PowerTalk: Rolling in the Dough, CEO of Panera Bread Finds Profitable Recipe

Joining me this week on PowerTalk is Ron Shaich, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Panera Bread (PNRA). As tends to be the case with these one-on-one conversations, I covered a lot of ground during my time with this CEO, including the strategies that have led to strong growth in Panera’s revenues and stock price during the last several years. Focusing on the customer experience, transparency and, as Ron says, simply “doing it right” are some of the strategies that led to that significant growth at a time when most competitors like Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (BAGL), Cosi (COSI) and others were struggling. Ron and his team also successfully navigated the rise of many alternative eating styles — Atkins, Paleo, raw and others — by offering the customers a wide selection of products, including my favorite — bear claws.

Besides being a leader in the business community, Ron is an advocate for getting our political leaders to work together better. He’s a part of “No Labels,” a growing citizens’ movement of Democrats, Republicans and everything in between dedicated to promoting a new politics of problem solving. Their slogan is a great one — Stop Fighting, Start Fixing.

If you’re tired of nothing getting done in Washington, frustrated by the lack of progress and the blame game in D.C., or you want to learn more about how Ron and his team delivered during the last few years, get a bear claw and listen up.

Listen to my behind-the-scenes PowerTalk conversation now, so you are even more in the know:

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Access prior PowerTalk interviews here:

Navigating the Airways with BlackJet CEO Dean Rotchin

Abe’s Market — More than the Intersection of Amazon.com and Whole Foods

What You Need to Know as the Fed Gets Ready to Taper its Stimulus: Advice from Experts Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Diana Furchtgott-Roth

Sizing up Cyber Security with Sourcefire (FIRE) CTO and Founder Martin Roesch

Online Gaming with Ultimate Gaming Chairman Tom Breitling

Unveiling the Future of Coupons with Michael Vivio, president of Cox Target Media

Immigration and Immigration Reform with former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez

Steve Forbes Focuses on the Economy, Taxes, Health Care and Obama

Susan Crawford, Author of “Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age”

Paul Musselman, CEO of Carnegie Speech

Jim Nolan, EVP of InterDigital (IDCC)

Manish Chandra, Founder and CEO of Poshmark

Michael D. Brown, Customer Experience Expert

Debra Kaye, Partner at Lucule Consulting

Beth Solomon, President and CEO of NADCO

Bob Keheller Founder of The Employee Engagement Group

Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal

Currency Expert Bernard Lietaer

CEO of Accellion Yorgen Edholm

Founder and former CEO of Staples Tom Stemberg

Bestselling author Daniel Pink

dwinQ’s Patrick Sweeney

Cuttone & Company’s Keith Bliss

Visa’s Jason Alderman

GM’s Greg Martin

Consumer Electronic Association CEO Gary Shapiro

Smith & Wesson CEO James Debney

Mobile Payment expert Matt Jacobson