Before you take business advice, ask yourself three simple questions. ✔ Have they actually done what they’re teaching? ✔ Can they show evidence? ✔ Do their ideas work in the real world? The Professor believed that experience is earned—not claimed. His classroom wasn’t a lecture hall. It was behind a counter. It was serving customers. It was solving problems. It was making mistakes, learning from them, and coming back the next day to do better. Over the years, he discovered that business isn’t built on opinions. It’s built on trust, consistency, hard work, and results. That’s why the greatest lessons aren’t always found in books. Sometimes they’re found in a lifetime well lived. Today’s Lesson: Experience teaches. Results prove. — The Professor & Me 💙

The Half Smiley When I first saw sheep’s heads being prepared for sale, I thought it was one of the strangest things Dad had ever introduced to the Mascot Tea Room. But he saw something I didn’t. Many of our African customers were travelling home for the weekend and wanted the food they had grown up with. They asked if we could prepare half smileys—half a sheep’s head, slow-cooked and ready to take home. Dad didn’t dismiss the idea because it was different. He embraced it. Before long, we were selling 40 to 50 half smileys every weekend. On Fridays, workers would stop at the Tea Room before travelling home. Some bought a whole head to share with family, while others picked up a half smiley for lunch. What stayed with me wasn’t the number we sold. It was what people said. “Thank you for keeping our food alive.” That was the Professor. He understood that serving people wasn’t just about filling their stomachs. It was about respecting who they were. The Professor’s Wisdom The best businesses don’t ask customers to change their culture. They find ways to honour it. Forty years later, I realise Dad wasn’t simply selling food. He was building trust—one customer, one tradition, and one meal at a time. Have you ever changed your business because you truly listened to your customers? — Gilbert The Professor & Me

One of the greatest lessons my father, The Professor, ever taught me wasn’t about selling… It was about listening. As a young boy working behind the counter in our family takeaway, customers would place very specific orders. “Cheese and tomato.” “Extra butter.” “No pepper.” Before we sent the order through to the kitchen, my father would always remind us: “Listen carefully before you send the order through.” If we didn’t listen, we got the order wrong. The customer wasn’t disappointed because the food was bad. The customer was disappointed because nobody had really listened. Years later, after spending decades in sales and business, I realised this lesson had nothing to do with sandwiches or toasted rolls. It had everything to do with people. When you ask the right questions and genuinely listen, people will often tell you exactly what they need. Their problem. Their priorities. Their budget. Sometimes… even the solution they’re looking for. 🌿 The Professor’s Wisdom “The best salespeople don’t have all the answers. They ask the best questions.” ☕ My Take The greatest skill in business isn’t talking. It’s listening. When people feel heard, they begin to trust you. And trust is where every great relationship—and every great business—begins. 💬 Today’s Challenge Before offering advice, making a sale, or giving your opinion today… Ask one more question. Then stop talking. And really listen. You may be surprised by what you learn. 💬 I’d love to hear from you… What’s one valuable lesson you’ve learnt simply by listening to someone else? Share it in the comments. 🌿 Lessons Worth Passing On The Professor & Me Preserving yesterday’s wisdom for tomorrow’s generation.