Great companies all have one thing in common…they pay attention to the details.  They ensure that your experience with their company is memorable, remarkable, and will be shared with your inner-circle.   Ritz Carlton, Disney, and LL Bean echo this principal on a global scale.  But, how do you accomplish this locally?   Is being world-class really that important to a local or regional brand?  Actually, it’s even more important.  The smaller you are, the fewer opportunities you have to get it right.    Fostering a culture of greatness is no easy task.  Why?  Because internally you have nit-wits trying to screw it up!   You cannot foster greatness with a handbook or “list of rules”.   Greatness is the by-product of doing things right over and over again.  Coaching and managing these expectations is an Art. I recently visited a restaurant chain in the area that is in the process of rebuilding its brand.  At one point this local chain operated almost three dozen dine in locations.  Today, they operate about half that many. A friend of mine works for this brand, and recently invited me to visit one of their newly refurbished locations.  I did. Nice!  You could sense that this brand was getting back on its feet!  They are redesigning their restaurants, infusing pride in their people, and putting forward the effort to resurrect a once successful brand. I decided to enjoy a libation after my tour, so I grabbed a seat at the bar, ordered up a frosty, and asked the bar-keep for some peanuts. Where I come from, Peanuts in the shell are a delicacy.  The cracking of the shell, the roasted, toasty aroma, and the taste of that salty little nut is irresistible...UNLESS the Peanuts are stale…and these were.  I shook my head.  I picked up my phone, and I texted my friend the following:  “The place looks great!  Your people are fired up!  But the peanuts are stale.  That’s a big no-no!”  He agreed. Spend all you want to refurbish, revamp, redefine, and market, but along the way, make damn sure you’re taking care of the details, the smallest of which will define your brand… ~Mark Storie