The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence

When TJ asked me to partner with him in the re-launch of Northern Vessel, I asked him about his goals. He had one goal, which was as simple as it was audacious: "I want to create the single best coffee shop in America." Uh, ok. Pretty audacious for someone who had failed in his first few iterations of the company. When I asked him how this would happen, he also had straightforward answers:

• We will practice unreasonable hospitality.

• We will attempt to turn the coffee industry on its head and shift the way people experience coffee.

Again, TJ is audacious......borderline crazy. Over the thousands of conversations TJ and I have shared, these visions never get lost in the shuffle. They are a constant elephant in the room, perpetually reminding us why we do what we do. His standards are so high. He expects a lot from his team and partners, and even more from himself. He lives and breathes his dream. He's relentless!

Earlier this year, we spent weeks trying to put into words the way we approach our business. Ultimately, after many iterations, the words in front of us clicked: The relentless pursuit of excellence and the will to win. Notice how it's not about coffee, but excellence.....period. This message seemed to resonate with everyone we shared it with. Doctors, entrepreneurs, photographers, barbers, teachers, social media influencers. We were surrounded by an army of people who demand excellence, not only from themselves, but also from those who have the privilege of serving them.

Even the smallest nuances of our business get put under the microscope. Is that drink excellently prepared? Did we show joy to the customer who just walked in the door? Is the vibe of the shop on point? Are those the best lids for sipping a beverage? Is that Instagram post hitting the right mark? Does the team feel valued and empowered today? Did we show enough gratitude to those who step foot into our little world? Everything is on the table for critique. Good isn't good enough. It's the relentless pursuit of excellence in the big things and in the small things.

We aren't there yet. We aren't perfect. We still make mistakes. We're still learning. We still have a long ways to go. It's a never-ending journey, but a journey nonetheless.

We receive tons of feedback and reviews, and we appreciate all of it. Yesterday, though, we received a doozy on Google. It's creative, direct, and funny. It also gets to the heart of TJ's original vision. Here it is in its entirety:

"If you think Disney World is the happiest place on earth, then you clearly haven't been to Northern Vessel for a Cold Brew!

Better customer service than the most prestigious Michelin star restaurant, NV does it right. The coffee is expertly crafted, the employees and I do mean EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE, smiles and interacts in a way that makes you want to come back over and over again. Truly the brightest spot of most of my mornings.

I know what you're thinking, is this place stuffy and full of coffee snobbery; no sir. It's a super chill environment where people bask in the huge windows (when a KIA hasn't parked there, iykyk) and chat with their friends, you'll see business professionals sitting at the shared workspace typing away, and young families that pop in and out for their much needed caffeine break.

Feeling peckish? Worried that all they have to eat is some crusty vegan/gluten-free/taste free baked treat that looks and tastes like sidewalk chalk that was made in some random hipsters home kitchen? Have no fear! They serve up the best donuts from an actual donut shop, no random cat hair in your scone here, and I highly recommend the cherry cake donut, it's the best (although I do wish they had a double chocolate donut as those are my actual favorite).

All this to say if you want a great coffee, a good doughnut, and incredible customer service you can't go wrong at Northern Vessel, otherwise I hear there's new chain coffee shop opening up nearby where you can actually taste mediocrity and tears of the people that are unfortunate enough to darken its doors…"

Whatever it is you're doing today, be relentless. Keep pushing forward. Demand excellence in yourself. Know you'll fall short, then keep going. Enjoy the journey.

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Shinin’ Shoes and Savin’ Souls

I had a great trip to Mississippi this week. As I journeyed home, I was blessed with an opportunity to grab a quick shoe shine in the Jackson Airport, as I’ve wanted to get a professional shine to protect my new investment. Luckily, there was a shoe shine station immediately adjacent to my gate. I had a great time with Doc the shoe shine man. As he was wrapping up his work, I asked, “What do I owe you?” This is where it gets good.

“Here’s how it works over here. We shinin’ shoes and savin’ souls. Salvation is free, and so are the shoe shines. You just give whatever your heart tells you.”

Yes! Doc was speaking my language! I was anticipating the cost being $10-$15, with the plan of just giving him a $20 bill. But the moment he shared that, something inside me shifted. I reached into my pocket and gave him every dollar I had on me. 

Was Doc sincere? Not sure. Did he have ulterior motives? Not sure. But I was going to take him at face value…..because he built trust with me over the preceding 10 minutes. He served me with excellence. He was engaging, thorough, shared wisdom, and provided a killer end product. Excellence should be rewarded. If he’s running his own business out of the airport (which probably isn’t cheap), and doesn’t even have a price for his service (it’s 100% free), I suspect many other people also reward excellence. He wasn’t asking for a hand-out, but rather for an opportunity to serve people with excellence and let the chips fall how they may. It takes an awful lot of confidence to sustain a business without having a price tag on your product.....confidence only excellence can buy.

In addition to all that, in just 10 short minutes, he managed to make an indelible impact on me……enough to warrant an entire blog post by a complete stranger. Here’s an interesting question to ponder today. What can you do today to make the type of impact where a total stranger would write a blog about you? I don’t know the answer, but I do know one thing: the bar is probably lower than you think. It doesn't take some grandiose act to make an impact. Doc impacted me within 10 minutes of a chance encounter. If Doc can do that, why not you? Why not me? Why shouldn't we move the needle in someone's life today?

Let's get to work!

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Weird, I Know

With the holiday season approaching, especially in conjunction with Small Business Saturday, small businesses have been on a rampage encouraging, begging, pleading, demanding, and even guilt-tripping society to "shop small."

These businesses continually make their case about why you and I should shop local. The reasons vary, but the conclusion is always the same: We should all "support" small businesses.

It's widely documented I absolutely love small businesses. I own small businesses! However, it's also widely documented I loathe the phrase "support" when it comes to businesses. Businesses aren't charity. They don't fundraise. They don't inherently deserve our patronage. Their job isn't to get something from us, but to provide something for us.

When is the last time you saw a thriving small business tell people they should "support small business?" I can think of a few examples in my life, but they are rare. Instead, thriving businesses are busy trying to be excellent and, you know, thrive. Weird, I know.

At this very moment, I'm thinking about a few small businesses in my metro that have doubled down on excellence in the past few months. They are absolutely crushing it! They aren't trying to rely on "support" as much as they are trying to earn the right to serve people well, and if done with excellence, earn the right to serve them well again.

Excellence always wins! Consumers will always gravitate toward excellence, whether it's big business or small business, national business or local business. Business owners should spend far less time reminding people to "support" them, and more time just being excellent. Double down on excellence, and then after you've done that, triple down on it.

"It's not that easy, Travis!" I know it's not easy. It's one of the hardest things in the world. But that's the test. That's what determines who thrives, survives, and dies. Ultimately, though, it's not about gaining "support." It's about gaining trust, loyalty, and the privilege to serve someone with excellence. I love this stuff so much!

Small business owners, next time you think about asking someone to "support" your business, perhaps instead double down on excellence. Consumers, next time you wonder if you should "support" a small business near you, perhaps instead you should simply find excellent businesses and joyfully patronize them. The rest will sort itself out.

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Choosing the Wrong Anchors

I was blessed with an opportunity to spend time with one of my closest friends yesterday. We don't see each other as much as we should, but man, it's great when we do. Our conversation triggered a concept I often discuss in my coaching, but has never come up on the blog. Well, today is the day!

Let's say you have a full-time job but are simultaneously working to transition to your dream job, your calling. You aspire to eventually transition full-time into the new gig. However, the elephant in the room is when. Every ounce of you wants to do the new thing, but the bulk of your time is invested in the old thing (which you don't particularly care about). How do you know when to flip the switch?

I'll use a real-life example of a friend. He makes $150,000 in his current full-time job, and has built his new business up to approximately $50,000 per year. Here's what I find most impressive about this. With only his leftovers (after working a full-time job and investing in his family as a husband and dad), he's managed to build up his dream business to $50,000 per year of income. Just imagine what he could do if he dedicated his best professional hours toward this growing passion!!!

One problem, though. Conventional wisdom says he shouldn't quit his full-time job until he's built up his new work to a similar income. In other words, once he's able to make at least $150,000 in his new gig, he can jump ship. This belief is founded on the idea that we should never go backward on our income. This is toxic thinking!

I'll state the obvious. There's very little chance my friend can build his new business up to $150,000 per year while giving it only scraps of time and energy. He feels stuck. He's frustrated. He's running out of steam. There's a chance he'll give up. Why? All because he chose the wrong anchor.

Please allow me to offer an alternative. Instead of trying to replicate his current income, he should seek to make enough. I pressed him with this question. "How much income do you need to make, combined with your wife's income, to pay for your basic needs?"

"About $40,000."

"So you're already there! You could quit today, focus full-time on your calling, and still care for your family. That sounds like a no-brainer decision!"

"I don't want to lose ground financially, though."

This is where I put the proverbial mirror in front of him, "So your standard of living and pride is more important to you than your calling. It's not that you can't, but rather you won't."

To his credit, he admitted that's probably true. I'm not trying to make him sound materialistic or egotistical. Rather, I'm trying to highlight the toxic power of choosing the wrong anchor. When we anchor our expectations on some arbitrary reality (a reality we’re trying to escape, mind you), it can rob us of our calling. Instead, I propose we anchor our expectations on what's enough. That subtle shift will change everything!

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Poof, In Real-Time

In two recent posts, Poof and The Alternative to Poof, I discussed the importance of businesses not weaponizing their owner's values. Weaponizing values is the opposite of excellence, and is a great way to destroy the company you spent so much blood, sweat, and tears building. It also robs your customers of the opportunity of simply being served well. Instead, I offered a simple yet profound alternative: Just be excellent. Serve all customers with excellence.....period. If your customers share your values, serve them with excellence. If your customers have values that tremendously contradict yours, serve them with excellence.

I was intentionally vague in my initial post, not wanting to point fingers at the specific business in question. My job wasn't to tear them down, but rather to use that situation as an opportunity to explore these concepts. Today, however, I'm going to highlight one real-time example. Before I do, though, I need to clarify one thing. What I'm about to say is not an indictment of this business owner's values or beliefs. Instead, it's a judgment on this business weaponizing the owner's values. I believe in this concept regardless of which side of any value-based argument you're on.

As reported in The Daily Mail, Kristin Wolter, owner of Everbloom Design, a Memphis-based florist specializing in weddings, recently took to her BUSINESS social media account and proclaimed, "I won't do business with people who support the president-elect."

As expected, the response was fierce and swift. This behavior is anything but excellent. Flowers are supposed to be joyful. Weddings are supposed to be joyful. Yet, here we are talking about half the country not being welcome to patronize this business. She temporarily closed her business in the immediate aftermath to let the dust settle. But what's next? Hope the remaining 50% of Americans will align with her boldness and show even more "support?" Again, that's not excellence.....that's pandering.

This woman has every right to have beliefs - even the strongest of beliefs - regardless of what you, I, or anyone else thinks of them. This is America, and she's free to have them. And she's also free to weaponize them through her business, if she so chooses (and she clearly did). But to what end? What now? Can she survive (nevermind thrive) now that 50% of her customer pool is gone? Will she now rely on the support of customers with similar beliefs (and equally strong convictions) to keep her afloat? How do you focus on joy and excellence with a cloud of anger wafting in the air?

Again, she has every right to do this. But just because you can, it doesn't mean you should. In her haste, she just violated a key principle of business: Serve people with excellence.

I don't fault her for her beliefs. I fault her for deciding the best course of action was to weaponize her values through her business. It stinks (figuratively and literally). There are no winners in this situation, and unfortunately for her, she may end up being the biggest loser of all.

Business owners, please choose excellence. Yes, you have values, but your business does not. Just be excellent.

Consumers, please choose excellence. You have options. Reward excellence. Demand excellence. Benefit from excellence.

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The Alternative to Poof

I received a lot of fun feedback from yesterday's post. Many of you were glad I went there, and some of you even sent me screenshots of social media posts from businesses in your area going poof by weaponizing the owner's values. Others, though, were critical of me and my approach.....which they paired with hitting the unsubscribe button.

One critic was thoughtful in his approach. He ended his critique with the question, "So what's the alternative?"

The smart-alec in me wanted to respond, "The alternative to telling half your potential customers they are evil is to just NOT tell half your potential customers they are evil." But that felt too sharp, and I wanted to add a bit more value. Here's the secret: excellence! Always excellence.

If one of your customers agrees with everything you stand for, serve them with excellence.

If one of your customers flies in the face of everything you stand for, serve them with excellence. No exceptions.

Everyone deserves to be served with dignity and hospitality, regardless of their beliefs. I have many clients who have different values and beliefs than I do, and I wholeheartedly believe they deserve the same level of excellence I would try to give anyone else. They deserve it!

Let's flip it around. While not all of us are business owners, every single person reading this is a consumer. We buy products and services. We choose which products and services we need/want, and we choose who to purchase them from.

If you buy products or services from a company that has weaponized the owner's values against people like you, that, by definition, is the opposite of excellence. You're being treated like dirt, and you feel like it, too. You should probably buy your products and services elsewhere.

If you buy products or services from a company that has weaponized the owner's values in favor of people like you, and it causes you to want to "support" them more, that's the opposite of excellence. That type of consumer behavior, which is far too common and is borderline cultish, perpetuates non-excellence and shields businesses from having to earn it.

Both scenarios lead away from excellence. However, with our responsibility and opportunity, we consumers have the power to force businesses to be excellent. If we always reward excellence and always punish non-excellence, it will, on the whole, raise the bar for businesses all around us. Non-excellent businesses will either become excellent, or die. Excellent businesses will feel the pressure of other businesses becoming more excellent, and find new ways to improve. Everyone wins (except for businesses that refuse to pursue excellence).

It all comes down to us, the consumers. Will we reward values, or reward excellence? Will we justify bad behavior, or demand better? Will we patronize businesses that make us feel like crap, or find one that will actually add value to our journey? The average American makes 60 purchases per month, or roughly two per day. Will you demand excellence from your two today?

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Poof

Sarah and I have been contemplating a meaningful financial commitment. We've been weighing the pros, cons, benefits, and costs. It's a decision we haven't taken lightly. The person running this other business clearly has different values and beliefs than we do, but we're good with that. The most important thing is they provide wonderful service and aren't trying to weaponize the owner's values through their business. As such, we felt very comfortable, confident, and excited to hire this business. Its service costs approximately $600/month, which is no small investment. However, after careful consideration, we decided the benefits far outweigh the cost.

Then, something happened. Remember above when I said the business doesn't weaponize the owner's values? Well, that all changed quickly. At the snap of one's fingers, the owner decided to take a different approach. The business decided it would now use the business to jam those values down the marketplace's throat. That was the moment they lost my business. $600/month of revenue.....poof.

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I was recently having a coffee with two other business owners. Both of them were lamenting a loss in revenue over the last few years. They couldn't figure out why this was happening. Did people not have as much discretionary income anymore? Have people stopped shopping local? Do people not care for the products they are offering?

I was waiting for my moment, and then it came! "Travis, what do you think is going on?"

I explained how both businesses essentially gave a middle finger to half our city's population by weaponizing their personal values through their respective businesses.

"Well, I'm just expressing what I believe in," replied one of the men. They can (and should) express what they believe in, but the moment they weaponize their personal values through their business, they've lost the right to serve a large chunk of their customers.

"That shouldn't matter! If our product is good, people should still buy it." Well, I'm not sure that's a fair expectation if you essentially call half your customers evil.

Both of these businesses are on their last legs, and it's sad. Both companies had the potential to move the needle in this city and add a lot of value to a lot of people. But then, the business decided to absorb the owner's values and weaponize them.

Business owners, you have values and beliefs, but your businesses don't. The moment you decide to transfer those values to your businesses and then weaponize them, you've lost. Our job as business owners is to serve those whom we have the privilege of serving. And one way to serve them well is to not shove values down their throats and tell them they are stupid.

You have too much to offer to simply throw it away because of emotion. Yes, your values are important (even the ones that differ from mine). Yes, you should share your values with others. Yes, your voice should be heard. But not through your business. Not at the expense of your customers and clients. They deserve better, and so do you.

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None of Us Really Know What We're Doing

I had a fantastic meeting with two women yesterday who are interested in starting a business. They are each accomplished in their own right and carry themselves with a strong sense of calling and purpose. The passion they have for their work and prospective business is palpable.

As we dove into some of the particulars of starting and running a business, I could tell one of the women was a bit self-conscious about her business acumen. She's absolutely brilliant and successful at her craft, but the business side of things is new-ish to her. Sensing how she felt about this, I added the following regarding business owners: "Don't worry. None of us really know what we're doing. We're just in different stages of figuring it out."

I hadn't actually thought about that until it escaped my mouth, but it's so true! Business owners know nothing....until they know something. And the only way they know something is by doing something they didn't know how to do. It's the ultimate in discomfort. Even Elon Musk, one of the greatest business people of our time, has done everything in his career for the first time at one point or another.

I think most business owners would share the same sentiment if willing to be honest and humble. None of this is easy, but it gets easier as we gain experience. Discomfort turns into experience, which unlocks new discomforts. It's a beautiful, terrible cycle. It's not for everyone, but I love it so much.

I think this woman needed to hear that yesterday, and I suspect some of you do as well. Don't be so hard on yourself. You don't know what you don't know, and there's only one way to change that.

I couldn't be more excited about the ideas these two women shared with me. The potential impact is great, and the passion is real. I have no idea where they will take this, but wherever it goes, I'll absolutely be cheering them on every step of the way!

Please don't be afraid to meet the world with what you currently have to offer. You're better today than you were yesterday, and tomorrow, you'll be better than you were today. "Don't worry. None of us really know what we're doing. We're just in different stages of figuring it out."

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Always Be Unreasonable

As many of you know, I'm obsessed with Facebook restaurant review groups. They are a unique view into the perspectives, philosophies, cultures, and values of customers and business owners alike.

A while back, I saw a gem of a post by someone who reported finding a foreign object in their take-out entree. Upon contacting the business to report the incident, a representative at the restaurant, without even offering an apology, told them they would need to drive back to the restaurant and personally return the tainted order if they wanted a refund. The customer, already inconvenienced by discovering a hazardous object in their meal, was further inconvenienced by being instructed to waste more of their evening by driving back to the restaurant. This customer declined and instead decided to torch this restaurant on the Facebook group. Many people defended the restaurant in this situation, citing the risk of potential fraudsters (i.e. people trying to get free food) as the reason the restaurant requires a physical return. Commenters even somehow defended the restaurant's lack of apology or remorse.

Yesterday, I saw another gem of a post, but of a different variety. After eating half of her meal, the customer requested a to-go container for the remainder. Then, she accidentally dropped all the contents on the floor as she boxed her own meal; it was admittedly 100% the customer's fault. The restaurant employees quickly swooped in to clean up the mess and told her the kitchen was already re-making her a new sandwich. The customer assured the server that wasn't necessary (you know, because it was 100% her fault), but the server insisted.

That was an unreasonable act by the restaurant. An unreasonable act of hospitality. This customer was so blown away by the gesture that she quickly shared this story on the Facebook group. Just 16 hours later, her post had been shared five times, liked 1,100+ times, and commented on 66 times. The comments were overwhelmingly positive. Some people cited their own stories of unreasonable hospitality from this same restaurant, while many others voiced their newfound desire to dine there for the first time.

In the first example, the restaurant prioritized profit first and the customer last. Eventually, they will lose.

In the second example, the restaurant prioritized the customer first and profit last. This is why they will win. Ironic, I know!

Did the restaurant end the night with lower margins because of this act? Absolutely! That's a mathematical fact. However, the goodwill they built from their unreasonable hospitality holds much more value in the broader scheme of things than the potential profit they lost. Further, that customer walked away with a powerful story that was quickly converted into word-of-mouth marketing, which will inevitably result in more business.

Regardless of your vocation or industry, whether an employee or an owner, unreasonable hospitality is always the right approach. Generosity always wins. I hope you find some opportunities to practice that today!

Oh yeah, one more thing. The restaurant from the second story is called The Angry Goldfish. I've never been there, but I will soon after hearing about their generosity and practice of unreasonable hospitality. Maybe you should check them out, too.

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Owning Non-Excellence

Irony is best served cold. Yesterday, I talked about how the bar has never been lower. People and businesses are underperforming at an astronomical pace, and we've never seen such an opportunity to meet the market with excellence to excel (with our respective careers or businesses).

Then mere hours later, I performed a masterclass in non-excellence by letting three separate people down: a client, a blog reader, and a fellow board member. Three whiffs, three embarrassments, three regrets. Several factors played into my mistakes, including my new agonizing back injury and technical issues. However, while it would be easy for me to make excuses for these mistakes, there was one common theme in each of them: Me!

The truth is, it doesn't matter what caused the mistakes. The mistakes happened.....period. Passing the blame to some other reason, whether valid or not, doesn't undo the mistake. Therefore, it's my duty to take full responsibility for my non-excellence. There is no other path forward.

In an endeavor to be excellent, there will be non-excellence. It's just going to happen. But what are we going to do with it? Justify it? Excuse it? Blame others? Try to pretend it didn't happen? I hate all of those options. For me, the only reasonable and honoring option is to sincerely apologize, make it right, and endeavor to do better going forward.

That's the only path to excellence. Another way I try to think about it is I'm in the business of getting it right, not being right. If I'm wrong, my obligation to my clients, friends, and colleagues is to get it right; and getting it right starts with taking ownership of the non-excellence.

We must do this personally, and we must do it professionally. It hurts to look in the mirror and realize I'm 100% to blame for something (as I did three times yesterday). But it hurts worse going to bed at night knowing I tried to wiggle out of a mess caused by my own hands. I'll take that slice of humble pie every day of the week.

Today, I plan to be excellent. Will I accomplish it without fail? Probably not. But I'm going to give it my best shot. And WHEN I fall short, I'm going to sincerely apologize, make it right, and hopefully learn from it.

One percent better every day.

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The Bar Has Never Been Lower

"The bar has never been lower."

• TJ Rude, Founder of Northern Vessel

I hear this from TJ at least once per week. It's a commentary on the state of business in our modern times. Businesses today are riddled with poor product quality, inconsistency, bad customer service, and a lack of hospitality. The bar has never been lower. If a business gives us a half-decent product in a moderately reasonable timeframe, and they don't treat us like garbage in the process, we act as though they are wonderful. The bar has never been lower.

I dealt with many businesses during my Minneapolis trip this weekend. Retailers, restaurants, hotels, and venues. The majority were bleh. Poor quality. Inconsistent, Terrible service. Practically no hospitality. I repeatedly watched businesses treat people like dirt and sell them inferior products. The bar has never been lower.

One of my favorite hobbies is to read the comments on restaurant reviews in local Facebook forums. Almost all towns have these FB pages. People found a sharp piece of metal in their salad. The food came out cold. The manager screamed at them. The food didn't arrive for an hour. The restaurant snuck in a secret fee or overrode the tip. Without fail, the commenters blame the customer for not addressing these issues directly with the restaurant. There's almost always another comment about how all restaurants "have an off day." Oh yeah, we also need to include the obligatory comment about how we can't expect anything better because wages are so low. We continually justify and defend terrible. The bar has never been lower.

While there are a lot of components that go into running a successful business, or having a successful career, it's also simple, too. Provide a good product, be consistent, offer good service, and do it with a spirit of hospitality. The bar has never been lower.

One of my friends is far more successful than either of us thought he would be. He didn't create anything world-changing. He sells a simple product. It's nothing special, and I'd argue his competitors have a better product. But he's consistent, he offers great service, and he practices hospitality. People want to work with him. Customers are drawn to him. It's simple! The bar has never been lower.

I hope you think about this as you engage in whatever work is on your plate today. Think about this motto: The bar has never been lower. If that's true, you have an opportunity to stand out! You have a chance to rise above the crowd. Be excellent! Serve others well! Show people to expect better!

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The Competitor In the Mirror

TJ, my Northern Vessel business partner, received a phone call from the Des Moines Register a few days ago. The reporter wanted to know what he thought about Caribou Coffee opening a new location right next door to our Northern Vessel shop. First, that was the first time either of us had heard about Caribou's plans. Second, we did have thoughts!

I'm not sure what the original intent of the article was. I'm being somewhat presumptuous here, and I certainly don't want to put words in anyone's mouth. In short, I think the general idea is that yet another big, national chain location is moving in on local small businesses. This would make sense, as Caribou has more than 750 locations in 11 countries......while we are one of one. This also makes sense, considering it's the prevailing sentiment in our culture right now. Support small. Support local. Stop letting corporations kill the little man.

What TJ ultimately told them was an entirely different story. He talked about how he was excited to have Caribou join the neighborhood, as it would bring more traffic to our little corridor. And if that happens, perhaps we'll have the opportunity to serve those people. Awesome! Here’s an IG Reel he posted about the situation.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NORTHERN VESSEL (@northernvessel)

I don't fault Caribou for moving in—good for them! This isn't about big business vs. small business. It's not about local vs. national. It's not about who deserves to be here vs. who doesn't. It's about excellent vs. not. Will we be excellent? Will they be excellent? Caribou has every right to set up shop and try to be successful. We don't feel oppressed or victimized. Instead, we're grateful. We're grateful for the customers who trust us, for the brand we're building, for our team driving the mission forward, and for the opportunity to get 1% better each day.

It reminds me of something my friend Michael once told me in a coaching meeting: "Losers focus on winners, and winners focus on winning." There might have been a few f-bombs dropped in that sentence, but this is a kid-friendly blog.

Here's the last line of the Register article, a quote from TJ: "At the end of the day, excellence wins." TJ is so right about that one. Our only choice is to be excellent. Luckily, our only desire is to be excellent.

Regardless of what you do, I have a challenge for you! With so much noise all around us, it's so easy to get distracted and sidetracked from the mission. It's easy to take offense, feel threatened, get jealous, and feel robbed. Those aren't choices.....at least not productive ones. Instead, let's just focus on being excellent. After all, our real competition is the person staring at us in the mirror. Excellence always wins. Just be your best today, get 1% better, and do it again. The rest will take care of itself.

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We’re Nobodies

"We're nobodies!" is the phrase TJ and I often use when discussing Northern Vessel. Despite having more than 10,000 Instagram followers, waves of people walking into our shop, and long wrapping lines at our farmer's market tent, we're nobodies. It's not that we are self-deprecating or think poorly of ourselves. Rather, that phrase stems from the reality that despite how crazy our business has ramped up these last 18 months, more than half the metro doesn't know we exist (never mind people outside our metro). A week doesn't go by where I don't hear the phrase "I've never heard of it," referring to Northern Vessel. Thus, we are nobodies. From that perspective comes a rallying motto: "Earn it every day."

This brings me to yesterday. I was at the shop talking to barista Emma about nearby restaurants. She drops a bomb on me! "My favorite place is Alohana Hawaiian Grill. They have the best Spam Musubi I've ever had!" First, I've never even heard of Spam Musibi, and Emma is over here grading the various iterations she's experienced over the years. (For your information, Spam Musubi is a slab of fried spam on top of a white rice block with sauce between, wrapped in seaweed).

Truth is, I've only vaguely heard of this restaurant over the last ten years. I never hear anyone talk about it, and I don't even know where it is. But if Emma says it's her favorite restaurant, and they have the best Spam Musubi (!!!), I needed to check it out. I packed up my briefcase, cut my work short, and set my GPS for Alohana Grill. It was amazing!!! I absolutely loved my meal (including the Spam Musubi) and will be back soon.

I won't be back because I want to support local (you know how much I detest that narrative). I'll be back because they earned it. The staff was friendly, the space clean, the food amazing, and the prices palatable. A+ out of them.

This is an interesting business. On the one hand, they are seemingly lacking on the marketing front. No social media, a lackluster website, and limited public discourse. Yet, on the other hand, there were a ton of people there, Emma is raving about it, and now I'm telling thousands of people all over the world about them.

This is how business should be done. It's not about supporting them. It's about them earning the right to serve someone (through some form of marketing), re-earning the right to do it again (through excellence), and, if they are excellent enough, having those customers tell the others (word of mouth).

I woke up yesterday morning utterly naive to this business. It was hiding right under my nose. By the time I went to bed, I had a new go-to. Grateful for Emma's referral and this restaurant's good work.

This is small business.

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Addition By Non-Subtraction

Whenever we talk about finding success in business, personal finance, careers, or any other area, we think in terms of achievements:

• Grow revenue by x%

• Get a new promotion

• Pay off $y of debt

• Gain a new client

• Save/invest $z

Achievements feel good. Achievements are pat-on-the-back worthy. Achievements are a tangible signal that we are winning. While I'm all for achievements, I think we underestimate the role of mistakes—or, in more specific terms, our ability to avoid mistakes. Take the U.S. women's rugby team, for example.

Attempting to win its first medal in Olympic history, our women's rugby team found themselves in the bronze medal match, trailing Australia by one try (think touchdown) with just a few seconds remaining. Alex Sedrick attacks the defense in what appears to be an uneventful and unsuccessful play, but something happens. The defense, which had played stunningly well up to that point, missed a tackle. They made a critical mistake. Alex, with her newfound opportunity, sprints the length of the field to make history - and create an iconic moment that will go down in U.S. Olympic history. Australia had made so much positive progress, inch by inch, tackle by tackle, and were mere seconds from taking home a medal. Then, sadly for them, one mistake unwound all that progress. It was equally heartbreaking as it was euphoric.

We can land achievement after achievement after achievement, but if we make critical mistakes along the way, it can easily sabotage any progress we've earned. In a battle for excellence, mistakes are the x-factor that often determines success or failure.

I've seen this with my own life, my own businesses, and the lives/businesses I have the honor of coaching. If we can first commit to eliminating the crushing mistakes, it allows us to stack achievements and progress ourselves down the inevitable path of success.

This is something TJ and I talk about daily as it relates to Northern Vessel. Northern Vessel has been built on a mountain of mistakes. In a lot of ways, we've succeeded despite our mistakes. However, if we want to take things to the next level, it's not about finding new achievements. Rather, it's about eliminating mistakes and practicing the art of excellence. I've already blocked out the book that TJ and I will eventually write together, and the main theme will be failure.

For Northern Vessel, the only way forward is to dodge mistakes. That's the only way for excellence to carry us into a new chapter. Your lives and your businesses are no different. We must avoid the big mistakes. We must stop shooting ourselves in the foot every time we start gaining positive momentum.

Over the next week, I challenge you to look in the mirror and assess where you're most vulnerable to hurtful mistakes. Some of you already know exactly what that is. Others may need to dive a bit deeper to understand where you're exposing yourself to the most risk. Avoiding that next big mistake may be the biggest turning point of your life!

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Choosing Excellence Over Guilt

"I'll never go back!"

"They must not be very good."

"It feels like they are trying to guilt me."

"I'm done."

"They won't see me again."

___________

Those remarks, amongst many others, are sharp and uncompromising comments I've received from friends, blog readers, and podcast listeners. What in the world could generate so much negative feedback!?!? One simple phrase: "Support small business."

It's well documented how much I dislike the "support local" and "support small" movements (such as HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE). I believe small businesses do a drastic disservice to themselves when they talk about supporting local or supporting small.

Before I proceed, I must give you my obligatory caveat: I LOVE small businesses, I own multiple small businesses, I coach small businesses, and I believe small businesses are the backbone of our society. I deeply love everything about small business.

On the flip side, I think the entire notion of "supporting small businesses" reeks of pity and guilt. I guess I'm not alone, as indicated by the sheer number of texts, DMs, and phone calls I receive about this subject whenever I discuss it publicly. All that being said, I totally understand if this opinion is disorienting to you (especially to fellow small business owners!). We use these phrases so much in our culture that it almost seems benign and universally accepted as a positive thing.

Despite being well-intentioned, here is what you're really communicating to people when you use these phrases:

• You're telling people what to do, or more specifically, what businesses NOT to frequent. Many people don't take kindly to this.

• It comes across as entitled, as if you deserve to have people patronize your business just because you're small and/or local. That right isn't deserved; it must be earned.

• It feels like you're guilting people, especially friends and family, into giving you business.

• It feels like an overcompensation for not having good products, good service, and/or good prices.

• It makes people believe you aren't good enough to survive without "support." That's akin to a non-profit asking for donations.

• It communicates that your livelihood is more important (and more qualified to thrive) than people who work for non-small or non-local businesses.

What's the alternative? Be excellent. Serve people well. Meet their needs. Make them feel a different way. Provide them something no other business can offer. Earn the right to serve them again. Better yet, earn the right for them to tell other people about you. Instead of hoping people support you, add so much value to their lives that they can't imagine you not being in it. That's what small business is all about!

I love you, small business owners! You're my people. You've chosen a challenging, crazy, white-knuckling, uncertain path. Now, it's time to cook. It's your time to shine. Lead with excellence. You deserve it, as do all the people you have the privilege of serving.

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The Tale of Two Encounters

Words are powerful. Words can build up, tear down, create impact, and cause destruction. Whoever championed the "sticks and stones" jingle must not have experienced the wrath of words. Every day, when we go about our business, we wield a weapon. We have a choice: Use it for good or for harm. 

Businesses, and those who represent them, have the same choice to make. It's amazing how many business owners don't fully appreciate the power of words. It seeps through their behaviors, their team, and their culture. I watch business after business flop in the simplest ways. 

I recently had two separate encounters that highlighted this concept. 

The first was at a local restaurant. As my friends and I took turns ordering our entrees, two guys slightly mispronounced the name of their desired order. Both times, the server quickly corrected them. It wasn't a big deal, but again, words have power. They felt slightly embarrassed, and a little ticked that the server felt the need to correct when she knew exactly what they were asking for. 

The second encounter was also at a local restaurant. This time, I was flying solo. After receiving my meal, I noticed I was missing an item. I walked up to the counter, informed them of the error, and respectfully asked if they could provide it to me. Just then, however, I realized I was the one who made the error. The specific combo I selected did not include said item. After catching my mistake, I apologized (being slightly embarrassed) and thanked them. The woman, however, immediately replied l, "No apology needed. That's quite ok. Let me get you one anyway," and then handed me the item I didn't deserve in the first place. It wasn't a big deal, but again, words have power. 

Guess which restaurant I'll be going back to. All because of a few simple yet powerful words. Culture, as demonstrated by these interactions, is a powerful thing. It can make or break a business. 

I was recently hanging out at our coffee shop, Northern Vessel. After ordering my drink, I waited off to the side, chatting with a few other customers. When the customer in front of me received her drink, she told the barista that it was the wrong drink. "This is an x…..I ordered a y." They actually received exactly what they ordered. I heard the order and saw what they received. It was dead on. I knew it, and the barista knew it. But the barista quickly responded without hesitation, "I'm so sorry; I'll get you a new one right away." So perfect! We wasted a drink, but so what? That was the cost of giving the customer a positive experience and using words for good. 

I smiled on the inside, but I probably smiled on the outside as well. I love our team and the way they serve people with hospitality and dignity. It's a beautiful sight.

Sticks and stones can hurt, but words can destroy. Let's be better. Let's demand better. Let's reward better.

Excellence Isn’t Optional

Uh oh, I've opened the floodgates. After repeated blog posts about how business owners shouldn't expect people to "support" them, I now receive multiple messages from readers every week. These messages usually include screenshots or linked posts from businesses in their town, laying on the guilt of "lack of support." The narrative is usually the same (paraphrasing):

Our business is struggling because we've been a victim of several challenges (insert inflation, rent, competition, lack of awareness, and a multitude of other issues here). To top it off, you haven't done a good enough job of supporting us. Because of that, and in the absence of you immediately and heavily supporting us, we might not make it.

I'm a broken record on this one. We business owners don't deserve anyone's support. Instead, we must earn the right to serve someone, then through delivered excellence, re-earn the right to serve them again. And if we've been excellent enough, they might tell someone else about us. Then repeat.

The key word is excellence. Excellence isn't optional. With it, we earn the right to serve people again. Without it, we die. Take all the recent reader messages, for example. You've probably sent me at least 20 examples of this in the past few weeks alone. I know a few of these businesses personally, and I can attest they are anything but excellent. One business, which I know quite well, cited all the challenges they've faced over the last few years. I don't doubt a single one of them. These are common challenges that nearly ALL businesses face. What they didn't mention were all the ways in which they were grossly lacking excellence:

• Inconsistent product.

• Inconsistent service.

• High prices.

• Poor location.

• Lack of brand identity.

• Poor marketing.

Yet, the natural conclusion from their messaging (and the people on social media) was that people need to better support small businesses. Hear that? "Support." Meanwhile, several other small businesses in proximity to this business are absolutely crushing it. Weird how people "support" those small businesses.

The key word isn't "support"—it's "excellence." Excellence isn't optional. People aren't discriminating, lacking care, or turning their backs on small businesses. People expect excellence. Scratch that—they demand excellence.

If you're a business owner, big or small, simply provide excellence. When you do, you'll earn the right to serve people again....and they just might tell a few others in the meantime. The presence of excellence will allow you to thrive, but the absence of excellence will cause you to die. It's a harsh but beautiful reality.

If you're a consumer (and we all are), don't fall for the "support" guilt trap. Demand excellence. Yes, try a new business. Give people a shot. Put them to the test. Give them the right to show you excellence, and hopefully earn the right to serve you again. That's the greatest gift you can give to a business. Give them the opportunity to serve you with excellence, not the other way around.

Can’t Have the Good Without the Bad

Do you ever wish you could just wave a magic wand and get rid of all the junk that's bringing you down? The frustrations, pain, suffering, failures, and setbacks. Life would be so much easier if we could just remove the crap. Unfortunately, it's a package deal. We HAVE to take the bad with the good. It's all part of the deal. To take it a step further, we can't have the good without the bad. Without the bad, the good isn't good. The challenge is what makes the good so much sweeter. 

If you've been following along this week, we've recently had a mess of a time with Northern Vessel. The second car crash into our shop in nine months is a gut punch like no other. Further, the story behind what actually happened is getting weirder and more unsavory as the pieces come together. I still can't share details, but I will as soon as we're able. Needless to say, we're faced with monumental challenges as we work to rebuild our space, serve our customers, and ensure our team is healthy and taken care of. A big piece of me wishes I could wave my magic wand and just undo this part of our life. 

On the flip side, the good is so good. We're in a rhythm that's hard to explain. Yes, the closure of our shop hurts. We've only two months removed from having reconstruction completed from the last crash. We're finally into the groove we've always wanted......then crash! However, we aren't defined by our setbacks and the incident that recently occurred. We've been able to fulfill our obligations to LifeTime Fitness, which carries our products in the Des Moines location. Yesterday was also our weekly farmer's market. We've spent the past three weeks growing, learning, and tweaking, culminating in yesterday's affair. After watching it all beautifully come together, we sold 100 gallons of our signature oat milk cold brew latte in just over four hours. We ran out of product with about 40 minutes remaining in the market. More than 1,200 people. Nearly 5 coffees a minute for 4+ hours. The team was locked in, the lines flowed, and the vibe was right. 

Despite all the pain and suffering, it was beautiful. We can't have the good without the bad. It's a package deal. As I've spent my last week working through so many challenges in my life and businesses, I repeatedly wanted to wave my magic wand. But then, I catch myself. These are the challenges that make it all worth it. 

I think back to the $236,000 of debt I used to have. That was painful, but the beauty of working through it was so satisfying. 

I think back to my 20-year career and all the ups and downs. Some of it was painful, but that only adds to the beauty of where it's come. 

I think about all my clients who are fighting their own battles. I don't want to wave my magic wand to make their struggles go away. Doing so would rob them of the beauty of what's about to happen. 

We can't have the good without the bad. 

Bypass the Gatekeeper

Earlier this month, I told the story about how a neighbor kid was walking up and down the street, asking homeowners if he could mow their yard. I love this kid's entrepreneurial spirit. In my post, I said, "To me, this young man exemplifies the crazy new world order we live in. We used to rely on gatekeepers to decide if we were worthy of the job. Today, we're only limited by our creativity and willingness to put ourselves out there."

One blog reader responded with a question, and it's haunted me (in a good way) ever since. I responded to her with my acknowledgement of receipt, but still haven't provided her with substantive insights. I still owe her a meaningful response, but this post is meant to hash through one related idea. I so deeply appreciate her situation and the heart behind it, and she deserves something far better than she's gotten.

I'll paraphrase her question: "How do we bypass the gatekeepers?" 

Gatekeepers are everywhere! Gatekeepers decide if we get an interview. Gatekeepers decide if we are hired. Gatekeepers decide how much we'll make. Gatekeepers decide if we're worthy. Gatekeepers decide if we're deserving. We've all spent our lives dealing with gatekeepers. Heck, some of us ARE gatekeepers! 

In the old world order, most paths involved gatekeepers.....especially for younger people. Our fate rested in the hands of a gatekeeper, deciding if we were worthy of an opportunity. 

In our modern world (with the technology at our hands), though, we have virtually unlimited paths....many of which don't involve gatekeepers. Take the story of the young man mowing yards. He didn't appeal to a gatekeeper to initiate his business. 

It can be an overwhelming concept to implement, but it's also shockingly simple. Here's how I perceive it:

1. Identify a problem.

2. Offer a solution to fix the problem.

3. Receive compensation for fixing the problem.

4. Serve people well enough to earn the right to fix more problems (for the same people or the people they tell)

5. Repeat.

This is the model the young mower is following. 

1. He identified a problem: people in his neighborhood are busy and either don't want to mow, or don't have the time to mow. 

2. He has a solution to the problem: his time and a mower in tow. 

3. He gets compensated for fixing people's problems: He charged me $30 for the privilege. 

4. He earned the right to do it again. I loved his attitude and willingness to help me out quickly in a pinch, so I asked if I could put his contact information in my phone for future use. I will also advocate for him if anyone else in the neighborhood asks. 

5. He's come back multiple times since!

Instead of asking people for permission, we could seek problems to solve. That's where our creativity and unique perspective kick in. I recently met a teen who makes a simple product, sells it on Etsy, and makes $2,000/month. No gatekeeper. Creative. Fixing problems. Being compensated for the privilege. 

What problems do you see around you? 

How can you fix those problems? 

What's it worth to people?

Bypass the gatekeeper!

The Myth of Job Security

One of the biggest knocks against freelancing, entrepreneurship, self-employment, contract work, and business ownership is that you don't have "job security." This is indeed true. Most people who fit into this camp don't have job security. 

Implied in this "no job security" sentiment is a (false) belief people with traditional employment do have job security. I'm sad to report that they don't. I believe this is a massive and destructive myth in our culture. Every week, I speak with people who had "job security" and have recently lost their jobs. It's always sad, and I have tremendous empathy for them. I don't wish that kind of pain on anyone. But it happens! There's no such thing as job security! It may feel like it along the way, but when push comes to shove, there isn't.

Please don't hear me demeaning traditional employment. I'm a big believer in it.....just not because it seemingly offers "job security." Work has meaning. Jobs have meaning. All work has meaning....including traditional W-2 jobs (which I had for 15 years, by the way!). 

Rather, I think we put ourselves at risk when we believe we have job security:

• We can let our guard down and not be financially prepared for the incomprehensible scenario in which we lose our jobs. We might not have an adequate emergency fund as a back-stop.

• We can get complacent and stop growing in our skills.

• We don't bother to diversify our finances. Instead, we keep all our income eggs in one basket.

• We don't contemplate backup plans for alternative jobs/careers.

• We might ignore our passion, calling, and desire to do something different with less "job security." In other words, we let our desire for job security keep us in a place we aren't supposed to be. 

Indeed, I don't have job security. There's zero promise that my family will make enough money to survive next month. That's scary! Every month is an adventure, and I just hope I can piece it together well enough to make ends meet. My business's income is made up of dozens of smaller pieces. If I put the pieces together, I eat. If I don't, then I guess we starve. But the burden is on me to figure it out.

You know what's scarier? The reality that someone else can make one simple decision and my job is gone tomorrow. A wave of the magic wand.....poof, gone! That's the reality so many people are dealing with right now. We wake up in the morning enjoying our job security, then go to bed unemployed.....at the snap of one's fingers. 

I don't write this to make people fearful. I don't want that. Living in fear isn't a life of meaning. Instead, I want people to reckon with the reality there's really no such thing as job security. And if that's true, would you still make the same job decision? In other words, would you choose a different path if your job isn't secure anyway? Food for thought.