Does more effort equal more sales?
When I asked our kitchen customers about their biggest mistake, Jimi Wall, co-owner of Whoa Nelly! a human grade dog food business working out of our kitchens, came forward with his: “I fell in the...
View ArticlePivot for the lovers, not for the haters
Brett Ledger, owner of Megabake, is a legend. He’s quiet, respectful and meticulous. He speaks with care and consideration whenever he’s in the mood for a chat (and I often hope he is). And he leads...
View ArticleDumb is only a stage. Wallow, and then begin.
Some call it The Dunning Kruger Effect: People currently inept at something think it will be easy to do. They have unbridled confidence. How hard can it be? It’ll be fantastic (I WILL BE FANTASTIC!)...
View ArticleDon’t do anything at all
When things aren’t working in business our first urge is often to change things fast: drop a product, stop a market, change a shift – something dramatic to create an equally dramatic relief in the gut...
View ArticleSnubbing the Supermarkets
So I was in a fair food panel last week and in front of 100 people I cried. Not tears running down the face silent crying but hard to get through to the end of the sentence sobbing. I cried because I...
View ArticleHow hard core is too hard core?
After my outburst at the fair food panel and then our supermarket snubbing of last week, I’m feeling pretty good about standing strong for what I believe in. Not that there aren’t a few wary onlookers...
View ArticleProjections are fun
At the end of each month, I enjoy reducing the weeks’ happenings to a set of numbers. Honestly. Mostly. I do! Particularly if they’re robust digits, maybe more rotund than I expected them to be last...
View ArticleWhen empathy takes a sideline
I was furious. I could feel my skin practically peeling off with it. Normally, when I’m this angry about something, I quickly see it as a symptom for something else: indignation hiding tiredness, rage...
View ArticleA reason to eat animal products, and a list of ethical animal farmers for...
Veganism (or plant-based eating) is a burgeoning movement. At least 60% of our employees at Wandering Cooks are vegan. Many of our food makers are also vegan or are making ever more plant-based menus,...
View ArticleHitting Pause
I was writing my first post of 2018 like I walk into most days around here – straight into the middle of it. Plans disintegrate as I’m approached from all corners with conversations, dilemmas and spot...
View ArticleContracts vs handshakes
To my knowledge, there’s no contractual obligation committing us to any additional recurring bookings with you. So I don’t expect to see any further invoices after this week. I’m far from the perfect...
View ArticleThe snubbers of guilt
How dare you make me feel guilty when I’m doing my best?* Well for one, how do I make you feel anything? If you’re feeling guilty, it’s probably best to own it first up. And then, rather than seeing...
View ArticleConsistency, mediocrity, and multiple venues
What does it take to make money in hospitality? I asked this question of a friend of mine, a veteran of the restaurant industry. He said: Multiple venues. And then consistent mediocrity. Consistency is...
View ArticleCleaning Out Dead Corners
In business, the il y a is everywhere. It accumulates in unattended spaces, anywhere we allow the life force of business to drift away. There is. Indifference. No relational leftovers. I would call the...
View ArticleSometime Maybe
Sometime (maybe) I will create… a neighbourhood composting program, an edible plant nursery, a shop that’s entirely dedicated to ethically sourced dairy products, a food business training, a writer in...
View ArticleYour One Thing
Everyone around us at Wandering Cooks is getting ready to own their own places. Whether it’s still a glint in their knife, money being squirrelled away, or an empty building, people are getting ready....
View ArticleHow to not wait for your customer
Deflated in the doorway he wilts, waiting for someone to walk in. He could be busy with possibility, but instead, he is empty with apathy and expectations unmet. He smiles feebly as you walk passed....
View ArticleMoving into the clarity of grey
Some people find comfort in black and white opinions. I find comfort in grey. Examples? A while back I admitted that I was bad at contracts. I know I need to make them, sure, but that doesn’t mean I...
View ArticleTask Masters and Mining for Ideas
Every week, for a time, I look forward to writing my blog post. Abstractly. I watch from the distance of a week’s time and imagine carving it out, easily, like my mind is as giving as smooth clay. Any...
View ArticleThe game of your business
There’s really nothing more creative than running a business, if you want it to be this way. But instead, you can run your business like a series of jobs: Every day, go to your business, do what you...
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