These are uncertain times, to say the least — priorities are shifting daily as a global health emergency is being dealt with on a global scale. They say embrace your problems, use the energy to create something new.
I’m very impressed to see how so many entrepreneurs are staying connected to their customers & guests in a variety of ways, including creating entirely new services, shifting how they deliver products, replacing in-person appointments with video conferences, and more. It’s so inspiring to see so many interesting and creative solutions coming to light.
Exploring New Ideas
I also didn’t want to dwell on how bad things are, so I started exploring ideas. What to do with a small boutique hotel on a tropical island which is on lockdown?
I started to think about my passions. I absolutely love eating food. Any kind of food. Most of the time when I’m eating I’m already thinking about my next meal. And on most days my last thought before I fall asleep is what I should eat for breakfast tomorrow. But what I love even more than eating food is eating food in the company of great people.
About Our Special Family Diners
After the earthquake, to make sure we stayed connected with each other, I started organizing family diners. Once every 10 days, I would cook for our little island family and we eat all together in Villa Nangka. I’m definitely not a chef and I have to admit cooking for 20 people in an improvised kitchen in the field was quite a challenge, but I did it with pleasure.
I cherish the moments where we’re all at the table. Exchanging stories, asking each other for advice, making jokes, singing songs and laughing, a lot of laughing.
Thinking back about those long special nights, I suddenly knew what to do; weekly special themed diner for a small group of people in a homey setting. I started spreading the word and the first edition was sold out in 1 day!
Why I Love Having My Own Business
This is exactly what I love about having my own business when you come up with a good idea you can immediately get started. I love being in action mode. As soon as I get a new idea, I hit the ground running faster than Usain Bolt being chased by a cheetah. No need to have long meetings with different departments to discuss various strategies and make endless budget calculations. Just go!
Makan Monday!
So here we are, a few days away from our first Makan Monday (makan means food in Indonesian). Wish me luck! And if you have any ideas for a theme for the next Makan Monday, I would love to hear from you!
Love Rose
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