After 67 years serving the Houston community, Three Brothers Bakery continues to grow thanks to the tremendous support of our friends and neighbors. We have loved sharing so many memories with you all and look forward to many more.
One joy that you might not see – but the effects of which are always felt – is when we have the opportunity to represent the bakery at conferences across the country. Sometimes, it is to learn more about our craft in the world of food and beverages. In June, we attended CoffeeFest in Dallas to draw inspiration from some of the top minds working with coffee and tea.
But most often, these are usually because we have been selected to win an award or receive acceptance in to a special program. In 2016 alone, I (Janice) have attended the Enterprising Women Conference, the IBIE (International Baking Industry Exposition) in Las Vegas and the Inc. 5000 Conference and Gala in San Antonio. We also had the great honor of being one of only 30 companies invited to New York for the Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Business event to commemorate the 20th graduating class from their program. Here, we can celebrate the great accomplishments of the bakery while also looking ahead to the future.
I’d like to share some of my takeaways from these events here – these lessons have been invaluable for myself and the bakery. Hopefully, you can find ways to apply them in your own life and work!
At the Enterprising Women Conference, I attended a seminar about wielding your business’ influence. The speaker made a great observation that there is no on/off switch when it comes to your customers. Creating valuable relationships is an ongoing process requires determination.
Jessica Johnson of Johnson Security in New York City made this excellent point at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses event: “Big shots are little shots that keep growing.” Success is not something that happens overnight; it is the result of perseverance and commitment.
Later that day, I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend a panel featuring Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet, businessman and former NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, and Twitter CEO/Square founder Jack Dorsey. I really remember the advice from the Oracle of Omaha, which inspired me tremendously. Buffet said we should all focus on how to “delight my customer, not satisfy my customer.” When you don’t settle for satisfied, your customers become friends and advocates – “you don’t see them, but they’re out there talking about you.”
Whether you run a bakery, a company, a household, or are just punching the clock somewhere, we can all benefit by going the extra mile to delight people. When we work to wow others, great things happen.
It continues to be an honor and privilege to represent the bakery and its friends at these spectacular events. Thanks for your continued loyalty and support – it begins the virtuous circle that enables us to attend these conferences, which then provides us insight to better delight you!