Tag Archives: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Foolish Consistency

It’s Foodie Friday so let’s begin with one of my favorite quotes from Emerson – a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.  While Emerson was talking about a fear to change one’s views based on new information, I thought of it in the context of a review of Shake Shack in the NY Times Dining section this week.  The reviewer had mostly good things to say about the chain but his primary complaint was the subhead of the article – Shake Shack struggles with inconsistency.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Deutsch: Ralph Waldo Emers...

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You see, in the food business, consistency is never foolish – the quality of the food served and of the service delivered needs to be at the same standard each and every time.  In this case, some of the burgers were perfect while others were “cooked to the color of wet newsprint, inside and out, and salted so meekly that eating it was as satisfying as hearing a friend talk about a burger his cousin ate.”

What does this have to do with your business? Continue reading

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What’s Your Story?

I think we all know the joke.  A wife walks in on a husband while he’s bumping uglies with another woman.  There are a lot of variations to the joke, but the punch line is “who are you going to believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?”

To me, this goes to another phrase that lots of folks use on a regular basis.  Lots of children too although not explicitly.  That phrase is immortalized in the chorus of a Jimmy Buffet song: Continue reading

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Self Sufficiency

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I’m a big believer is doing things oneself.  I’d like to think that comes from the enjoyment of the task and not some weird paranoia about the incompetence of others.  I believe, as Shakespeare said, “Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.” Given that what I do is provide outside resources to folks, is that weird? Continue reading

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