If you suck

We were on the way to our favorite restaurant for lunch.

“There is a new beautiful Asian restaurant just behind the corner. Shouldn’t we try it instead?” asked Ivon and showed me their epic Instagram feed.

I changed the direction right away: I’m always ready to test a “new kid on the block”.

The interior was amazing and the food on the menu looked extremely good.

Then the waiter came.

“Maybe she just doesn't understand us,” I thought to myself.

“Do you think she didn’t understand us or she’s just not nice?” asked my wife at the same time.

Then the appetizers came. They looked impressive as hell - dry ice was making a foggy effect all over them. This is very common in fine-dining restaurants or chic bars, but you don’t see it often in casual restaurants such as this one.

So we started eating.

And the food just wasn’t tasty. Each dish was missing something.

The same happened with the main courses. The food wasn’t good at all. Not to mention that we were pretty much afraid to ask the waiters for something.

You know what? It made me realize that no matter how shiny the package is, if the inside is rotten, it's going to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

This restaurant had it all - an Instagram feed that could rival any food magazine, a decor that was picture-perfect, and a food presentation that looked straight out of a MasterChef kitchen.

But the most important thing was missing - the food wasn’t good. And let's not forget about the service. We left disappointed, and guess what: we won't be coming back.

This got me thinking about our brands and how we present them to the world. We can spend all the money on advertising, hire the top influencers, and even make our products look like they're the next big thing. But at the end of the day, if our product doesn't deliver, if it doesn't live up to the hype, people will see through it. And they won't come back.

Absolutely, it can happen even to the best of us. Maybe an employee is having a rough day. Or the product just happen to come out wrong. Or the factory messed something up. Or there is some kind of a misunderstanding.

That's totally normal if it happens once in a while. But when it keeps repeating, it's not an accident. There is a pattern and something is rotting inside. And you need to fix it.

Think about it. Are you just creating smoke and mirrors with your brand? Or are you ensuring that the core - your product or service - is really worth it?

Remember, it's easy to draw people in with a flashy front. But it's only when they enjoy what's inside that they will stick around.

In a world obsessed with the surface, let's be different. Let's be the ones who focus on substance.

Because when the smoke clears, only the ones with true value stand tall.

Keep going the extra mile, fam. Substance over the surface, always.

Until next time,

Tino

PS: Don’t forget to forward this newsletter to someone who might enjoy it. So they can get on that Extra Mile with us.