Keeping afloat and kicking ass.

It was not until I grew older and started raising children that I realized how much time I had really squandered when I was younger.  Sure, there was plenty to do between working, going to school and having fun with friends but there was not the home improvement tasks, shuttling of kids from event to event and certainly not overseeing five restaurants like today. 

My past self might look at my current self and ask: ‘How do you do it man?!?!’  And I would tell myself the same thing I tell the next generation of kitchen and restaurant managers that I interact with on a daily basis.  Look ahead.  Plan for tomorrow, or next week, or the next month.  Simply put, do everything you can to stay a step ahead.  Even though today will most certainly try to kick you in the ass, do everything you can to anticipate how and why it might try to do that.  What could throw a wrench in things?  What piece of equipment is making a different noise?  What line cook is suddenly acting distant? Call the repairman. Talk to that cook. Anticipate the next thing because as soon as you feel like you are caught up or fully staffed that is when all hell is about to break loose.  It’s the nature of the business. 

Remember, you can be the nail or you can be the hammer. Your tomorrow self will thank your today self.