Who is your “Mentor”?

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

My managing partner said to me a long time ago that he hired with an eye towards “he didn’t want to be the smartest guy in the room.” I think that Legendary Coach John Wooden said that “It’s what you learn after you know it all that makes the difference”. I have been blessed with some marvelous awards including Restauranteur of the Year, but over my 30 years in the industry, I have discovered that I don’t know it all. And because I don’t, I am always searching for wiser and more talented individuals who can be a Mentor to me.

We have an assistant manager who spent 53 years in the hospitality business and he had seen about every situation that the current restaurant finds itself in. He retired recently, deservedly so, but we still get together for coffee or lunch to chat every month. He asks me questions, I ask him questions and sometimes we focus on one issue, but sometimes it’s just a tune-up. He sends me emails and notes and things that he reads online and in trade publications that he sees. It is always helpful items that he knows will help me run a 6 million dollar a year business. He is a friend as well as a mentor and I get tons of help from someone who definitely knows more than I do. I have another friend who has vast financial insight and he helps with the numbers and long term money decisions. They are used to big dollars and cents transactions and so they have amazing insight on how to handle the finances and the budget.

Now, you may not need a business manager, but you need someone who runs a small business that is like yours. What have they faced? How do they handle cash flow? What have they found to be the best form of marketing? Do they have a way to navigate human resources issues. Look for individuals who are smarter and more seasoned than you and then politely ask them if they would be willing to give you some assistance. These same mentors are also the people who can tell you what they think of your food and your service. My 53 year veteran can come to the restaurants and eat and drink whenever he wants for free (he generally comes once a month) . My only requirement is that he send us a review on his experience and what he thought. I get a nice little review from a restaurant professional who doesn’t pull punches. He talks about the hostess and the greeting. The server. How they interacted with his table. Their knowledge of the food and drink list. Then he critiques the food for flavor and temperature. The last time he was in he pointed out that the music wasn’t loud enough so you couldn’t hear it. Always concise and worth whatever he eats and drinks.

So, who do you know that is smarter than you? Can they be your mentor? Will they give you honest feedback on your burrito? Will they tell you about your sever. Rate the cleanliness of your bathrooms? Talk about the trash in the parking lot on their way in. And, can they help you through problems that you encounter either because they have been through that, or they have a great mind for business.

Think about all of the folks that you know in the business community and see if there is someone that you might want to be a mentor to you. It’s important that they don’t just want to make you feel good. They need to agree to be an impartial judge. If they can’t tell you the truth about your overall product, they probably aren’t a good fit. And they don’t need to tell you how wonderful you are all of the time. There are always ways to improve. Find that wise voice; that YODA in your life. Ask them to share their wisdom. Find someone to help you discover the FORCE. Then go conquer the universe.

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