Posts Tagged ‘chase’

I subscribe to a very interesting e-newsletter from Help A Reporter Out.  They send me daily emails with queries from journalists who are researching stories.  When I see something relevant, I hustle to submit my response.  It’s an extra avenue to potentially gain editorial coverage, and as a small business owner that’s very valuable to me.  A journalist recently asked for Top 10 Reasons from ex-corporate junkies-turned-entrepreneurs  so I submitted the below.  My submission didn’t get used, but it has made a few of my friends giggle so I thought I’d share…

Top 10 Reasons for owning my cupcake, beer & wine bar

1. We listen to reggae, bossa nova & other world tunes playing at my bar while we work. I sure don’t miss the sounds of frustration from my past corporate life!

2. I have a small staff (there’s 11 of us) who are all team players and regardless whether they work in the kitchen or behind the bar, they help each other out. The “that’s not my job” mentality I saw prevalent in the corporate world doesn’t exist.

3. We work hard and have fun. I once had a tyrant boss at NBC tell me in a fit of rage that I needed to “tone down the enthusiasm!”. I’m delighted to see my staff bust a gut AND cheerfully chat with patrons and each other. Laughter is prevalent; oppressive personalities are not! I require staff to have an outgoing, upbeat, positive demeanor and vet that in the interview process.

4. I give credit to my staff for their hard work- whether it’s reorganizing the paper goods so the to-go coffee business flows more efficiently or its a new recipe in the kitchen. No one steals anyone’s ideas to pass off as their own.  A boss I used to work for in my past life was notorious for doing this, and she created huge morale issues.

5. I don’t have a boss. I like that. Immensely.

6. I have the ultimate creative freedom and flexibility — if I can dream it, I can do it. It’s unbelievably rewarding and fulfilling and fun. No one says “We tried that 3 years ago and it failed so we know that can’t work”.  It’s interesting that most senior executives never consider that the concept didn’t work because of who was on the team and how they approached execution. They think the problem resides with the idea.

7. We operate with integrity and do the right thing. That’s how I work and live, and I hire like-minded team members. In all my years in the corporate world and at every company I have ever worked for, I saw bosses demean and abuse their staff, steal ideas, all motivated by greed and politics. Ugly stuff. The absence of morals = an absence of morale. At my bar, I pride myself on our integrity, work ethic and team spirit.

8. My ideas and initiatives get executed and implemented. They are never stuck in management hierarchy or power point pitches!

9. Owning my own business opens amazing doors and incredible things happen as a result! Example – I’m in a national ad campaign with Ink from Chase thanks to a patron of mine who works for their creative agency. In my old life, bosses insisted on “owning” contacts and relationships.  Literally they had to be the ones who sent emails or had to be in on every decision, which led to clogged processes, frustration and initiatives not getting done.

10. I enjoy unlimited cupcakes, vino and caffeine all on the house! This perk kicks ass on the free magazines I used to get in my job in publishing!

“We are all manufacturers. Making good, making trouble, or making excuses.” (H.V. Adolt)

Teaser Taste of Sweet Revenge®:  Being Your Best SELF

cheers,

Marlo