Walkinshaw Coaching

A few days ago, I decided to make a quiche for dinner.  Although this might not seem like a monumental task for you, I have been told that I am “cooking challenged.”  I must now admit, there could be some truth in that.

After looking up an easy quiche recipe and going food shopping, I was ready to go. I wanted it to be special, so I added some extra ingredients… okay, maybe a lot of extras!  When I put the quiche into the oven, it seemed a bit full but I didn’t give it much thought.  After all, what could possibly go wrong?  I soon found out!

As the quiche heated up, the filling started to overflow.  Burnt quiche IS NOT a nice smell.  I quickly grabbed some foil and put a makeshift spill-catcher on the lower rack.  Although this helped, the initial spillage continued to burn as the quiche cooked.  I opened all the windows and doors in the house and removed my spill-catcher when the quiche set.  At the end of the process, this is what I was left with…

Despite my challenges, I created a beautiful and tasty quiche.  Because I acted quickly, opening windows and creating a spill-catcher, there were no visible signs of my kitchen catastrophe.  In the end, everyone enjoyed a wonderful home cooked meal.

Why am I sharing this embarrassing story with you?  As business owners, we often compare ourselves to others.  We see polished, accomplished and successful entrepreneurs who appear to have found success effortlessly.

We need to remember that we are seeing these professionals at a specific point in time, often during their shining moment.  What we are not seeing is what went on behind the scenes to get to that moment… All the times when the quiche was spilling over in their kitchens.

You are bound to have your own special “kitchen catastrophe” in your business at some point.  Instead of focusing on what is going wrong, focus on what you can do about it.  In the end, most people will never see what went on behind the scenes as they admire YOU and YOUR SUCCESS!