#mindset | KRG Hospitality

March 1, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2023

by David Klemt

Our engaging and informative March book selections will help you hone your leadership, entrepreneurial, and operational skills to dial in your business.

To review the book recommendations from February 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that women have been involved with and influencing alcohol for centuries. Still, women’s contributions to the spirits, beer, and wine we imbibe are often overlooked. Fred Minnick’s Whiskey Women seeks to change that.

From Amazon: “Whiskey Women tells the tales of the women who created the industry, from Mesopotamia’s first beer brewers and distillers to America’s rough-and-tough Prohibition bootleggers. Women have long distilled, marketed, and owned significant shares in spirits companies, including Bushmills, Johnnie Walker, and Maker’s Mark. Williamson is one of many influential women who greatly influenced Scotch, bourbon, and Irish whiskey. Until now their stories have remained untold.”

Unvarnished: A Gimlet-eyed Look at Life Behind the Bar

Even now it seems like people don’t view the service industry as offering “real” careers. Indeed, some restaurant and bar owners are asked when their “real” plan is because it can’t possibly be running a hospitality business.

In Unvarnished, Eric Alperin, owner, manager and designer of the Varnish in LA, and author Deborah Stoll reject that idea. This fascinating book offers lessons learned from Sasha Petraske, Alperin’s partner and mentor; the many tiny details bar owners will turn over and over in their heads before finalizing plans; reasons to not date a bartender; and much, much more.

There are also 100 recipes that Alperin required hopeful bartenders to know before they could land a job at the Varnish.

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality

Last month we featured In the Weeds. In January, we recommended Your Table is Ready. Both books are similar to the amazing Kitchen Confidential, a book all hospitality professionals should read.

Heads in Beds is essentially Kitchen Confidential for those in the hotel business. The Amazon listing describes this book as “a funny, authentic, and irreverent chronicle of the highs and lows of hotel life, told by a keenly observant insider who’s seen it all. Prepare to be amused, shocked, and amazed as he spills the unwritten code of the bellhops, the antics that go on in the valet parking garage, the housekeeping department’s dirty little secrets—not to mention the shameless activities of the guests, who are rarely on their best behavior.”

There are also emotional stories and revelations about the darker side of the industry we all need to address.

Impactful Influence for Modern Leaders: How to Use the Power of Influence to Lead Other People Toward Success

None of us can really become a true leader without the ability to influence those who work for us. That means, however, that we must continually develop ourselves. Influencing those around us to perform at their best isn’t as simple as giving orders, of course.

And that’s where Impactful Influence for Modern Leaders comes in. This book will help you build trust with your team; mentor others effectively; learn to let go and trust your team; and much more.

Lady You Got Balls: The Gift of Being Underestimated

If you’re an entrepreneur, odds are you’ve experienced being underestimated. You’ve likely had a taste of office life and decided it wasn’t for you due to the politics and betrayals.

If that’s you, you have something in common with Patricia Stroberg, author of Lady You Got Balls. In this book, you’ll see why being an underestimated underdog can be to your advantage. Lady You Got Balls “is for anyone wanting to run a successful company and live a life of purpose when the challenges seem too overwhelming to overcome.”

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

January 30, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Focus: See Your Business for the Trees

Focus: See Your Business for the Trees

by Jennifer Radkey

It happens to us all: Sometimes we get so caught up in the small details of our day-to-day lives that we fail to see the bigger picture.

So common is this element of the human experience there’s a popular saying about it: “Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest through the trees.”

Today, however, I’m going to suggest that the opposite can also be true: “Sometimes it’s hard to see the trees when immersed in the forest.” In other words, when walking along the same path in a forest every day, we often stop seeing the individual trees.

Okay, forests and trees, nature and walks along paths—what does any of this have to do with operating a successful restaurant, bar, or hotel? Stick with me.

The forest is your venue. Your path is your daily routine from the minute you step into your venue until the minute you walk out the door at the end of your day.

The trees? They’re all the little details that make up your establishment: your team, the signage, tables and chairs, music playing, lighting, decor, food, drinks, website, online reviews, social media posts… These, plus many more, are the little things that add up to create your “forest.”

You walk through your venue daily and have become, for the most part, so used to your surroundings that you’re almost blind to them. This can sometimes lead to a false sense of everything being “fine.” You miss small details you need to improve, and also things that you and your team need to celebrate.

What I would like to challenge you to do is to take a step back, clear your mind, pretend you’re experiencing your venue for the very first time, and really notice the details. Walk a new path through your forest and see the trees.

How do you do that? Pretend you’re a guest visiting your establishment and follow the guest journey.

Here’s a list of five places you should stop along your path to gain a fresh perspective.

Your Online Presence

Start with your website.

When did you last update it? Are pictures fresh and eye-catching? Is the website easy to navigate on mobile devices? Is the menu easy to access? Can you make a reservation easily? What story is your website telling?

Next, scroll through your social media (if it exists).

When did you post last? What content are you sharing? Does it tell a story? Does it make you want to visit your venue? Are people engaging with your content? Are you engaging with others?

How about online reviews? See what people are saying about you.

Have you responded to reviews, good and bad? How are you responding? If you were a potential new guest would these reviews and your responses keep you away or entice you to visit?

More often than not, the first impression a guest has of your business happens long before they actually step foot inside your venue for the first time. What impression are you giving them?

Curb Appeal

The next place you want to stop on your path is right in front of your venue.

As you drive up, what do you notice? What’s the condition of your signage? Is it welcoming and attention-grabbing?

When walking up to the entrance, look for things that you may overlook but a first-time guest may not. Cleanliness of the front entrance area, proper lighting, current signage, these should all be checkpoints on your list.

Also, how does it feel to enter your venue? Is it welcoming? Exciting? Does it feel safe?

If you have stellar curb appeal with awesome signage are you celebrating and promoting it through great photos for your website and social media?

These are all things to consider when viewing your venue from the curb.

Interior

Next up on your path is the interior of your venue.

Is it clean? Are there any minor repairs that need to be done? Is the lighting just right?

Have a seat in a few different places in your venue. What’s your customer’s visual experience when they come to visit you?

You want the interior of your venue to represent your brand and its values, and you want it to appeal to your target market. Is it doing those things?

Again, if you have an amazing interior design element, are you showcasing it to its fullest in person and online? Make any notes of things you would like to change or improve upon.

One more note on the interior: Do not forget the washrooms. Nothing turns a visit into an unpleasant experience faster than an unclean washroom.

Service

As you’re viewing your venue with clarity, take a few minutes to step back and watch how your staff engages with your guests.

Whatever your brand’s values are for the guest experience, are they being conveyed through your staff’s engagement?

If you’re promoting a fun, energetic vibe, is your staff upbeat, positive, and energized when communicating with guests? Are the pillars of excellent customer service in place? When your guest leaves are they going to say, “Wow, our server was so friendly/nice/funny/knowledgeable,” etc.

Or are they going to leave saying nothing at all?

If staff appear unmotivated, what can you do to help inspire your team? If they’re stellar employees are you recognizing their incredible work?

Food and Drink

When was the last time you sat and really enjoyed a meal at your own establishment? Before you answer: As if you were a guest and not the owner.

Is food coming out in a timely manner? How does it look, smell, and, of course, taste?

Would you grab for your phone before taking the first sip or bite to snap a photo for Instagram? If you would, have you done exactly that for your own social media feeds?

As an owner you can become very attached to your menu, but pay attention to see if your guests and staff are raving about your food and drink.

Final Steps

The final steps of your path will be the same as your guest’s final steps.

Is your bill brought to the table when you’re ready to leave? Is payment easy to make? What are the final last impressions you’re left with? How is your team bidding farewell to guests? What will entice them to return?

You want your guests to feel satisfied and to tell their friends and family about what an amazing experience they had.

It can feel strange to step back from the forest and to notice the trees, but it will lead to improved clarity and perhaps even a roadmap for change and improvements to take your hospitality venue to the next level. Stepping back will also improve your overall mindset as you experience your business through the eyes of another.

So step back, clear your mind, and see what you may have been missing all this time.

Cheers to professional and personal growth!

Image: Lucas Parker on Unsplash

January 16, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Toxic Mindsets that Hinder Success

5 Toxic Mindsets that Hinder the Success of Your Business

by Jennifer Radkey

Your frame of mind matters, and if you want a team and business that’s thriving and growing, it’s time to examine your own mindset.

How you show up day to day in your business and in your life will either hinder or promote your success. Like the popular phrase goes, “It starts from the top.”

You can set the tone for the day with the energy you bring. As Anese Cavanaugh, author of the book Contagious You, states, “Whatever we put out there and whatever we take on affects our ability to influence, lead, and create the impact we want.”

A positive mindset is contagious: it can inspire, motivate, and make others feel good. A toxic mindset is equally as contagious: it can halt growth, increase unhappiness, and lower productivity.

Here’s a list of five toxic thoughts that lead to a negative mindset and can hinder success.

Blame Game

Always looking for someone else to lay the blame on when things go wrong is a surefire way to a toxic team environment. If you’re quick to blame others when things go wrong, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and examine why something went wrong in the first place.

Was there inadequate training provided? Are there no clear systems to follow? Do you have an environment that’s hostile to asking for help? Fault rarely lies in one person only; there are typically several factors in play.

A positive mindset will examine facts, look at all potential causes, and then come up with solutions. Blame never enters the picture.

Second Guessing

Not being confident in the choices you make hinders growth. Uncertainty in your decision making leads others to question or doubt your role as leader.

If you don’t have the utmost confidence in making decisions, and it’s your business, how can you expect your team to have confidence in you or the work that they do?

This doesn’t mean that you have to make snap decisions without thinking them over. Planning and deliberating over the right move to make is critical to success. But once the decision is made…it’s made. If it doesn’t work out you can then problem solve to get back on the right path.

Second guessing your decisions along the entire way is only going to slow you and your business down.

Absolutism

“It’s my way or the highway.” Absolutism is the inability or refusal to consider others’ ideas. This toxic thought process destroys team culture and growth.

As an owner, you’re heavily invested in your business. Therefore, it can be challenging to let go of how you think things should be done and consider different approaches. However, failing to listen to the ideas of others on your team will build walls and possibly create resentment. That’s definitely not a positive atmosphere to work in.

Be open-minded to doing things differently and show interest in the recommendations of others to promote instead of hinder success.

Hyper-negativity

Sometimes when you want to succeed it’s easy to zone in on the negatives: “This isn’t good enough.” “We aren’t making enough money.” “We don’t have enough followers online,” etc.

The desire to do well can make you hyper-focused on what isn’t right in order to fix it, instead of noticing what’s really great and celebrating that instead. Yes, you need to be aware of areas that need improvement, but you also need to be equally aware of the positive and promote it.

Think of a conversation with two random people you meet at a party. The first person grumbles about the weather, complains about the food, music, etc., and scowls. The second person is smiling, laughing at jokes, and genuinely interested in getting to know you.

Who would you rather be around?

Settling for Average

Nothing will kill growth and success faster than settling for the way things are because “that’s the way it’s always been,” or because “it’s working.” You want more than just “it’s working.”

You want to thrive, to make more money, to gain more followers, to hire more team members, to open more locations. If you aren’t living your absolute best life, if your business isn’t performing at its absolute highest level, then there should be no settling.

Settling for average teaches your team to settle for average, and that means your customer is settling for average. Avoid this toxic mindset by continuously setting goals (even small ones) and looking for ways to do better, feel better, and be better.

While it’s completely normal to fall into these toxic thoughts from time to time, it’s refusing to allow them to become you daily mindset that’s important.

The amazing thing about the human mind is that it can be changed—you can work on improving your mindset. Trust me when I say that you will not regret it.

Cheers to professional and personal growth!

Image: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash