Operator | KRG Hospitality

April 10, 2023by krghospitality krghospitality No Comments

Loneliness and the Entrepreneur

5 Steps Entrepreneurs can take to Combat Loneliness

by Jennifer Radkey

Author John Donne may have penned the quote, “No man is an island,” in the 17th century but, like many truths of human nature, it’s still relevant today.

We’re all attached to each other in some way; our humanity is intertwined. It’s when we lose sight of this that we may start to feel lonely. We may also feel as though we’re in isolation from the world around us.

Entrepreneurs often walk a lonely road. The success of your business relies on the effort you put into it daily. With a drive to succeed and a passion for what you are doing, it can often be hard to separate life as an entrepreneur from anything else.

There can be a level of pride in the entrepreneur’s journey that makes it challenging to acknowledge that there’s genuine struggle. When society paints a rosy picture of the life of the entrepreneur—setting your own schedule, doing what you love, earning your own riches, etc.—it can feel as if you aren’t doing something “right” when you’re running a successful business yet feel stress, loneliness, and gloom.

Being an entrepreneur has its perks and many would tell you they can’t imagine doing anything other than running their own business. However, this doesn’t mean that the path is easy or without its risks of social isolation, anxiety, burnout, and depression.

It’s time that we acknowledge all aspects of being an entrepreneur—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to peel back the façade of perfection. We need to allow space for honesty, connection, and self-care.

Below are five steps entrepreneurs can take to combat loneliness as an entrepreneur.

1. Find like-minded individuals who can relate.

Often, entrepreneurs may feel as if no one else understands them, no matter how well-meaning or supportive friends and family may be.

Connect with people who you can be honest with and who will listen with little judgement. This can be through a social group that connects entrepreneurs not for the purpose of business growth and networking, but to build friendships and share stories.

If a group like this does not exist, consider starting one yourself.

2. Practice mindfulness with your external relationships.

Share with loved ones when you’re feeling particularly disconnected or stressed. They may not understand life as an entrepreneur, but they have your best interest at heart and can help you find balance between your work life and personal life.

Finding time to spend with the people who care for you as a whole person is important. Doing so can remind you to acknowledge and respect all the different sides of who you are, not just the entrepreneur side.

3. Learn how to be in a healthy relationship with yourself.

Acknowledge when you need social time. Recognize when you’re not getting enough sleep. Take time to enjoy hobbies or participate in physical activity. Take time to appreciate your accomplishments and feel proud of what you achieve.

Try journaling or participating in the things you loved doing before you became an entrepreneur to create connections and feel less alone.

4. Share the burden.

As an entrepreneur you often quietly place a tremendous amount of responsibility onto your shoulders. This can lead to feeling entirely on your own—even if you have a team surrounding you.

Learn to place trust in your team and to release some of those responsibilities to others. If you are a solopreneur, perhaps look to other professionals to whom you can outsource some of your tasks ( virtual assistant, social marketer, etc.).

5. Seek professional help if needed.

If you feel alone in the process and don’t have anyone you feel you can speak to, consider seeking a professional to help.

Consider hiring a professional life coach If you’re looking to create stronger social connections; need help with work/life balance or stress management; or wish to manage external relationships better.

If you suspect a mental illness, such as an anxiety disorder or depression, reach out to a registered therapist. There’s no shame in asking for help if it means living a well-rounded life that’s successful not only professionally but personally.

Entrepreneurs are masters of paving the way for their visions to come to life. However, the road they pave doesn’t need to be a lonely one. Applying the same drive to your personal well-being as to the success of your business will only have positive outcomes!

Cheers to your personal and professional growth!

Image: Gustavo Zambelli on Unsplash

April 4, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: April 2023

5 Books to Read this Month: April 2023

by David Klemt

Our engaging and informative April book selections will help you take your bar, restaurant or hotel to higher levels, and develop your leadership skills.

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

Let’s jump in!

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

When Will Guidara took over the famous Eleven Madison Park, the restaurant had just two stars and he was only in his mid-twenties. Before his 40th birthday, the changes and strategies he implemented helped the restaurant earn the title of the Best Restaurant in the World.

One of cornerstone’s of Guidara’s was “bespoke hospitality.” He and his team truly went above and beyond. Examples of the Eleven Madison Park team’s approach to hospitality illustrate just how over the top they went to deliver memorable guest experiences. If you’re looking for inspiration to step up your hospitality, pick up or download Unreasonable Hospitality today.

Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

I’m going to address the viability of the blue ocean strategy before getting into the book. Creating a hospitality concept without competition isn’t really feasible. Go too far into “blue waters” and there won’t be any “fish” (traffic). And where, exactly, would one put their restaurant, bar, or hotel where there’s no competition but still enough traffic to generate a profit?

Those issues addressed, this book is still valuable to owners and operators. One need not eliminate competition completely to take lessons from the blue ocean strategy. Businesses must still differentiate themselves from competitors, and they must look for unique opportunities to help them stand out. Blue Ocean Strategy may not work perfectly but much is still very helpful.

Contagious Culture: Show Up, Set the Tone, and Intentionally Create an Organization that Thrives

Anese Cavanaugh’s Contagious Culture addresses a topic that we often discuss with clients, in our articles, and during speaking engagements: workplace culture. From large corporations and regional or national restaurant chains, to independent restaurants, bars, and hotels, culture will make or break an organization. Cavanaugh’s techniques will improve your workplace culture and energize your team, an undeniable key to success.

From Amazon: “This is Contagious Culture, a game-changing guide to transforming corporate culture from within, developed by the award-winning creator of The IEP Method to strengthen your ‘Intentional Energetic Presence.’ This is more than a leadership book―this is your future calling.”

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

Doug Radkey is the founder, president, and lead strategist of KRG Hospitality. He’s also a hospitality industry speaker, educator, and author. This is his first book, Bar Hacks, which is also the name of the podcast we produce through KRG Hospitality.

Now, while the title states this book is a guide for developing and running an epic bar, the strategies carry over to restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality concepts. It’s difficult—if not impossible—to elevate one’s skills and service without first mastering the fundamentals. Whether you’re new to the industry or are a veteran who feels the need to reset and revisit the fundamentals, Bar Hacks is your guide.

Hacking the New Normal: Hitting the Reset Button on the Hospitality Industry

There’s a first book, which means there must be at least one other one, right? Right! Hacking the New Normal is Doug’s second book.

This book is a direct response to the pandemic, what it did to the industry, and the issues many operators would prefer to ignore. However, the devastation is so great that ignoring the changes that should have been made decades ago isn’t a viable option. With a spotlight on hybrid business models, real estate, profit margins, technology, guest experiences, culture, diversity, and mindset, Hacking the New Normal will position you for success in our new hospitality landscape.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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

November 4, 2022by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2022

5 Books to Read this Month: November 2022

by David Klemt

This month’s engaging and informative book selections will help you hone your culinary, cocktail, and leadership skills to dial in your menus and operations.

To review October’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel: A Cookbook

The next time you visit New Orleans, plan to dine at least once at the James Beard Award-winning Shaya. I’ve had the opportunity to do so and the experience was stunning. Of course, you’ll also want to check out Domenica and Pizza Domenica while in NOLA. To give you an idea of what to expect, pick up the Shaya cookbook.

Chef Alon Shaya’s personal journey through cooking is truly unique, embracing Israeli, Italian, and American Southern cuisines. Shaya tells Chef-operator Shaya’s moving story and more than 100 incredible recipes. Pick it up at Amazon.

Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans

After moving to New Orleans and working in fine dining, Chef Mason Hereford opened his own restaurant and put his stamp on the scene: Turkey and the Wolf. Both the restaurant and this cookbook focus on creative and enticing takes on Southern cooking.

Fancy deviled-egg tostadas? Fried bologna sandwiches absolutely heaving with potato chips? How about purposely burnt tomato casserole? Well, you’ll find these recipes and 92 others in this book, along with photographs and illustrations. This is sure to get you salivating and get your creative wheels turning. Grab Turkey and the Wolf here on Amazon.

Last Call at Coogan’s: The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar

As those of us in the industry know, restaurants and bars are the cornerstones of the communities they serve. Last Call at Coogan’s is the true tale of a neighborhood bar that, unfortunately, closed its doors for good during the pandemic after more than 30 years in operation.

From Amazon: “This book touches on many serious issues facing the country today: race relations, policing, gentrification, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Along the way, readers will meet the bar’s owners and an array of its most colorful regulars.” Purchase here via Amazon.

Spiritual Coffee

Bar co-founder, bartender, brand ambassador, and author Martin Hudak’s informative and exciting cocktail book is available now for purchase. Hudak is one of the brilliant minds behind Sydney destinations Maybe Sammy and Sammy Junior. Also, he’s a brand ambassador for Mr. Black, the ridiculously tasty coffee liqueur.

Spiritual Coffee focuses on coffee cocktails, a passion of Hudak’s. However, you’ll get more than recipes when you purchase this entertaining book. In these pages you’ll also find a wealth of coffee history, knowledge, and stories. Buy here!

The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World

This book, from award-winning author David Sax, asks poignant culture questions about our rush toward a digital world, an undertaking that was supercharged during the pandemic.

“Is our future inevitably digital? Can we reject the downsides of digital technology without rejecting change?” Sax asks. “Can we innovate not for the sake of productivity but for the good of our social and cultural lives? Can we build a future that serves us as humans, first and foremost?” Purchase here via Amazon.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

October 6, 2021by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

10 Words that Exemplify Leadership

10 Words that Exemplify Leadership

by David Klemt

During episode 50 of the Bar Hacks podcast, Travis Tober sums up restaurant and bar leadership in just ten words.

In fact, this seemingly “small” sentence explains leadership and buy-in for essentially every type of business.

Let’s take a look at what Tober, co-owner of Nickel City and owner Old Pal, says that resonates with me.

10 Important Words

So, what does Tober say during his first appearance on Bar Hacks that embodies leadership?

The following, about his general manager:

“He knows the brand just as good as I do.”

How do those words exemplify leadership and buy-in? For several reasons:

They illustrate transparency from the owners.
Those words show trust.
The ten words put buy-in and mentorship on display.
They show that the GM possesses a sense of ownership of the brand.
The brand is obviously defined clearly.

Buy-in is Crucial

As an entrepreneur, consider what you’re asking of the people who work for you. You’re expecting others to help you achieve your dream.

So, why would they take their role in your business seriously rather than only seeing it as a paycheck? The answer is simple: buy-in.

Staff want to feel as though they’re a part of something—they don’t want to work just to pay bills.

As difficult as it may be, an operator needs to trust the people they hire.

Why would you want them on your team—and you need to build a team, not just have employees—if you don’t trust them? Filling roles just to have bodies in the building is a losing strategy, labor shortage or not.

In addition to trust, there needs to be brand indoctrination. Every employee should be a brand evangelist for you and your business.

One of the most powerful recruiting and marketing resources at your disposal is your team. People they encounter should want to spend time and money at your business because of your team. They should want to work for you after observing your team at work and out and about.

If that’s not happening, something is wrong. Your team doesn’t trust you; doesn’t feel as though you trust them; doesn’t feel empowered; or doesn’t believe they’re really a part of your brand and business.

So, ask yourself a simple question: Can my GM, management team, and staff say they know my brand as well as I do?

Listen to episode 50 of Bar Hacks with Travis Tober on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Image: Damir Kopezhanov on Unsplash