Every Day Here Is The Super Bowl

Transcript

Welcome and Setup

Jeff Payne 0:28

Hey, welcome back. I'm Jeff Payne. You're listening to episode number nine. I'll admit it, I spend time on Instagram, probably more than I should, but every now and then a reel comes along that's worth your time too. I came across one recently that I think you're really going to appreciate. I wanna share it with you and talk about what I think the message behind it really means for you and your business.

Watch the Reel First

Jeff Payne 0:54

Before I go any further, head over to the show notes at jeffpayne.net, find this episode and watch the reel yourself. I'm going to do my best to tell it to you in words, but seeing it lands quite differently. The acting, the setting, the facial expressions, it all hits harder when you watch it. Go to jeffpayne.net, pull up the show notes and watch it. You'll thank me later.

Restaurant Reel Story

Jeff Payne 1:19

Okay, here's the story. Picture a restaurant, a nice one, the kind with real linen napkins and a waiting list. There are two guys. One is Richie, a kitchen worker, probably mid-forties. The other is the restaurant owner, younger, well-dressed, clearly someone who built something he's proud of. Richie walks up and says, "Can I wash dishes or something?" The owner doesn't miss a beat. He says, "No. We've got the best dishwashers in the world. You'd just slow them down." Then the owner spots something, a fork not cleaned right. He calls it out. Richie mutters something under his breath, something about blankety blank forks. The owner says one word, "Outside." They both go outside, just the two of them, and Richie, maybe a little embarrassed, a little frustrated, says, "Man, I'm forty-five years old, polishing forks?" And here's where the owner shifts gears. He doesn't fire him. He doesn't apologize either. He goes deep. The owner says, "No one is asking you to be here." Then he asks Richie if he knows the history of this place. When this restaurant opened twelve years ago, it won best restaurant in the world that same year. It has retained three Michelin stars. There's a waiting list to get in. And then he says something I haven't stopped thinking about, quote, "Do you see their faces when customers walk in, how stoked they are to see us, and how stoked we have to be to serve them?" End of quote. He tells Richie it takes two hundred people to keep that restaurant in orbit and that at any given moment, one person who's been waiting in that long line finally gets their table. They get to spend their time and their money. That moment matters. Then the owner says it, quote, "I'm sorry, bro, but we need to have some forks without streaks in them. Every day here is the freaking Super Bowl," end of quote. He wraps it up clean. He tells Richie he doesn't have to drink the Kool-Aid. He just needs to respect him, respect the staff, respect the diners, and respect himself. Richie looks him dead in the eye and says four words, "I can do respect." And the owner says I will see you inside." That's it. That's the whole thing. And man, does it land.

Every Day Super Bowl

Jeff Payne 4:03

Here's what struck me. Most businesses are playing not to lose. They're doing just enough to keep the lights on, keep customers from leaving bad reviews, keep the wheels turning, and that's fine until it isn't. Because the businesses that win, the ones that become a category of one, they're playing a completely different game. They've decided that every single day is the Super Bowl.

Standards and Culture

Jeff Payne 4:29

Think about what that restaurant owner was really saying. He wasn't just talking about forks. He was talking about standards. He was talking about culture. He was saying, "The people who walk through our door chose us. They planned for this. They waited for this, and we owe them our very best every single time." That's the gap between good and great in business. It's not a strategy. It's not the budget. It's not even talent. It's the decision, the daily decision that this matters, that showing up is not the same as showing up to win.

Lead the Standard

Jeff Payne 5:10

And here's the hard part. That decision has to come from the top. You don't have to set the standard. You have to make it clear what's expected, because if you don't, you'll always have people polishing forks just well enough.

Your Fork Moment

Jeff Payne 5:25

So let me ask you something. What does your Super Bowl look like? What's your version of the fork? The small thing that signals to everyone around you, your team, your clients, your customers, that you take this seriously. Because those small things aren't small. They're signals. They're culture. They're the difference between a business your clients feel good about choosing and the ones that become a category of one, the place people wait in line for. You don't have to make everyone drink the Kool-Aid, but you do have to lead. You do have to be clear about what winning looks like on your team, and you do have to surround yourself with people who don't just show up, but show up to play, and that show up to win.

Wrap Up and Next Steps

Jeff Payne 6:14

Go watch the reel. I have it posted at jeffpayne.net under the post titled Every Day is the Freaking Super Bowl. There you'll also find the show notes for this episode and an article where I further ex- expanded on my thoughts about this topic. Then ask yourself, what's your Super Bowl? I'm Jeff Payne. Thanks for listening. Play to win, and I'll see you next time.