{"id":3452,"date":"2015-02-16T16:19:28","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T00:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/alumni\/2015\/02\/16\/entrepreneur-jack-litchfield-11-offers-lessons-in-leadership\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T06:43:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:43:24","slug":"entrepreneur-jack-litchfield-11-offers-lessons-in-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/alumni\/2015\/02\/16\/entrepreneur-jack-litchfield-11-offers-lessons-in-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Entrepreneur Jack Litchfield '11 offers lessons in leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nJack Litchfield<\/strong>
\n, BFA film production \u201911, has seen firsthand how a film degree goes exponentially further than just the silver screen. But while working at mixing houses, nonprofits and giant corporations after school has paid the bills, what Jack\u2019s taken from Chapman University couldn\u2019t be closer to Albert Schweitzer\u2019s quest to search and see where he might invest his humanity. So today he\u2019s after redefining corporate leadership, and doing it by serving.<\/p>\n

Tell us about Kitchen Wizard \u2013 how did you go from film to mobile apps?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Kitchen Wizard app delivers recipes to users based on what ingredients they already have.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kitchen Wizard<\/a>
\nis a mobile application that can suggest ingredients and recipes for users so they know what they can make right\u00a0now with what they have. It also allows grocery stores to promote products based on a one-to-one relationship with their consumers. The end goal is to save users money by preventing spoilage, alleviating frustration and instilling a sense of accomplishment in the kitchen. Simultaneously, the app can help grocery stores raise their profit mix on selected items and dramatically reduce their marketing costs.<\/p>\n

Now while I absolutely love what we\u2019ve made for the phone, what inspires me and drives me the most is actually what we do with our team. I\u2019m a big believer in people and I\u2019ve found, through so many things in life, that the best way to lead is to humbly serve. I\u2019ve blown it plenty at the head of things; every time I go back to see what happened, it always stems from pride. And that seems to be such a problem with leaders in C Suites, director\u2019s chairs and relationships. Just because I\u2019m at the head of a team, it\u00a0doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m better or need a golden seat. I want to be in the trenches with my interns and team, communicate effectively with them, and share the vision and all of our joys and struggles. I strive to challenge everyone, including myself, to rise to our potential rather than our comfort level and this starts by delving past the surface and going after who people are.<\/p>\n

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\nWhat\u2019s so crazy about this passion is that I tested it first at Dodge College. When you need to lead 100 people, as I did on my thesis film, and you can\u2019t pay them, you have to find ways to incentivize them. I found nothing works better than challenging people based on their passions. When you show that you are willing to go the extra mile, they follow. When you grab surprise coffees and dinners for your crew, they feel empowered. When you show that they are part of the team, that they are human, and that they matter, then you\u2019ve tapped into something deeper than a paycheck. You have to seek out what is excellent about people, not just what they can do for you. You need to not lose sight of who people\u00a0are in the midst of confusion or frustration in the mission. So ultimately, you become second. You maintain this vision and need to be strong; you become second to your team and to the goal. I was not a fan of the slogan \u201ca film by John Doe.\u201d That actually infuriated me. It\u2019s a film by 118 people; you just happened to lead it.<\/p>\n

So when I saw that the corporate world wasn\u2019t after investing in me, and after a handful of years working for incredibly bureaucratic machines that suck a person\u2019s soul out, I decided to start my own company and challenge the status quo. I thrive on challenge and am passionate about leading. Broken away from pursuing a career in what I knew in narrative storytelling, I was left with a desire to treat people better, and an odd love for cooking. I saw so many friends fail at their diets or eat expensively and unhealthily, and I wanted to make something to change that. I knew nothing about mobile applications, but I knew how to not give up. (Sound mixing and Foley at Dodge is funny like that \u2013 you get in the habit of saying, \u201cI don\u2019t know the answer now, but let\u2019s change that and explore.\u201d) So after about a year on my own, I was so grateful to be accepted into Chapman\u2019s entrepreneurial incubator, and two years later, we are now on the market. So even though I’m not\u00a0making films, I\u2019m still using the same creative problem solving skills and real world leadership skills that were tested at Chapman. I found that my education wasn\u2019t in directing and ProTools 8 sound editorial; it was in learning how to lead firsthand.<\/p>\n

What insight would you give to current students and alumni who are aspiring leaders?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If I have to wrap this up in one statement, it\u2019s search for ways to serve. Take your eyes off yourself and keep them on your vision and team. You\u2019ll start to see that the rest will follow suit:<\/p>\n