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Chef Erik Oberholtzer

For years I viewed myself as the man in the arena, and our agency has always followed the 

 when telling a good story for a brand. The Hero's Journey is a narrative framework where a hero embarks on an adventure, faces challenges and trials, gains new insights, and ultimately returns transformed to share their newfound wisdom. When we kicked off Tender Greens, we made the classic rookie mistake. Like so many chefs and entrepreneurs, I thought I was the star of the show. People couldn’t stop patting me on the back, and I was more than happy to soak it all in. Felt great, of course. But as the brand grew, I found myself on the other side of the table, playing the client, while agencies helped expand my brand. Now, as an advisor at Cohere, I’ve come full circle. I’ve been the founder, the client, and now the guide. And let me tell you, it’s a humbling reminder that the hero of the story is never us. It’s the client—the ones who walk through your doors, or the founders who trust us to help bring their vision to life.


“I’m reading a book that has helped me flip the narrative of the hero’s journey, making the customer the center of the story; Building a Story Brand.”

, Donald Miller emphasizes that as brand builders, our role is not to be the center of attention. And when working with a client we must ask ourselves simple but profound questions: Are we making their life better? Are we making their journey easier? Are we helping to push their story forward?

The Client or Customer as the Hero: A Paradigm Shift in Storytelling

As Campbell said, "A hero is someone who has given their life to something bigger than oneself." When a client takes that leap of faith—starting from scratch or trusting you with a rebrand—they’re putting something deeply personal in your hands. It’s an honor, plain and simple. And let’s be honest, it’s painfully obvious when a brand doesn’t feel authentic to its founder. Our job is to make sure what they have inside shows up in a way that feels real and meaningful.

Key Takeaways for Keeping the Customer as the Hero

: Our role is not to be the star of the show but to help the customer see themselves using your brand in the clearest light. How is your brand helping them from the smallest daily thing, to a larger goal in their lives? 

: Joseph Campbell talks about the "call to adventure"—that pivotal moment when the hero steps onto the path that will define their journey. Guide the client on their brand’s own call to adventure, ensuring they stay focused on their purpose and don’t get sidetracked by passing trends. Trends may be exciting, but if they don’t serve the brand’s deeper mission, they’re a distraction.

Wisdom from Storytelling: The Hero’s Journey and the Client’s Brand

In Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the mentor stays behind the scenes, guiding the hero toward their quest. That’s the essence of branding—being of service. When the hero succeeds, your work shines. Our best work happens when we help clients not just hit a goal, but transform their brand into something deeply resonant.

Actionable Steps to Make Your Customer the Hero -

: Get to know their audience like it’s your own. When you know who they’re speaking to, your guidance will hit the mark.

: Some clients don’t speak your creative language, and that’s okay. Teach them as you go, but acknowledge when they teach you something, too. No one wants a know-it-all.

: The goal isn’t to look clever or make yourself the star. The real win is when the client feels like they’ve made the magic happen.

: Even if their worries seem small, address them sincerely and provide reassurance when needed. No one likes feeling dismissed.

An alternative version of this way of thinking is the book “Know What Matters” by Ron Shaich, founder of Panera. He talks about understanding what job your business is doing for the customer. It might be as simple as providing a ritualistic coffee each morning to feel connected and kick off the day. Staying centered on the role the brand holds in people's daily lives is paramount to success. Donald Miller writes in Building a StoryBrand that any business losing sight of this point will lose the support and affection of customers over time.


The Client is the Hero: Serve the Story, Not the Ego

Approximately 150 leaders in the food, tech and agricultural industries gathered for 

. Google's role as host is to cultivate a space where these creative minds can converge, share ideas, and ignite the changes that will make the world a more nourishing place.

https://www.coherestudio.co/stories/google-food-lab-recap-from-2024-in-chicago

At the summit, the usual suspects were all there - discussions on regenerative agriculture, nutrition, consumer trends, and the role of AI for the food industry. But this year, a new challenge emerged as a central focus: 

how to bring people back to the office and recruit top talent, with food and beverage serving as the key draw.

Gone are the days of assuming employees would simply return to their desks. The allure of remote work had proven difficult to overcome. Companies are grappling with this new reality, searching for innovative ways to make the office a destination worth the commute.

And it was here, amidst the collective perplexity, that food stepped into the spotlight. 

Not just as sustenance, but as a transformative force - a means of enticing employees, fostering community, and sparking the kind of in-person collaboration that remote work had so often stifled.

The discussions were charged with a palpable energy, as participants shared their most creative culinary strategies. From craveable biodiverse menus to carefully curated popup lunch experiences, the power of food to reshape the workplace narrative was becoming increasingly clear.

This was no longer just about fueling productivity - it was about reigniting the human connection that had been dimmed by the isolation of the pandemic.

 And in that crucible of collective problem-solving, the future of the office is being forged, one important dish at a time.

ould the power of food lure us back to the office?

Companies have faced an uphill battle in luring employees back to the office in the wake of the pandemic. The allure of remote work, with its flexibility and lack of commute, has proven hard to overcome. Employees have grown accustomed to the comforts of working from home, be it the ability to work in pajamas or the convenience of being steps away from the fridge.

This is where food is playing a pivotal role.

 By crafting captivating culinary experiences in the workplace, companies have the power to create a pull that outweighs the push of remote work. A steaming bowl of nourishing pho, bursting with fragrant herbs and zesty citrus, amongst laughter from coworkers who share the table at lunch, can ignite the senses in a way that a lonely desk lunch simply cannot. Carefully curated menus that cater to diverse dietary needs and preferences can foster a sense of community, giving employees a reason to gather and connect over a shared love of food.

Moreover, the act of shared meals can cultivate a spirit of collaboration and creativity that is often harder to achieve through a screen. When colleagues break bread together, ideas have the chance to flourish, and solutions to complex challenges can emerge organically. By making the office a destination for exceptional culinary experiences, companies can entice employees to make the journey, rekindling the magic of in-person interactions and collective problem-solving.

On the last day of Google Food Labs this year, I found myself gazing into an offering at breakfast that surprised me - Pho! In that aromatic broth, swirled with rice noodles and garnished with a vibrant array of herbs, chilis, and citrus, I couldn't help but wonder: 

could this be the key to enticing us away from the comforts of our home offices?

You see, the food at Google has always been a masterful blend of forward-thinking ingenuity, environmental consciousness, and a commitment to wellness, diversity, and transparency. But sometimes, in the pursuit of the new and innovative, they've missed the mark, leaving us longing for the familiar with just a hint of the unexpected.

And that's precisely what this breakfast pho delivered.

 It was a masterful dance between the comfort of a classic Vietnamese soup and the freshness of a morning meal. With every slurp, I felt my cells come alive, my senses awakened by the interplay of flavors and textures.

As I sat there, bathed in the warm glow of the morning sun, I found myself captivated. I couldn't help but share my discovery, actively encouraging my fellow attendees to experience the magic of this unassuming dish. And even as I departed for the airport, the memory of that pho lingered, refusing to be silenced.


Because the more companies can create these captivating, craveable moments in the workplace, the more likely we are to return to the office. By curating experiences and rituals that make us feel better than we do at home, businesses have the power to overcome the commute, the childcare conundrums, and the siren call of our pajamas.

The topics explored at the Food Labs ranged from climate change to personalized wellness, but at the heart of it all was the recognition that food has the power to heal, to connect, and to bring us together in pursuit of solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. And perhaps, just perhaps, the next big innovation could be sparked over a steaming bowl of pho in the company café.



How Google Food Labs is answering the need to draw people back to the office using food and beverage experiences

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The Client is the Hero: Serve the Story, Not the Ego

Could a bowl of breakfast Pho bring people back to the office?

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The Client is the Hero: Serve the Story, Not the Ego

Could a bowl of breakfast Pho bring people back to the office?

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