Building Mad Mexican: José Hadad on Food, Leadership & Putting Humans First

In this episode of The People-Driven CEO Podcast, Shane sits down with José Hadad, Founder and Executive Chef of Mad Mexican, to talk about food, entrepreneurship, leadership and the responsibility that comes with building a business around something deeply personal. José’s relationship with food began in Mexico, where some of his earliest memories were formed around cooking and sharing meals with other people. After deciding to pursue culinary school, he travelled to Alaska and worked relentlessly to save enough money for his education before eventually moving to Toronto.

Years later, he launched Mad Mexican with just $120, making guacamole and salsa from a small apartment kitchen. Today, the business includes both a Toronto restaurant and a food manufacturing operation bringing fresh Mexican food to Canadians. José and Shane explore what more than a decade in the restaurant business has taught him about resilience, leadership and change.

José speaks candidly about learning to lead people, hiring for values rather than impressive résumés and realizing that the expectations he placed on himself could not simply be transferred onto everyone around him. For José, great leadership starts with understanding who people really are, what they are naturally good at and whether their values align with the mission. The conversation also explores the changing economics of food, Canadian manufacturing, technology and the role of AI inside a growing business.

José believes technology can be an incredibly valuable assistant, but it should never become the person making the decisions. Ultimately, his philosophy comes back to something much larger: creating a world where the human being, rather than capital, sits at the centre, and using your own gifts to leave both people and the world better because you were here.