Advertise on podcast: Build A Better Restaurant with Peter Harman

Most people have a goal… They start that special or important project… Then as soon as they hit a wall - they stop..! Completely Change directions and start doing something else… WHY do we do this… The simple answer is - DOPAMINE…. New projects and new things are exciting… Fun! Think of your new project like climbing a mountain… The new mountain is a new adventure – exciting – lots of dopamine. Then - at some point we meet the first obstacle and it gets hard… but we are so excited – we fight through it… and get a dopamine spike - then it gets fun again… for a while. But eventually as we move up the mountain there are more obstacles than fun stuff. We gotta make a break thru, but we don’t have the energy or the will. So, we put that project aside – and work on something easier… and that BIG ugly Important Thing – sits and waits… and waits… and waits. Today we are going to talk about how leaders build winning teams that overcome obstacles.

In the Old days – mighty industrialists – The Robber Barrons, took advantage of the labor force – the people Today – it’s the opposite - The People – are taking advantage of the Small Business Owner… Restaurant Owners are being held hostage by underperforming employees!

There’s an ancient Roman phrase that most people don’t like to think about… but - the people who do think about it - tend to live different lives, than the average person… The phrase is Memento Mori. - It means: Remember—you will die.

Today we are going to talk about introverts and extroverts This will not be what you expect…

In todays episode we will discuss how the process of ALIGNMENT helps you achieve your goals.

Today I will talk about the next ten years of restaurant-ing. A lot is going to change. Technology, food prices, labor and politics. How people eat… and even what restaurants look like. Some of these ideas may sound a little crazy; but if you look back just ten short years, what felt crazy and weird then is completely normal today.

It was late – the moon had been up for hours - Ned Ludd and his friends felt deep hungry pains As they walked slowly through the town where they grew up – the town they loved. And quietly snuck into the factory – where they used to work Then, they smashed the NEW – ALIEN - machines… that stole their jobs… Don't let this happen to you.

Today I am going to turn you on to three questions that have the power to change your life…

There are two types of restaurants One is engaged in a battle with the guy across the street – in a race to the bottom The other is creating – a grand dining experience in the minds of their loyal guests - and raving fans! Which one describes you… ??

What IF – you could DOUBLE YOUR INCOME in the next year..? Would that get you fired up..?

What would you attempt to do – if you knew you could not fail..? That’s what we are going to talk about today!

Today I am going to pull your strings and TRY to help you - think bigger

If a customer buys once - you make a sale. If the customer comes back - You’ve build Trust. If they come back AGAIN - and bring their friends - You’ve built a Brand! Today we are going to talk about how to do that.

The Great Michelangelo was once asked - how he created the statue of David. He didn’t say: “I’m a great artist.” Or I did something special… NO He said: I removed everything that wasn’t David. Michelangelo knew something – most people never understand The masterpiece was already inside the stone. ALL HE HAD TO DO – WAS SET IT FREE!

Let’s get something straight right out of the gate. Restaurants don’t fail because owners are lazy. They fail because owners are focused on the wrong things. Most restaurant people work harder than almost anyone I know. Long hours. Thin margins. Constant stress. And yet, after all that effort, most owners still struggle to pay themselves, still live month to month, still feel like they’re one bad week away from disaster. That’s not a work ethic problem. That’s a sales system problem. Today’s Pep talk is about the Six Sales Pillars. These are not trends. They’re not hacks. They’re not social media tricks. They are fundamentals—battle-tested, boring, powerful fundamentals—that control almost every dollar that flows through your restaurant. If you understand them and apply them, you win. If you ignore them, nothing else matters.