Hospitality is being nice to someone when they are wrong.

Hospitality is being nice to someone when they are wrong.

And, yes, it is as hard as it sounds.

Fun fact, this little mantra is customizable!

Hospitality is being nice to someone when they are…_________, ___________, and/or ________.

Wrong, rude, mean, smelly, impatient, impossible, inconsiderate, irritable, abrasive, arrogant, angry, and hangry…

Really whatever colorful way us humans manage to be on any given day that is not, how do I say…our best.

Don’t pretend you are perfect either, because we’ve all been there. 

I bet you can remember a time that someone was hospitable to you when you probably could have used a swift kick in the 

Ask yourself this: would you rather be right or happy?

In my world of owning and running a small business I ask myself a similar question:

Would I rather be right or hospitable? 

Sometimes, in my very best moments I manage to do both which is always fun and I give myself a little pat on the back but more times than not I need to take a deep breath and ask, what is the point here, really?

The point is to align my goals with my job, and that is:

To create a positive place to be. Period. It is my goal and I have made it my job. 

A positive place for my guests, obviously, 

but also for my staff. 

(which, in my humble opinion, comes first but that’s a post for another time) 

and a positive place for me, the leader. 

Cause if I’m negative, it’s all a complete shit show. 

(I’ll give you one guess why I know that. Ding Ding. Cause I’ve done it and it is…not good. 

Also a post for another time.)

This is how I learned to Burn Brightly. The burning part. The brightly part is a choice. 

Like choosing to be nice to someone even when they are wrong. 

Which brings me here: 

Kindness is a super power.

Does it have a limit you might wonder.  

Yes.

I do think there is a line between being hospitable and being taken advantage of. 

The thing about this is…you will know. 

I promise.

I do not tolerate any kind of abusive or inappropriate language or behavior. 

It is abundantly clear when someone is no longer deserving of hospitality. 

On the very rare occasion that this does happen, I handle it personally, swiftly and very, very clearly. 

This has only happened twice and we have served literally over a million people.

So yes, it is worth noting that not all wrong is created equally but for our purposes here I am speaking of your garden variety wrong. 

The overwhelming majority of interactions are totally awesome. A great exchange and a pleasant experience. 99%!

But when things do go wrong for whatever reason, you can almost always choose kindness.

This is not always easy, but it makes you feel better. 

As a human. 

The times I let negativity get the best of me and argue or get defensive or try to prove a point it stays with me in a really, sticky icky kind of way. 

Even if I was right, which is annoying and this is why this is an important lesson. 

The times I was hospitable despite whatever the case, those exchanges not only don’t have a sticky icky feeling, they are as light and fluffy as a happy little cloud just floating on by. 

Are they wrong? Yes. 

Was it our fault? No.

Is it our job to make it right? Yes. 

Instead of being blinded by defensiveness, kindness will invite ways that whatever mistake or miscommunication happened in the first place can be analyzed and learned from. This is a growth opportunity, a way to get better so these interactions happen less & less. 

Be nice, learn from it and get better.

That is hospitality. 

And it is not for the light hearted. 

If you are new to hospitality and are gripping too tightly to being right - try this:

Kill them with Kindness. So at least you get to kill something, it just won’t be your soul.

You’ll thank me later.