Today I decided to do something I never thought I would do. It involves you and the CEO Foundation Program coming up in a few weeks. I think you will be intrigued with what I came up with, but first I need to give you a little background.

It's obvious that I believe the Project to Create the Effortless Organization (CEO Project) makes an important contribution to the well-being of the hospitality industry, but it is much more than that. After nearly fifty years of working in and around foodservice, I have been impressed by the work ethic of the independent operator ... and saddened at the personal price those same people have paid for their devotion to the business.

The hospitality industry in general and the restaurant business in particular has been rather inhospitable to those who labor in it. As a client once told me, "Our wake is littered with bodies." The saddest part is that the problems most restaurant people wrestle with are not inherent problems of the restaurant business -- they are very predictable symptoms of the way they understand the industry. When that understanding changes, everything changes.

Anything I can do to facilitate that shift is important work ... and that is what the CEO Project is all about. The CEO Project is a journey, not a destination. Do you have the courage to at least explore the path?

With the 2007 programs only a few weeks away, you may be asking yourself a big question:

Is This Something I Should Do?

The answer depends on whether you want to continue with the hard work, struggle and unnecessary pain that defines the lives of most independent operators or whether you have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone to discover how to create an Effortless Organization.

One CEO took to heart the common-sense principles that we will present in this program and turned his entire organization around from the inside out. Here is how he describes his "new" company:

• Imagine a work place where the environment is calm, yet people are intensely involved in work activities.
• Imagine business meetings so enjoyable and productive that people leave more energized than when they arrived.
• Imagine managers making decisions based on wise reflection rather than from fear or by knee jerk reaction to circumstances.
• Imagine a work force so resilient that disruptive factors like disappointment and change have but a very temporary effect.
• Imagine the energy so often wasted dealing with interpersonal and individual stress being put, instead, into the work itself.
• Imagine an environment where there's no concern about motivating people with incentives or pressure since people are generally happy and productive.
• Imagine morale at such a high level that staff and managers arrive home from work in a state of mind that actually increases the well-being of the people in their lives, rather than detracting from it.
• Imagine an organization that has trust and confidence in its staff, allowing them the latitude (and permission) to think like owners.
• Imagine a happy, healthy and productive group of men and women who actualize levels of ability and service which they did not even know they were capable of.
• Imagine taking your company to a higher level than you ever dreamed possible through accessing the fundamental innate intelligence of your staff.

• How competitive you would be in the marketplace?
• What would your sales volume be like?
• What level of service experience could you provide to your guests?
• What would it be like for you (and your staff) to come to work every day?
• How easily could you attract and retain top quality workers?
• What would be the quality of your personal life, both on and off the job?

Can You Envision Your Company Functioning Like This?

These descriptions may sound too good to be true, but from my own experience I can tell you that this picture is extremely accurate ... and it is the way things are supposed to be. All organizations are capable of functioning in this way -- it is hard-wired into human nature.

In working with hundreds of managers, Robert and I have found that the extent to which their companies did NOT function like this was just a reflection of the leadership's level of understanding. Deepening that understanding is what the CEO Foundation Program is all about.

If You See The Value, Why Haven't You Registered Yet?

You have probably heard me say all this before and it would be hard to argue with the ability of your own organization to function effortlessly without the need for your continual attention. With all the discussions we have had about this event, there are only four reasons I can think of to explain why you have not signed up for the 2007 CEO Foundation Program in Granville, Ohio on July 16-18:

1. You Don't Believe the Results
My story and the stories of others who have embraced this new direction undoubtedly seem almost unbelievable by any normal standards ... but who wants to be normal? Would you like to keep slogging through the same old muddy ruts or would you rather learn to fly?

One of my favorite quotes, attributed to various sources, says, "It's not the things you know that get you in trouble. It's the things you know that just ain't so." There are literally thousands of people all over the world whose lives have been transformed just by grasping these simple truths. Why not yours? At one point, nobody believed the earth was round either!

2. You Don't Think You Need It
The Foundation Program is an inside-out learning experience. In other words, the impact comes not from the ideas we present but from how deeply you understand them. There is nothing to remember and no buy-in to a particular philosophy. We just introduce some exquisitely simple principles and allow you to discover how they might apply to you. The results of this process are amazing and very, very powerful.

The deeper your understanding, the more grounded you become in the principles and the less likely you are to lose your bearings when things get rough.

Robert once explained it this way: "Imagine that you and your employees are making an ocean voyage in small sail boats. If the seas are calm, each sailor can manage his or her boat fairly well. Some will be more expert than others but none will get into serious difficulty. Now suppose that a weather system develops; winds pick up and swells increase. The expert sailors enjoy the change while the novices become tense and worried. If a full storm develops, the experts will be challenged just to keep from swamping while the less experienced may capsize and drown. Under these conditions, completing the journey, let alone enjoying it, is lost to the needs of pure survival."

Too many independent operators seem to be in a perpetual state of survival, simply reacting to one emergency after another and seldom experiencing what should be the joy of operating a place of hospitality. Perhaps you, too, need to re-kindle your love and passion for the business.

3. You Think You Don't Have The Time
I know that you're busy ... but if you can't take time away from the business when you need it or want it, something is out of whack. If you don't feel that your time is your own -- particularly when it is your business -- what's the purpose of having your own company? More important, if you don't take steps to get off this treadmill, what makes you think it is ever going be any different?

The Foundation Program is about strengthening and deepening your understanding of the principles that lead to an Effortless Organization. As your understanding deepens, you will gain an increasing sense of control over your time and your life -- both personally and professionally. Your business will become more effortlessly excellent and your personal relationships will become closer and more nurturing. If you would like more of this sort of balance in your life, when would you like it? How long would you like to wait before you achieve it? If not now, when?

4. You Think You Don't Have the Money
This is the big one. Truth is, most other considerations are just socially-acceptable ways to say that you don't want to spend the money. And there is a price involved. Regular tuition for the Foundation Program is $2497. Additional people from your organization can attend for just $1297 and Gold Group subscribers have another $250 scholarship available. It is not a giveaway, but then you wouldn't expect it to be. To keep things in perspective, it is really a minor investment when compared to its impact on your business and your quality of life.

You must be mindful of cash flow, of course, but have you noticed that you always seem to find the funds for the things you really want? Even "poor" people have big televisions and cell phones. In the end, most "money issues" are more about priorities than cash. If dollars appear to be getting in the way of your decision to join us in Granville, it probably means you are still uncertain about whether a journey along this path is a priority for you right now.

You may not be aware of the impact that your own state of mind has on the climate in your restaurant. You may not know that a more positive climate in your restaurant will make the place feel better, attract more guests, enable your staff to be more productive and cause them to want to stay with you longer. You may not yet appreciate that the same insights that will enhance your ability to form closer bonds with your staff and guests will also lead to more meaningful relationships with your mate, your children and every other person in your life. Wouldn't it be worth a minor investment to get those kind of results?

I'm Out To Eliminate All Your Resistance

Since we still have a few seats available, time is short and money is the consideration most likely to keep you from attending the Foundation Program, I want to extend to you an irresitible offer, one I never thought I would make:

Register for the Foundation Program for only $100! That's my out-of-pocket cost for breaks and such. When you have completed the program, if you can honestly say you got nothing new or valuable from the experience, I won't charge you another dime.

On the other hand, if you are as blown away as most people are by the power of the insights that will come to you in this program, I will spread your tuition over four monthly installments ... but only after you have experienced the power of this program for yourself. It's truly "try before you buy."

Normally I would never make a concessions on a program this valuable ... but it is precisely BECAUSE of that value that I will do whatever it takes -- walk across broken glass, even clean up my office! -- to help you discover this path.

I have seen the incredible impact of this understanding on my own foodservice operations ... and my life. I can think of no task more important than introducing this powerful way of thinking into the hospitality industry. In fact, it would be irresponsible NOT to share this.

Do you have some risk? Of course. You will have travel expenses and be out of your operation for a few days. Robert and I are willing to risk working for free and let our work speak for itself ... but you must also show commitment to your own growth or we would all be wasting our time.

Time is Of The Essence

The Foundation Program starts at noon on Monday, July 16th and runs until 5:00 on Wednesday, July 18th. This means that you should buy your plane tickets as soon as possible to get the best price.

The Granville Inn has set aside rooms for us at a very attractive rate, but they will start releasing that room block on Monday. After that, you could be scrambling to find conveniently-located rooms. Call the Granville Inn at 888-472-6855 and tell them you are with the CEO Project. Do it now. You can always cancel the room later if you need to.

In short, there is no time to lose. Click on the links in the left margin if you need to refresh your memory on the Foundation Program or want to review the video comments of some past attendees on the CEO website.

I know there are probably a few lingering considerations and a few dangling details left to handle, but don't sweat the small stuff. There is something powerful that happens when you make a commitment. All the forces of the Universe seem to converge an in some unexplainable manner, all the roadblocks dissolve. But it has to start with the commitment, so have the courage to commit to this program one way or the other ... now. Not to decide is a decision.

To take me up on my offer and get your name on the list, just send me an e-mail I'll take care of the details. If you have questions, please call me with those so we can move ahead quickly.

It is your life, your business and your choice. Choose wisely ... and soon.

Sincerely,

Bill Marvin
The Restaurant Doctor

PS #1: The CEO Program is only offered once a year, so this will be the only opportunity for you and your key staff to gain this edge until the summer of 2008. Do you really want to wait that long?

PS #2: I can think of nothing more disappointing than to agonize over this decision for days, only to find the program closed when you try to register. There is only room for a very small group in the Foundation Program. Send me an e-mail today and make sure that you will be one of the lucky ones!

PS #3: The longer you wait, the more it will cost for airfare and lodging. Be smart. Register today! I promise you will be glad you did.