Tag: Smallbusiness

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt 5: Delivering The Goods

“I thought I had an appetite for destruction, but all I wanted was a club sandwich” – Homer

I admitted in a previous part that I was neither much of a fan of bread or grilled cheese, the all-American sandwich. Here is another dirty little secret for you; I didn’t even like mustard at the time I tasted my first midnight snack, but it worked and I loved it. That might have been what planted the seed of ingredients and flavor profiles that would influence my craft to come. So what is it about a well-constructed sandwich that makes a mustard hater enjoy mustard?

Is it the combination of flavors, the type of meat in the middle, the bread, the fried egg? Is all the above true?

So, then, what makes a perfect sandwich? The first criteria is that the finished product must be greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, everything in the middle must have a role and add to, not dominate or diminish. That said, there is no middle without the bread. How important is bread? Well, it’s the first point of contact so its responsibility is raised high above the bar. It must deliver the goods, contain the goods, protect the goods… You get the idea; the bread is the vehicle that delivers the package, yet doesn’t leave it at the door step and drive away. No, the bread remains for the entire journey, so it better be good.

There is nothing worse than a package that doesn’t deliver, whether it’s too tough to open, smashed in transit, or crumbled on take off, ruining the meal before it is started. I have had far too many of these and much too many that actually have the taste and texture of an actual cardboard package. I simply can’t even count how many awful meals I’ve had all due to bad bread. Be it stale, be it frail, if the bread can’t perform whatever lies between is irrelevant; the meal is done.

The art of ‘WichCraft is so simple yet so complex. It requires vision, creativity, design, architecture, and cohesion. But most of all it requires some thoughtfulness and a little common sense. Why? Because no matter how well thought out, how well planned, how well constructed, if the vessel doesn’t work, it all breaks down. 

We have all had that breakdown on the side of a plate, right? It’s awful, isn’t it?

It makes you ask, how does this happen? What kind of an idiot can’t make a fucking sandwich? Well, all kinds of idiots I guess because I have had far too many crappy sandwiches. Common sense; don’t use stale bread, don’t use frail bread. Don’t use too much and don’t use too little. Don’t use bread that can’t make the delivery! Is there anything worse than a sandwich that completely falls apart an inch before the first bite? How about a sandwich with bread so hard it cuts the roof of your mouth like too much Captain Crunch? It’s really not that hard, just use good, fresh bread.

To that point, dare I say bread is the most important component of a sandwich?

I do not dare say anything at this point in our little journey for I have only just begun to slice into it. I will say, however, everything has a role in crafting the perfect sandwich. All components have a reason and must play well with others and do their part. 

So then,  what is the star of a sandwich? Does bread hold the lead or just a supporting role?

Let’s look in the middle before I answer that.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The Art of ‘WichCraft, Pt.2: From Wence Came The ‘Wich?

Just think of all the things you can do without letting hunger stop you. You can hike, you can fish, you can even gamble if you wish.

“Sandwiches are wonderful. You don’t need a spoon or a plate” -Paul Lynde 

Before I get too deep or find myself, sandwiched between my thoughts from which I cannot escape, I would like to give thanks where thanks are due.

To whom do I thank for such a practical and delicious creation? There is often a debate on who invented the sandwich, but the consensus gives credit to the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu in 1762. Well then, John, your nobleness, thank you for your contribution to the culinary world.

I am quite sure that many civilisations prior to the time of our noble earl of Sandwich used a breadlike vehicle or two to eat their food but our friend John Montagu gets the credit.

The story has it that our nobleman was quite the profligate and gambler; I like him already. This story excites me more than an ancient tribe in loin cloth consuming the spoils of their hunt between two starchy, carby ancient grainy type things. So, it is said that our gambler was on a twenty four hour run at the table and became hungry. Understandable, that’s a long time to do anything without food. Our 4th Earl asked the cook to prepare food he could eat that would not hinder his gambling. What was presented was two pieces of toast with sliced meat in between. Genius!

That really begs the questions, did John really invent the sandwich or did the cook? For the sake of diplomacy, I will thank them both – Thank John Montagu and the nameless cook that satisfieth his hunger.

Just think of all the things you can do without letting hunger stop you. You can hike, you can fish, you can even gamble if you wish. You make your own and drive straight through, or grab one from the drive-through. Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it better with a sandwich or two.

So, to whomever invented the sandwich I am eternally grateful. If they never did, who knows what I would have walked in on my dad and uncle making for a midnight snack that fateful night. The bite that started it all could have been a disgusting bowl of porridge! My dad was known to enjoy a bowl of that too.  For now, I will thank you Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, for your gambling addiction that eventually led to my love for one the greatest foods of all, and the spark that lit the fire that would eventually ignite my passion to cook.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The Art of ‘Wichcraft, Part 1: Love at First Bite

“Tell the cook of this restaurant with my compliments that these are the very worst sandwiches in the whole world, and that, when I ask for a watercress sandwich, I do not mean a loaf with a field in the middle of it.” – Oscar Wilde

Banging, clanging, banter, and laughter…
The sounds carrying down the hall…
Followed by the brilliant aroma of something cooking.
I awake to sounds and smells, confused by the darkness.
I roll out of bed and tip toe down the hall…
Sleep maintains its grip on me, is this a dream?
The sizzles reverberate like an echo from an amp set to 11…
The laughter, louder and louder as the hallway ends.
I round the corner and peek…
“Hey kiddo, want a bite?”

What a fond and familiar scene, my dad and his younger brother, my Uncle Gary…Laughing and eating at the table in the middle of the night. Masters of the midnight snack with laughter so contagious, if only it could be packaged & sold. Yes! I want a bite and how I long to awaken once again to those two in the middle of the night.

How pivotal was that midnight bite in the course of my life I really don’t know. That was more than four decades ago but that might have been the start of it all. It was crunchy, it was messy, it was spicy, and it was absolutely delicious. It might have been the best thing I had eaten in my short life at that time. Was it simply that all things taste better late at night? Or was it the fact that my dad had mastered the craft? Which craft do you ask? The art ‘wichcraft.

In the spirit of full disclosure, similar events have taken place multiple times. So, the exact sandwich of this night escapes me but I can say this… EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!

The lightly toasted bread had the perfect crunch and provided stability for its precious cargo. A light coating of mayo & mustard to compliment the meat,perfectly fried bologna. That alone might have proved enough for most, but not for my dad. No, there were crisp dill pickle slices, a thin slice of cheese, slightly melted and…a fried egg?! OH MY! Served on a little plate with potato chips and a bottle of hot sauce. It. Was. On

There are three vivid food memories I have from childhood, this being one. One of the others also involved my dad – he would make me soft boiled eggs for breakfast and serve them in what I thought were little candle holders.He would crack the top off and give me butter, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce – yum! The other was eating lunch at My Aunt Doris’s home in Berkley, CA (my great, great aunt might I add). She made the most amazing cheesy, open faced sandwiches…yes sandwiches again… They were simply amazing. One visit she let me help her and I learned how to make them. They weren’t the first thing I learned to make, scrambled eggs were, but sandwiches became my “thing” – my first “thing” that I can recall. They became a favorite midnight snack over the years; a real treat was making a sandwich inspired by one of these memories.

Starting to see a theme? Sandwiches, eggs, and hot sauce? I’ll dive deeper later but for now it is all about sandwiches. They are one the simplest yet most complex forms of food. I know what you’re thinking, just hear me out. Anyone can make a sandwich right? Right. Everyone can make a sandwich, but not everyone can make a good sandwich. In my experience, very few can make a perfect sandwich, and there is nothing worse than a bad sandwich. There is simply no excuse for a bad sandwich!

I learned quite a few things from my dad over the years. One of the most important is that laughter is the best medicine. My Dad and Uncle Gary sure knew how to have a good laugh. Boy, was it contagious! Another related to my theme here is that hot sauce elevates just about any meal. And of course, a fried egg makes just about anything better, especially left overs.

The making of a perfect sandwich is truly an art:the art of ‘Wich Craft. My dad mastered that art and passed it on to me. Stay tuned for more on my love of sandwiches, cooking, eggs, and hot sauce in this multi-part series. But, first, I will take you on a little journey into the history of sandwiches.

Talk Soon,
Kevin
@coldfire_kev
@coldfire.coffee
@coldfire_hotsauce
ShopColdFire.Com
kevin@coldfirecoffee.com

The End Part 21: Last Dance

“Her face is cracked from smiling, all the fears that she’s been hiding,
And it seems pretty soon everybody’s gonna know.
And her voice is sore from shouting, cheering winners who are losing,
And she worries if their days are few and soon they’ll have to go.

My, my, my, I’m so happy, I’m gonna join the band,
We are gonna dance and sing in celebration, We are in the promised land.”

– Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin

It’s time to dust off the old dancing shoes and get back on the floor because after almost a year of silence a prospect has surfaced for Go-Go Babyz…

That was in reference to early 2024-ish when communication began with who is now the current owner of Go-Go Babyz. Why did I wait so long to resurface and share the news? If you have followed me for a while you might be able to venture a pretty good guess. I am fairly positive the answer is hidden in plain sight somewhere on this blog, quite possibly in this series.

Again, my guess consists of two answers. The first being rooted in fear. Isn’t that always the root somehow? Everything seems to lead back to fear when we really drill down and peel off all the layers. In this case, it was the fear of failure once again. Fear that the current deal would once again crumble and tumble as did the previous one. You would think I would now be full of confidence and trust with all the experience and lessons I have acquired over the years.  That is true, I do have a lot of confidence. The exception in this particular deal is how easy the entire process was. It became a case of “this is too good to be true” as the process presented very little points of contention between both sides. As a matter of fact, the only real difficulties were a result of some technical issues faced when trying to produce documentation for the buyer. Once that bump was overcome, it was smooth sailing. 

The second is a recurring theme through my life and career; procrastination. I let too much time lapse before I tackled this that it became difficult to garner the inspiration to sit down at the desk and start typing. The cob webs were tough to clear away so I continued to procrastinate. Running the restaurant didn’t help provide the needed time either. There have been some major changes on that front allowing me to take this time on a Friday morning to work on this. The sharing of that is for another time in the near future. 

For the time being, I will focus on the final dance that took place nearly one year ago. The ink has dried, the lights are no longer shining on the dance floor. I have successfully sold the remaining assets of Go-Go Babyz Corp, the business that brought so much to our family and provided so much to my growth as an entrepreneur. 

The entire journey of Go-Go Babyz has been quite a dance. Sometimes I led, sometimes I followed, and others I sat out and watched from the darkest corner of the room waiting for the right moment to jump back in and build the confidence to take the lead again and say what I wanted to say.

What a dance indeed. I have stumbled, fallen, twirled, and tripped, but in the end it was quite a success. What a ride and what a dance it has been. The question is, are my dancing days over? Is it time to hang up and retire my shoes? The answer; I am much too young to stop dancing, life would be much too boring. 

I will happily report that this last dance is only with Go-Go Babyz. There has indeed been more since, and I just might be dancing as I write this. You will just have to hang tight from the side to see what this Celebration Day is all about.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

The End Part 20: Dancing Days Are Here Again

“Lost time is never found again” – Benjamin Franklin

If you recall, the opening quote from the last part was “silence is a source of great strength.” If Lao Tzu is correct, than I must be really strong. I sit here typing away after a year of silence. My last part of this piece was published last June. Why the silence? I am not sure, but if I had to guess here are my two best.

One, I just didn’t feel like I had much to say. That is simply a cop-out. There is always so much going on in my mind and in my life as a business owner that there is always something to say. The truth is that I have learned over the years that when I don’t fell like sharing or do not feel motivated is usually the most important time to dig deep and just do it. I simply did not do that.

Two, I felt embarrassed and a bit ashamed that this negotiation had been taking so long. Here I was wrapping up this series getting ready to finally close the Go-Go Babyz chapter that has endured for two decades of my career. I was just waiting for the ink to dry to publish the last details and my final thoughts.  The ink never dried.

I really think that I let this negotiation get me down. It started off very smooth. The buyer and I worked well together in the beginning and settled the majority of the terms over the phone. The troubles began when two of the buyer’s lawyers got involved. Things started going south fairly quickly. Just when I thought things were good, they would throw another curve ball.

Things got even more frustrating when their lawyers began working with my lawyers. Suddenly, the terms that the buyer and I originally discussed began to change and the fundamental structure of the deal that we were originally working on changed and left me way too vulnerable and exposed. For whatever reason, the buyer tried to change a very important detail in the agreement that we originally discussed that ended up breaking the entire deal.

It is very frustrating that so much time was spent on this deal and in the end it fell through. What is more frustrating is that I had a couple other interested parties that I had to table discussions with due to an exclusivity period with the current buyer at that time. Unfortunately, the ship sailed for the others. I can’t get the time back so I am trying to just be open to learning whatever lessons I can from this experience and use it to move forward better prepared what comes next. If I can successfully pull that off, then the lost time will not be a complete loss.

For now, dancing days are here again. I just need to find a new party to dance with.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

Ramble On, 6.20.2022

Gratitude. Hmmm. It’s such a mystic and elusive word, isn’t it? Maybe, maybe not.

It is, however, something that is easier said, or written, than done. I can only really speak for myself and in my experience it is much easier to say what I am grateful for by means of an oral or written list than actually living my life in gratitude. What does that really look like? Does it actually look like anything or is more of a feeling?

Let me step back for a moment and look at the other side. It easy to complain, judge, and be disappointed when things do not turn out the way I plan or want. It sure doesn’t feel good, though. It is also easy to focus on the things I don’t have and become jealous and envious of others. That sure doesn’t foster gratitude. Why would I want to live that way? I don’t. Then why do I continue to do so? Is it simply a bad habit? 

I could do a deep dive on this and still come up a bit confused so I will keep my rambling short. I do think there is more than one simple answer. Habits are definitely part of the discussion. Verbalizing or writing gratitude lists help form the habit of looking for the positives in our life rather than focusing on the negatives. The positives help us practice good behavior, i.e. good habits, while focusing on the negative perpetuate the bad habits.

I write this the day after Father’s Day on which I had a great day with my family. It was a perfectly enjoyable day. Today is June 20th which is the birthday of one of my lifelong friends that I have been romping around with since the diaper days. I say “one of” because I have quite a few from those days still in my life. If that is not something to be grateful for I don’t know what is.

Looking back just a few days ago I was experiencing intense bouts of anxiety around the sale of Go-Go Babyz. The anxiety came when I found myself in the middle of a deal and all of a sudden two other interested parties came out of the shadows. One in particular had been discussing their interest with another colleague for over a year. They asked that I talk to this other party as a favor. The ink was all but dried on the other deal and now this? I obliged and it went nowhere but generated anxiety for a few days. Of course there was much more but I am sure you get the point.

Looking back I could have avoided the level of anxiety I experienced by focusing on the fact that I had multiple prospects. That is a great position to be in an, again, something to be grateful for.

The point of all this rambling is that in order to change our habits, we have to think differently. Sometimes we need to act our way into thinking differently. Little acts are what will help change the thinking that will form the habits that create positive change in our behavior and life. That is why I believe in a creating gratitude list because writing them down or saying them out loud is a little act that can lead to bigger changes. 

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

The End Part 19: The Sounds of Silence

“Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu

If the opening quote is true, look out world ‘cuz Ima gettin’ strong! Silence is the is present plan. Negotiations have progressed to the point that the prospective buyer has expressed their intent to buy and provided an exclusivity agreement to prevent me from discussing the offer or seeking out another offer from any other party while they perform their due diligence. We are getting closer and mum’s the word.

Well, I guess I didn’t really think this through. How can I write anything if I am not allowed to say anything?

Looking back on my last post I realized that I didn’t really address the quote I used for the opener. I just jumped in and went off writing my thoughts and let them go on their own without coming back to my initial thoughts. That tends to happen, especially when my writing has been dormant for a while. Today I will step back a bit to address the quote from the last post by Leo Tolstoy; “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”

Patience truly is a virtue and one that I never had too much of. I have always been more of an instant gratification type. The good news is I can become better at applying virtues in my life with practice. The better news is that I have become more patient over time, and you guessed it, it took patience and time, among other things.

A quote such as Leo Tolstoy’s begs the question, “what is patience?” According to the Oxford Dictionary it is “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” In the context of my present situation I have to decide if this is something I can do. Do I have the capacity to be patient? If you have followed the entire piece you know it has been going on for quite a while. I have had to practice patience throughout in order to maintain my peace of mind and serenity. Now, I am so close I can taste the execution and ratification of a purchase contract. Therefore I just have to practice a bit more patience to reach the finish line.

Time. That is what I must endure. The ticking and the tocking of time manifested in reality as life moves into the future moment by moment. It is the most valuable resource. It is the great equalizer. We all have the same amount of time. It becomes a priceless asset when no one else has the power to control my time. It becomes even stronger and more powerful when I have the skill to manage it properly to maximize my efficiency, production, and quality of my life. It truly becomes a warrior on my side of the battle of life when I can harness the power from the ability to be patient and endure. There is no strength in allowing impatience to create frustration and suffering through the passing of time as the sands of time run lower and lower.

Life is lived in the moment. A lifetime is made up of a collection of moments. Slow, frustrating negotiations are simply pieces to the puzzle that paint the picture of a lifetime. What do I want my completed puzzle to be? A fiery mosaic filled with anger and frustration? No! This process is just a small section of my final masterpiece. I can practice patience and make the passing of time more constructive and enjoyable, or I can kick and scream and be miserable. I do not like misery. I will choose patience in this moment and grow the strength of my warriors.

Stay tuned to find out how my warriors fared through the silence.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

The End Part 18: Born Again

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy

He there, do you remember me? I know, it has been a while. Truth is, I haven’t had much inspiration to write and on the sale of the business topic, there just hasn’t been much activity to share. The reality is sometimes you just have to stop, let go and walk away to allow things to happen. That is just what I did.

I’d like to say that it was a noble and calculated decision to do so. That it was all part of my overall strategy. If I did I would be lying. What really happened is life became so busy with the other business that time just continued to slip away. At some point I realized that so much time had gone by and that I really should focus on selling the business again before it’s too late. I did just that. I gathered all the basic info needed and listed the business for sale in April. I have had several interested parties and now I am currently in an active negotiation. I won’t get too excited but will practice cautions optimism.

We have been in talks for two business days and the prospective buyer submitted an offer. No need to get onto details that is not the point of this piece. The point is to illustrate, yet again, that once I let go and stop trying to control and force things to create the outcome I want, flow and life is to be restored. The distraction of the other business helped, but I let go of my attachment to the situation and what I wanted to see happen as the outcome. This allowed things to happen more naturally. I just had to do the footwork.

This lesson transcends business and applies to all areas of life. The more I hold tight to situations and try to control the outcome, the more stress and disappointment I experience. That is recipe for disaster.  The more I try to control, the more disappointment and failure I experience in my life. This creates fertile ground for anger, resentment and all their ugly cousins to come have a party in my head. Negativity feeds on negativity and the longer I allow them to live rent free in my head, the larger and stronger they grow.

Once I can acknowledge what is happening and face the negative tenants, I can send an eviction notice. That allows me to move on and create a space for productivity and positivity. As cheesy and cliché as it sounds it is true. It has been proven to me over and over in my life. I only have control over my own attitude and actions. If I feed the demons dancing with the monkeys in my head, things do not work out so well. If I acknowledge them and take away their power, life is good.

Today I choose to evict the negative tenants as I wait with cautious optimism for the final dance with Go-Go Babyz.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

Ramble On, 4.25.2022

It’s been a while, I know. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say. There has been plenty of inspiration, just not the motivation to sit at the computer and type away sharing my thoughts. Lazy? Perhaps. We all go through cycles and sometimes I just do not want to write. Of course I know that when I don’t want to is the most important time to write. Great talk self.

Speaking of cycles, do people not understand that many things operate in cycles? The economy, the stock market, the seasons, internal combustion engines, these are just a few examples. It just boggles my mind that we continue to get so many comments about pricing. It makes wonder who does the shopping for these people? Who filled the car with gas that they drove to the shop? One does not need to watch the news or read the papers to realize that inflation is real. Simply pay attention at the pump or the check stand.

Maybe these people think restaurants are immune to inflation. The cost of dairy just increased 3x but we still get extra special lower than low wholesale pricing. Yes, that’s it. We pay next to nothing so we can inflate our pricing so we can all buy second and third vacation homes strategically located around the globe.

The truth is small businesses, such as ours, often pay full retail less sales tax. If we do get something at a discount we typically pay the highest wholesale price because we do not have the volume the bigger businesses do to benefit from the deeper discounts. Not to mention that we can’t buy too much in bulk to take advantage of price breaks because we don’t have the space to store it. Small business often means small space as well. e have to play Tetris every day just to make things fit on the shelves or in the freezer. Every square inch is put to use.

The moral of the rant is that we are not raising prices to make more money and pad our bank accounts. We are raising prices so we can stay in business, pay our employees, and continue to serve our customers.

Please keep this in mind next time you visit your favorite mom and pop and have to an extra $1 dollar for something.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live

Ramble On, 2.7.2022

“Helping customers not only renders more sales, but also stimulates positive word of mouth” – Mark Joyner

As a small company, customers are our life blood. No customers, no business. They are what keep any business alive, and when you are starting out you can’t afford any bad word of mouth. The way to militate against that is by taking care of your customers, which you should be doing any way! Right?

The reality is, it shouldn’t be a question. Excellent customer service should always be a top priority and executed at the highest level. It doesn’t matter what size or type of business you are, quality customer service should be woven into the fabric of the company and culture.

When Go-Go Babyz started out we didn’t have much of a budget to speak of so we couldn’t afford much marketing. We used to get calls about marketing services and they would always ask “what’s your marketing budget?” or “what do think you can spend on our service?” Our response was usually asking them us to tell us what it would cost and then we would look at the bank account to confirm or deny if it was “in the budget.”

Marketing is a vital part of any business, especially new ones, but many times we just couldn’t afford the advertisements or other expensive marketing activities. That resulted in placing a lot of value in word of mouth. Obviously, what we needed was positive word of mouth. The problem is, a small percentage of happy customers actually go out of their way to provide that. I understand,  treating customers well is what all companies should be doing and customers expect that so why should they spend their precious time telling people how good of a job we did doing what are supposed to be doing anyway?

Because, I can guarantee that a high percentage of unhappy, disgruntled customers will shout it from the roof tops. There’s no excuse for poor service but it would be great if customers would give businesses the benefit of the doubt and contact them directly to resolve their issue instead of taking it to the streets. In my experience, most bad reviews are knee-jerk reactions usually posted while a customer is still in the red zone, feeling the blow of disappointment. They just want to be heard. Once they get it out it usually fades.

We always do our best to resolve any issue and take care of our customers so they will keep coming back and, because it’s the right thing to do.

Talk Soon,

Kevin W @LEAP272
Owner-Operator

You have to leap if you want to live