What Guys?

When I was very young, I would listen to my parents tell my older brothers to study hard, find something that interest them, and go for it. “The sky’s the limit!” was a favorite phrase of theirs. You can become anything you set your mind to. Our parent's enthusiastic support made them want to excel in school and life, at least until they reached high school. Unfortunately for them, higher education was wrought with distractions. Playing sports, cars, and, of course, girls lured them away from achieving academic greatness. Watching them falter frustrated my parents, but they never gave up hope. Boys will be boys, but eventually, they will become prominent men.

My parents took a different approach with me. I was their little princess when I was younger. There was no pressure to excel academically. Instead, my mother dressed me in frilly clothes and told me that when I grew up, I would find a good man to marry and raise a family just like she did. The only reason a girl attends college is to find the perfect husband. It’s a man’s world and we must try to fit in. Fortunately, I didn’t listen.

Much to my mother’s frustration, cooking, cleaning, and all that housekeeping stuff never interested me. I did it because my mother insisted, but I didn’t like it. What I did instead was, study hard, make the honor roll every semester, graduate top in my class, and earn a full scholarship to a prestigious university. My goal in life was to become a successful business owner. It’s hard for a person to give up on beliefs they have held throughout their life, but my mother slowly accepted my point of view.

I graduated Suma Cum Laude with a double major in business and economics. My toughest chore after graduation was choosing the job offer that best suited me. After careful consideration, I chose the one that paid well but offered me an opportunity to travel and make business contacts. Everything was sailing along so well I almost gave up on my dream of owning a business. Then COVID-19 hit, and it all fell apart.

My employer imploded, and I was let go. Fortunately, with unemployment and my savings, I had enough income to survive. It was time for me to act on my dream and become a business owner, but what type of business was the question? Buying a franchise made the most sense because the advertising was already done for me. The most affordable option at the time was a Five Guys restaurant.

Two months later, I was the proud owner of my first of what I hoped were several burger shops. My next obstacle was finding people to work for me. The effects of COVID were slowly fading away and people could safely return to work, but they didn’t want to. Working from home was now a thing. That doesn’t work in the restaurant industry.

I offered my brothers jobs, but they said, “Not no, but hell no.” High schoolers no longer need to work part-time. If they need money, they ask their parents. Recent graduates would work for a while then leave for better pay, or because they were bored. My labor force was as reliable as the weather. Eventually, I put together a semi-reliable crew that showed up for work most days, but I work seven days a week.

My dream of running my business from behind a desk hasn’t worked out how I thought. On any given day, you may find me mopping the floor or the sidewalk in front of my store, cleaning the grill, picking up trash, or flipping burgers. I’ve put my mother’s training to good use. I’ve never met any of these Five Guys, but I wish at least one would show up for a shift.