Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dan Simpson, CEO of Tazikis, located in Nashville, TN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We create meaningful connections through a fun, modern Mediterranean that the whole family will love.
Tell us about yourself
I've helped launch and scale multiple businesses and love to find great people with a big heart and a mission and help them accelerate their dream. Hospitality was never my initial vision, but I've always believed in a people-first approach and have a love for gardening and cooking, and I saw how my background in tech could help Taziki's build on its decades of growth. The founder, Keith, and I work together great, and we're creating more opportunities for our staff while modernizing the guest experience and bringing the most popular food to more communities!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Hiring someone at an entry-level position and empowering them to become leaders, owners, and partners in our business. Helping other entrepreneurs archive their dream so they can pay it forward.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Knowing what you can control and what you can't, and focusing your time, talent, and treasure on true areas of impact - and not wasting energy on the rest. The pandemic and subsequent staff and supply chain crisis have presented a series of black swan events that have challenged us to pivot, be agile, and focus on what we CAN do. My wife and I enjoy sailing, and I've heard it said that "The pessimist complains about the wind the optimist expects it to change the realist adjusts the sails." - William Arthur Ward. This is true in our business as well, and Taziki's is coming out stronger than ever!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find a problem worth solving w/ a purpose that will push you when it gets hard.
- Know your superpowers and build a team around you to complement your kryptonite.
- Model a 10 to 15-year ROI model to see if your vision is a good investment - considering the worse case, best case, and likely case. We get one life to live, so make sure it's worth it.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I've been reading a book called "Strengths to Strength," and it is reminding me that in our 20-40's, our invitation is to bring a lot of energy and innovation to our vocations, and then typically, for most jobs, peak performance that relies on "fluid intelligence" starts to fade. But the '40-the '70s invite us to leverage our earned wisdom by investing in the next generation of leaders. This is the cycle of life, and we try to challenge everyone in our restaurants and our home office. Find a mentor and become an A player, a leader, and a difference-maker. Then become a mentor to someone else. Replace yourself to give both you and another person the next opportunity that awaits you both.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.tazikis.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TazikisMedCafe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tazikis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tazikis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-simpson-8aa1bb3/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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