Entrepreneurship is Like Cooking a Meal

I know many of  you are aspiring to be entrepreneurs. I want to explain entrepreneurship to you in a simple, but relatable way, so that you can understand. The best way I know is to compare it to cooking, because in a lot of ways it is like cooking. In cooking you have to integrate different ingredients, so the food tastes delicious, just like entrepreneurs have to mix different methods to be successful. 

1. Idea. Every business like every meal starts with an idea. You cannot start cooking unless you have an idea of what you want to cook. Some businesses follow the idea of someone else, this is known as a franchise , while other businesses are free style, meaning, that business idea is innovative, noone has done it before or maybe that entrepreneur implements something different in an idea that already exist. But, an idea without execution is just that, an idea, execution is what brings results. The mindset lesson here is: actions, whether messy or excellent, produce results. You will not have a meal if you just think about it, wish for it or dream about it and the same with business, you will not have a business, if you just think about it, dream about it or wish for it. Actions produce results!

   

   Bulb represent an idea.

2. The Ingredients. You can not cook without the right ingredients, of course the right ingredients depend on the food you are cooking. For example, if you are cooking salmon, you need to season it with fish season, black pepper, a dash of paprika, onion, tomato, and thyme etc. All of those ingredients integrated makes the food delicious. In entrepreneurship, the same thing is needed, you need to integrate different ingredients to be successful, such as: skill sets, mindset, team, healthy relationships with people and consistency. The mindset lesson here is: a little of everything is needed, so bring the best of you. 

   

   A lady mixing ingredients together.

3. Prepare. The most delicious food is in how the food is prepared. You know, when the meat is seasoned one or two days in advance, which allows the season to marinate. In entrepreneurship preparation means doing market research, planning, systems and structures. Just like cooking, the preparation is not glamorous, it is boring,  you have to research the receipt (if you are cooking a new dish), the kitchen will get messy and you have to clean up. You can not spend too much time preparing because  the food might spoil. For example, if you leave meat in the fridge too long to marinate, it will spoil. In entrepreneurship, you cannot spend years preparing, you have to take actions, that's how you grow and eventually become successful. The mindset lesson here is, cooking is messy, but out of the mess, a nutritious meal is produced. In entrepreneurship your actions (efforts) do not have to be perfect, it just has to be the right actions that will help you achieve your goals. 

   

   Two business women preparing for a meeting.

4. Mistakes will Happen. When you were learning how to cook you made a lot of mistakes, you put the wrong ingredients in the food; I can bet you even burned the food etc. But, since you did not give up, you learned from your mistakes, you continued to learn how to cook until you mastered it. The mistakes did not stop because you mastered cooking, it continues. On some days when you are tired and forgetful, you burn the food or you put too much salt, but this did not discourage you. You stay the course. The same is with entrepreneurship, as you mastered your craft or entrepreneurship you will still make mistakes. But that should not deter you. The mindset here is to embrace failure and use it as a foundation to your success. 

   

   It began as a mistake, but it ends as success.

5. Adapt and Adjust. When you cook, you frequently taste the food, to test if it needs more season, or if it's cooked and sometimes you need to adjust the temperature (higher or lower). As an entrepreneur when you take actions it gives you data, information you can use to improve. As an entrepreneur, you adjust your strategies, based on the feedback from your customers, other entrepreneurs or analytic reports. The mindset here is to embrace change and let go of old ways, especially when the old way does not produce high results anymore. By adapting to new ways, you can preserve your business. This reminds me of the story of Blockbuster, who refused to pivot (adjust) into an online streaming source like Netflix. Blockbuster went out of business, while Netflix is thriving.  Remember to embrace change because it is the only thing constant.

   

   Adapt and adjust.

6. Presentation. When the meal is finished  cooking, you have to put it on a plate and it can not be sloppy, it has to be presentable. In entrepreneurship,everything has to be presentable from your social media to your package etc. People are visual creatures and everything has to look good before they try it. I want you to have the mindset, “put your best foot forward”. This means show up and do your best (not perfect), but utilize all the resources you have that will help you to be excellent. 

   

   Would you eat this steak? Most likely, yes, the way it is presented makes you desire it more. You would not want it, if it looks sloppy. Everything in your business must look presentable and desirable.

7. serve others. When you cook for your family or friends, you usually think about what the other person likes and doesn't like because you want to serve them and make them happy. It's the same with entrepreneurship, as an entrepreneur, your duty is to serve your customers by solving their problems. The mindset lesson here is, serve your way to the top. I want you to think about how you can add value to your customer lives. 

It's by serving others we rise.

In conclusion, entrepreneurship and cooking are siblings, the same mindset is required for both. But, to be honest, entrepreneurship takes more commitment, and more time to master. It is a lifestyle, you live it, you breathe it, you talk it and you do it.

In your opinion, do you think entrepreneurship is like cooking a meal?