BYOB

Friday already?  Time for weekend goodness!  But before that, our Friday Foodie Fun post which this week is about BYOB.  In food terms, it’s bringing your own bottle, which can be a great thing if the restaurant permits it and doesn’t charge you an exorbitant ransom or, as they call it, corkage.  I mean seriously, unless the restaurant is actually serving wine and you’re drinking your own instead of buying off their list, a fee to open your bottle (which I’m happy to do, by the way) and provide some glasses seems petty.  But that’s not the BYOB I want to discuss today.  The one I’m thinking about is Believing Your Own Bull$#*.I have a spoon rest in the kitchen that reads “never trust a skinny chef.”  To me, that’s a chef who doesn’t spend enough time sampling their own wares or who won’t eat much of what they’re cooking.  They don’t believe in their own product.  I’m not talking about looking like the pre-weight loss Paul Prudhomme but  I like to see someone behind the stove who looks like they believe in what they’re pushing out.

It’s the same in other businesses.  I went to hockey games because I loved the game, not because I worked for the league.  I believed and consumed in what I was selling.  I had a colleague once at a TV network who admitted he never watched sports on TV – didn’t much care for them – yet he spent every work day selling those telecasts.  I know to a certain extent it’s all a numbers game but what make any product really stand out is passion that users (and salespeople) have for it.

I’m all for BYOB right up to the point that the belief clouds your thinking and perspective.  I mean, tasting the food and sending it out when you know it’s not right is just as bad as following a recipe and assuming all is well.  But if you’re a “skinny chef” in your business’ kitchen, maybe it’s time to find another gig.  You with me?

And now, it’s time to eat!