At some point, the owner has to decide what the shop is for — and be willing to say no to the things that pull against that. Every yes is also a no to something else.
Read MoreYou don't need a mission statement. You need to know, honestly, what you're here to build — and be willing to keep building it even when the reasons are harder to name.
Read MoreThe shop where everything is working — floor, service, staff, community — has a quality that is more than the sum of its parts. That quality is harmony, and it arrives slowly and leaves quickly.
Read MoreThe story you carry about your shop, your market, your customers, and your own capabilities is shaping the shop whether you've examined it or not. Some of those stories are accurate. Some of them are ceilings.
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