Knowing your worth.

Knowing your worth.

It's a problem when you go back to old tricks; mine is that I take on too much for myself and don't know when to delegate.

I went through this challenge in my mid 20's. I had just bought a second bakery, and my workload instantly doubled. Not because anyone told me it should, only because I told myself I should. I was living in what a 'man' should do, what a 'leader' should do. And that was taken on more, don't complain and live inside your own thoughts. It was all about me because of my deep insecurity.

It was only when I was working 80 hours week on week and went through a stretch of working every day that I made a change. Well, I made a change as I fell asleep at a traffic light on the way to bake one day and was woken up by a car horn behind me to move forward. After that, I used to drink 2 litres of coke or iced coffee to stay awake and be productive in the first few hours of my baking shift until I found a groove.

I then made sure it wasn't all about me. I delegated tasks, empowered people and became the leader I knew I should be, even though I was still scared and vulnerable. It worked, and I was able to work fewer hours and was a blessing that after the unfortunate car accident that I was in 6 months later, the team had an idea of what to do. They felt worried and scared but had the leadership skills to make critical decisions when I could not, literally. Even though that project did not end up successfully, I hope it taught those 8-10 leaders in my business some career-defining skills that still assist them today, both professionally and personally.

I have been falling into the old habit twice since then, one quite recently. I think it is difficult as you grow a business from the ground up and mainly on your own, even though you have fantastic support from those closest to you. I had taken on too much through success that I was fortunate to come my way, and I was struggling to see how I could delegate.

It was only when I was challenged to know my worth by a close colleague of an opinion I greatly respect that I needed to be able to communicate this more clearly.

Like many who have been fortunate enough to work in an industry as long as I have, I have worked for close to ten brands and advised double that number since starting Open Pantry Consulting. I have conducted 100's interviews,?trained close to 1000 people,?been challenged by many customers about their experiences and their grievances, cried with staff as they have trusted me with deep personal conversations that they needed to tell, and handled harassment claims that have been made me nearly leave the industry. Like many in our industry, I have seen and dealt with a lot. I have made many mistakes and have had to show humility and ask for acceptance.

Also, like many in our industry, I have struggled to communicate my value, especially with clients. I believe a great majority of people who come into hospitality are introverted, shy and looking for a place to belong. Being in a hospitality team brings connection, community, belonging and acceptance. Even though we are built to put on a show and create a fantastic experience for those we serve and host, we are often humble and quiet. So when we are fortunate to have an opportunity to move into an advisory role within the industry, it is a tough transition to communicate your worth. Even though I am sometimes asked to sit on a stage to share my opinion, or now, fortunately, host a podcast, I am usually shy, quiet and reserved,??

We in our industry need to show our worth more, whether you own a venue,?produce a quality product or advise the industry like me. Better outcomes can happen for both people in that interaction through knowing your worth.??