Ever meet someone from a completely different industry who is innovative and inspires you to change your own business or industry? I did. And it happened twice.
Recently, I facilitated a pro bono strategy session with the board of Kherut, a group helping to end human trafficking—a most horrid kind of slavery—of mainly women by teaching clients how to prepare and serve gourmet meals in minutes. Founder Yves Masquefa was one of Southern California’s “greatest” restauranteurs, and that is according to Muhammad Ali! Among movie stars and world travelers, Yves was known for making a common meal sublime.
Yves asked himself, “How can I use my gifts to help those most in need?” He was inspired to innovate and simplify how quickly world-class food can be served. In hours, his nonprofit’s catering service can teach a client how to serve 10 different gourmet meals in less than 5 minutes. He combined best practices from around the world with a little bit of research and a large portion of love to begin changing the world.
Here’s another example. One of Cincinnati’s most successful restaurants of the ’90s was a steak house with a Tex-Mex twist. Located miles off the main road, the restaurant was near nothing but a library. I popped in one afternoon to meet a client at the bar as he liked the free chips and fresh salsa as well as the frozen margaritas. I was early and noticed only a few cars in the lot. As I sauntered into the bar area, which had seating for more than 100 people, a lone fellow at the bar was wearing shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops.
I asked the unshaven fellow if he was the owner. Shocked, he said, “How did you know?” I replied, “Tom?” He was clearly spooked by this time, and I said I saw a Jaguar out front in the closest parking spot with TJF on the license plate, so I just figured it had to be him. I shared, “I’ve heard you have THE most successful restaurant in the city. What are your secrets to success?”
Tom proudly replied, “Great question! Funny that I’ve never been asked—because we do have one of the highest average tickets and fastest turn rates for a white tablecloth place … so I’ll tell you!”
- Give your customers what they love most – “America is a meat-and-potatoes nation. We aren’t really Tex-Mex. We are a steak house. The chips, salsa and margaritas aren’t really what they come for. They come for the meat, and we have the best … and I’ll tell you how .…”
- Treat vendors like customers – “I pay my meat man cash. I get the best cuts in town, even better than Ruby’s.”
- Keep it casual – “We were the first casual steak place in town. Before us, it was nothing but ‘jacket required’ places.”
- Pay your stars – “I pay my chef 30% more than he’s worth, and he’s one of the best.”
- Hire for attitude – “Yes, the hostesses are models, but everyone on staff has a great attitude. Nothing is more beautiful than a smile.”
So, there you have it. There’s a story of how two geniuses from a totally different industry inspire others to innovate like never before.
Are you looking outside of your industry to get inspiration and innovation? Find someone you admire in another industry, and ask to interview that person. Or at least read about that person. Study them, their approach, and their business like a scientist, and ideas will come.
It’s often said that every business needs its “sizzle factor” or its “unique flavor.” How can you better “sell the sizzle”? Where could you turn up the heat of your innovation and amplify your strengths? I look forward to hearing your stories and how you’re inspired and plan to “kick it up a notch” and then give back.
