Life Goes On

In the shadow of childhood cancer, how does life go on? I talked in a previous post about how successful cancer families are able to maintain a normal life in spite of the disease. But, in a family with a small business, what is a normal life?

Three years ago, after spending three years trying to buy existing businesses, we decided to take the leap and buy a franchise in Texas-based Super Suppers run out of the Culinary School of Fort Worth. Except for the company, building a business has been a tremendous experience. Going out on a limb, finding a landlord, a banker, suppliers, and the support of everyone else you need to build a business has been exciting and rewarding. However, it has also been incredibly time consuming and fighting with corporate has been emotionally draining.

The way the business was supposed to work, I would set up a kitchen where people would make appointments and come in to assemble a month's worth of meals that they would take home, freeze, cook, then come back the following month. In an ideal world, they would also choose to do this in organized groups, so once I found 12 or so of these groups of 12 women, I would have a thriving little business. Well, it only took six months to realize that maybe this works in DFW, but it doesn't fly in mid-MO! Unfortunately, though, when you buy into a franchise, you are not free to decide what works and what doesn't--especially when your franchise is run by a narcissistic megalomaniac who wrote a leadership book about his prowess AFTER he bankrupted a company and believes that if you are not successful, you are not praying hard enough. Yes, hindsight is 20/20 and I should have known better, but the idea sounded good, I respected their recipe development experience and thought that most people actually learn from failure and try not to make the same mistake twice. I was wrong, but I love my business. We did adapt and we did change things--I get in a LOT of trouble, but we grew a great clientele of people who came to depend on us and I was determined to make this work, and we have. As we approach the middle of year three, I feel like we are finally on the road to growth.

But then the wind changed. Truly making this business a success would involve, for me, an expensive legal battle to get out of my franchise and continued effort to build the business. In light of Bo's situation, I no longer have that time. If worse comes to horrible, I don't want spend this next year in a legal battle with Super Suppers, I already wasted a lot of time over three years on them, and this one is too precious. So, I sent a vague note to my customers that I have other pressing matters to tend to and we may have to close the store, and one of the things I got back was this note from a customer:

My name is Jenna. I doubt that you remember me but I’ve seen you a few times when I’ve come to Super Suppers. My husband loves the chicken lasagna and I love just about anything they can cook when I’m gone.

Stacy and I work together at Mizzou and she has always said nice things about you and commented several times on what a neat person she thinks you are.

So last week I got your mass email about the Supper Club and I came down to Columbia to pick up our month’s supplies and I spoke with a really nice girl who was working that day and she mentioned that your son had been diagnosed with cancer. You’ve been in my thoughts since. Today I read your blog and it touched my heart and has prompted this email which I hope you don’t find too strange.

I am 33 (gosh, how is that possible?), married with a 10 year old daughter and I was a police officer until I decided to go back to school 4 years ago. In December I will graduate with my law degree and an MBA. In the mean time I work as a graduate assistant, with Stacy, in the Office of Judicial Services at Mizzou. I love to cook and have taken classes at the Culinary Institute in New York City and went on a culinary tour of Paris in December. I was a front of the house manager in a restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas when I was in undergrad and did things like scheduling and ordering and that type of thing. I’ve done kitchen prep work more times than I can count and I’ve always enjoyed it. I have a basic understanding of HTML code, I could not create a website from scratch but can manage updates and basic changes. I think that covers the basics. I’m telling you all of this because I’d like to offer to work for you every other Saturday, if you are interested in some free labor. I’ve talked it over with my husband and he is on board. I’d not want to be paid, we could treat it more like a volunteer internship. I would be available for the entire day (10am-3pm)...

I just thought that you might need a little help and I might be able to do this small thing to make it just a little easier for you...

Good Luck on Tuesday! Good thoughts!

I also received lots of other notes and phone calls from customers, some I hardly know, and my vendors, neighbors, etc. Are people just amazing, or what? But it just goes to show that what comes around goes around and I do believe in karma. I may not be praying hard enough to make money, but I help people have better lives and they appreciate it, and they value our service. At the end of the day, that's what counts.

But this is for all of you that have asked what I plan to do with the business. I don't really know. I love the business and it is just on the verge of profitability. I have worked hard to create a solid foundation. What I realized when we found out about Bo was that this may work out well. If I sell the business asets, someone else can pick up where I left off, without the ball and chain that is Super Suppers, and build a truly great business for Columbia. I have everything in place to succeed, all I needed was to ditch Super Suppers, and now someone else can, without the lawyers or the emotional energy, and I can take care of my little boy and plan my next adventure.

So if anyone knows anyone who wants to make a small investment in a little business venture in Columbia, Super Suppers is just waiting to become Columbia's Kitchen under new management! Thanks to Jenna and all my great customers, and most of all my staff, Christy, Rachel, Tommie, Lauren, Kerry and Chris who have been so thoughtful and supportive every step of the way! Truly, Lisa