Website design By BotEap.comI just got back from a beautiful Friday night with my husband. It was a long, but wonderful week, and I was ready to get away from the computer. Of course, always in the back of my mind, I am thinking about the next story to write and I am constantly on the lookout for something seemingly mundane that is really full of meaning, waiting for me to find out.

Website design By BotEap.comI think I found something like that tonight. Let’s set the stage …

Website design By BotEap.comWe drove a few miles south to beautiful Pawleys Island, South Carolina, to our favorite sushi bar and restaurant. It is located under a giant live oak that is dripping with Spanish moss. The weather was perfect for enjoying an al fresco dinner. But first we went into the bar to chat for a few minutes with the bartender and the sushi chef. As I sat at the bar, I saw the young bartender polishing glasses, cleverly uncorking bottles of wine for customers, chatting with the guys about the game on the overhead televisions. Everything was clean, tidy and sparkling, which combined to create a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. I felt like I could have been at the home of a trusted friend.

Website design By BotEap.comMy mind wandered many years back to the days when I was a waitress. He had two young children and was in college full time. We all went to school, came home at the same time, and did homework together. When Dad came home to be with the kids, I would go to the fancy restaurant that had become my second home. Work began instantly to prepare for the evening dinners. Ice containers to fill, butter to scoop, checked and filled salt and pepper shakers, revised wine inventory, folded linen napkins, flowers arranged on tables, good southern iced tea to brew, lemons to cut to perfection (wedges , not slices!), sugar bowls to fill (NEVER paper items on our tables), and it went on and on … By the time the first guests arrived, the candles were lit and we were standing smiling and acting very carefree, like if we just arrived on the scene and put on our aprons just to open the door and welcome them. Who knows? Actually, at that point we were close to exhaustion. I would get home around midnight and get up early the next morning to start over. I made very good money for those few hours each night, probably because it was such a classy place. Looking back, I don’t know where I found the energy. Ah, the benefits of youth!

Website design By BotEap.comSo tonight, as I was observing the waiter, chef, and the rest of the staff, it occurred to me all the prep work that they had done so that I could come in, sit down, and enjoy great food, drinks, and good service, in a cozy atmosphere. lovely setting.

Website design By BotEap.comYou know, our work is like that too. Most of us who read this article have some kind of business, many of us work online. We have A LOT of prep work that no one sees. However, when they look at our store, our workplace, or our websites, they see something that seems pretty straightforward. But, we know better, right?

Website design By BotEap.comI dedicate this article to all the work done BEHIND THE SCENES to serve your clients and offer them the best you have. I have visited many of your workplaces, seen your websites, and even purchased products from many of you. I appreciate EVERYTHING you do BEHIND THE SCENES to make this happen.