Emulate chefs

You've probably heard of Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Julia Child,

Paula Deen, Rick Bayless, or Jacques Pepin. They're great chefs, but there are a

lot of great chefs out there. So why do you know these few better than others?

Because they share everything they know. They put their recipes in cookbooks

and show their techniques on cooking shows.

As a business owner, you should share everything you know too. This is

anathema to most in the business world. Businesses are usually paranoid and

secretive. They think they have proprietary this and competitive advantage that.

Maybe a rare few do, but most don't. And those that don't should stop acting like

those that do. Don't be afraid of sharing.

A recipe is much easier to copy than a business. Shouldn't that scare Mario

Batali? Why would he go on TV and show you how he does what he does? Why

would he put all his recipes in cookbooks where anyone can buy and replicate

them? Because he knows those recipes and techniques aren't enough to beat him

at his own game. No one's going to buy his cookbook, open a restaurant next

door, and put him out of business. It just doesn't work like that. Yet this is what

many in the business world think will happen if their competitors learn how they

do things. Get over it.

So emulate famous chefs. They cook, so they write cookbooks. What do you

do? What are your "recipes"? What's your "cookbook"? What can you tell the

world about how you operate that's informative, educational, and promotional?

This book is our cookbook. What's yours?