Michelle M Mathis, MBA

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This week, I reflected on what it means to be a competitor and how we view other companies in our field. Recently, my "competitors" have started to feel more like partners, so I thought I would share my perspective... I had a really great conversation with Shawn P. Walchef last week, and he introduced me to someone in his network who would technically be a "competitor." But what does that really mean? For me, I want to be surrounded by other like-minded people with whom I can collaborate. Truly, nothing we do is identical, and we all should be working towards the same goal: to create a path for learning and certification that ensures our restaurant and hospitality employees stay in the industry. To guarantee they have a path to career progression and education. To transform our industry into a "Profession" and not just a "Job." We often see others in our field as competition, but I welcome it. I look to those in the same arena as partners for collaboration. While we may not share our trade secrets, we can work together to ensure our industry reaches its common goals. I've learned so much from watching what others do and having conversations aligned with our industry's needs. Sometimes, we can overcome obstacles together when we unite. With that, I challenge us to embrace the term "partnership" with those in the same sandbox and play together. I believe this will benefit our clients and industry as a collaborative force, rather than creating silos. I will tell you the conversation I had from Shawn's introduction was enlightening and we both opened doors for each other and had a fascinating brainstorming session. I personally welcome all conversations to brainstorm and support career growth, bringing the term "profession" to life in our world of restaurants and hospitality. Just my "food for thought" to kick off the weekend. Now go ahead and feel free to play in that sandbox.

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