Welcome to the Week: 5 Minutes Early and 5 Minutes Late

This week, a small experience at a 美国联合包裹服务 store got me thinking.?

I was there to return an 亚马逊 purchase, and as I stood outside the store with another customer, we watched the employees inside laughing, chatting, and glancing at their watches. The open sign was already on, but they waited until exactly 8:00 a.m. to unlock the door. It was only three minutes, but it struck a chord.?

Imagine how different it would have felt if they’d let us in at 7:57, showing a little extra care. Instead, the message was clear: we’re open only when we have to be.

At Fitlife Foods , from day one nearly 14 years ago, we’ve lived by a different approach. We open our doors 5 minutes early, stay open 5 minutes late, and keep serving until every last customer who needs us has been taken care of.?

It’s not a policy written on a wall—it’s a philosophy we practice every day. Why? Because those small, unexpected gestures mean the world to our customers. They might not expect it, but that’s exactly what makes it memorable.

But this isn’t just about retail hours. Every business, and every part within a business, has a customer. In our culinary center, for instance, our kitchen relies on procurement, our assembly team relies on the kitchen, and so on. Each team serves the next, creating a chain of internal customers who rely on one another to deliver value to the end customer.?

Even in industries where the end customer is the patient, for example, it’s not just the doctor rallied health professional who serves them. The scheduling team, the technician, the assistants—all of these roles have their own “customers,” and each interaction matters.

So, here’s the question to reflect on this week: Where in our lives can we open a little earlier and stay open a little later?

Where can we surprise and delight, going beyond expectations to show customers—internal and external—that we care? Imagine what those 3 extra minutes could mean in any context, not just for the person waiting but for the reputation of the business as a whole.

Let’s commit to finding those moments to go above and beyond. To offer the unexpected, not because it’s required, but because it’s the right thing to do. In those extra minutes, we create lasting impressions, build loyalty, and reinforce what makes us truly special.

What story could the other customer have told her friends about if the UPS store had opened the door just a few minutes early? it may have been about how amazing they were, and those feelings over and over again by customers in all situations are ultimately what builds a brand.?

Let’s open a little early, close a little late and write the best story we can one moment after another.?

Get out there and go feed your journey,

David