8 lessons from starting a business

Tableside co-founders Deirdre Auld and Cassie Francisco

It’s now officially July (we can’t believe it...where has this year gone?! 🤯). We paused last week and realized it’s been about one year since we started working on Tableside.

It was last summer that we got together and started discussing how we could support people in high-stress, high-impact careers. It was also the moment when we decided to explore focusing on hospitality because we recognized it as an industry that not only fit that description, but that also had just gone through a tremendous amount of change and was in need of additional support. Not to mention that we had professional and personal ties to the industry.

Last summer, we interviewed dozens of restaurant professionals at all levels, from owners and operators to GMs to bar managers and chefs. We learned what was going well and what their biggest challenges were. Now after one year, we turned the tables and asked ourselves similar questions.

As leadership coaches and facilitators, we greatly value reflection. So much so, that it’s a foundational pillar of our Leading in Restaurants program. In the spirit of transparency and demonstrating the power of regular reflection, we wanted to share some of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the last year. We’re sure some of you can relate to these lessons as business owners yourself.

1. Everything takes longer than you think, so plan accordingly.

There were so many moments where we set deadlines for ourselves not realizing all of the inter-related moving parts that would go into something. Inevitably, we encountered delays, and that meant we needed to shift our own expectations and timelines. We learned to build in a healthy buffer to accommodate this reality. This meant we also became more intentional about giving ourselves enough lead time with projects and cohort launches.

2. You will feel like you’re on a rollercoaster—scream crying some days + joyful as all hell others.

Being an entrepreneur means to expect the unexpected, and that includes the emotional aspect of running a business. We won’t lie: it’s difficult some days. You feel like nothing is going right and question whether or not you can keep going. On the other side of the coin, when things go well, it feels so amazing because you know that your work and perseverance made things possible. Knowing that this happens—that there will be very high highs and very low lows—makes it easier to navigate through the emotions when they do arise. We still don’t know when the moments will hit us exactly. But at least when they do, we now know that they are part of being a business owner.

3. Working with a partner makes everything better.

Oh how glad we are to have each other! It makes dealing with the ups and downs so much easier. We also both have our strengths we bring to the business. These skill sets complement each other, meaning that we can each focus on things that we’re good at and that give us energy. While the reality of running a business means that you will be doing things that aren’t your cup of tea every day, having a cheerleader and an accountability partner makes it easier to work through things when you need an extra push.

4. You need to believe in your product but be open to listening and pivoting.

We believe in our programs and our mission at Tableside — to help restaurant managers and chefs manage with more confidence and less stress, to build a stronger hospitality industry. After all, it’s why we started our business to begin with. That being said, it’s so, so important to be open to receiving feedback from your clients and to carefully consider that feedback and how it should inform what you do going forward. In all honesty, our Leading in Restaurants program looks different today than when we started Tableside. And that’s a good thing. We’ve taken feedback and made improvements along the way to make the program even stronger. But that wouldn’t have been possible without us keeping an open mind and being willing to listen deeply and pivot when necessary.

5. Not everything will be a win, but when you have them, savor them, and let them help propel you through the hard stuff.

One tip for any professional is to start an email folder called something like, “Wins” or “Kudos.” It’s a place where you can save any positive feedback you receive or send yourself documentation of your own achievements. Over the last year, we realized that this is more important to do for ourselves than ever. As an entrepreneur, there sometimes can be a lot of time that goes by in between “wins.” However, if you have them saved somewhere and can refer back to them in those in between moments, it can help boost your confidence and motivate you to keep going.

6. You better like ambiguity and building stuff from scratch if you want to be an entrepreneur.

Sometimes being a business owner feels like you are constantly walking through fog. You know where you want to go, but do you ever really know you are on the right path to get there? That’s what operating in ambiguity means, and one thing we learned is that it’s critical to be comfortable with just “not knowing.” What will people think of this program? Is this the right software to choose? Should we prioritize X or Y? The truth is…there is no right answer! The key is to try, evaluate, get feedback, and make changes as necessary. At the same time, as an entrepreneur, you have the power to take something nebulous and ambiguous and make it tangible. There’s nothing more satisfying than building something entirely from scratch and launching it into the world.

7. You get out what you put in.

This lesson is pretty self-explanatory, and applies to most things in life. If you put in a lot of time and effort, it’s more likely to reap positive results and growth in whatever you do (in our case, our business). That being said, there also is something to be said here about focus. It’s also important to make deliberate choices about where you invest your time and effort. We really consider what it is we’re trying to achieve and whether investing energy in certain things will help get us there. At the end of the day, it’s a combination of not only hard work, but also thoughtful planning.

8. When you’re building something, it’s easy to forget about yourself when there’s so much to do. Make sure you are also caring for yourself and your needs.

Building a business is TOUGH. It can take a lot out of you mentally, physically, and emotionally. We learned that it’s essential to make space for taking care of yourself. This can look different for everyone. It might be stepping away from your work and taking walks throughout the day, or decorating your work space so it feels comfortable and inviting, or having a favorite water bottle to help keep you hydrated. Whatever it is, make sure that you identify self-care strategies and actually do them. They will help motivate you and help you stay in a positive and productive headspace. Also, use your vacation! Allowing yourself to truly step away and unplug allows you to regain energy and come back refreshed, which is great for creativity and innovation.

While this year has been full of highs and lows, as is true in any business, we wouldn’t exchange it for anything. And for all of you out there who are also building your own business...we see you and support you. Know you are not alone.

Here’s to another year full of learning, growing, and evolving. We can’t wait to see what it brings.