Cory Scheer’s Post

Watching The Bear (SUCH a great show), I can't help but think about working in government. Running a restaurant basically sucks by most reasonable definitions. It's a slog, it takes enormous skill and persistence, and you're constantly taking on risks to your health, well-being, financial security, and relationships. The difficulty of succeeding makes you constantly question your self-worth. Who in their right mind would do that? Well, Carmy and Syd, for two. And the rest of the crew. They can't not. That describes so many public servants I know. On the face of it, it's not a logical career choice. They could all make more money and/or face fewer challenges elsewhere. Some of them go back and forth, taking breaks in the private or social sectors, or just much-needed breaks from work, but so often they are drawn back into government. In the end, they can't not. There's that exchange between Claire and Carmy about how hospital and hospitality have the same root, and it's so sweet, drawing the line between the care Claire gives and the care they provide at The Bear. But they also keep coming back to the word SERVICE. Like public service. I guess there's just a kind of person for whom the rewards of service mean more than all the pain, anxiety, and grief that come with it. Thank god for those people. https://lnkd.in/g6HgFYc5

My first job was washing dishes. Talk about lessons learned 👇🏻 Accountability: showing up early and stay long late got me extra shifts which turned into promotions Culture: learning the song titles, lead singers, and band names of every classic rock song on the radio in the kitchen earned me the respect of the chefs (and secured lunch breaks) Teamwork: taking out the trash, unclogging toilets, and doing any job that needed to get done to make the service a success taught me important lessons doing what it takes to win Learning to code is great. Going to a STEM school is awesome. Working in a kitchen will teach you things about the works you’ll never learn anywhere else. The best way to learn about people isn’t reading books or study groups for a beta product, it’s spending time with them in their environment. If nothing else, I always tip well because I know what it takes to get the plate to the table. Don’t thank god, thank your servers…with tips.

I used to think going out for dinner as a business is ineffecient. I was wrong. Full stomach = good decisions Empty stomach = questionable decisions And bad decisions can cost you way more than the bill for a meal 🥲. And food bonds us over something we all have in common: we need to eat 😅. Everyone can agree on that one. It’s just that simple. Need to get that client to make a decision? Maybe it makes sense to go for dinner. Don’t have budget for a dinner at your company? Go for something more casual or organize a fun potluck at home. (In high school, when I have ~1 USD budget I sent my counselor homemade pancakes as I needed her help, and she ended up being more super supportive than I’ve ever imagined 🥞) I don’t know about you, but some of my most fun memories in the business world (big or small) involved food indirectly 🫢😅 And if you’re not that person - don’t judge - there are a lot of foodies out there and they love to do business on a full stomach 😉 #business #food #networkingtips

I never paid for my own drink until COVID started. I ran my own catering business for over 11 years & at every event, the host would always ensure that I was well-fed & received whatever drinks I wanted throughout the entire event. It wasn’t until the pandemic started when I bought a couple drinks & was shocked to see that the drinks alone were over half my grocery bill. At the same time, I realized my current job was extremely unfulfilling & I no longer wanted to work in that particular industry. Instead, I wanted to turn my catering & food blog into a full time business. One weekend, I listed everything I needed to do before quitting my job & gave myself 2 years to achieve these goals. To accomplish them, I needed to somehow find extra time in my schedule. I created a second list of my daily habits, categorizing each as: 1. Benefiting me, 2. Keeping me stagnant, or 3. Indirectly hurting me. I quickly saw that drinking was not benefiting me or actively hurting me, but instead was keeping me “in the same place” & was eating away at precious time I could otherwise spend accomplishing my goals. So I quit drinking that day. Less than 8 months later, I had saved up enough money to quit my job & run my business full time! Are there any unconscious habits that are preventing you from achieving your goals? _______________ Hi, I’m Medha! I’m a former chef now becoming an entertainment attorney. This is day 22/100 of the 100 post challenge I (willingly) imposed on myself. I was inspired after seeing Danielle Alvarez start this challenge. I enjoy writing & decided to share more here instead of continuously writing in my journal. Because why not?

I often patronize a "friend-run restaurant" in which the shareholder are long-time pals. The problem? The bosses and their close associates treat the business as their private lounging area. For example, it's a Thursday evening, and a hired duo of singers come perform. Customers, non-friends, abound. A big-time friend of one of the bosses comes and splurges on bucket loads of alcohol. After several rounds of the concoction, the all important fellow is on stage grabbing the microphone singing "melodies" that would have awaken Sleeping Beauty from her eternal slumber. 😱 Step aside Prince Charming! I was there, and he could definitely use some Auto-Tuning. And the bosses, what were they doing that crowded night? Drinking and making merry, while the staff were running around trying to serve a gazillion customers while simultaneously trying to not hear whatever is coming off the stage. Three issues abound. (i) Poor customer service to most: they didn't seem to care what the other customers wanted but focus on the big spender. (ii) Poor leadership: By lounging around and not helping creates a greater rift and distance between bosses and staff. Such actions will only inspire inaction from staff. (iii) Lack of empathy: Many folks came to listen to the paid duo sing and enjoy dinner. Allowing the big-timer free rein to the detriment of paying customers is a tell-tale sign of how much they empathize with staff. Just because it's called a family-run or "friend-run" business, doesn't mean the only customers are family members and close friends. May be it's just a way for bosses to get goodies for themselves on the cheap. Who knows. 🤷♂️ #leadership #empathy #familybusiness #customerexperience #customerservice

❓ Have you heard the one about the ham hock? 🍳 It's all about the danger of continuing doing without asking why: A couple are cooking in the kitchen cook 👨🍳 👩🍳 . The husband cuts the end off the ham hock then puts in the pan to boil. 💁♂️ Wife: Why do you cut the end off the hock? Husband: That's how you cook a ham hock, my mom taught me. Wife: Why do you cut the end off the ham hock? Mother-in-law: That's how you cook ham hock, gran taught me. Wife: Why do you cut the end off the ham hock? Gran: I've only got a small pan and it doesn't fit otherwise. 📈 Sometimes we do things for good reason, sometimes we just keep doing things that no longer add value.💡 Have you come across any ham hock scenarios? #alwaysbelearning #businessanalysis

What's my purpose... This was a question I was asked this week. My purpose... provide. And now, I've promised my son I will get him his own cafe... 14 years. Better start working on making that a reality for him as well. What's your purpose? #purpose #smallbusiness

50% Giving 50% Taking When the first time I heard this quote from Hassan Abedi during a penal discussion, my mind was blown. When I get paid every time, I would take the 50%, but I was asking myself will I give out the other 50% unconditionally and selflessly for a good cause? A bigger question is who would have time, money or resources and also be willing to give out the 50%? The fact is that people will do it in real world. I met some volunteers during our Ontario Food Drive event last week (thanks Marquetta Cunningham for coordinating this!). They all have their 9-5 jobs, but whenever they have time off or weekend, they will show up there and be the volunteers serving foods for those who need. They are the regulars whom I extremely admired. But why do they do that? While I am dying for the answer, I am reading a book recommended by my mentor ALEXANDRIA BRAVO - “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara. It does provide me some insights. “The kind of truly hospitable person, in other words who wants to do good things not for financial gain, but because the idea of doing graciousness on others makes their own day better.” “We can make the world a better place because we are really really nice to people, they will be really nice to others who will in turn pay it forward.“ Unreasonable hospitality applies to “giving”. We just have to be a bit unreasonable to provide someone hospitality, we will receive tons of happiness, which is addictive and contiguously influencing others. When I see the smiles from the ones receiving food from my hands, I feel my heart full of warmth. They are making my day and I want to be the regulars who give. #UnreasonableHospitality #BeAPartofSomethingBiggerthanYourself

You see, in the #FoodandBeverage business, regular diners are the ones who keep the lights on. The curious folks? The ones who wander in, wide-eyed and hungry for a one-time adventure, they're just the cherry on top. Sure, they might pay for the bonus, but they won't keep you afloat. There’s room for both, of course. But let’s get one thing straight: it's the regulars who put the #Benz in the garage. It's the steady flow of familiar faces that pays the rent, the staff, the bills. The curious cats? They're a nice little bonus, but you can't survive on them alone. So what’s the lesson here? Don’t get distracted by the fleeting allure of the curious diner. Focus on your regulars. They're the ones who'll keep you going, month after month, year after year. Build a community, create a place where people want to come back, again and again. That's your bread and butter. Don’t chase the occasional thrills. Invest your time, your passion, your sweat in the people who keep coming back. That’s how you make it in this game. #Restaurateur #hospitality #diners

🥵We battled with cankles, sweat marks and sticky handshakes but it was worth it. The event - Balancing the Scales of Profit and Purpose. The audience - agencies who care in the South West. From Cornwall to Taunton, Hereford to Swindon! We covered: ✨The impact of having a meaningful North Star. ⚖️The compromises you might make. ❎The tough decisions on who you work with, and who you decline. 👀 The mistakes. I had two coffees from Hart’s bakery (shout out Exhale Coffee) and was therefore quite ‘extra’ 🤣 but made my points passionately. My takeaway…Without profit, you don’t have a business. With a strong purpose, if it’s a meaningful one that others can get behind, profit will come. What points would you have made? #purposedriven #purposedrivenbusiness #purpose