We showed up 9 strong — all business owners, founders, leaders.
Lunch was meant to be a casual power session: deals discussed, collaborations mapped out, happy hour to follow.
But instead, we left frustrated.
Not by each other.
By the restaurant.
The staff kept interrupting — snatching plates mid-bite, fumbling orders, and somehow turning a one-minute request into a 20-minute debacle.
By the time we asked for the bill, the original server had disappeared, the new one had no clue, and we waited over 45 minutes just to pay.
But here’s what really sealed it:
Their “Lunch Special” proudly listed headline pricing, with bold fonts and all the right buzz.
But right next to every dish? Tiny-font price supplements — sneaky little upsells that doubled the actual bill.
Look, I’m not price-sensitive.
The food was great.
But the deception? The amateur service? The arrogance of a Michelin-branded venue treating loyal customers like suckers?
Unforgivable.
All 9 of us said the same thing: “Never again.”
And that’s how you torch the lifetime value of 9 high-value, repeat clients — plus the hundreds we influence.
It made me think about business in general:
You can’t play short-term games and expect long-term loyalty.
You can’t nickel-and-dime people and expect trust.
And you sure as hell can’t let amateurs run your frontlines and expect to be seen as world-class.
Business owners do this all the time.
- Bait-and-switch pricing.
- Half-trained staff on the frontlines.
- Hidden charges.
- Missed expectations.
And then they wonder why customers ghost, sales drop, and the business starts to feel like a treadmill from hell.
If that’s where your business is heading — or already is — I’ve got something coming that’ll help you fix it.
A deep dive to help you:
- Fall back in love with your business
- Eliminate burnout
- And build something that grows, thrives, and gives back — without selling your soul
Coming soon.
Stay sharp.
P.S. I’m not the “systems guy,” “process guy,” or “finance guy.”
I’m the “make your business valuable” guy—so you can start living your best life now and exit on your own terms later.
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