🍕 𝙋𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩? Yes, 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄!🍕

CEO had the privilege of spending the morning with Patrick Thirion, co-owner of Peel Wood Fired Pizza for an honest and energizing conversation about 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑, 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉.

Patrick shared that 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚—it’s unavoidable. But rather than something to run from, fear can become fuel. The moments that don’t go as planned are often where the biggest lessons live, shaping stronger leaders and smarter decisions.

Co-owners Patrick Thirion and Brandon Case took a major leap when they opened Peel without investors, relying on their experience, grit, and deep understanding of the food industry. That leap paid off. What started as one location in Edwardsville has grown into three locations (Edwardsville, O’Fallon, and Clayton) and over 200 employees, all rooted in a shared love for great food and people.

Students also learned that success isn’t just about the product—it’s about the people behind it:

🍕 Treat your team like family and invest in their training
🍕 Combine a strong culture with structure and discipline
🍕 Surround yourself with like-minded, driven people
🍕 Work harder than anyone else and take smart risks—especially while you’re young

And yes…𝘾𝙀𝙊 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 🍕🔥

Patrick, thank you for your openness, wisdom, and hospitality. We are so grateful to have Peel Wood Fired Pizza in our community and appreciate you taking the time to pour into the next generation of entrepreneurs!