Restaurants, Serving, and Sprinting (6-24-20)

Last week was about embracing new foods and stepping outside of your comfort zone. This week is about restaurants, being a server, speed, and thinking.

Back in college I was a waiter at an O’Charley’s. In case you’ve never been to an O’Charley’s it is like an Applebee’s. The main difference is that O’Charley’s has some AMAZING rolls. Anyway, when I first started my job as a waiter, I found myself running around constantly back and forth between the kitchen and my tables. I would go get refills for one table, then get to another table and realize they needed refills, so I would have to go back and get them refills. By the end of the night I was exhausted from running back and forth. Over time, I began to realize that I was working very hard, but I wasn’t working very smart. Instead of only thinking about one table at a time, I began looking at multiple tables. Instead, of making individual trips back to the kitchen, I would go back to the kitchen and take care of the needs for multiple tables. Taking a few extra seconds to look around to see who needed refills, more rolls, checked on, etc. enabled me to save steps and avoid sprinting back and forth throughout the night. This led to me being more efficient and effective, which eventually led to me receiving better tips.

You might be wondering where this server story is going. I don’t know about you, but from time to time I get sucked into the frenzy of work where I sprint from project to project and place to place. By the end of the day I feel exhausted. Have you ever felt this way? When you felt like this, how productive were you? If you’re anything like me, during these times you weren’t as productive as you could be. I’ve realized over time that whenever I feel like I’m sprinting out of control I need to pause for a moment. Just like my server days, I need to stop for a moment to look around and figure out what is going on. Rather than sprinting, I need to pause, survey the situation, and figure out a plan. Taking a few minutes to think through things usually results in me figuring out ways to avoid pitfalls and eliminate extra steps. At the end of the day, spending a few minutes to pause and think, saves me hours of running around.

The challenge: Will you take a few moments to pause and plan vs. running around?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Being Open to New Food and New Experiences (6-17-20)

Last week was about restaurants fulfilling multiple purposes. This week is about being open to new food and new experiences.

My friend Joseph’s dad is from Ethiopia. Joseph grew up embracing that part of his heritage and culture, including the food. One day Joseph and I were talking about an Ethiopian lasagna he makes. I asked him about it, and then he asked me if I had ever had Ethiopian food. I told him I had never tried it, so he took me to a restaurant called Abyssinia. When we got there, Joseph asked me what I wanted to order. At this point I had a choice. I could order the things I thought I might be most comfortable with based on what I usually eat, or I could allow myself to fully embrace a new experience. I told him something along the lines of, “I just want great Ethiopian food. I’m open to anything. You know this better than I do.” He did the ordering, and truth be told, if I was left to my own devices I may not have ordered some of the dishes by reading about them on the menu, because they were a little outside my comfort zone. However, once I tried the food, I thought it was delicious, and I was so thankful Joseph was there to help broaden my horizons.

You might be wondering what this has to do with anything. Similar to eating at restaurants, I believe there are two types of people. There are those who live only in their comfort zones, and there are people open to exploring new experiences to find unexpected joy. Think about yourself for a moment. How often do you only allow yourself to experience people/situations/things you are comfortable with vs. being open to new experiences? I know I fall into this trap sometimes. I decide what the mold is and look for people/things to fit that mold, and I stick with people and things who fit my comfort zone. If those people/things don’t fit that mold I can be disappointed and miss out on the beauty of what is, because I’m blinded by the contrived aspect of what I thought I wanted it to be.

Challenge: Will you be open to new people and new experiences?

Bonus thought: There is a lot of stuff going on right now. I’m sure some of it is making you uncomfortable to some degree. I’d encourage you to be open to what is going on, to explore it, and to lean into the things that are challenging your worldview vs. tuning it out because it makes you uncomfortable. Leaning into it is the only way we can grow.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Restaurants and the Purposes they Serve (6-10-20)

Happy Wednesday,

This week I want to kick off a series inspired by restaurants. We will start by looking at the purpose restaurants serve, and how it doesn’t always have to do with food.

One of my favorite restaurants is a local brewpub called Moontown. The obvious purpose of a restaurant is to solve for your hunger and thirst. For me, Moontown hits on this aspect with their brisket and this amazing chicken sandwich they make with this Bama White sauce that is a mix of ranch and horseradish. Moontown hits on the beverage front by providing a variety of beers in different styles, and they introduce new beers on a regular basis. #awesomeness What I’ve come to appreciate, especially during COVID, is that Moontown served a purpose for me beyond food and beverages. It gave me a great environment to write in. There’s something about the wooden bar and tables, the lighting, and the atmosphere that creates a space that feels comfortable and quiet. Before COVID, I would go to the bar after the girls were asleep and I’d bring a notebook. I’d have a pint and some fries as I sketched out ideas for blogs, poems, and even marketing plans (don’t tell anyone on that last one😉).

What does this have to do with anything? The situation above shows that something or some place, can serve multiple purposes in your life. Moontown fulfilled my basic need for food and beverage, and it also served an entirely different function by providing a great space to write. I find it fascinating that one thing can serve multiple purposes, and sometimes can even serve positive and negative functions at the same time. Think about some of your beliefs and behaviors. What purposes do they serve? For me, eating sweets can satisfy a sweet tooth and also be a non-healthy stress coping mechanism. Running can serve my need for exercise, and also create quiet in my brain so I can slow down to focus. Building relationships with people fulfills my need to be social, and also provides me an ability to get work done. Lately I’ve found myself reflecting more on my own beliefs, behaviors, and habits to determine if they are serving the purpose, I want them to serve. This is leading me to think more about where I want and need to change to become a better human.

The challenge: What purpose are your beliefs, behaviors, and habits serving? Are they serving the purposes you want them to serve?

I stand in solidarity against injustice and in support of humanity.

Bonus: If you want to apply this concept to marketing you should read this article about jobs to be done and milkshakes.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry