Archives for December 2022

We weren’t stealing his creativity; we were returning him to it.

Will Guidara in Unreasonable Hospitality

Criticize the behavior, not the person. Praise in public; criticize in private. Praise with emotion, criticize without emotion.

Will Guidara in Unreasonable Hospitality

Laura is relentlessly can-do, a brilliant problem-solver, and a tireless advocate for the people who work for her, which is why I’m never happier than when she’s next to me, whispering in my ear. It’s Laura who tells me when a staff member needs a little TLC, when I’m being too intense, and when my attention is on the wrong thing. She’s the one who taps my shoulder and says, “Hey, this needs a little finessing,” or “You gotta chill out a little bit.” (If it isn’t already clear, I think every leader should have a Laura—someone who feels comfortable telling you when you aren’t acting as the best version of yourself.)

Will Guidara in Unreasonable Hospitality

the importance of intentionality—knowing what it is you’re trying to do, and making sure everything you do is in service of that goal.

Will Guidara in Unreasonable Hospitality

my dad gave me one engraved with his favorite quote, from Calvin Coolidge. I had it hanging in my childhood bedroom, then in my college dorm room; I have it still, hanging here above my desk. It reads: Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

Will Guidara in Unreasonable Hospitality

But I wasn’t suggesting you could serve a soufflé any which way; I simply wanted it done in such a way that tradition didn’t interfere with hospitality. It was a different kind of correct.

Will Guidara in Unreasonable Hospitality