About Me

My Super Powers (according to my clients)

“Discriminating between what I’m saying and what I’m not saying and reflecting both back so I can make better decisions.”

“He knows what it takes to scale a brand.”

“He’s trustable right away and maintains that trust no matter who’s paying his fee.”

“Calls me out in the nicest but most unmistakeable way. Hears me out and then pushes me to action.”

“Helps me clear out the mess and focus on what’s important to my business.”

“Helps me create structure where it doesn’t exist. Simplifies things that have become overly-complicated.”

“Gets right in there and breaks me open… and then puts me back together before we hang up”

“Helped me find my purpose and then go after it.”

“Got me through a bunch of conflict, avoided a ton of nastiness and brought peace to my life.”

“Brought my team together in the deepest way and got us all rowing in the same direction. I don’t know what we were doing before those two days.”

“Dressler has already been in the front of the room. He is happy to watch from the back and coach later.”

My Story (according to me)

From Dish Washer to Entrepreneur

I've been working since I could barely see over the counter—starting at age 6 washing dishes at my aunt and uncle's hotel in upstate New York. After studying hospitality management in Switzerland (where I learned to travel Europe on a bartender’s wages), I built my career in luxury hospitality with Four Seasons, eventually becoming the go-to guy for opening and running flagship properties across the country.

But the real adventure began in 2001 when I met my future business partners at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. Tired of the corporate grind and ready for something meaningful, we cobbled together $900,000 in friends and family money and opened our first Tender Greens restaurant in 2006.

Building Something Special

Over the next 14 years, I wore every hat imaginable—CFO, President, and Chief People Officer. I was called "the company's heart and backbone," focusing on infrastructure and culture while my partners handled operations. We built what our VP of Operations called "a culture of love and discipline"—a place where people never wanted to leave and that many, to this day, refer to as the best job they ever had.

I handled everything from raising capital, financial management, leadership training and systems development. As we grew, I replaced myself with qualified executives, then spent my time developing them into heart-centered leaders. By the time I left in 2020, we had 30 restaurants, $100M in revenue, and 1,200 team members.

The Real Joy

The greatest satisfaction always came from those moments when someone would say "go talk to Dave"—code for leveling up. I developed and taught mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and leadership development throughout the organization. Creating conditions where people could do their best work became my obsession.

What I Do Now

Since 2020, I've been coaching purpose-driven leaders who are facing the same challenges I navigated: scaling while preserving culture, transitioning to new roles, and finding clarity when the path forward isn't obvious. I intentionally wear two hats—Coach and Advisor—drawing on 30+ years of business experience and deep personal development work.

My clients include founders, CEOs, and executives who want to lead with both effectiveness and heart. Whether you're scaling, transitioning, or transforming, we go deeper into your understanding of yourself and reach further into your leadership toolkit.

I co-authored Ten Year Plan: How the Founders of Tender Greens Scaled Their Heart-Centered Brand, which is now used as a case study in MBA programs. I work in shamanic traditions, facilitate trauma groups for incarcerated men, serve on nonprofit boards, and lecture at graduate programs. I'm deeply married to Randi for 24 years, have two kids who are genuinely the nicest people I know, and we live in LA.

I'm a certified coach (CPCC, ICF) and continue learning through programs with Marshall Goldsmith, David Peterson, Bryan Franklin and other teachers I admire.

How can I serve you?

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”
— Robert Byrne

My Philosophy

I believe the best lives and organizations account for all the pieces of us -- our work, our families, our health, our communities, our hearts and our minds, our most valuable and unique efforts and gifts mattering in some way.