Good Morning Friends! Here are my 5 Things to Consider this week!
Culture – Offence scores the points, defense wins the games. You can look at our business in two very distinct parts; front of the house and back of the house. Our front of house is everything that our loyal customers see: the pizza, the interior design, our merchandise, our brand, our attitude and our online presence. The back of the house though is really what makes our business thrive. Our systems, our processes, the goals we set, the lists we follow and the structure we’ve created. Back when we first started, it was all about entrepreneurial excitement. We had creative spirit in spades and that spirit was the fuel that propelled us into Columbus pop culture. Early on though, we knew that to build a great company, creative energy must be balanced with the proper structure and foundation. From day one we began implementing systems and processes that would make running our shops possible without “us” being there. Slowly, we began to create the infrastructure that allows us to exercise our creative freedom while still having the discipline necessary to operate a profitable business. We have soul and structure. As we continue to grow and the needs of the business change, the problems and the systems get more complex, but the intent is the same; strive to create a repeatable system that makes our Piesan’s lives easier and gives our guests a consistent experience. The hardest thing to balance here is keeping the soul. We must never forget what got us to where we’re at. Authentic experiences are the offence, systems and processes are the defense.
Leadership – Stop talking about the person, start talking to the person. When I heard this the other day, it was like a lightning strike to the head. It’s so simple, yet so impactful. I have an old saying that goes, “the more I’m talking about you, generally the worse you’re doing.” If you find yourself talking to your significant other about a co-worker, it’s generally not because of the great job they’re doing. It’s because there’s an issue and for whatever reason it’s occupying way too much of your thoughts, time and energy. The tendency for most of us is to talk about that person till we’re blue in the face then, at some point deal with the problem. It’s a reactive approach. How easily could most of our issues be squashed if we just talked directly to that person? That’s exactly what this adage advises. When you find you’re talking way too much about a single person, stop, identify the problem and talk to the person directly. Taking a proactive approach when dealing with a problem co-worker or someone you lead will result in quicker resolutions to problems and a happier you! Next time you find yourself talking about someone you work with at home, think about talking TO that person, not ABOUT that person. Proactive vs. Reactive.
History – We always pay. One thing I think we as founders did right, right from the start is set the standard that everyone always pays, including and most importantly us. Setting that standard was and very much still is critical because it displays to everyone that we don’t give anything away. If we pay, then everyone pays. I personally love it when I go into one of our spots, from LNS to Odds, and after ordering the bartender asks me for my credit card. Nobody in the business gets special treatment and the minute we slip on this rule is the moment we begin to loose trust and control. We must always remember that, as leaders, we are held to a high standard. We must always set the best example for our Piesans.
Motivation – “We didn’t know it couldn’t be done, so we just did it.” – Howard Shultz
What I’m Reading or Watching – Prince. I just saw this graphic tee the other day that said, “since Prince died, shit’s been weird.” It reminded me how much I’ve always been a fan of the genius that is Prince. Since he died, his estate has been releasing a lot of his music on Spotify, something he would never let happen when he was alive and it’s been great to catch up on his catalogue…which is fucking huge! In my humble opinion, there are four master originators of Pop Music; Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. Change my mind. 😊
Baby Update – God he’s getting big. Like, before our eyes! William is smiling like crazy now and I think it’ll only be a couple weeks before he starts laughing. I’m really looking forward to him finding me funny…I mean, more than he already does. Maybe it’s just my insecurity needing the validation of his laughter or maybe it’s just “getting to the next phase,” but the more he starts acting like a human and not just a larva, the more I start to love and appreciate him. Every little new thing is just one more thing to love.
Thanks for reading! Like or hate any part of this? Let me know! I really value your feedback.
Have a great week!
5 Things to Consider Archive 