes part of the culture, people go home in one piece.

And that's something worth protecting.