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Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that one area into which I occasionally veer is food. One of the great business lessons I’ve ever learned from food is that of substance over style. In fact, in many cases, substance IS style. Read on, oh hungry one!
Filed under food, Helpful Hints, Reality checks
I received some books today as gifts (OK, it’s my birthday and that’s a subtle way of working it in!). One of them is called Screen Doors and Sweet Tea. It’s book with a ton of southern recipes which I’ll being cooking my way through ASAP.
Why is this of interest to you? Because what’s so great about this book is the story that goes with nearly every recipe. Rather than the traditional blurb at the beginning of the book which informs you of the chef’s fabulous experience and unimaginably great food, this book has a piece to go with nearly every page. The stories are every bit as good as the food they discuss and make this book a worthwhile read even if you never cook anything out of it (or can’t cook at all). The stories give the food context.
Context is something that’s often lost these days. Companies seem very focused on the “how” or “what” but not often enough on the “why”. How many presentations have you sat through that talk about a company and how they were funded, their great technology, their business but don’t hear a damn thing about how all this great stuff helps YOU, their customer? Context is what takes “that’s nice” or “interesting” to “WOW – I NEED THIS.” Context is relevance. People like to know that you’re talking TO them, not AT them.
Check your context – it will make what’s good about what you’re doing great. The recipes are good and interesting – the stories make them jump off the page.
Filed under food, Helpful Hints, Thinking Aloud
One of the things in which I fancy myself an expert of sorts is barbecue. It’s hard to get right and very easy to get wrong. I’ve been to a lot of the great BBQ places around the USA and one of the best is the legendary Dreamland. “That’s nice, Keith” you say “but what the hell does that have to do with business?” Elementary, dear Watsons.
Dreamland, until it expanded, 
had two outlets and one thing one the menu – ribs and white bread. In fact, that’s still all they have on the menu at the original pit in Tuscaloosa. The business lesson is easy – do one thing very very well before you try and do others. Big Daddy may have missed some folks who wanted pulled pork or a hot link but he based their entire business on one thing and one thing only: ribs. And they do them phenomenally well.
Doesn’t it comfort you to know that someplace has been in business with a single product for a long time? If you only had one product, could you stay in business? Is there a single thing you do that’s good enough to carry the entire operation? Too often, the “shotgun approach” of just blasting away, hoping to hit something beats out the carefully aimed rifle. I prefer the Dreamland approach – building your reputation based on a single superior product and then adding on (as they’ve done in their other outlets). It’s much easier to maintain organizational focus this way as well.
And now, I need a rib!
Filed under food, Helpful Hints, Thinking Aloud
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