Ask Your Mentor

Interview them. Seriously. Sit down with ownership or leadership and treat this like a real decision, not just a promotion. At the same time, make a list of pros and cons side by side so you can clearly see what you’re gaining versus what you’re giving up.

If your income is going to decrease, ask yourself: what am I gaining in return? Is the experience, skill development, and long-term opportunity worth that short-term hit?

Now take your goal, ownership, and reverse engineer it. You need management experience. The real question is where and when you get it.

Because I will tell you this, if your goal is ownership, I strongly recommend at least two years of management experience before opening your own place.

So now the question becomes: where is the best place to get that training?
If you’re not currently in a corporate environment, I would seriously consider it. Corporate restaurants often provide structured systems, training, and compensation. In California, Assistant Managers are making around $70K–$100K, and General Managers can make $100K–$140K. That’s solid—and it comes with systems you can later replicate in your own business.

If you respect how your current owner runs their business and believe you can learn a lot there, that’s a strong “pro.” But also consider the challenges, like managing people who used to be your peers (which, by the way, is a big topic inside The Mentor Project).

Ask questions:

• Will you receive benefits? (health, 401k, etc.)

• Is there a bonus structure?

• What does the schedule look like? Nights? Holidays?

• Is there any opportunity for growth or profit sharing?

Write it all down. Compare it. Study it.

Also, consider a third option: a hybrid role. For example, 2 days bartending and 3 days managing. Create a third column on your pros/cons list and evaluate that scenario as well.

Final thought: most people do take a pay cut when they move into management in this industry, but you don’t necessarily have to if you negotiate well. And just as important, you don’t want to take a management role and end up miserable because of financial stress.

Make the decision strategically, not emotionally, and always tie it back to your long-term goal.

Good Luck to You!!!

Here’s a rewritten version that keeps your depth, sharpens the tone, and adds flow without losing any of your message:

If you have clearly communicated expectations, provided proper training, given direct and consistent feedback—and nothing has changed—then continuing to keep that person in the role is not helping them. Clear expectations don’t just mean telling someone what to do once. It means you’ve built a foundation: you’ve trained them correctly, you have systems in place they can follow, and you are personally setting the standard through your own actions every single day. In this business, education doesn’t stop after onboarding—it happens on the floor, in real time, every shift.

You also need structure and accountability behind your leadership. Do you have a termination policy outlined in your employee handbook? You should. There should be a clearly defined section that explains both performance expectations and consequences. Certain behaviors should be identified as grounds for immediate termination. For everything else—like tardiness, incomplete uniform, or repeated procedural mistakes—you need a documented system. For example: two written warnings for the same issue within a six-month period, and the third offense results in termination. And let’s be clear—there is no such thing as a “verbal warning.” If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen.

Holding onto someone who is not succeeding in their role is not an act of kindness—it’s avoidance. It keeps your team strained, lowers standards, and prevents that individual from finding a position where they can actually thrive. Not everyone is the right fit for every role, and that’s okay. Part of strong leadership is recognizing that reality and taking action. When you release someone from a role they are not equipped to succeed in, you are not closing a door on them—you are redirecting them toward the path where they have a real opportunity to grow and succeed.

-Anonymous

I hear this a lot. And truthfully, I don’t seem to have the same issue.

Of course, once in a while someone might slip through the cracks, but after three decades of hiring, I’ve learned how to choose the right people… the ones who truly fit. I also understand the value of proper training and clear communication, and that makes all the difference.

There’s also a mindset I hear often, especially from those of us 50 and older: “This younger generation just doesn’t work like we did.” Well, I’m 50 and I get it. But here’s the truth: you’re somewhat right… and somewhat wrong. They don’t work like we did, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work hard. It means we need to meet them where they are, while still maintaining the integrity of our business.

We can do both. It starts with being open-minded and having more faith in the next generation. Because to be honest, there are some incredibly hard workers out there. Two of my strongest employees started with me at ages 14 and 16. I literally just realized this as I’m writing… those same two young women won the two awards we gave out in 2025.

We can absolutely get into the weeds on this (and we will, there will be additional resources coming on this topic), but it starts with YOU. How you hire. How you interview. How you present expectations. What your training system looks like. And most importantly, your attitude.

I’ll say it straight: change your attitude about potential employees. If you believe you’re going to get poor-quality staff, you will. If you believe you’re going to build a strong team, you will.

-Jerri

Santa Cruz, Ca

Trust your gut… you already know the answer!

Hiring family (especially in-laws) into a fast-paced, high-pressure environment like a counter-service restaurant is risky, even under the best circumstances. Add in concerns about communication, past job performance, and your hesitation, and you’re setting both of you up for a difficult situation.

This isn’t just about giving someone a job, it’s about protecting your business, your team, and your family relationship. If it doesn’t work out (and your instincts are telling you it might not), now you’ve created tension at work and at home.

You can absolutely say no, and you should do it respectfully and clearly. Try something like:

“I care about our relationship too much to risk mixing family and business. This environment is really fast-paced and requires a very specific skill set, and I have to make decisions based on what’s best for the business.”

Keep it simple. Don’t over-explain or open the door for negotiation.

If you want to soften it, you can offer support in other ways like reviewing her resume, helping her prepare for interviews, or pointing her toward opportunities that may be a better fit.

Bottom line: Not hiring her isn’t rejection, it’s leadership.

-Anonymous

Ah ha!!! I’ve been there.

This is one of those lessons that really comes with experience. Before I opened my own business, I worked for three Fortune 500 restaurant groups. I learned a lot about marketing and was even responsible for managing local marketing and advertising budgets. I also enjoy graphic design and have become strong over the years with social media and online advertising.

But I missed one BIG thing for a long time—the reason behind advertising.

Let’s break this down, because this is where most people get it wrong.

Marketing is understanding your environment, researching your area, knowing your audience, and figuring out where they spend their time.
Advertising is the action you take such as ads, posts, print, swag, anything that puts your name out there.

Most people skip straight to advertising without doing the marketing first.

Now let’s talk about ROI, because this is the biggest mindset shift you need to make.

You said you’re not seeing a return. That tells me you might be thinking something like:
“If I spend $500 on a newspaper ad, I should get X number of catering jobs from that ad.”

That’s not how this works.

Advertising is not a direct transaction… it’s brand awareness. It’s repetition. It’s becoming familiar. It’s being the name people recognize when the need finally comes up.

So instead of asking, “What’s my return on this ad?” ask,“How much exposure can I get for this budget?”

If $500 feels like too much, then it is. Let’s say your comfort level is $100/month. Great. Now you’re not stressed, and anything that comes in is a win.

Now let’s talk about what you can do for free (and this is HUGE):

Social media is still one of your best tools. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are all FREE… and they work.

Post your food. Post behind-the-scenes. Post something funny. Share your content into local community groups. You can literally sit in the bathtub for an hour every night and put your business in front of thousands of people. (Check into some YouTube videos on how often and when to post!)

Then think locally and physically:

• Trucker hats with your logo

• Bumper stickers

• Anything that gets your name seen repeatedly

Give those hats to people who actually wear them every day, and who live in your market.

Also, plan ahead. Call your local newspaper and ask about their annual specials. If they offer something like $300 for 4 ads reaching 50,000 people each time, that’s 200,000 impressions for $300. That’s where advertising starts to make sense.

The goal is repetition. Visibility. Familiarity. You want to become the name people already know when they need catering.

You do NOT need to spend a fortune. You need to be consistent and creative.

Your Challenge:

Write down how you can get your logo in front of 1,000 people for $20 this week.

Get scrappy. Get creative.

And look into guerrilla marketing—you’ll love it.

-Serena

Houston, Texas