My father, Ralph, was an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. But at the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I am not necessarily sure that it was a good thing when it comes down to balance and fulfillment. I remain a little more calculated than he was, a little more conservative when it comes to financing. I hope not to be a knee jerker, ever, for good reasons.
Reasons like keeping the family together, wanting to keep my home and the things in it, reasons like not having to start over three and four times from nothing. I want to stay married, secure a retirement strategy, stay on track with a master plan, that which I can define a beginning a middle and an exit for the end. While I feel it important to honor my father by starting an endowed scholarship in entrepreneurial studies at Lindenwood University in St. Charles MO, it is important that I study his tribulations, the process by which he became who he was, using my own method of achievement in contrast. Understanding of course that without his influence, I would not have achieved much of anything at all.
My father chased the game, that which was the big swing of the baseball bat. There was no base hitting, no incremental process to speak of when working his way through the businesses that he owned. In hindsight, he turned out quite the winning season and his spirit will live on if I have anything to do with it, and I will. I appreciate what he taught myself and others. Life lessons learned--what it is like to risk and lose everything, the auction and the last family chair from the dining room table sold, in order to cover whatever debt was due on any number of failed businesses throughout the years--what it is like to rebuild after such adversity, to fall back and regroup a, march forward and try again, never giving up, seeking that which could be the mother payload.
There came a time when I was pretty much disgusted, feeling a little short changed on my upbringing, too much negativity. This after I left home and started my own quest for, whatever it was that was in front of me. I was a terrible student in high school, maybe I would have been diagnosed with one of those fancy new terms, ADD, or something like that. I had to adapt to the way they were learning at my school, I wasn't getting it. I learned to deal with patterns and relationships, connections to experiences that were either good or bad and began to shape an understanding of the world around me. I knew that I didn't learn the way the other kids did. I had to experience things in order to categorize and relate. It was a system that I became very good at. Always remembering a situation good or bad and how it played out. I reference things now, in relationship to experiences though the years and apply what has become my intuitive logic in all of my decision making. I have been called a visionary by my staff. A title that I take pretty seriously because visionaries have always been my heroes. I think most entrepreneurs have vision. For me it is simply remembering the pain and/or pleasure of things from my past combined with my discipline to pursue the more positive of the two.
As high school came to an end, and as a result of a fractured family life, I put very little effort into anything other than sandlot sports and working in restaurants. I barely graduated from High School and shutter to think of my GPA. I was on an early release work program and left school at noon in order to do what I did best, adapting to what would be come a lifelong learning process through practical experiences, I had a lot of catching up to do.
With the restaurant work, I liked the people the most--the way groups came together for food and drink. I liked the togetherness of the way people entered a restaurant, sat down and experienced that which the proprietor would purvey. I got a face full of this from my fathers restaurants, a cross section of fast food joints, discotheques, fine dining steakhouses, and high volume cafeterias. He developed brands in his sleep and would slap a sign on a door, often before he had a clear plan. He was always the front guy, at the door with the menus, at the bar with a drink, a firm handshake and a smile. He was nicknamed Friendly Ralph. To him, the nuts and bolts of the business was somebody else's job. He was what I now call a top liner.
So I learned to lean up against a bar pretty early in life. Especially due to the fact that college wasn't in my near future. I figured that the best thing that I could come up with was to emulate whomever I found my hero's to be. There was no better a person than my own father and a group of cronies whom were his close friends and business partners. They were prominently displayed throughout the community, those statuesque businessmen who seem to walk on water. Due to my process of collecting experiences, I would certainly form opinions, good and bad in relationship to their actions. It was the seventies, after all.
During those dark years, my fathers exterior showed pretty well, but there were things that would be discounted. There were elements of his life that he kept from the community. The stress and burdensome workload, his struggle to make ends meet. He saved the frustrations for the family, which virtually disbanded when I was around 16 years old. My mother packed what she could get in to her Mustang II and moved to Los Angeles, my father later moved to Jefferson City in an attempt to rebuild after a restaurant in Rochester Minnesota folded. My sister Kathryn and I stayed back and prepared the home for sale, eventually moving to a duplex while she attended the University of Missouri, me to continue to struggle in school. I eventually found my way to graduation and began immediately what has now become a 27 year career in the restaurant business. I eventually attended St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, studying Hospitality and Culinary Arts, later in life I attended Lindenwood University studying communications.
Funny thing, I didn't really come into intellectual maturity until I was thirty something, not until after getting married and having a kid. My wife was a huge motivator, one of enormous help in my finding self-actualization. It wasn't until after years of apprenticing, practical experiential stuff, working for chain restaurants, private clubs, catering companies and other related hospitality industry situations. Not until after not "getting" anywhere for so long did it occur to me what I had been chasing. I had also become indulgent, nearly succumbing to a the demons so commonly found in the hospitality industry, something that my father showed had also shown me first hand as he fought to keep them at bay too.
The years turned out to be just the right amount of training. I began to emerge as a commodity in the business for restaurant openings, event planning and management. There was a standard that I could be held accountable to and people wanted it. It has always with the help of others whom I have known through the years. The professionals who choose to have me as their leader in the beginning and even now. It's as if we've been able to break through the ground using out-of-the-box thinking, using what we know from our experience in infrastructure and how start up businesses in the food industry can benefit from the processes within.
While I admired my father immensely and consider him my number one hero, I admire him the most for the things that we ultimately would contrast. Because I had collected other heroes as well, big company executives with 600 restaurants to manage, Fridays, Bennigan's, Houlihans, Chile's, all emerging chains from the 80's that I found to be a good study, corporate restaurant chains, making decisions on market penetration and brand ideology, big stuff. There was psychology behind each endeavor, huge resources used for research and development, training techniques, philosophies on business that I would consume before entering the arena myself.
These styles of entrepreneurship and the applicable combinations of process is what the new generations need to understand. A big picture approach to the industry is necessary, understanding that many businesses fail, particularly in the food business, because of lack of clear strategy, too many big swings of the bat, and not enough incremental process. Mixed together with a clear understanding of personal communication will lead to uncommonly positive results.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
On Restuarants
So when did it happen? When did full service restaurant chains completely max out as an industry? There are way too many casual themed restaurants. What will come of the real estate?
Someday, when we reflect upon stuff, we might say to each other:
What ever happened to Friday's, O'Charly's or Applebees's, or Ruby Tuesday, or Houlihans, Bennigan's, Damon's, Steak and Ale, or Flaming Pit, or Ground Round, or Old Country Buffet, or Wyatt's Furr's, Luby's, Piccadilly's, Pope's.....They are all of the same ilk. When did the consumer habit of "functional dinner taking" at casual theme full service restaurants cease to be mainstream; the "Applebees" concepts of of the 90's and Y2K?
And then we will talk about how it happened right under our noses, real estate developments and urban re-development projects seeking anchors, amenities for the retail experience, everywhere, in every city, causing the-alignment and/or re-alignment of commerce in our communities, particularly in minor markets, the rampant struggle for market share underway, soon rendered over built and set up for "un-innovation" by food service "managers of the day".
Corporate mergers, acquisition's over emphasis of distribution finance/leverage from suppliers were the cause of it, the over building of corporate restaurant America.
Krispy Kreme, Boston Market...
Someday, when we reflect upon stuff, we might say to each other:
What ever happened to Friday's, O'Charly's or Applebees's, or Ruby Tuesday, or Houlihans, Bennigan's, Damon's, Steak and Ale, or Flaming Pit, or Ground Round, or Old Country Buffet, or Wyatt's Furr's, Luby's, Piccadilly's, Pope's.....They are all of the same ilk. When did the consumer habit of "functional dinner taking" at casual theme full service restaurants cease to be mainstream; the "Applebees" concepts of of the 90's and Y2K?
And then we will talk about how it happened right under our noses, real estate developments and urban re-development projects seeking anchors, amenities for the retail experience, everywhere, in every city, causing the-alignment and/or re-alignment of commerce in our communities, particularly in minor markets, the rampant struggle for market share underway, soon rendered over built and set up for "un-innovation" by food service "managers of the day".
Corporate mergers, acquisition's over emphasis of distribution finance/leverage from suppliers were the cause of it, the over building of corporate restaurant America.
Krispy Kreme, Boston Market...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Emulating Qualy
John Qualy was, and likely still is, a preppy guy. I am guessing he has fraternity roots, coming from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He started in the insurance business there in 1971, and, according to his web site, moved his family to St. Louis in 1986, on track to become the managing partner for Northwestern Mutual in downtown St. Louis. His is probably the most recognizable name in Life insurance in the area, because of his commitment to recruitment and training.
I was intrigued by John Qualy for many reasons. First, the guy dressed impeccably and he was fit for his age of 45 or so. He wore white or oxford blue shirts, paisley suspenders, the ones that either matched or complimented his tie and those were usually paisley, yellow or red. He had a style like no other, as all American as you can get, charismatic. I am sure he had to be. The insurance industry is one that requires charisma. Buzz words from the website include: entrepreneur, impact, values, commitment, independence.
Johns shtick was to canvass the fraternities and sororities at Mizzou, recruiting candidates as financial network representatives. Upon graduation he would bring them to St. Louis for training and motivation, sifting through the possibilities of a career in the business, motivating them to the point of exhaustion. I have bumped in to many a Northwestern Mutual representative through the years, some still in the business, others not. The one thing in common was their assessment of John Qualy's style and method of "working the numbers" on recruitment and training into an industry that simply is not for everyone. Johns style is like no other, as enigmatic as one can imagine. For the short time that I knew him, I was captivated by his ability to attract, motivate, hire and retain the best for his business. It was his magic.
Every Friday at the Media Club he would host a luncheon. There would be a table of 9 or 10 young men and women, mostly men. They were all dressed alike, interview suit navy blue or dark gray. I would meet and greet John and his group as they came off the elevator,
I would say: "Hello Mr. Qualy, a pleasure to see you again sir". He would say something like: "Ralph, how the heck is that baby or yours, is Janie feeling better? I can't wait to see pictures".
His warmth would resonate to the recruits- that which was designed to loosen things up a bit, give indication of his ability to take in the lay people, his fellow man, important to how he wanted to present his character, his endeavor. However, this environment of mutual respect and warmth was genuine. His concern for his fellow man would always kick start a subconscious emulative process for the recruits. One that would carry through the entire meal and sometimes on to a lengthy career.
It was funny the way the candidates looked up to and rose to his level of character. By the end of the week the young men were often seen wearing the same type of paisley suspenders and red or yellow ties. John would roll his sleeves up to his forearm at lunch, giving the appearance that he was approachable in conversation, open to possibilities. The recruits would follow suit. His stable of young graduates would all "get it" by lunchtime on Friday at the Media Club. They had adapted without knowing, to his style, his body language and his method of personal communication--that which made for good financial recruitment amongst the insurable community.
Emulation is important when embarking on something new. It could be that early on in a business dining environment, there is an uncomfortable moment or feeling that you are just not good enough. Think of your heroes, those whom you most admire and have been the most successful in what they do. Think about their confidence, their body language and style. Take from them those items that are most suitable for you, within your ability to manage and use without over engineering. Often you won't even know you are emulating a subject, as with John and the recruits who were eating out of his hand by dessert time.
Identify the culture of your situation and consider that which is most appropriate. John would often go against the grain of the culture at the Media Club. Instead of conforming to what was often a stiff and formal environment, he sat in the bar area with his group of recruits, making them feel a little more like themselves, where he could take his jacket off and role his sleeves up to his forearm, where he could form opinions on those whom he had surrounded himself.
I was intrigued by John Qualy for many reasons. First, the guy dressed impeccably and he was fit for his age of 45 or so. He wore white or oxford blue shirts, paisley suspenders, the ones that either matched or complimented his tie and those were usually paisley, yellow or red. He had a style like no other, as all American as you can get, charismatic. I am sure he had to be. The insurance industry is one that requires charisma. Buzz words from the website include: entrepreneur, impact, values, commitment, independence.
Johns shtick was to canvass the fraternities and sororities at Mizzou, recruiting candidates as financial network representatives. Upon graduation he would bring them to St. Louis for training and motivation, sifting through the possibilities of a career in the business, motivating them to the point of exhaustion. I have bumped in to many a Northwestern Mutual representative through the years, some still in the business, others not. The one thing in common was their assessment of John Qualy's style and method of "working the numbers" on recruitment and training into an industry that simply is not for everyone. Johns style is like no other, as enigmatic as one can imagine. For the short time that I knew him, I was captivated by his ability to attract, motivate, hire and retain the best for his business. It was his magic.
Every Friday at the Media Club he would host a luncheon. There would be a table of 9 or 10 young men and women, mostly men. They were all dressed alike, interview suit navy blue or dark gray. I would meet and greet John and his group as they came off the elevator,
I would say: "Hello Mr. Qualy, a pleasure to see you again sir". He would say something like: "Ralph, how the heck is that baby or yours, is Janie feeling better? I can't wait to see pictures".
His warmth would resonate to the recruits- that which was designed to loosen things up a bit, give indication of his ability to take in the lay people, his fellow man, important to how he wanted to present his character, his endeavor. However, this environment of mutual respect and warmth was genuine. His concern for his fellow man would always kick start a subconscious emulative process for the recruits. One that would carry through the entire meal and sometimes on to a lengthy career.
It was funny the way the candidates looked up to and rose to his level of character. By the end of the week the young men were often seen wearing the same type of paisley suspenders and red or yellow ties. John would roll his sleeves up to his forearm at lunch, giving the appearance that he was approachable in conversation, open to possibilities. The recruits would follow suit. His stable of young graduates would all "get it" by lunchtime on Friday at the Media Club. They had adapted without knowing, to his style, his body language and his method of personal communication--that which made for good financial recruitment amongst the insurable community.
Emulation is important when embarking on something new. It could be that early on in a business dining environment, there is an uncomfortable moment or feeling that you are just not good enough. Think of your heroes, those whom you most admire and have been the most successful in what they do. Think about their confidence, their body language and style. Take from them those items that are most suitable for you, within your ability to manage and use without over engineering. Often you won't even know you are emulating a subject, as with John and the recruits who were eating out of his hand by dessert time.
Identify the culture of your situation and consider that which is most appropriate. John would often go against the grain of the culture at the Media Club. Instead of conforming to what was often a stiff and formal environment, he sat in the bar area with his group of recruits, making them feel a little more like themselves, where he could take his jacket off and role his sleeves up to his forearm, where he could form opinions on those whom he had surrounded himself.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Deloite and Touche
The Media Club was on the top three floors of the building and the elevator was the only way to the top. There was something a little goofy about the whole thing, the students filing off the elevator, one by one. Like children returning from lunchtime recess, the facilitator shuffled them into the lounge on the Southeast side of the Laclede Gas building at 7th and Olive in downtown
The 30th floor was the main dining room, private dining and lounge. The 31st housed an athletic club with a small bar where members gin games occasionally went on to the wee hours of the night. The main floor was decorated rustically, dark wooden panels English Tudor, steeple chase paintings throughout. Men were required to wear jackets. You could smoke cigars in the lounge at night so the air had a heaviness during the day, in relationship to the rest of the club. The furniture was comfortably worn, slightly battered from years of parlor parties, gatherings, meetings, dances and upscale events for the power people of
There was a time that the Media Club was just "media" folks; the elite purveyors of information to the world. Bob Hyland, obviously the matriarch of the media scene for nearly four decades with CBS. Other names like Koplar, Buck, Pulitzer, Fleishman, and Duggan. There were other dignitaries, all sorts of important people that, should you look real close, you would recognize by name or face. These people belonged to the Media Club. It was their ilk who gathered there, those who formed the way we receive information, be it newspapers, television or radio.
After the mid eighties, the membership extended outside of the Media industry, there were still plenty a local celebrity to coddle, but most of the "biggies" were business people now; law firm partners, accounting firm executives, insurance brokers, all players in the world of big business. My favorites were the entrepreneurs, retail and wholesale jewelry business owners, property owners and developers always buying and selling the old buildings in the area. There was many a local politico.
I was so intrigued by the men and women, polished by the way they looked, their style, their brinkmanship when conducting a business lunch. I could easily put the process into perspective. There was a beginning, a middle and end. There was the "chatting" stage, the "substance" stage and the "what's next” stage of every business lunch. My role was to inject the culture of fine dining in to their experience, that which they grown to know and expect. We would work together on people. I was part of the deal, often.
So it was interesting, their taste for pageantry. By pageantry I mean the protocol or the standard by which we as a staff saluted them when they arrived and carried it though until the end of the meeting.. It was the drink in hand before they had time to think about it. The salutation: “Hello Mr. Hulltengren, a pleasure to see you today”. The goodbye: “It was a pleasure to see you again Mr. Hulltengren, goodbye sir”. The pageantry could be laid on pretty thick for most. Others would have their own personal salutary dialog which was to inject a common interest and/or memory of an important occasion, like the birth of a granddaughter, or their being featured in a newspaper article.
Deloite and Touche, the big accounting firm in
The Media Club marked the finish of the process. It would determine how the students interact in a business dining environment. All of the department heads would come mingle and get to know each candidate during the dinner. I called it a "moxie check". It was brilliant in my book, how better to get to know your future employees... Most of them had passed the test and had been extended offers. But the harsh reality was that others would be sent away at the evenings end. Could any of them have been sent home because of poor business dining etiquette? It was definitely a contributing factor.
In any case, there was a huge emphasis on these Cattle Call dinners by the human resource director. I would work with them, preparing the rooms, seating assignments. Sometimes we would talk about those who performed the best. It was a game really. This was important to the company culture. Seeking out employees with regard for tradition, manors and good etiquette. It was a condition that they would hire only the best, that they hired what they were, practitioners of business etiquette, that which emulated the traditions of business dining at the Media Club.
Friday, December 14, 2007
The Duties of Business Green
Just interesting enough to post here from a commentary on www.stlbiking.com. Enjoy...
Man, where have I been? This is the type of thread that 10-day stretches of rain/cold/ice are made. Bravo!
Chiming…At peak times, our company serves upwards of 60,000 meals per week and we take a lot of heat because of it. We chose to be in business, the ones providing the products in all sorts of commercial and non-commercial restuarants. We simply were the ones who raised our hands first or were the ones who might have been the most innovative. We are competitive in price and have figured out ways to aggregate programs, mainly comprehensive purchasing gigs that help generate better profitability, less cost etc. Bottom line, choosing the right products and buying them right keep us in the game. We sell what people are buying. We package and dispense products in a way that our customer is accustomed at a price that they can afford. Can’t help it. It is the way it is.
So yes, before the [i]consumer[/i] tosses away our non-biodegradable disposable containers, the ones that I choose to buy for them and package their meals in, those dump fillers that are included in the price of the double cheese fried beef patty value meal of choice (about a grand in calories), that which the price is pre-determined by what the market will bear. I suppose I could serve it on a piece of wax paper, but the consumer wants better than that. I could serve it on the fancy new sugar cane sustainable product line (samples under my desk)…and go broke. Product costs, consumer data and sales analysis tell me where I need to be as far as the cost/sustainable relationship goes, as I slowly rise to the top as (once labeled) Gate Keeper of the Landfill.
So I was thinking, would I have ever started a fitness quest without first being an indulgent? Would I have sat on a board to discuss wellness and sustainability without my first hand experience, knowledge of such wastes and importantly, a reality approach of how to deal with it? Would our company have been able to contribute to the wellness community (cycling) or introduced programming to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle without getting to know Fast Food America first? I sneak in my influence whenever possible on my own personal agenda. Doesn’t mean I don’t bring home the bacon. Understanding of course that there are families to be fed by our companies continued success.
A comprehensive company culture that embraces a healthy and sustainable lifestyle evolves, it doesn’t just happen overnight. Frankly the world evolves this way. Change requires clear direction and an investment that begins…somewhere. Scott’s shocking, against-the-grain commentary is positive in that regard, in his ability to talk openly at the risk of sounding like an asshat. But hey, no more or less positive than THF’s efforts to create awareness using their own culture with the resources they have, while doing what they do. Shine on, both of yuz.
Bill Laurie was my high school Basketball coach. Can’t recall him pushing small town or urban business takeover, ever.
Man, where have I been? This is the type of thread that 10-day stretches of rain/cold/ice are made. Bravo!
Chiming…At peak times, our company serves upwards of 60,000 meals per week and we take a lot of heat because of it. We chose to be in business, the ones providing the products in all sorts of commercial and non-commercial restuarants. We simply were the ones who raised our hands first or were the ones who might have been the most innovative. We are competitive in price and have figured out ways to aggregate programs, mainly comprehensive purchasing gigs that help generate better profitability, less cost etc. Bottom line, choosing the right products and buying them right keep us in the game. We sell what people are buying. We package and dispense products in a way that our customer is accustomed at a price that they can afford. Can’t help it. It is the way it is.
So yes, before the [i]consumer[/i] tosses away our non-biodegradable disposable containers, the ones that I choose to buy for them and package their meals in, those dump fillers that are included in the price of the double cheese fried beef patty value meal of choice (about a grand in calories), that which the price is pre-determined by what the market will bear. I suppose I could serve it on a piece of wax paper, but the consumer wants better than that. I could serve it on the fancy new sugar cane sustainable product line (samples under my desk)…and go broke. Product costs, consumer data and sales analysis tell me where I need to be as far as the cost/sustainable relationship goes, as I slowly rise to the top as (once labeled) Gate Keeper of the Landfill.
So I was thinking, would I have ever started a fitness quest without first being an indulgent? Would I have sat on a board to discuss wellness and sustainability without my first hand experience, knowledge of such wastes and importantly, a reality approach of how to deal with it? Would our company have been able to contribute to the wellness community (cycling) or introduced programming to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle without getting to know Fast Food America first? I sneak in my influence whenever possible on my own personal agenda. Doesn’t mean I don’t bring home the bacon. Understanding of course that there are families to be fed by our companies continued success.
A comprehensive company culture that embraces a healthy and sustainable lifestyle evolves, it doesn’t just happen overnight. Frankly the world evolves this way. Change requires clear direction and an investment that begins…somewhere. Scott’s shocking, against-the-grain commentary is positive in that regard, in his ability to talk openly at the risk of sounding like an asshat. But hey, no more or less positive than THF’s efforts to create awareness using their own culture with the resources they have, while doing what they do. Shine on, both of yuz.
Bill Laurie was my high school Basketball coach. Can’t recall him pushing small town or urban business takeover, ever.
The Media Club
The Media Club was situated on the top floors of the Laclede Gas building in Downtown St. Louis. Kind of a rustic place, older, a dwindling membership due to the exodus of some businesses in the area in the late 80's. Unfortunately there had also been a tax law change that put a clamp down on the three martini lunch from the 70's and 80's. City Clubs were on the decline and there were plenty in the area. Right down the street sat the Missouri Athletic Club. The Noonday Club and Kemol's restaurant were across the street in what was then the new Met Life building. "The one that blocked the view of the arch" said many a member of the Media Club. There was also the Lawyers Club in the Mercantile Building to the north and many other upscale cash operations nearby. It was a tough time, I was challenged with the task of building the business in a bad climate. Regardless, the Media Club was still a prestigious gem in 1991, when I took the job as Maitre D' Hotel, or in western terms, Food and Beverage Director.
The Media Club's founder, Robert Hyland, of KMOX fame, (whom I never met), would later prove to be one of those interesting "six degree of separation" things that would lead to my employment at (then) Lindenwood College. Hyland was the former chairmen of the Board of Directors at the College that later became my home. The first new building was named after him, the Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena. I suppose dropping Hylands name didn't hurt in my interview with Dennis Spellmann, president of Lindenwood at the time. I interviewed with him for my job as Cafeteria Manager in 1993 and have been connected to the University ever since. I suppose it didn't hurt that I had worked at the Media Club and was influenced by the culture there. Maybe Dennis had eaten there? Maybe that was the connection that got me in? I remember him bragging to someone that I had done my time there, Hyland being the founder. He wanted some of that Media Club stuff from me. I knew virtually nothing about cafeterias.
The Club was very disciplined. The staff took an enormous amount of pride in the style of service that it provided, that which was the standard and tradition of the club for years. I was familiar due to the fact that I had also worked at the St. Louis Club in Clayton as a Chef's Apprentice and later as a Chef D Range, a touring chef in a formal European dining room. For a couple years while in school at Forest Park Community College and during the years before I married, I learned the business of "fine point" service. It was a craft. There was an art to the process, balance and symmetry. Yes, the Euros wrote the book on "fine point" service; a hierarchy, a chain of command process that is pretty stuffy and only found in the finest restaurants and private clubs in the world. The food is produced and orchestrated by the Executive Chef to the dining rooms. The wine and service conducted by the Maitre D' Hotel. Both of these prestigious positions have a journeyman's stable, those responsible for carrying out tasks "on cue" that eventually come together for quite an upscale experience.
I studied this tradition and made it mine. I faked it when I had to and rose to the occasion. Being the new guy at the club was a bit intimidating. The prior Maitre D' had been very well liked and a familiar face to the members for years. It would be my job to remember each of their names, their food likes and dislikes, their favorite tables, wines, idiosyncrasies. My job was to replace the dwindling staff with those employees of my own. My job was to conduct the artists before me as they lined up, napkins over-arm, ready for instructions.
As far as attire, during the day I would wear a blue blazer and grey pants, black belt and black loafers. My shirt was a blue oxford single point long sleeve, with a red or yellow tie. At night I would wear a Tuxedo, as would all of my staff. We were crisp and disciplined. This was the culture. I hadn't put it there, it was there from years of iron fisted management from veteran Maitre D', John Stackle. He rose through the ranks of Club Corporation of America to Regional Manager. They were the company that operated the fledgling club. They were also the ones who were draining the membership dollar. He was a tough guy whom I didn't care for much. Most of the tough guys in my life have had a positive influence however, and John was one of them. He was cert and mean to his staff, but new his guests well. He gave me my priorities in a meeting of the minds, a delivery that I couldn't help but understand.
This was the beginning of my career really. Even though I had worked in the corporate chains in the 80's, and achieved an understanding of their procedures, nothing really seemed to compare to the protocol of this type of service and standard. It was detailed and expensive to purvey. It was dying a slow death too. I realized quickly that I didn't really have the toolkit, only prior experiences, a dusting of this and that which would prove enough to be dangerous. I would have to adapt quickly, take on an enormous amount of responsibility and make it mine.
My only leg up would come from a server named Diane Grossenheider, and a catering manager whose name I have forgotten. There was a reason for such retentiveness on their part when it came to service and I wanted some of that. I would emulate them in order to get results. Likely the best thing I could have done. The guests had yet to influence me, as it was only my first day.
The Media Club's founder, Robert Hyland, of KMOX fame, (whom I never met), would later prove to be one of those interesting "six degree of separation" things that would lead to my employment at (then) Lindenwood College. Hyland was the former chairmen of the Board of Directors at the College that later became my home. The first new building was named after him, the Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena. I suppose dropping Hylands name didn't hurt in my interview with Dennis Spellmann, president of Lindenwood at the time. I interviewed with him for my job as Cafeteria Manager in 1993 and have been connected to the University ever since. I suppose it didn't hurt that I had worked at the Media Club and was influenced by the culture there. Maybe Dennis had eaten there? Maybe that was the connection that got me in? I remember him bragging to someone that I had done my time there, Hyland being the founder. He wanted some of that Media Club stuff from me. I knew virtually nothing about cafeterias.
The Club was very disciplined. The staff took an enormous amount of pride in the style of service that it provided, that which was the standard and tradition of the club for years. I was familiar due to the fact that I had also worked at the St. Louis Club in Clayton as a Chef's Apprentice and later as a Chef D Range, a touring chef in a formal European dining room. For a couple years while in school at Forest Park Community College and during the years before I married, I learned the business of "fine point" service. It was a craft. There was an art to the process, balance and symmetry. Yes, the Euros wrote the book on "fine point" service; a hierarchy, a chain of command process that is pretty stuffy and only found in the finest restaurants and private clubs in the world. The food is produced and orchestrated by the Executive Chef to the dining rooms. The wine and service conducted by the Maitre D' Hotel. Both of these prestigious positions have a journeyman's stable, those responsible for carrying out tasks "on cue" that eventually come together for quite an upscale experience.
I studied this tradition and made it mine. I faked it when I had to and rose to the occasion. Being the new guy at the club was a bit intimidating. The prior Maitre D' had been very well liked and a familiar face to the members for years. It would be my job to remember each of their names, their food likes and dislikes, their favorite tables, wines, idiosyncrasies. My job was to replace the dwindling staff with those employees of my own. My job was to conduct the artists before me as they lined up, napkins over-arm, ready for instructions.
As far as attire, during the day I would wear a blue blazer and grey pants, black belt and black loafers. My shirt was a blue oxford single point long sleeve, with a red or yellow tie. At night I would wear a Tuxedo, as would all of my staff. We were crisp and disciplined. This was the culture. I hadn't put it there, it was there from years of iron fisted management from veteran Maitre D', John Stackle. He rose through the ranks of Club Corporation of America to Regional Manager. They were the company that operated the fledgling club. They were also the ones who were draining the membership dollar. He was a tough guy whom I didn't care for much. Most of the tough guys in my life have had a positive influence however, and John was one of them. He was cert and mean to his staff, but new his guests well. He gave me my priorities in a meeting of the minds, a delivery that I couldn't help but understand.
This was the beginning of my career really. Even though I had worked in the corporate chains in the 80's, and achieved an understanding of their procedures, nothing really seemed to compare to the protocol of this type of service and standard. It was detailed and expensive to purvey. It was dying a slow death too. I realized quickly that I didn't really have the toolkit, only prior experiences, a dusting of this and that which would prove enough to be dangerous. I would have to adapt quickly, take on an enormous amount of responsibility and make it mine.
My only leg up would come from a server named Diane Grossenheider, and a catering manager whose name I have forgotten. There was a reason for such retentiveness on their part when it came to service and I wanted some of that. I would emulate them in order to get results. Likely the best thing I could have done. The guests had yet to influence me, as it was only my first day.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Pfoodman/Wapiti/Sheetz
Well, last night was the MS Society bash that recognizes the teams who accomplished the most. Pfoodman/Wapiti got the award for Best Rookie Team, raising over 16,000 dollars. Now, we know what the real deal was here. Jim Sheetz must have raised 8/10's of the dough.
Way to go Jim. Way to go everyone else!
Way to go Jim. Way to go everyone else!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Preface
I was thinking we could make an interesting process out of the book thing. Below please find an exerpt from my book to be released all over the universe soon.
Symmetry and the Subconscious: Business dining do's and don'ts for Grads…
Preface…
Consider only for a moment that it was brilliance that led me to come up with such an unassuming title. It was to satisfy a certain professional or conventional standard found in all books offering instructional advice on or how to get better at…something. It might also have been my attempt to give “credit due” to the notion that there are indeed specific do’s and don’ts to consider when dining out, in business or any other event for that matter, and that when you might find yourself in the spotlight, you need to be prepared. There are some important “just so there is no confusion” guidelines to help shore things up, help you achieve solid results, an overlay, if you will. Don’t pass over them, even though the gist of the book has more to do with logic than process.
The title is an illusion; an example of conformity; the status quo expectation that there might be good information found here, and that there is usually good information found in most books titled this way. I am a little unsure if mocking the system is my way of introducing style, a controversial element in an effort to keep things interesting, or not. There needs to be controversy, in a manor that you can understand--spewed stuff, like the trials of personal experiences that I have included. We shall dissect a failure or two along the way; outline some critical mistakes to make things interesting? Yes, it is necessary too explain things, my re-invention processes that lead to what has become the backbone of my logic. There is drama in life and I have chosen to inject a little of mine to help you get through the book. So this is a story, about a journey, a chosen path, and a forking path with winding off camber surface that captures the essence of this book.
At the end when you have released yourself from the tendency to filter “Gen-formation”, the process by which you, the XYZ generation, processes information, then maybe you will embrace the concept of symmetry and balance and how it relates to dining etiquette the way I do—that which appears so conforming and conventional but seeks your knowledge and culture, your take on the way things are, unconventionally, out of the box and setting a new standard.
I suppose it would be nice if this book winds up in bookstores at the appropriate Business and/or Motivation section. As unconventional as it may really prove to be, I figure titles are basically nothing more than key word searches anyway. People can google the words “dining etiquette” and get a heaping helping of conventional goodness, and I suppose a lot of it is useful. I would prefer you remember a theme in regards to the concept. That is the difference in with this book and others.
So my emphasis will change before the end, and we will cover a lot when it comes to behavior and that which is accepted subconsciously and that which is not accepted at all. Bottom line is, I have just a little more to say than discussing fork patterns and base plates. However there are no hidden messages.
For the sake of housekeeping, I need to say that my mind has a tendency to drift in and out before finally pulling things together. I do this in when I speak. I’ll explore topics, never rehearsing or having an outline other than what is in my head or at the forefront of my imaginary dashboard. I begin speaking and, with reference to an instructor’s timeline, keep talking until it’s over or I am kicked out. I usually touch on what I have learned, a selection of experiences, influences from people that have had impact on my life and my career. I am circular, making sure I hit a couple key points a long the way, and say them more than once. Some seminars are better than others. I drink coffee, strong coffee, before addressing a group. It seems necessary.
So there are many things that motivate me to write this book. Most things have to do with the way I see the world. Now especially after reaching a point in life when I can say that I am comfortable with myself in business, in the way others view me. I liken my attitude towards business decisions to that of some of my favorite clothes, like leather shoes, formed and fitted, familiar, used, authentic and comfortable. I am intuitive and automatic; take action, because I have references. And I think my clients know this of me. After all, I am a brand. Much more on this in chapter________.
The other side of things, the personal relationships and personal fulfillment things unfortunately shall always remain a work in progress, forever changing, fickle, unpredictable, and fussy. Both my business psyche and personal psyche however, are like a tandem bicycle. It takes two to operate the thing. There are peaks and valleys for both the steersman and stoker. There are two distinct responsibilities, though both are needed to level the pavement. And don’t forget balance.
Yes, I am older now and there are a lot of smart people around me, and for good reason. It is strategic really. There are engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, coaches, and marketing people, the more gamuts to run the better. I have chosen to surround myself with smart people, meticulously chosen heroes whom I study, so that I can borrow and take from their tool boxes. It is a form of manipulation I suppose, though aren’t all relationships? I think we kindle relationships with people in an effort to understand the competitions in life, so that, if need be, we might overcome them.
In business I have collected boxes of stuff for quite a while: my ideas, passions, politics, views on success, what works, what doesn’t, stuff that can be labeled and put up on a shelf, chronologically and/or in order of importance, it varies. They are boxes of experiences, snippets of personalities surgically removed from a collection of subjects, those whom I have traveled with, studied with, argued with, loved.
Symmetry and the Subconscious: Business dining do's and don'ts for Grads…
Preface…
Consider only for a moment that it was brilliance that led me to come up with such an unassuming title. It was to satisfy a certain professional or conventional standard found in all books offering instructional advice on or how to get better at…something. It might also have been my attempt to give “credit due” to the notion that there are indeed specific do’s and don’ts to consider when dining out, in business or any other event for that matter, and that when you might find yourself in the spotlight, you need to be prepared. There are some important “just so there is no confusion” guidelines to help shore things up, help you achieve solid results, an overlay, if you will. Don’t pass over them, even though the gist of the book has more to do with logic than process.
The title is an illusion; an example of conformity; the status quo expectation that there might be good information found here, and that there is usually good information found in most books titled this way. I am a little unsure if mocking the system is my way of introducing style, a controversial element in an effort to keep things interesting, or not. There needs to be controversy, in a manor that you can understand--spewed stuff, like the trials of personal experiences that I have included. We shall dissect a failure or two along the way; outline some critical mistakes to make things interesting? Yes, it is necessary too explain things, my re-invention processes that lead to what has become the backbone of my logic. There is drama in life and I have chosen to inject a little of mine to help you get through the book. So this is a story, about a journey, a chosen path, and a forking path with winding off camber surface that captures the essence of this book.
At the end when you have released yourself from the tendency to filter “Gen-formation”, the process by which you, the XYZ generation, processes information, then maybe you will embrace the concept of symmetry and balance and how it relates to dining etiquette the way I do—that which appears so conforming and conventional but seeks your knowledge and culture, your take on the way things are, unconventionally, out of the box and setting a new standard.
I suppose it would be nice if this book winds up in bookstores at the appropriate Business and/or Motivation section. As unconventional as it may really prove to be, I figure titles are basically nothing more than key word searches anyway. People can google the words “dining etiquette” and get a heaping helping of conventional goodness, and I suppose a lot of it is useful. I would prefer you remember a theme in regards to the concept. That is the difference in with this book and others.
So my emphasis will change before the end, and we will cover a lot when it comes to behavior and that which is accepted subconsciously and that which is not accepted at all. Bottom line is, I have just a little more to say than discussing fork patterns and base plates. However there are no hidden messages.
For the sake of housekeeping, I need to say that my mind has a tendency to drift in and out before finally pulling things together. I do this in when I speak. I’ll explore topics, never rehearsing or having an outline other than what is in my head or at the forefront of my imaginary dashboard. I begin speaking and, with reference to an instructor’s timeline, keep talking until it’s over or I am kicked out. I usually touch on what I have learned, a selection of experiences, influences from people that have had impact on my life and my career. I am circular, making sure I hit a couple key points a long the way, and say them more than once. Some seminars are better than others. I drink coffee, strong coffee, before addressing a group. It seems necessary.
So there are many things that motivate me to write this book. Most things have to do with the way I see the world. Now especially after reaching a point in life when I can say that I am comfortable with myself in business, in the way others view me. I liken my attitude towards business decisions to that of some of my favorite clothes, like leather shoes, formed and fitted, familiar, used, authentic and comfortable. I am intuitive and automatic; take action, because I have references. And I think my clients know this of me. After all, I am a brand. Much more on this in chapter________.
The other side of things, the personal relationships and personal fulfillment things unfortunately shall always remain a work in progress, forever changing, fickle, unpredictable, and fussy. Both my business psyche and personal psyche however, are like a tandem bicycle. It takes two to operate the thing. There are peaks and valleys for both the steersman and stoker. There are two distinct responsibilities, though both are needed to level the pavement. And don’t forget balance.
Yes, I am older now and there are a lot of smart people around me, and for good reason. It is strategic really. There are engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, coaches, and marketing people, the more gamuts to run the better. I have chosen to surround myself with smart people, meticulously chosen heroes whom I study, so that I can borrow and take from their tool boxes. It is a form of manipulation I suppose, though aren’t all relationships? I think we kindle relationships with people in an effort to understand the competitions in life, so that, if need be, we might overcome them.
In business I have collected boxes of stuff for quite a while: my ideas, passions, politics, views on success, what works, what doesn’t, stuff that can be labeled and put up on a shelf, chronologically and/or in order of importance, it varies. They are boxes of experiences, snippets of personalities surgically removed from a collection of subjects, those whom I have traveled with, studied with, argued with, loved.
Checking Out Update.
I was thinking recently, how tied down I have been with "projects", a collection of achievements that had become burdensome. Lets see, bicycling, the mountain bike scene, training several times a week, getting ready for something that's coming up, a race, an epic ride where you simply need to stay on the wheel of the guy in front of you. Then there was cross, a not so comfortable sport that I have participated in the past 7 or 8 years. I couldn't even get my head in the right place to show up this year. Too much pain, the knees were killing me, my back and neck a mess, and let's not forget, I was losing. Call it chronic fatigue syndrome if you may. I was burned out.
Yesterday was the first day riding my bike in a while. I will not give the exact time off because my nemesis will calculate the exact level of fitness to achieve for next years season, staying ahead of my fitness, over time, beating me in the early season. Screw that. I will be back. I had a nice ride, got caught in the rain with Little Buddy, because he said "we will be OK". Just after making the commitment to keep going amidst the dark cloud, she opened up on us at Greensfelder and slop was the next couple miles back to the car. Schuck and Thrashers cars had gathered their riders and were long gone.
I suppose it happened, this burnout kind of feeling, for a reason. The entire cycling thing has become a bit of a non-urgent commitment, back burnered and stuffed away behind piles of "other" stuff that I have to do. Even though I rode yesterday, I may still have issues rushing home to the closet to find just the right combination of clothes to put on, hoodies, booties, whatever, then load the car for the trails to find the fitness buzz, once again. I have gained 5 pounds.
There were other things that fell off the radar. This blog for example. There was no reason to write if nothing was worth writing about. It occurred to me again, that if I can't write about things that bother me without a condition of complete authentic free flow, what good is it? Maybe I have gone underground and you can find stuff hidden beneath the complexities of a alias, a lucid dream piloted by my own fantasy, if you will. There is a power having control this way. Honestly? There is no alias.
I did buy another guitar and some recording equipment for me and my kid to jack around with. Damned if I will understand how she suddenly sings and plays Taylor Swift. It wasn't long ago the Something Corporate was at the tip of her tongue. I am thinking this country rock thing will be the start of something new for her. As she reaches a time when she actually knows who she is and begins to experience things based on that realisation, things seem to get a little easier. The teenage years are a bitch. I recommend all parents simply rent a robot for this parenting juncture. Regardless. I have been spending the time necessary to establish and confirm my involvement as a role model for my kid. Doing what is necessary with her first, doing things of my own second.
Same thing goes with the wife. It occurred to me that there is a person sitting there that has yet to be explored in part. The part that hasn't been taken for granted or put on a shelf with a piece of paper that lists the reasons that I am with this person. Things were missing. There were things left off the list. Many things. Well, we made a list, a new one, one with authentic free flow, and some of that there lucid dreaming stuff. We have been able to set a new course. Like the trails of in a wooded park, as familiar as they might seem, there is always something new to experience. We have been spending a lot of time hiking with the dog. She had never been to Chubb, we did the flint quarry loop Saturday. There were so many things that I hadnt seen before while walking along the trial with my wife. Usually the head is down, concentration is key, speed, agility, skill. Could one become lost on a trail that he has ridden for years? I think this might have been the case.
Yesterday was the first day riding my bike in a while. I will not give the exact time off because my nemesis will calculate the exact level of fitness to achieve for next years season, staying ahead of my fitness, over time, beating me in the early season. Screw that. I will be back. I had a nice ride, got caught in the rain with Little Buddy, because he said "we will be OK". Just after making the commitment to keep going amidst the dark cloud, she opened up on us at Greensfelder and slop was the next couple miles back to the car. Schuck and Thrashers cars had gathered their riders and were long gone.
I suppose it happened, this burnout kind of feeling, for a reason. The entire cycling thing has become a bit of a non-urgent commitment, back burnered and stuffed away behind piles of "other" stuff that I have to do. Even though I rode yesterday, I may still have issues rushing home to the closet to find just the right combination of clothes to put on, hoodies, booties, whatever, then load the car for the trails to find the fitness buzz, once again. I have gained 5 pounds.
There were other things that fell off the radar. This blog for example. There was no reason to write if nothing was worth writing about. It occurred to me again, that if I can't write about things that bother me without a condition of complete authentic free flow, what good is it? Maybe I have gone underground and you can find stuff hidden beneath the complexities of a alias, a lucid dream piloted by my own fantasy, if you will. There is a power having control this way. Honestly? There is no alias.
I did buy another guitar and some recording equipment for me and my kid to jack around with. Damned if I will understand how she suddenly sings and plays Taylor Swift. It wasn't long ago the Something Corporate was at the tip of her tongue. I am thinking this country rock thing will be the start of something new for her. As she reaches a time when she actually knows who she is and begins to experience things based on that realisation, things seem to get a little easier. The teenage years are a bitch. I recommend all parents simply rent a robot for this parenting juncture. Regardless. I have been spending the time necessary to establish and confirm my involvement as a role model for my kid. Doing what is necessary with her first, doing things of my own second.
Same thing goes with the wife. It occurred to me that there is a person sitting there that has yet to be explored in part. The part that hasn't been taken for granted or put on a shelf with a piece of paper that lists the reasons that I am with this person. Things were missing. There were things left off the list. Many things. Well, we made a list, a new one, one with authentic free flow, and some of that there lucid dreaming stuff. We have been able to set a new course. Like the trails of in a wooded park, as familiar as they might seem, there is always something new to experience. We have been spending a lot of time hiking with the dog. She had never been to Chubb, we did the flint quarry loop Saturday. There were so many things that I hadnt seen before while walking along the trial with my wife. Usually the head is down, concentration is key, speed, agility, skill. Could one become lost on a trail that he has ridden for years? I think this might have been the case.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)