If there was a way to bottle all the excitement of life into a person, then you would have a good idea of who Laura is. I have known Laura for a few months now, ever since they opened The Dancing Tomato. This little restaurant serves local businesses by providing home-made and nutritious alternatives to the unhealthy grab-and-go meals we so often resort to.
Their menu is filled all sorts of sandwiches, soups and salads. If you work anywhere in Virginia Beach, I suggest you look them up for your next lunch.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to interview Laura. I have seen them become a sought-out spot for culinary treats and I was just itching to jump at the chance to ask about their business. To be fair, I only gave them about a three-hour heads-up before I came in, armed with my notepad and pen. But even on the spot, Laura acted as if she had been talking about her philosophy of business all her life. Who knows…may be she has. I mean, with numerous start-up experiences under her belt, she has much to talk about.

 When we got to talking, her energy exploded. She gave me a run-down of her entrepreneurial past and reminisced about the fun stuff people do when they own their own company, like when they closed the store in observance of a “cosmic holiday” (they just wanted take the day off) or when they all wore ridiculous costumes (for no reason) and served bewildered customers. She told me about all her shops, their mistakes and their accomplishments.  She said she always seemed to fall into all her own businesses and every time she tried to get a corporate job, she knew there was something else she should be doing. For her, it has always seemed like opportunities aligned themselves in such a way that it was hard to say no. I think that is something we can all relate to.

As we got deeper into conversation, I asked what she thinks is important to being successful in business. She told me that she never has had good business sense but a great soul (I love that). Her philosophy towards her business is this… “You have to be able to laugh at lunch…It’s only lunch.” Sure, that seems a little simple. But, as you think about it, it begins to make sense. I mean, here she is leveraging all she has into a small sandwich shop that serves lunch to a business park, during one of the worst economic times. How else is she supposed to run her business? With panic? Her passion for fresh and healthy soups, salads and sandwiches takes care of the product-quality side of things, but what makes the Dancing Tomato a refuge for work-weary professionals is their ability to “laugh at lunch.” And it makes a HUGE difference. Before anyone opens the door to the shop, they know they will be given a smile and a cheerful “hello.” And I gotta tell you, in an age where fast food restaurants treat you as if your business is keeping them from their smoke break (how dare THAT be interrupted), any time you receive a warm smile and sincere greeting you feel like you just found an oasis in the sand.  

This concept of laughing at lunch can be applied to so many different aspects of our daily lives. There have been countless times I have been upset by the simplest things. Traffic, emails, bills, dry cleaning…are all normal and predictable. Yet, when traffic slows down, the dry-cleaning is late or we have to wait another 10 min for an email, we can get so uptight and anxious that our heads spin. And with the economic climate the way it is, those things have become much, much more…irritating.

It all begs the question, “What do the small and upsetting things of our lives say about our business…our lives?” Even deeper, “What does it say to our customers?” Don’t think that you are so savvy you can hide frustrations from your customers. They are spending money to deal with you and, when money is involved, senses are heightened. They can tell.  

With competition getting tougher, taxes getting stiffer and customers expecting more, is responding anxiously and hurriedly to the demands of your business the best approach? Sure, we all have deadlines and we have had to get the job done yesterday. But that does not mean we have to operate out of fear. Take a breath. You’re still living. You will live yet another year. And, in all reality, credit can be improved, retirement can be replenished (with a 12-year career-extension) and businesses can be born-again. The only thing that cannot be undone is your ability to live and enjoy doing it. 

We can all learn from Laura the Dancing Tomato. Leave time open to laugh at your job. Laugh like Laura! It’s only a job. Rotting your bones with worry will not increase your chances of being successful. Finding and cherishing the joys of your business is the real reward…the lasting reward. We should be excited with anticipation as to what comes next in our entrepreneurial journey, regardless of the “ticks” of the DOW. So, the next time your thinking about your business and begin to feel the worries of the world weigh on you, just take a moment…remember Laura and that little sandwich shop…think about your life and where God has taken you….throw your head back…and laugh at your job.   

It’s only lunch.