Have you ever watched Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay? It’s become a guilty pleasure of mine as I’ve recently taken to watching whole seasons in a row. I know people see him as the obnoxious jerk on television who yells at everyone, but I don’t watch the show for the drama. I think under all of that rough swearing he has some valuable advice not only for restaurant owners but anyone who owns their own business.
Here are some takeaways that Gordon loves to share in each episode:
Give it your all or get out of the kitchen.
How are you going to convince people to love what you do when you don’t even like doing it? Without true passion, you are just being a phony – to your customers and to yourself. Find joy in what you do or find something else.
Use fresh ingredients.
Avoid canned responses or pre-packaged material. Instead create content that comes from the heart and uniquely reflects you and your business. Keep up on the current trends and refresh your menu when necessary. People come to you for one-of-a-kind flavor. Don’t give them generic and bland instead.
Have pride in what you serve.
Don’t send out something that you know stinks. Your work reflects you. Regardless of who you are, if you don’t produce quality work your customers will go elsewhere. Don’t send something to a customer just to get it out the door. Take the time to do it right.
Communicate with your team.
You can’t have a proper workflow when people aren’t speaking with each other. Keep in touch to let team members know how you are doing and what you are working on. Let people know when you encounter problems or need help. Give each other positive words of encouragement. Often it’s the good rapport and connection between individuals that gets you to your goals.
Mentor those working under you.
You are responsible for their nourishment. Don’t fear that your employees may outgrow you. As manager your job is to manage their talents. When they improve, your business improves. Limiting them only limits yourself. Invest in your staff and the quality of your output will show.
Keep it simple and don’t over complicate things.
Focus on a few base items instead of spreading yourself too thin trying to do too much. Not only will it make it easier on your customers, a more streamlined menu will make it much easier for you to process your workload as well.
Have confidence in what you do.
Or, as Gordon would say, “grow some bollocks.” Don’t do things halfway or give in to your own self-doubts. Put yourself out there and act with assurance. Your confidence will attract others turning to you for direction and advice.
What a great read Tara, so happy you are indulging your guilty pleasures because I had no idea Gordon’s philosophy could apply to real life! SURPRISE! And what a great read! Thank you for sharing these great tips! Sharing on Google+! 🙂
Tara, this is so great! I might just take up watching this dude! Awesome advice.
What a fantastic article, Tara! I absolutely love it! Great analogies and metaphors and your personality shines through! Sounds to me like you’re practicing what you teach in your own kitchen! 😉
Goodness Tara, what fun, cooking and business will never be the same for me again, your article brought a smile to my face, thanks so much. PaTrisha-Anne Todd
Great pickups for a great show. This show is one of my top5 and there is a lot to learn from it indeed.
I agree that mentoring is so important. My Dad once helped turn an ailing physics department at a university around by insisting that they all focus on hiring people that were BETTER than they were. Of course, the old fogeys didn’t want to be shown up. But in the long term, the department became one of the best in the country.
I also find mentoring to be so rewarding. And I haven’t lost anyone yet to having been mentored — instead my contractor/employees have stayed with me for years.
Creative & informative article! Thank you for sharing!
~Virginia Orgonista
Intuitive Love & Empowerment Mentor
http://www.manifestmylove.com
"How are you going to convince people to love what you do when you don’t even like doing it?"
Wow! Powerful words. So true. I think where people get tripped up is they don't know their target market well so they try to please everyone, which becomes a burden.
Great perspective. I felt the same about Simon Cowel on American Idol. It's a tough business. With that said, both sometimes cross the line, in my estimation. In the end, sometimes have a tough mentor is what we need. Not always.
Cathy Severson, Retirement Life Coach
http://www.RetireWOW.com
What a clever post! Who would have guessed that Gordon's advice (or rather your kinder, gentler version of it) could hold such great truths for those of us outside the restaurant biz? I especially like the "Use fresh ingredients" tip … it can be a challenge, but always worthwhile to keep coming up with new ideas so previous clients have more reasons to continue working with us, and so we always stay up-to-date in the industry we serve. Keep up the great work, Tara!
Great format!! And I agree with all of these tips. I know Gordon Ramsay can be polarizing, but he has earned his stripes with these tips and you translate them beautifully to business. So as Gordon would say: Well done!
How is it I keep reading about Gordon Ramsay these days? I have just become aware of him recently, and am really looking forward to watching him mentor children in the kid version of MasterChef.
This is a great article, and completely resonant not only with how I roll in my own business, but in how I mentor and teach my clients.
Thanks!
Love and light,
Sue
Great article! Thanks for posting!
Steve Davis
http://www.100coachingtips.com
Wonderful! Who said you can't do great work while watching TV?;)
This is so cool Tara! I like watching Gordon because of the reasons you stated. He makes me want to cringe most of the time but he shares timeless advice that any entrepreneur can use. So I try to tune out the drama and catch the lessons. I love your takeaways, you nailed some excellent points!
I LOVE that you took this concept and applied it to business! Especially since having your own business is a lot like creating a recipe! Very cool and very informative. I agree whole heartedly with all of your points. I know for me when things get stressful in my business I have to take a step back and ask myself "why am I doing this?" It's at that raw place where I can reconnect to my passion and take a fresh step forward! Tapping also helps me to move through blocks that keep me stuck :-). Thanks again for the post Tara!
Hugs,
Blake
~~~~~~
Blake Ashley Freedom
Body Image Expert + Intuitive Tapping Practitioner
Get Free Tapping Training @
http://www.BlakeAshleyFreedom.com/blog
My favorite is give it your all or get out of the kitchen. This is about being fully committed- when you are on the fence- nothing works well. Time to be all in or get out:)
Warmest,
Sheri
Dr. Sheri Kaye Hoff, PhD
Life, Executive and Small Biz Coach
http://lifecoachsheri.com/insight-biz-boosters-expo/
Great article! I love the way you turned it around. 'Don't send out something that you know stinks!'. Love that! :o)
Some great take aways from it. Thank you for sharing