An Unreasonably Valuable Book - My Favorite Four Takeaways from Unreasonable Hospitality

We are all in the Hospitality business, regardless of profession.

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Will Guaidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality drives this point home using tales from the author's childhood, life, and experience, turning Eleven Madison Park into the number one restaurant in the world.

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Guadara's book is not just an enjoyable read, but a practical guide filled with valuable knowledge. You'll find yourself highlighting and taking notes on nearly every page.

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Despite the urge to write my own novella featuring pages and pages of takeaways from the book, I’ve figured it would be more hospitable to give you my favorite four takeaways instead.

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1.??????? ““Service is black and white; hospitality is color.” “Black and white” means you’re doing your job with competence and efficiency; “color” means you make people feel great about the job you’re doing for them.”

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The field of law is often characterized as a service business. In law and many other fields, many people can perform your service for the client. Your true competitive advantage comes from the hospitality you provide while you provide the service. You can differentiate yourself by ensuring the client feels good during their experience. This can come from preempting their worries, calming them down in a time of stress, or showing that you are also enjoying the process.

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2.??????? “Without exception, no matter what you do, you can make a difference in someone’s life. You must be able to name for yourself why your work matters. And if you’re a leader, you need to encourage everyone on your team to do the same.”

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This is a great quote for legal professionals. Why do you do what you do? Your motivations may be monetary, but you always have the chance to change lives. While the deal you are working on may be just another transaction for a Fortune 500 company, there is a chance that someone involved is receiving a life-changing windfall. While the case you are working on may be the 100th time you have tried such a routine case, it is not routine for the client.

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3.??????? “We were no longer in the business of running an extraordinary restaurant; we were now in the business of human connection.”

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This quote drives home the crux of the book. Any business where you interact with other people becomes the business of human connection. Making those people feel good (See Number 1) through human connection is one of the true purposes of any business.

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4.??????? “Luxury means just giving more; hospitality means being more thoughtful.”

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Make no mistake about it: Guidara's restaurant, Eleven Madison Place, is extremely expensive. Unreasonable Hospitality is not about monetary gifts; it is about being thoughtful and making your clients feel good. This could be something like a non-related check-in call during a deal or holiday cards. So many businesses are purely transactional that the lightest touch can have an outsized impact on the people you serve.

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'Unreasonable Hospitality' has already reshaped my professional approach Thompson Hine LLP with Lindsay Karas Stencel , and it has more lessons that extend beyond business. The book offers profound insights into life, career, relationships, and leadership, promising personal growth and development that will benefit man areas of your life.

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I encourage anyone who regularly interacts (who doesn’t?) with people to pick up a copy of the book. Not only will you have fun reading it, but you may also learn a thing or two!

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As always, feel free to drop more book recommendations in the comments!

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