God, Family, and BBQ

Catering so good our competition had to copy our menu...

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:25:00 +0000

I was recently surfing one of my local competitor's websites and noticed that his catering menu was a verbatim copy of mine. A lot of thoughts ran through my mind. I'm generally not pleased with someone else copying my hard work. Through some great counsel, I have realized that it should be a point of flattery. Doesn't the saying go, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?"

So here is the pitch: Holy Smokes BBQ catering is so good and so well executed that our competition's only choice was to copy our menu. At the end of the day the service that Holy Smokes provides is much more important than the menu that is suggested.

I don't want to be snotty about the whole situation so I will not mention the business name. If you would like to see it, just look for a barbecue restaurant in Dacula, GA. Check out the catering menu and compare it to what you see at: http://www.holysmokes-bbq.com/catermenu.htm . Please remember to give us a call at 770-963-0994 if we can help with any of your catering needs.

UPDATE: It seems that our competitor has removed our sample menus from their website. You can still see the remnants... after all, how many BBQ restaurants have chicken tortilla soup on their catering menu? Notice also how all of the items are under the same headings in the exact same order.

When it is Hard to Pray

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:22:00 +0000

Sometimes it is hard to pray. My wife gave birth to a beautiful little girl, but had complications again. Almost exactly the same scenario as our first child. My only prayer throughout her pregnancy was for a healthy baby and a great birth experience. Unfortunately, He chose to allow us to go through the same.

I've had trouble praying. I feel as though I've been let down. I know the truth... but it is difficult to believe. I'm so thankful that there are things in place that allow my wife to leave the hospital feeling good, but I think it is unfair that she had to have the difficulty. I ran into another dad in the elevator who had a new arrival at the same time we did. They are at home now. It is not fair.

I know my God loves me. I know He has a plan for me. I just wish he would review it with me so I would know what to expect.

Patient Anticipation...

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:11:00 +0000

I'm sitting in my wife's hospital room waiting to meet my daughter for the first time. I've finally embraced the idea that I'm going to have a little girl. It does not really matter at this point... she's coming whether I'm ready or not.

I feel God urging me to trust Him. I feel His Spirit quietly nudging me to believe His promises. He will not leave me nor forsake me. All of the things that I pray for and ask for, believe that I have receive them and they will be granted. This is great stuff, but I'm scared. My wife's life was in danger when we had our first child. I'm scared that we're going to have problems again. I can't imagine life without her, especially with a new baby. She has become such a part of me. But His lovingkindness stretches to the heavens, and His faithfulness reaches to the skies.

I so desperately want to have joy in this exciting time. I pray that God would grant me that joy now.

Review in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:11:00 +0000

Last Friday we received a glowing review in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You can read it here.

Someone came into the restaurant on Memorial Day and ordered a bunch of food to take home. Not unusual for that day. Later Kenny received a call at the restaurant asking if she could do a review of our restaurant. Of coarse, we had to think about it... and promptly reply "Yes!" with much excitement.

So that's the story.

Fatherless

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:17:00 +0000

John Eldredge finally put words to the way I often feel. He describes our journey as men in his book The Way of the Wild Heart. He ultimately describes us as lost boys in grown up bodies looking for the answer to the question, "Am I good enough?"

I lost my earthly father in 2002 less than a year into my marriage to the one person who lives grace out before me more than any other. My father left me with the question, "Are you proud of me?" Really just a restatement of the previous question. Much of my life has been spent attempting to appeal to the pride of a man that didn't know how to show me how much he was. I find that I constantly seek the approval of my male elders. I'm constantly looking for what my dad didn't realize he didn't give me.

Please don't misunderstand; my father was a great man. He taught me incredible things like the power of honesty and how to fix a faucet. He taught me that I am capable of anything that I am willing to work for. I know that he loved me. I know that I miss him terribly and would love to speak with him once more. I often dream of that conversation only to wake to the harsh reality that I will not enjoy that pleasure this side of eternity.

I'm realizing, too, that I project these feelings to my heavenly Father. I wonder if I am good enough for Him and recognize that I'm not. I have trouble accepting His unconditional love and undeserved grace. I can not accept that I am, as Eldredge says, his "beloved son." I even have to sit in His place, knowing and understanding the love I have for my son, yet I can not accept God's. I struggle to believe that He is intimately involved in my life. I don't know what, but I know there is more to this relationship than, "Jesus died for my sins." That's great and all, but what is the point if there is nothing beyond that fact. Why would He save me and then just leave me out here to figure it out by myself? Why would my dad leave me here to figure out all of this stuff alone?

How can I raise my children when I have so many unanswered questions? When I am dead and gone, what is my son going to look back and remember about me? How am I going to screw his life up? Am I even capable of preparing him for what he is going to face?

The Wrong Reasons

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Someone left a very interesting comment on a previous entry. They essentially asked if doing the right thing was still right if it is done for the wrong reasons. I can't claim to be all wise, but I have an opinion.

My son has a natural desire to do whatever he wants, right or wrong. I believe he knows the difference without me telling him. Often when I catch him doing something he shouldn't, he is looking around to see if anyone is looking... guilty conscience, I guess. Anyway, I have set up a set of consequences that my child will face if he does certain things that are wrong. You could argue that the only reason why my son behaves is because of the consequences he will face if he does not. That is true, but eventually he will do the right thing habitually. He will see that more good comes from consistently making right choices rather than wrong. So the short answer is that it is best to do the right thing no matter what the motivation is... in my opinion.

The person commenting also made mention of something like "the happiness you deserve" as a motivation to do right. I understand the premise of the question to be an underlying desire to receive the credit I deserve for doing the right thing. I believe that I am not promised happiness and that the only thing I deserve is condemnation. It is a tenet of my faith that helps me to remember that every gift and blessing comes from my Creator and I can take no credit for it.

The Right Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:49:00 +0000

Doing the right thing is not fun. I might say that it is not always fun, but I really think that to our natural selves, it is never fun. Inside of me are desires to serve myself and my own needs. I sometimes care more about serving those desires than I do about doing what is right. There are also external pressures. Sometimes two areas of my life pull me in different directions and cause even more conflict. Those external pressures are usually a result of bad decisions I've previously made, but they are still a force to be reckoned with.

My evil desires and external pressures are always in conflict with the right thing to do. Add that to the fact that I'm still not going to feel great about making the right choices (because it is still not fun even though it is right), and the deck is stacked against me.

I do think that our Father in heaven is very concerned about my choices. I believe that he smiles when I choose to do the right thing. I've recently been able to see a friend who has made a string of bad choices start to own that and make some good decisions. I could tell that he had no fulfillment from doing the right things, but I was filled with joy when I was able to observe. I can only imagine the joy that our Father has when I do the right things.

There Is No Question

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:19:00 +0000

My wife is severely knocked up. When I got home from work, this is what I found on the kitchen counter. Good grief.

Embarrasing Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:51:00 +0000

My wife wrote this and I thought it deserved a place on the blog:

So before I had Andrew I had heard that children are the cause of the most embarrassing moments. Little did I know how true that was. I can't really pinpoint my most embarrassing moment before Andrew came (there were lots of them b/c I was easily embarrassed). I believe I have tougher skin now, but not tough enough to outdo Andrew and his antics. Now I can easily pinpoint 2 of THE MOST embarrassing times ever...one I can laugh about now but the other still embarrasses me to this day.

First the not so funny one: The beginning of 2007 was spent in Jackson, Mississippi. The food was the only good thing about that city, and that is where we found our favorite restaurant ever. It was called Hamil's Barbecue and was in a HUGE brand new building that could hold (and often did hold) hundreds of people. People from all over Jackson and surrounding areas would go there to battle the parking lot just to get a delicious home cooked meal. Many people would just park in the dirt (mostly mud) field that was next to the restaurant just to go in and wait in a line 30 people long. It wasn't the quickest meal, but even for a buffet, it was absolutely delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Well, at the front of the line beside the cash registers, there was a Gigantic glass jar abut an inch thick, a foot wide and a foot and a half tall holding peppermint candies. Mat set Andrew up on the counter to pay, and as Andrew reached into the jar, it went crashing to the floor. The jar shattered into a million pieces causing all 300 people there that day to look at us and watch us walk to our seat. The people there assured us that it was destined to happen sometime, and they rushed us away from the scene. I will never know for sure if anyone got hurt or not (after all there were 30 people in line behind us). I didn't even feel like eating after that b/c I was so humiliated. A friend was there and he tried to comfort me by telling me that when he was little he knocked over a display of glass mayonnaise jars in the grocery store and broke every jar. The story didn't make me feel better, but I could completely relate to his poor mother. As a side note, I certainly understand why there are so many obese people in Mississippi. I would probably be obese too if I had to live there.

The next embarrassing moment was about my exhibitionist child who decided to pee on a tree in front of a huge crowd right in the middle of our putt putt game at Stone Mountain. I would say at least 30 people were watching as Andrew dropped his drawers and let her go before anyone could get to him. His words were "I want to pee on that tree" and BAM...the stream started. One lady looked on completely horrified. I rushed to finish the course and didn't look back. I ended up ruining my putt putt score b/c I was in such a hurry to finish and leave. I honestly tried to get everyone to leave, but no one would. Mat ended up talking to the horrified lady, and it seems as if she was reliving a moment from her past as she had 4 boys who like to pee everywhere too. I was so relieved to hear that, and then I was upset that I ruined my game in my effort to get away.

So...I'm sure I have many more embarrassing times ahead of me. I'm sure that my skin will get a little tougher after each experience. Maybe some of you have some stories that you can share about your children that will outdo mine. I'd love to hear them!

Time with the boy

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:28:00 +0000

Someone is getting spoiled today... Don't tell Mommy!

Back Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:49:00 +0000

Three months on the road. "Visited" home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Craziness.

I am close to completing what has been the most difficult job I've worked on. Standing back and looking at it, we really did an amazing job. The site looks amazing. The wire work is really good and one of my guys has a real gift for customization. Places where wiring should look really bad is covered and looking great. I'm very proud of the work. I definitely could have done a better job managing the project. I've learned a couple of things:

Expectations drive perception and perception is reality.

The customer is always right... even when he's wrong... which he's not.

We built a world class production facility that consisted of an HD ready television studio and a radio studio in right at about 10 weeks. And it all works!! That is really great.

Anyway, I've found it really difficult to get back to my Atlanta routine. Things constantly change, but I think I'm so used to it that I don't realize it until I'm gone for 3 months. I really don't recognize this place. My house is currently the only place that feels like home. Driving down the road, trees are missing and grocery stores have popped up where houses and farms used to be. It is very disorienting.

It is equally weird to spend so much time focusing on getting my personal life back in order. It took two days just to file expense reports and pay bills. One advantage to being gone so long is that the great majority of the stuff that is on your desk or has come in the mail is now obsolete. It is still hard to get used to not working more than 12 hours each day. It is really difficult to shut down the computer and go home at 6PM or so. It is strange to get home before dark. It must be a good thing.

The conclusion... it is nice to be home. I'm sure I'll get used to it by the time I have to leave town again.

In the middle

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 03:48:00 +0000

I'm in the middle of the hardest time of my life... so far. At this rate, it seems like every six months I have a mountain to climb. My current project has turned out to be a bear. I can't seem to meet a deadline, then even when I do I still get my butt kicked. The truth is that I was no where near prepared to manage a project like this. I've learned a lot in the process, but it has really been tough.

The up side is that this will be the finest broadcast facility I have ever designed. There are a lot of little customizations that really make the system easy to use. I've had the opportunity to work with some of the finest equipment I've ever touched. The problem is that I've had almost no fun. Every other project has been fun. This one has just been 14 hour day after 14 hour day with almost no satisfaction.

I've said... even bragged about how inadequate I am. Now I've realized how true that is. I'll finish the project and I'll walk away with a lifetime of knowledge.

Best of Gwinnett 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:29:00 +0000

We have very exciting news to share with all of our fans. We were recently voted Best Barbecue in Gwinnett by Gwinnett Magazine. This is a huge honor and would not have been possible without all of the support that our fans and barbecue lovers have given us. Thank you so much for your support.

Business or Personal?

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:08:00 +0000

Partnership is a lot like a marriage. It might even be a little harder.

In my marriage, my wife and I share a lot of great times, we work through a lot of hard times, and we sometimes end up at each other's throats when one of us has been wronged by the other. What makes those times a little easier is that we have years of wonderful experiences to build our relationship on. It is hard for me to really believe that my wife doesn't care about me or respect me when I have a history of her showing how much she cares for and respects me. Similarly, my wife has a history of my love for her so when I'm a jerk, she can quickly realize that I have had a momentary lapse and my love has not changed.

Unfortunately, partnerships have to experience all of the hard times together and almost none of the joyous times together. When things are going well, we often get wrapped up in our individual lives, since two of us have very demanding jobs outside of the restaurant. When things start to fall apart, we have to make sacrifices in other areas of our lives to pay attention to the restaurant, often leading to resentments. It tears us apart.

I realized that compartmentalizing was not working for me. I realized that when it comes to my partners, this business is personal. I have to remember that. We all have a lot riding on this thing. If it doesn't work, we all lose a lot. If it does work, we all stand to gain. For that reason, my decisions don't affect me alone. If I choose to check out and become unresponsive without letting my partners know what is going on in my life, it affects both of them. If I unilaterally make a big decision, it affects my partners. This is where the line between business and personal is blurred. It doesn't just affect them business-wise. I'm messing with their personal lives, both in terms of time and finances.

So the answer for me is, like my marriage, I have to get close to my partners. I need to make their personal needs important to me. I need to stress the importance of my personal needs. I have to communicate. I have to care. I have to love them. I have to care about and love their families. I have to realize that my actions will affect their lives no matter how much I think it is a personal thing. I have to open up. I have to be a friend and let them be my friends.

I wish I could say that I have this whole thing figured out. It is definitely a learning process. I can only pray that we will come out on the other side stronger and closer than before.

The Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:14:00 +0000

"I'll praise You in this storm, And I will lift my hands, For You are who You are No matter where I am. Every tear I've cried You hold in Your hand. You never left my side, And though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm." -Casting Crowns

My partners and I are in the middle of some trials right now. I worry that our friendship and our partnership will not survive and even though I realize that I have no control over that, it still scares me. I also realize that on the other side of the storm, we will be stronger and wiser because of the storm. My God has not abandoned me, but is carrying me through this storm. He is preparing me for the next step. Sometimes I wonder if I really want to be this strong. If this is as tough as it seems, what in the world could possibly be next?

By now, anyone reading this knows I'm a fake, so I'll throw this verse from James in: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." -James 1:2-4

I'm not sure that this is an encouraging verse. I know that I'll never see perfection while I walk this earth, so does that mean that I'm going to be tested for the remainder of my life? Maybe someday I'll genuinely trust my maker and let Him be who He is. Until then, next time you see me, I could use a handshake, a hug, or an encouraging word.

Great Food Found on the BBQ Trail!

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:47:00 +0000

I was back in Nashville for a couple of days this week and had to try some very heavily recommended barbecue. A couple of guys at the place I'm working recommended Judge Bean's Barbecue on 12 Ave S. Before we walked in the door we realized that we weren't in your typical Southern Barbecue restaurant. There was no sign of pulled pork on the menu. There was, however, a warning to our herbivorous friends. While I understand the sentiment, I think that as a business owner, I want to be a little more accommodating. To sum it up, though, it is nice to know that I will be able to get great barbecue when I have to spend some time in Nashville.

Since pulled pork wasn't an option, I did not have to struggle with my decision to include brisket as a part of my meal. I've never been to Texas, but all I have to say is they've got it right over there. Beef brisket makes amazing barbecue. Every once in a while you can get brisket at Holy Smokes. Kenny has figured it out, though. If you want some, make sure you call the restaurant ahead of time and ask for it. (the number is 770-963-0994. ask for Kenny) They had a lot of other interesting things on the menu so I went for the sample platter which included brisket, 3 baby back ribs, 2 smoked chicken wings, a half of a brisket filled tamale, a "Diablo Shrimp" (more on this later), and a side item... slaw for me.

As far as I'm concerned, we have found an good BBQ place in Nashville. Unlike most barbecue restaurants, they know how to cook their ribs. They held on to the bone until I bit into them, then the meat cleanly released. They were tender but not mushy and had a great smoked flavor. We serve a meatier rib at Holy Smokes, but these were great. The brisket was very good. It stayed together well enough to get it into your mouth, but then came apart nicely and was very tender. The smoked chicken wings were... wings. Very good dipped in Judge Bean's spicy BBQ sauce. The next two items deserve a paragraph of their own.

The brisket tamale was unbelievable. My wife had never had a tamale of any kind and she fell in love. The brisket was shredded and nicely spicy. It is a very unusual flavor, but took me to close to the border. I'll definitely have to have another when I'm in Nashville. It didn't occur to me why they called it "Diablo Shrimp" until I took a bite. This was a jalapeño stuffed with a shrimp and a cream cheese spread wrapped in bacon. As I bit into it I thought, "Wow! That's really great!" Then I started my search for a fire extinguisher. After watching us squirm with our tongues dunked in ice cold tea for about fifteen minutes, the waitress came by with some guacamole which cooled us right down.

I tend to get long winded when I have a great barbecue experience. If you happen to be in Nashville, check out Judge Bean's. And by all means, if you are in the Atlanta area, make the drive out to Holy Smokes in Buford. There is great shopping right near by and the barbecue is worth it.

Daddy, Daddy!

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:27:00 +0000

God teaches me a lot about myself through the relationship that I have with my son. My son and I are not all that different. Essentially we are both children trying to act like adults. Right now I can hear him saying, "No! I'm a BIG boy!" We are also very much alike in that when all is wrong, the first person my son calls out for is his father.

I wish I could say that my analogy continues to fit when I compare myself to my Father in heaven. It is, unfortunately, a comparison that only holds in terms of position. I think it does, however, give me a glimpse into my Father's heart. My son has been sick all weekend. We spent two nights in the emergency room and countless hours trying to comfort him. When he was in pain, no matter who was holding him, his cry was, "Daddy! Daddy!" Imagine holding this treasured being in your arms completely powerless over his current situation. My son called out to me and I could do nothing for him.

My Father is different. I guess being omniscient helps. I tend to be shortsighted to say the least. When my life turns inside out, I often find myself on my knees weeping before my Father finding only the words, "Daddy!" Here the comparison breaks down. My Father in heaven knows what lies ahead. He knows what He has to prepare me for. He loves me with all of His being; He loves me enough to allow His Son to be sacrificed for my sin. So while God has the power to change my circumstance, He chooses not to for my own good. Perhaps that is why God hasn't given me the ability to take away all of my son's struggles. He is forcing my to use what I have to prepare my son for the day that he will hold his own child and cry to the heavens asking why God would allow him to suffer such pain. That is why my Father is perfect, and I am not.

ps: My son is going to be fine. It seems that he has a nasty little virus that we just have to ride out. There is absolutely nothing I can do... and that kills me.

We're Number 2 on Google!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 02:28:00 +0000

I'm easily excited by stuff. Today I searched Google for "holy smokes bbq" and found that seemingly overnight, we jumped into the number 2 position. How exciting!

So much for humility... oh yeah... I'm really busy

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 02:16:00 +0000

So it looks like at least one person in the world is reading my blog!!! My ego was extensively stroked when I found out that someone I'm doing some design work for was reading my blog on a regular basis. Now I feel the uncontrollable urge to write something meaningful and deep. Alas, I have nothing to talk about. Oh well.

If there is any meat to this entry, here it is. I'M TOO BUSY!! It seems like I'm constantly behind in one place or another. When I feel like I'm catching up at work, I'm falling behind with my family. When I catch up with my family, the restaurant is begging for my attention. Someone is always getting shortchanged. I'm not sure what the point is here. I'm just all over the place. Sorry. Here is nice picture of some ribs. That seems to make people happy. I am such a sham.

Two Stops on the BBQ Trail and an Education

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:56:00 +0000

I had to run to Nashville this week so I took the opportunity to sample some barbecue along the way.

The first place I stopped was Jack's BBQ in Nashville. A colleague described the ribs as "fall off the bone" tender so I had to try it out. This place is located right in the middle of everything in downtown Nashville and had a great atmosphere. The rather rude guy who served my food even added to the atmosphere of the place. The pork sandwich was very good, but I came here for ribs. I have only one comment... these are not "fall off the bone" tender.

First off, you don't really want your ribs to fall off the bone. They should hold on just well enough for you to get the meat in your mouth. Then the meat should release cleanly from the bone leaving a bone that, as Kenny says, if you threw it at the dog he would look up at you and say, "What's this?" If there is meat left on the bone, the ribs need more time on the smoker.

This brings me to Sugar's Ribs in Chattanooga. This restaurant is very easy to see from I-24, but is nearly impossible to get to. It was definitely worth stopping. I ordered a half slab and a "mini-que" which is essentially a barbecue sandwich that is the size of a Krystal. These guys do ribs the right way. I can't say that spare ribs are my favorite, but at least these were cooked well. The spicy slaw was a great complement to the pork sandwich and the grilled cornbread was very tasty. I'll definitely give this place another try.

That's it for this installment. I wish I had some really inspiring words, but not so much right now. All this talk about food has made me hungry.

Pleasing People

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:34:00 +0000

I like to make people happy. I try to do it in my family, in my full-time job, and especially at Holy Smokes. I just like to see people smiling. It genuinely warms my heart to see someone's eyes light up when I set a rack of ribs down in front of them. My other favorite activity is watching them when they take that first bite and the meat cleanly separates from the bone and they chew it is ecstasy as a little barbecue sauce is dabbed in the corner of their mouth. The final joy comes when I see their plate of empty bones and the only thing they're upset about is the fact that all of their ribs are gone. I love it.

That is why I take negative feedback very seriously. I do not like to hear that someone has dined at my restaurant and had an unpleasant experience. I recently received feedback from an anonymous customer via our website saying that the food was just okay but they otherwise had a rotten experience. I am grieved to hear that. My goal is to make my restaurant a place where lives are changed. I want people to leave happier than they were when they arrived.

I honestly think that we do a pretty good job. There is always room for improvement. We are aware of our flaws and we are working as fast as possible to correct them. Even still, I hear that you can't please everybody... and that kills me. I guess it is something I have to get used to.

I always want to know what we are doing right, and what we are doing wrong. If you have comments, you can send them to our e-mail address on the "Location and Contact" page of the website or you can leave feedback on the "Whadayathink?" page. Either way, all three owners see the comments.

I would lastly like to encourage everyone to please give us an opportunity to right whatever wrongs we may have committed. The last feedback I received was sent completely anonymously. I really don't think it is fair to completely bash my work and not give me an opportunity to answer your feedback and make it right. We will bend over backwards for you if you'll give us a chance. Whoever wrote the feedback that I'm referring to, if you happen to read this, please give us another chance. Download the coupon and come in for a free sandwich. We've learned a lot in the last six months and I feel that while we have a long way to go, we are light-years ahead of where we were.

$3.18 to Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:00:00 +0000

From the time my son was born, I thought about how great it would be to sit with him at Sam's and enjoy a cheap hot dog. It is even better than I imagined. My dad and I used to go to Taco Bell together. That was our thing. I'm sure that my son and I will have many more of our "things" but for now, $3.18 buys an afternoon of great memories.

Ill found confidence

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:37:00 +0000

I have a confession. I have no freakin' clue what I am doing. I am a big fake. I do my best to present myself with confidence to my friends, coworkers, and clients, but I am a big mess. Somehow, though, the people I work with have complete confidence in my ability to complete my job and my clients have complete confidence in my ability to get their job done for them. I don't get it.

I have no idea how to run a business. With the help and support of two partners, I'm supposed to take a dream and keep it from making me lose my house... and theirs. I'm supposed to design and build state-of-the-art television studios while the state-of-the-art is changing almost hourly. Most heavily on my mind is how I'm going to design a non-traditional radio studio that will likely be very different than any other studio built. I've never designed a radio studio. I'm not even sure how a radio works.

I guess I just have to take it one step at a time, learn what is necessary to complete the task at hand, and trust that my Creator is going to care for me whether I succeed or fail. I looked for a passage of the bible that would pound home my point, but that would only feed my propensity for being a fake and make people think that I'm more spiritual than I am. Instead, I present my logic. God created all living things. I remember a verse that basically says that if God cares for and provides for simple birds, how much more does he care for those of us who he created to love Him. My trust and faith in God is weak, but I believe Him nonetheless.

That's all I have to say about that... for now.

How Someone Else Would Do Your Job

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:36:00 +0000

I've very recently had a unique and great opportunity. We had a project come in at work on a short timeline and there was literally no person to work on it. So the president of the company did what any good president would do. Against everyone's recommendation and to some engineer's utter shock, he decided that he would begin the design process on the project until an engineer was available. The rest of us started looking for jobs, for we were sure we would all be out of work after the debacle was completed.

The truth is that I didn't give my boss enough credit. He has done an amazing job on the project. He has masterfully represented and protected his organization and provided excellent results for his client.

This whole experience gave me the chance to see how someone else would do my job given the chance. I was honestly humiliated and humbled by the way my boss handled the whole situation. He knew what everyone was saying and thinking, yet he did what he knew was right. There are a few things I can identify that I've learned so far:

Get as much outside advice as possible. My boss has elicited help from almost every person in my office. No one can possibly know everything. Someone else may have a perspective on a situation that you haven't considered.
Be absolutely forthcoming and outright with your client, no matter how much it hurts. Your customer needs to know when you make a mistake and more importantly, when they are making a mistake.
Make sure that your client acknowledges their own mistakes... in writing. Some people say this is "covering your ---". I say it is good business.
Never underestimate your superiors. They are where they are for a reason.

Five Guys

noreply@blogger.com (Mat... the uncreative engineer) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:54:00 +0000

My family and I ate at Five Guys Burgers and Fries with some friends last night. The food was good, but I was very impressed with the operation. They have been open for about a week, and they are handling the crowds like they have been doing this forever. I remember that when we first opened Holy Smokes BBQ, we were struggling to get through the slowest days. Things are a lot better, but it particularly impressed me that this company was handling amazing crowds out of the gate.

You might be able to blame this on the fact that it is a franchise and they have experience. A couple of doors down, the new Steak and Shake didn't have the same success. Legend has it that they had a number of employees walk off the job the first weekend because the store couldn't handle the amount of business.

I was also impressed with the decor of Five Guys. It had a great, upbeat atmosphere. The staff acted like they wanted to be there which, in my opinion, make customers want to be there. The really amazing part was that there was no major expenditure on interior decorations or fixtures. They had the same cheap tables and chairs that we have in our restaurant, and they had signs up around the room with quotes that newspapers have made about their food across the country. Nothing major, just music and a lot of smiling faces.

My conclusion is that the people make the atmosphere much more than furniture or decorations do. If you are greeted by a smiling face in an empty white room, you'll leave happier than if you walked into a lavishly decorated place but the person you meet is sullen and seems unhappy. The guy that did it for me was the guy that gave me my food. He seemed excited to give it to me and tell me that the numbers on the sandwiches match the numbers on the receipt so that I know who's sandwich is who's. I walked away feeling good because of him.