Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears, authors of the inspiring The Boss of You, which I raved about the week before last, are very kindly offering a Loobylu reader a copy of their book. I am still loving the book and can’t recommend it highly enough.
So … what I would like you to do:
One of my favourite exercises in the book for helping to establish a feeling for the kind of business you are creating was to define the “personality” of you business (p. 31). The idea is the pretend that your business is a person and write a profile which describes this person… what it might wear, where it likes to hang out and so on. All I want you to do to be in the running for this book is to leave a comment with a description of a meal which would reflect your business’s (or a business you would like to create) personality. Mine is a warm croissant with butter on a cute slightly chipped vintage plate alongside a mug of warm milky coffee. Not exactly surprising but it works for me.
So leave me a comment! And I will write down all the numbers of the comments about meals on bits of paper and Lily will draw one out of a hat. Good luck!
** edited to add that comments will close in just over 24 hours – that’s tomorrow – Wednesday 21st May, 2008, 1pm Australian EST **
Comment are now closed! Thank you!
buttered noodles with parmesan cheese and a tart tart lemon tart for dessert. the noodles are the traditional comfortable part, and the lemon tart is the tangy unexpected modernist twist. yummy.
glad to see loobylu back!
Mine would be fresh, beautifully rolled, simply arranged sushi on a white plate with a cold glass of beer on the side.
A tuna melt — a really good one where the tuna’s dressed with plenty of mustard and lemon and capers, and the bread is thick and grainy, and the cheese is a fragrant Gruyere, and you have to eat the whole thing with a knife and fork. And a thick coffee milkshake, not too sweet.
My business- would be desert. More like a buffet of cupcakes. Cute, small, delicious cakes decorated differently but with the same appeal. With a good cup of black tea with a little milk and sugar.
A homemade pizza with crispy edges, a chewy centre, rich red tomato sauce with a mix of herbs, slightly (not overly) spicy salami, carefully diced onions and halved green olives with pimiento – and no cheese, because I hate the stuff and it’s my business!
Served in big slices, no plates, with a glass of a specific Aussie pinot noir that comes with good memories.
I love eating food, so this is a wonderful question to link with the personality of my future business…
A tea party hosted by Marie Antoinette with a tropical twist:
The backdrop is an island paradise with lots of frangipani flowers decorating the table setting and palm trees in the surrounds. There are many small chocolates and cupcakes with intricate, colourful icing designs in mountaineous piles. Scones with cream and jam – orange, lemon/lime, strawberry and cherry flavoured. There are old fashioned pots of tea – earl grey, peppermint. Pitchers of orange/mango juice mixed with cordial flavoured ice cubes shaped in stars. Baskets of passionfruit and bananas also litter the table setting.
The table setting reflects my future business – delicate, detailed, colourful and varied in product offerings. With a hint of elegance and the simple pleasures of island life.
My business would be a decadent chocolate lava cake served on a beautiful vintage white plate, accompanied by a beautiful port wine.
a beach picnic on a warm day…on a big, old blanket…a cooler full of cold water, strawberry lemonade, and maybe a few beers. some cut-up watermelon, chips and salsa and guacamole, dried apricots, and pieces of fried chicken in case you get really hungry out there, and some ice cream sandwiches for desert.
oh lordy…
Well, first we’ll have to catch and pluck and cook the chicken – something quite horrid and time consuming and messy to boot.
Then once we have put the chicken to roast in the oven with carrots saved from the rabbits and onions hidden from the raccoons, we would start on grinding the corn for the tortilla chips. This takes all moring of course but there are three sisters in my business and they have lots of time. After sister #1 stops playing with the cats she gets to work on mixing the corn flour with some sunflower oil (homemade of course) sea salt and a squeeze of lime we had in the fridge. Sister #2 steps on the cats tail as she takes the sun tea outside to brew, comforts the cats and helps to pick …Sister #3 and I work on the salsa – check on the roasted chicken and get all the children to start grading giant piles of cheese – three different kinds. There seems to be all kinds of noise from the garden as someone left the chicken gate open and they precede to help themselves to anything they can reach.
Final assembly after peace is restored – cheese is melted in my mothers copper pot. Jalepenos and tomatos are chopped – cilantro and onion – all on the side put in old wooden bowls placed on the table. Chicken is sliced and much thanks given for our bounty. The children all say “Grace – Blessings on our lunch please do start” all at the same time with sincere thanks. Chips are fried and drained and the Nacho fiest begins.
I have a huge vintage paper/textile/clothing business that seems to have a whole life of its own – all out of my garage and basement, so this was a very pleasant excersize
Mine would be an international comfort food buffet without the fluorescent overhead lighting or clear splashguards covering the food area. Curry, sushi, crepes, calzones and more cooked lovingly by grannies around the world who tell you you’re way to skinny and you should have more dessert!
How about spicy tea and sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf…
i’ve always loved the idea of getting a burrito with your choice of toppings from a push cart…(starting simple, but customizing according to ind. tastes) so black bean or pinto bean burrito with any topping you want including guacamole, fresh salsa (green and red), pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, rice, chopped tomatoes….i think that would do. OH! and a lime slushie to go with it.
spicy carrot soup. soothing, exotic and homey :0)
My meal would consist of a homemade buttermilk biscuit, a vegetarian sausage patty, and a side of tofu scramble. Something classic and familiar, but with a modern twist.
Warm crusty olive bread with generous dollops of babaganoush and hummus followed by an entire packet of double coated chocolate tim-tams slurped through yesterdays coffee. Obviously my business lacks a little discipline …
My “business-to-be” meal would be a cup of hot cocoa with whip cream and a dash of chili powder. Warm and comforting with a little bit of the unexpected mixed in.
A hot and sour prawn tomyum with fluffy white long grain rice to sooth.
Hmmm, I think mine would be a portuguese custard tart with a double strength latte, served on mid-century modern ceramics. This would be perfect for that early morning gazing out the window, catching ideas and jotting them down in made-by-me covered notebook while wearing made-by-me 60s inspired with minimalist twist clothing.
Hey, this is fun! I’ve just told my sister what my ideal life would be and it’s 3 days academic and 2 days artisan. That’s a very distracting thought while I’m at work (which is neither of those things!)
The business I would like to create would be a tea party, with overgrown green apples, the darkest of chocolate, slices of chilli,glasses of sauvignon blanc and big cast iron teapots full of tea to warm your hands on. All odd looking toys would be invited and licking your plate would be allowed.
xx
Mine would be homemade orange & date cake with a mango slushie (summer) or chai (winter): Something that isn’t necessary, but is a comforting indulgence (although not too decadent), fresh, and makes you feel good.
My business would be a lazy summer afternoon picnic with loads of yummy food (like roast vegie salad, marinated olives, dolmades, pumpkin and fetta tart, grilled chicken kebabs, houmous and pitta bread, baklava, summer pudding, watermelon, chocolate truffles and lemon, lime and bitters all packed into an array of gorgeous vintage tins, tiffins etc and consumed on a huge turkish rug piled with comfy cushions. Ohhhhhh…..
My business would be a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced tomatoes and a bowl of berries – preferably blackberries and strawberries!
Now I’m hungry.
Phew! After reading all of the above, I am so hungry!
Mine is a beautiful parfait, stacked with the plumpest, sweetest cut strawberries and homemade vanilla ice-cream, topped with hand-whipped cream and nuts. A long antique spoon and a jaunty sense of Norman Rockwell type fun. The sound of kids laughing somewhere close by.
Right, I’ll just go make all that…..:)
Hmmmm.
Apple pie a la mode.
At a corner diner with shiny red vinyl stools and blue-aproned waitresses.
Cheap coffee in a plain white mug.
Crossword puzzle from the newspaper.
This is such a good question! I am torn since the name I have finally chosen for myself is “radish cake”. Kind of a sweet-hot little bite!
(I could also be a black tea with lots of milk and honey next to a bowl of creamy oatmeal. I’m not sure what I would call myself then!)
Finnish rye bread with lots of butter and thick slices of cheddar cheese accompanied by a glass of cold milk all set out on a handmade checkered placemat with matching coaster
My meal would all be bitesized bits that would fit on a small plate with cups composing an ecletic mix of dishware; thin porcelains, chunky handthrown clayware, and retro brights with dots and squiggles… a sampling of sweet macaroons and herbed savories that would typically grace a tea party.
My meal..would be my favorite…a turkey dinner with delicious stuffing made with a mixture of whatever I have on hand, served with delicious gravy…..mashed potatoes and some veggies. This is an all day meal which I love to prepare and take great pride in making. It’s fun, it’s happy and it tastes delicious! Have I mentioned it’s delicious??????
What a great idea.
My business is a white chocolate cupcake, with raspberries and a creamy pink icing, served on a cute pink floral plate, with a hot cup of milk tea. Honey on the side, and a big smile!
My business is a BLT (the perfect mix) with a fairtrade flat white. With a selection of tiny pieces of delicious cakes as a chaser. All served on themed but not matching crockery. And cloth napkins.
okay let me think…..
something simple yet pretty….
an element of kawaii…..
and something that makes you smile……
I’ve got it!
Imagine a crisp blue linen table cloth. On that table cloth is a tray . White with some little objects along the bottom, why they seem to be mushrooms. Pink with white spots and if I’m not mistaken they have little faces on them. Upon that tray is a teacup, in a saucer of course. There’s a little chip out the teacup but that does not matter. It holds sentimental value. The tea is just english breakfast, no lemon or peppermint here just simple tea. Next to that teacup is a small plate, the plate is blue, pale sky blue and it has white dots on it. On the plate is obviously a slice of toast smothered with vegemite. What was that? You expected a scone with jam, well you obviously just don’t know me well enough!
My business-as-a-meal would definitely be made from home-grown produce. An earthenware tagine of cous cous, tomato (a heritage variety from my garden maybe a green zebra!) and chicken spiced with cloves,cinnamon, cumin and pepper, topped with mint and coriander also from the garden. It is a simple meal, easy to prepare but interesting fresh flavours make it just delicious.
Mine’s a backyard barbeque where all the neighbors, friends, and family are invited. There are delicious burgers, veggie burgers, grilled chicken, tomato cucumber salad, and whatever potluck dishes our friends bring. Fruit salad and smoothies-to-order are for dessert!
There are white lights strung around our patio… the ones with tiny paper lanterns over some of the lights.
Accessible, casual, but with flare.