I learned more about running an agency from being a line cook than from my studies or any job I’ve had since. A busy kitchen taught me to rely on a team, prepare properly, follow a method and deliver the same quality every time. Those lessons still shape how we work at Open Commerce.
I started as a dishwasher in a small bistro while I was in high school. Over the following years, I worked my way through different stations and eventually cooked on the line during evenings and weekends. I kept doing it alongside university. It taught me that being a good cook is only a small part of running a good service.
In a kitchen, there is a method for everything. Take an onion. I learned to cut rings and to dice, depending on what the dish needed. When you dice, the pieces need to be the same size. Otherwise, one burns in the pan while another is still undercooked. Preparation is about understanding why each step matters, then doing it properly every time.
The same goes for the team. The people preparing ingredients, the cooks, the person plating and the front of house all depend on one another. If an allergy note is missing or nobody knows who seasoned the meat, the guest sees the result. At Open Commerce, clear responsibilities, prepared workshops and a consistent project structure help us work together without leaving gaps.
And consistency matters because each experience matters to the person receiving it. You can cook a steak well 50 times, but if you get the next one wrong, you’ve spoiled someone’s dinner. They paid for a good experience, and they should get one. There is no substitute for operational excellence: doing the work well, every time.
These are the lessons I still use every day:
- Rely on the team. Good work depends on everyone doing their part.
- Make responsibilities clear. When people know who does what, nothing gets missed or done twice.
- Prepare before the pressure is on. A well-prepared workshop is much like a stocked station.
- Follow a method. The details, even the size of a diced onion, affect the result.
- Practice the work. Repetition helps us deliver quality consistently.
- Keep the workspace in order. Familiar tools and project structures leave more attention for the work itself.
- Celebrating a job well done. At the end of a shift, once everyone has cleaned their station and finished their work, you sit together, have a beer, share the tips and enjoy the quiet after a busy shift.
I’m proud to be part of the team we have at Open Commerce today. Every time I see our monthly newsletter and all the great work we’re doing, I’m reminded of that same camaraderie, passion for the craft and diligence in the process. I don’t miss the hours or the heat of that kitchen tucked away in the basement, but I’m glad we’ve carried over the parts I loved about working as a line cook. If you're not already signed up for our newsletter, I highly recommend it.
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Photo: Pylyp Sukhenko / Unsplash
