Watched a bakery owner in Portland handle a rush... and it hit me

I was grabbing coffee at this little spot on SE Belmont last Saturday morning, and the line was out the door. The owner, a woman maybe in her 50s, was running the register, bagging pastries, and wiping down counters all at once. She never once looked frazzled, just kept a calm rhythm while everyone else was panicking. It made me realize how much of running a business is just managing your own energy and focus, you know? Has anyone else picked up a trick from just watching someone else's flow?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnflores4d ago

Notice how she kept her movements smooth instead of rushing around?

ryan_ellis4d ago

Damn @johnflores, that detail actually blows my mind. I was so focused on how fast she was moving that I didn't even clock how smooth everything was. Like when she scooped the ball up off the floor without breaking stride and flicked it back in one fluid motion. That's the kind of stuff that separates the pros from the amateurs right there.