The Crisis Plan: How Sara Pantaleo Kept La Porchetta Alive

Sara Pantaleo was already CEO of La Porchetta when her brother Rocky unexpectedly passed away. But nothing could have prepared her for the phone call from a journalist asking her to confirm what had happened. Rocky was more than the co-founder of La Porchetta. He was the family patriarch, the face of the business and the person whose relationships held its shareholders together. Over a glass of Cabernet, Sara tells Shane how the crisis plan she'd put in place helped keep the business running, even as she grappled with the loss of her brother and the expectations of eight shareholders who had always looked to Rocky. It's a candid conversation about family, leadership and what happens when the person holding everything together is suddenly gone. Today's shout was the Jim Barry 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon from Jim Barry Wines in the Clare Valley. Jim Barry Wines: https://www.jimbarry.com/ About Sara Pantaleo: Sara Pantaleo is a strategic business advisor, advisory board chair and non-executive director who helps business owners grow with clarity, structure and discipline. She began her career in IT at NAB before spending more than two decades in family business and franchising, becoming CEO of La Porchetta, one of Australasia's largest Italian restaurant franchises. Today she runs Affari SP, advising small, family and professional-services businesses on strategy, governance, people and performance, built on a philosophy of People, Profit and Purpose. Curious by nature and an early adopter of AI, Sara leads with a sustainability mindset and pairs real-world CEO experience with board-level thinking. An Italian-Australian and former national Franchise Woman of the Year, she sits on health, community and not-for-profit boards and co-founded the Moira Kelly Creating Hope Foundation. Web: https://affarisp.com.au/ LinkedIn:   / sara-pantaleo-maicd-cfe-55a18721   Facebook:   / affarisp   Instagram:   / affarisp   Youtube:    / @sarapantaleo8995   CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to My Shout 01:36 From Little Sister to La Porchetta 08:10 CEO While Rocky Was Still There 12:57 The Relationships Rocky Held 15:04 The Crisis Plan and the Phone Call 19:00 Earning the Shareholders' Trust 29:19 Why Sara Stayed So Long 34:04 Getting to Know Rocky 38:09 The Sale That Never Happened 44:57 Never Forget Where You Come From 50:56 Today's Shout: Jim Barry Cabernet