A captivating tale about what it takes as a small business owner to build a meaningful company from the ground up, falling in love with your work along the way
In The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and culinary innovator Erin Wade shares her inspiring and often hilarious journey of leaving her corporate lawyer job to open a hit mac and cheese restaurant, taking you through the challenges and victories that paved her path to success. By sharing the lessons that helped her sell millions of dollars in cheesy carbs, she delivers the tools you need to create change and surpass all your expectations.
This book isn't just a personal narrative; it's a masterclass in redefining what it means to love your work. Because while her journey started out of a love of mac and cheese, Wade found that what she ultimately fell in love with - was business. What follows is the story of starting a small business, all of the ensuing trials and tribulations, and ultimately building a unique, feminist work culture that helped transform the restaurant industry.
You'll also find:
- Funny and inspiring personal anecdotes that illustrate the power of tapping into your own singular brand of leadership
- Strategies for creating a one-of-a-kind work culture based on greater meaning, purpose, and connection
- Tools to embrace a feminine leadership style that offer an enduring competitive advantage to entrepreneurs
With leadership takeaways for businesses of all sizes, The Mac & Cheese Millionaire is an essential read for small business owners, professional women, aspiring entrepreneurs, and, of course, comfort food-lovers. Wade's story demonstrates how blending passion, innovation, and a bit of culinary magic can lead to unparalleled success. Whether you're dreaming of launching your own venture or seeking to infuse your current role with more meaning and joy, let this book be your guide to transforming your professional life.
Table of Contents
Introduction ix
Chapter 1 Passion: The Best Fuel Out There, Other Than Chocolate 1
Chapter 2 Failure: The Shittiest Part of Finding Success 7
Chapter 3 Termination: Why Being “Let Go” Is the Best Euphemism Ever for Losing Your Job 13
Chapter 4 Dreams: Sometimes Scary, Always Interesting 21
Chapter 5 Apprenticeship: Fake It Till You Make It 27
Chapter 6 Working: Career, Job, or Hellscape? 33
Chapter 7 Detours: The Hallmark of a Worthwhile Career or Memorable Vacation 43
Chapter 8 Startup: The First Wobbly Steps of a Baby Business 53
Chapter 9 Luck: So Important It’s Unsettling 61
Chapter 10 Perseverance: Why Grit Matters More Than Wit 69
Chapter 11 Hiring: The Eerie Resemblance Between Hiring and Dating 79
Chapter 12 Rulemaking: On Trying Not to Become Your Parents 89
Chapter 13 Mission: The Only Good Reason to Change out of Soft Pants in the Morning 99
Chapter 14 Training: Why the Best Instruction Resembles a Coloring Book 107
Chapter 15 Culture: The Centerpiece of Great Workplaces and Dairy Products 115
Chapter 16 Discipline: On Spanking, Cages, and All the Weird Ways We Punish People 125
Chapter 17 Goals: Not Just for Motivational Posters 137
Chapter 18 Teamwork: It Really Does Make the Dream Work 147
Chapter 19 Transparency: Essential for the Performance of Companies and Windshields 157
Chapter 20 Collaboration: Because Ten Minds Are (Usually) Better Than One 167
Chapter 21 Iteration: Aka Failing Upward 179
Chapter 22 Impact: Kicking Ass and Taking Names 191
Chapter 23 Power: How to Have More of It in One Easy(ish) Step 199
Chapter 24 Purpose: Like Coffee, Without the Crash 209
Chapter 25 Meaning: As Fulfilling as Mac and Cheese 219
Epilogue Mac & Cheese Millionaire 225
Acknowledgments 229
About the Author 233
Index 235
