Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

customers. I have strong feelings about the Felixes of the world.

the biggest, scariest, most impossible-seeming accomplishments start with a simple commitment to do them. I say this whenever someone shares their fears with me about taking a leap forward: Nobody knows what they’re doing before they do it.

“Their perception is our reality.” Which means: it doesn’t matter whether the steak is rare or medium rare. If the guest’s perception is that it’s undercooked, the only acceptable response is, “Let me fix it.” And true hospitality means going one step further and doing everything you can to make sure the situation doesn’t repeat itself—in this case

I can only be authentic and inspirational and restorative if I buy back the time to restore myself. . . . This is not a passive pursuit; it’s active. The things I can control— mindfulness, diet, exercise, attitude, and whom I choose to spend my time with—those things take priority over all others. So when I do raise my hand, I’m armed with the ment

if you want a case study of how a business can build loyalty and strengthen community in the midst of a restaurant-devastating global pandemic, check out Canlis’s Instagram account for 2020.)

A daily thirty-minute meeting is where a collection of individuals becomes a team. In fact, I firmly believe that if every dentist’s office, every insurance company, every moving company had a daily thirty-minute meeting with their team, customer service as we know it would profoundly change.

Randy’s animation was a wave that picked you up, whether you wanted it to or not, which was why he could face a crew of the distracted, the hungry, and the very-probably-hungover—and turn them into his own personal army. It was from him I learned: Let your energy impact the people you’re talking to, as opposed to the other way around.

The other important takeaway from that class was that public speaking is a leadership skill. Being able to communicate your own excitement is a powerful way to engage the people who work for and with you, and to infect them with energy and a sense of purpose.

The first time someone comes to you with an idea, listen closely, because how you handle it will dictate how they choose to contribute in the future. Dismiss them that first time, and you’ll extinguish a flame that’s difficult to rekindle. Someone may approach you with an idea you’ve heard before, or one you’ve already tried; don’t automatically re