Joanne and I were in Chicago this last week. On a bitter cold morning we planned to have breakfast at the famous Lou Mitchell’s restaurant. After walking several blocks, fighting the cold, we finally found this place, started as a family restaurant in 1923. One day in 1958, someone decided to give out donut holes to the people waiting in line to get in. The response was such that they have never stopped. Now 50 years later that is still their magic formula. Trust me, the place is nothing fancy – it’s in an unattractive part of town, in the bottom of an old office building, and they cram you in long tables where you’ll be rubbing shoulders with people you’ve never met before. But the magic continues – while other restaurants with big names are struggling, you always have to wait in line at Lou Mitchell’s.
When you have nothing….
Joanne and I are in Chicago for our annual pre-Christmas excursion. The weather is bitter cold and the streets are not as crowded with shoppers this year. And the sidewalks have all too many people with quickly constructed cardboard signs who are hoping to capture the sympathy of passing shoppers.
I saw one sign that said:
Lost my Job
Lost my Home
Lost my Hope
Please Help
What’s the next step? Is this really an inevitable sequence? I was reading this morning about the inventions that are coming out of the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The tagline on the story said, “When you have nothing, anything is possible.”
Past humiliation — but stuck in sameness
This gentleman has been taking a 90-minute train ride into New York each day, where he walks the streets wearing this sandwich board sign. It reads, “Almost homeless; looking for employment. Very experienced operations and administration manager.”
He says he’s beyond the point of being humiliated – he just needs a job. He says, “When you’re out of work and you face having nothing – I mean, having no income – pride doesn’t mean anything. I have to take care of my family.” His resume includes 36 years in the toy industry before being laid off in February of this year.
No Business — Just Love Me
Recently I spoke at a breakfast Chamber of Commerce meeting. Sitting at my table was a lady who told me she was in the insurance business. The next day she contacted me and was persistent about giving me a presentation. I agreed to give her 20 minutes just as a professional courtesy. She brought her boss with her and we had a pleasant 20 minute interaction, after which I told her I had chosen to keep my current coverage in place. She continued to contact me and I have responded briefly. Yesterday she called me again to ask my advice for growing her business. I gave her some brief tips as I was attempting to get off the phone and back to my important writing deadlines.
Go Ahead — Make More Mistakes
I hear from so many people who regret decisions they have made, whether that is in choosing a career, buying a house they could not afford or investing in GM stock. But what should we do with our “mistakes.” Is there really any other way to learn how to do the right things and ultimately find the success we are seeking?
Most of you want to be entrepreneurs. Here’s what Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad) has to say about “bad luck.” He says, “Making mistakes and becoming smarter is the job of an entrepreneur; not making mistakes is the job of an employee.”
