When I was younger "money" was sometimes referred to as "lettuce" and this story proved that being ignorant about business can cost you a lot of Lettuce!
It all happened one Sunday afternoon when we went to our favorite Italian restaurant that was owned by a family that looked like they ate a lot of the profits from their business and I probably would too because the food is great until this one particular Sunday.
Being a vegetarian I ordered a very big salad. When I placed my order I told the waitress that I didn't want any romaine lettuce because, at the time, there was an E. coli outbreak happening nationwide for romaine growers. Anyway, the waitress eventually brought it to me when we were all served (40 min later - Mistake #1).
I started to add dressing to the salad and took a mouthful. Hey there's romaine in this I said to my wife. I then called to the waitress to please take back the salad and to bring me one without Romaine.
She took it back and the owner of the restaurant came out and said that she can't take the food back because I already took a bite. I said what happened and she dismissed it. (Mistake #2). I also said, didn't you hear about the E. coli outbreak?
NO! she replied. That is (Mistake #3) because she wasn't paying attention to things that happen in her industry which could hurt her customers or get her a$$ sued!
I said then don't charge me for it. She said I will "only" charge you half. (Mistake #4). Now the stupid thing is, the salad was $7.00 so half price would be $3.50.
She got all 8 of us aggravated. (Mistake #4). So in my mind I gave her the finger and we are never going back to that restaurant again.
So here is where she screwed herself royally...
We go there as a family and probably spend at least $300 a month as a group. So that lady - for $3.50 that she was going to charge me for the salad lost out on future revenues of $3600 just from us ($300 x 12 months). (Really Big Mistake # 5)
Because of her ignorance in running a business she potentially lost 1000 times her future revenue from us all for a friggin' salad!
Stupido!
It all happened one Sunday afternoon when we went to our favorite Italian restaurant that was owned by a family that looked like they ate a lot of the profits from their business and I probably would too because the food is great until this one particular Sunday.
Being a vegetarian I ordered a very big salad. When I placed my order I told the waitress that I didn't want any romaine lettuce because, at the time, there was an E. coli outbreak happening nationwide for romaine growers. Anyway, the waitress eventually brought it to me when we were all served (40 min later - Mistake #1).
I started to add dressing to the salad and took a mouthful. Hey there's romaine in this I said to my wife. I then called to the waitress to please take back the salad and to bring me one without Romaine.
She took it back and the owner of the restaurant came out and said that she can't take the food back because I already took a bite. I said what happened and she dismissed it. (Mistake #2). I also said, didn't you hear about the E. coli outbreak?
NO! she replied. That is (Mistake #3) because she wasn't paying attention to things that happen in her industry which could hurt her customers or get her a$$ sued!
I said then don't charge me for it. She said I will "only" charge you half. (Mistake #4). Now the stupid thing is, the salad was $7.00 so half price would be $3.50.
She got all 8 of us aggravated. (Mistake #4). So in my mind I gave her the finger and we are never going back to that restaurant again.
So here is where she screwed herself royally...
We go there as a family and probably spend at least $300 a month as a group. So that lady - for $3.50 that she was going to charge me for the salad lost out on future revenues of $3600 just from us ($300 x 12 months). (Really Big Mistake # 5)
Because of her ignorance in running a business she potentially lost 1000 times her future revenue from us all for a friggin' salad!
Stupido!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today