1: High standards? 

Sure. But the team has been short a person for three weeks. Everyone is working extra hours to get the work out the door. The stress level is high.

The hiring manager finally finds a technically outstanding candidate. Not only can they do the job, but they can start right away. But the potential new hire doesn’t seem to fit the company’s values. The candidate lacks the … continue reading

1: When renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer walks into one of his eighteen New York City restaurants, there is one particular thing that brings him delight.

A waiter lifting a wine glass off the table. Holding it up to the light. To check for smudges.

Why? Not because he is an “unreformed smudge freak,” he writes in his book Setting the Table. “But because someone is showing care for a … continue reading

1: Imagine dining at an expensive restaurant.  

“Everything is delivered perfectly, cleared perfectly, decanted perfectly,” writes Danny Meyer in Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.

Yet, something is missing.  

“It’s not fun. It’s not sincere. There’s no soul. It’s a perfectly executed but imperfect experience,” he writes.

“It’s remarkable to me how many businesses shine brightly when it comes to acing the tasks but emanate … continue reading

1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations.  On Friday, I share something we are doing at PCI in our quest to earn a spot of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.

This week we’ve been exploring how focusing on hospitality drives business success, as outlined in Danny Meyer‘s terrific book … continue reading

1: This week we’ve been exploring acclaimed restaurateur Danny Meyer‘s near obsession with hospitality.  He also is an entrepreneur “addicted to volume,” he writes in his excellent book Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.  

These opposing desires create healthy tension and serve as a wonderful example of the power of a “both / and” as opposed to an “either / or” philosophy on business … continue reading

1: “From the moment I first went into business, I was far more focused on excellence and hospitality than on profitability,” writes acclaimed restaurateur Danny Meyer in Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.  

Danny and his team have created some of New York’s most beloved restaurants, cafes, and bars (currently 18 venues) in the toughest, most competitive restaurant market in the world. He is … continue reading

That is one of the most important and powerful questions we can ask in business. 

1: Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, would teach sales people to understand “everyone goes through life with an invisible sign hanging around his or her neck reading, ‘make me feel important,'” Danny Meyer writes in Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.  

“The most successful people in … continue reading

1: World renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer had just opened up his new restaurant Blue Smoke in New York City.  As he was walking around, he noticed something.  A couple in the back was “gazing out at the trees in the courtyard,” he recalls in his terrific book Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.

“I could sense that they were debating whether they liked their ribs, … continue reading

Restaurateur Danny Meyer opened Union Square Cafe in New York City when he was just 27 years old.  It was his first restaurant.  He had invested all of his savings and had raised money from friends and family to make his dream a reality.

Naturally, he was sensitive to restaurant reviews.

“I still remember a review in a column called ‘The Restaurant Rotator,’ he recalls in his book Setting the Table.  … continue reading

1: “Location, location, location.”  

That was the advice then aspiring restaurateur Danny Meyer was given when selecting a space for his restaurant in New York City.  “This is the idea that you somehow need an upscale address to be considered a great restaurant,” Danny writes in Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.  “Back then, an excellent restaurant was too often confused with an expensive restaurant.”… continue reading