Happy Monday!

I have a love/hate relationship with Nextdoor.com. It seems to bring all the crazies & complainers out of the woodwork and onto my newsfeed. It makes for a depressing, yet sometimes entertaining, few minutes of scrolling. 

However, every now and again, I stumble upon a post that warms my heart and reminds me of the good in the world. Today, it was Tarrance. 

He’s the Manager at a local restaurant in our community. And on Sunday, he and his team had a bad day. Instead of blaming others or the circumstances, he took to Nextdoor to own his mistakes and authentically apologize. Imagine that! So, of course, I expected to see a few kind comments, but mostly frustrated patrons taking the chance to pour it on poor Tarrance and his staff. 

I was quickly reminded that the good folks far outweigh the bad folks. People came out in full force to let Tarrance know how much they loved him, his team, and his restaurant. And that one mistake did not define them. I must have read 100+ comments—and all were supportive and kind. Put a big, giant smile on my face to start the week. 

I believe there is also a great lesson in business here. We all make mistakes. And people are generally compassionate and tolerant if we own those mistakes. As businesses, we must establish a strong presence in the places where our customers frequent most and be willing to have transparent conversations on these platforms—good or bad. People appreciate transparency and will often reward those businesses with their loyalty and patronage. 

The action I want you to take? 

Take a page from Tarrance and own your mistakes when and if they happen. It’s okay. We’re human, and stuff happens. It’s how we respond that makes all the difference.

Okay, it’s almost lunchtime…I think I’ll head to Willy’s and see Tarrance. I’ll let him know that, at least for today, he’s restored my faith in Nextdoor…and in humanity. 

Enjoy your week,

Corey