Month: July 2012

Carl Lewis and competing with excellence…

Every four years during the summer Olympics I have memories of being a kid and watching Carl Lewis compete in four Olympics. I thought he was the greatest athlete I had ever seen, and perhaps he still is. The guy won nine gold medals and one silver medal. He was unique. Special. Absolutely unbelievable. Recently […]

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Running your own business is awesome because: You can listen to your heart

I am going to start a series of very short blog posts outlining some of the great things about running your own business – especially ones funded by yourself (or others working with you). I’ll try to post one each week (some serious, some humorous) and tag them so we can have fun looking at […]

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Why indie restaurants have an advantage over chains (New video – Scott Maitland, part IV)

Scott Maitland, owner of Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery in Chapel Hill, N.C. talks about why independent restaurants have a strategic advantage over chains, growing within your four walls before you grow outside of them, and hiring people with a passion to serve… If you like this vid or any others in the […]

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Another 5 star book review…

Our book, “Restaurant Owners Uncorked,” had not received a review on Amazon in over a year until recently (I’ve learned that even though the book is selling very well, it’s rare for people to write reviews, especially when the book is no longer brand new). So we were excited to receive another “5-star” review last […]

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Why I ignore what our competitors are doing…

Imagine standing on top of the tallest mountain in a range and looking out across the horizon on a day when the sky is crystal clear. You can see for miles in every direction. There are no clouds or competing peaks impeding your view. It is endless. Breathtaking. You inhale deeply to soak it all […]

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Breakin’ down The Meatball Shop vid footage…

I can’t wait to finish the videos we’re making from the interviews we did at The Meatball Shop! I’ve been breaking down the clips, as you can see in my illegible notes pictured here. We have incredible “b-roll” (backbround footgage) from inside their three locations, as well as cool exterior shots we took in Brooklyn […]

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Schedulefly is like a boat…

When I think of Schedulefly, I often think of it as a boat. Imagine an ocean full of people treading water. Everywhere you look, people are bobbing up and down, arms and legs working hard. Some have been doing it for many years, some just jumped in recently. They are all tired, and one by […]

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My 5-year old son reminded me how awesome it is to follow your passions…

Last week I watched my son spend several hours on the beach learning to skim board. I’ll be honest, when we bought him the board I figured he would toss it 5-10 times, fall every time, decide it was too hard, and move onto something else. I’m happy to admit he proved me way wrong. […]

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New Video – Scott Maitland, part III…

Scott Maitland, owner of Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery in Chapel Hill, N.C. talks about the seduction of the restaurant business, money as a scorecard, and how he measures success. A special thanks is due to Luke Pearson of Lift Films for making these absolutely amazing videos. He is incredibly talented and somehow […]

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Why I love my new espresso maker…

My wife bought me an espresso maker for Father’s Day, and I LOVE it. (She knows a morning espresso helps me be an even better father – and husband!) I love that it’s simple and easy to use. I learned to use it in 30 seconds. I love that it doesn’t have tons of bells […]

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