Life lessons learned from ‘The Bear’ episode

Every second counts. Three words – infinite possibilities.

Take a minute and think about that sentence; what comes to mind? When you’re reminded of the value of time and how best to use it, does it force you to look inward and reassess your priorities?

It did for me and the LP Gas staff during a hot summer day in July, at an off-site meeting of our Cleveland-based parent company, North Coast Media.

Each year, our content team – those involved in writing and editing the content that appears across our print and digital platforms – gathers for a day and a half of presentations, discussions and hands-on exercises. We spend time learning about new techniques and trends in publishing and, ultimately, ways to make LP Gas the best it can be for our readers.

This year’s meeting ended in a unique way. We spent the final 30 minutes watching an episode of “The Bear,” a popular television series on FX and streaming on Hulu. We were asked to pay attention to the lessons presented in the episode – for our personal and professional growth. I readied my pen and notepad and began to scribble lines from the episode and my thoughts.

Fork in the road

The episode – called “Forks” – begins with Richie polishing a pile of forks at a fine-dining restaurant in Chicago, his passionless work less than stellar and drawing the ire of his supervisor, who notices streaks. He’s told the simplest task of polishing forks can make a difference for the award-winning restaurant that has a customer waiting list numbering in the thousands. “Attention to detail.”

Meanwhile, Richie’s peering eyes notice the intensive, passionate work of the restaurant staff around him. “Every day is the Super Bowl.”

Richie begins to develop a natural curiosity for his new environment, and he asks questions. He begins to buy in to the team’s shared goal of creating the best possible experience for its customers, and his supervisors notice this transformation. “Buy in to the mission.”

Richie thinks maybe soon he could leave his fork-polishing duty and try his hand at something else. Though his initial request is denied, he finally gets his opportunity. “Perseverance.”

His team begins to train him on the detailed processes, and he’s even given an opportunity to interact with the restaurant’s highly valued customers. “No more forks.”

The restaurant values its customers so much that it researches them to know their likes and dislikes and specific behaviors while dining. And it listens. A staff member overhears a customer saying she’s leaving Chicago and regrets not trying deep-dish pizza. The staff responds immediately, with Richie sprinting to a nearby pizza shop to acquire one. It’s then transformed into a work of art on the plate, and Richie enjoys the honor of delivering the surprise to the table. “Creative touch.”

Richie’s mood starts to pick up, his confidence grows, and he looks at himself differently in the mirror. His transformation is also evident in his personal life. He’s shown organizing things around his home and trying to reconcile differences in his family life, including with his ex-wife and daughter. Richie is riding such a high that he blares Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in his car one night while zooming through the downtown streets. “Never too late to start over.” 

In one of the final scenes, Richie talks to the head chef, who’s peeling mushrooms, and learns about another detailed process of the restaurant. Richie joins her in peeling, and they begin to talk about their personal lives. She tells Richie about packing up her late dad’s house and finding a stash of pocket notebooks, which were full of details of things he’d experienced in his life. They were written as a reminder, and he’d sign each one the same way. “Every second counts.”