Great experiences don’t happen by accident.
Someone has to set the tone, prepare the team, and care enough to notice what’s missing. That’s where I come in.
For more than 30 years, I’ve opened restaurants, developed leaders, and built training programs grounded in the realities of running a restaurant. Even as a director, I was hands-on—stepping in to demonstrate the welcome, urgency, and care I expected from a team.
For more than a decade, I’ve also fronted Simply Tina, performing everywhere from Walt Disney World’s EPCOT to theaters and festivals. Leading a restaurant team and connecting with an audience have shaped how I teach, coach, and lead—and inspired From Service to Show®.
“Leadership isn’t just a title—it’s how you set the tone, protect the energy, and show up when it counts.” — Karena Korokous
Leadership & Development
I develop restaurant leaders who can take care of their people, deliver a strong guest experience, and understand the business they’re running.
For three decades my work has connected restaurant operations with training and leadership development—from preparing teams for new openings to coaching experienced managers through performance challenges. I build practical training programs, operating procedures, and coaching tools around what teams actually need on the floor.
My approach starts with paying attention. I look at operating results, guest feedback, and what’s happening during a shift to understand where expectations and execution aren’t connecting. Then I work alongside leaders to address it: having the conversation, demonstrating the standard, and following through. Sometimes that means reviewing labor or comp patterns. Sometimes it means starting pre-shift in the dish pit and making sure everyone knows the name of the person keeping the operation moving.
My career includes Hooters, Baja Fresh, and 12 years with the Twin Peaks South Florida franchise, where I helped support growth from its first restaurant to eight locations and more than 1,000 employees. I led Training & Development and new restaurant opening readiness, developed managers across the franchise, and held direct operational and financial oversight of two training locations. In 2024, I was recognized as Twin Peaks Franchise Training Manager of the Year.
I know what it takes to run a restaurant—and what it takes to run a room.
My approach brings together more than 30 years in hospitality operations, training, and leadership with more than a decade fronting Simply Tina. I’ve prepared teams for opening night, coached managers through difficult shifts, and stepped onto stages where connecting with the audience is everything.
Those experiences shape the speaking and online training programs I’m developing: practical, engaging conversations about how we lead people, recover difficult moments, and create experiences worth coming back for.
From Service to Show™
The stage taught me how much preparation goes into a moment that feels effortless. Restaurants taught me how to notice when someone feels overlooked and what it takes to bring them back into the experience.
I wrote From Service to Show® because I kept seeing those lessons show up in both places. A guest at a table and a person in the audience can both tell when you’re paying attention. My forthcoming book is about what restaurant leaders can do to make that feeling part of an ordinary shift.
On Stage
FAs lead vocalist of Simply Tina, I bring Tina Turner’s music and legacy to life alongside a live band, singers, and dancers. We’ve performed at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT and at theaters and festivals across the country, including a Saturday-night headline performance at Norfolk Harborfest, Virginia’s annual waterfront festival.
I lead audiences through Tina’s life and music, sharing the stories behind the songs, reading the room, and inviting people into the show. From the first introduction to the final bow, I want them singing, dancing, and feeling part of something they’ll remember.
