Best cake maker ever

It was an amazing cake

I still remember it years later. This had to have happened between 15 – 20 years ago. This cake was great. It actually pushed me to ask the lady who’d ordered it where she went. (Some artisan cake shop? Some big name bakery?) Her response surprised me….

Walmart. It was made by a teenage boy at Walmart. What? Not the place I was expecting. How is that possible?

The Average Experience

Have you ever been to cake wrecks.com? If not, I’d recommend it. My wife and I can spend hours laughing at all the debacles. You can also see your fair share of really incredible cakes. It’s never ceases to amaze me how much of a cake you can screw up, or make incredible.

It’s not just about cakes

That’s a tiny segment of an industry that points to a larger issue. If you were given a list of 10 steps, would you be able to remember them for the remainder of the day? Some of you would. Now what if you were given 5 lists of 10 steps? Probably not the same outcome. When taking requests, I can definitely tell who’s going to be able to remember and do something with it…because they write.

It’s not just about writing though

I was in a conversation a few weeks ago, where me and the other person were talking in opposite directions. In retrospect, he would say something, and I would think about what I was going to say next….while he was still talking! I wasn’t doing a good job of responding to what he was actually saying, just what I thought he was saying.

It’s about listening

I’ve found that waiting to form my response until after the person finishes, helps a lot. I think if i’d done so in that conversation, then the conversation would have gone differently. I might have actually heard what he was trying to say and answered his concern behind his words, rather than just his words.

It’s about how we listen

I’ve also found that it’s about how we listen. I find I’m listening better when I write things down. I find I’m listening better if I’m writing down notes. I haven’t asked, but I’d imagine it also helps the other person know I’m listening.

The Difference for an amazing experience is listening
The best cake I’ve ever experienced, came from Walmart. How? Simple, she told the guy what she wanted, he looked her in her eyes and listened. He asked some clarifying questions and took notes. The difference is all about listening, and not thinking you know what the other person is saying.