Bar Hemingway – Ritz – Paris

Rewarding yourself when you run your own business is for me very difficult, especially in the early years, whilst your keeping a tight rein on ye old finances and it’s still a hard habit to break today.

I recently read an article in which a fashion business couple, would visit the Hemingway bar in the Ritz Hotel Paris, every year without fail as they’re one and only treat / indulgence as they built the business up. It was an annual absolute, both a kind of motivator and goal reward, regardless of where they were at.

All fairly sweet i initially thought… but could also be somewhat poignant if your still on the bar snacks some years later and yet to taste the club sandwich. The cocktails I hear are worth the wait though, as long as it doesn’t become a night with John Galliano 😉

I think the biggest thing for me is the balance of being able to appropriately, rewarding either myself, my family, my company when they all overlap in some way with regards to time, money, love, sacrifice and support. Milestones and targets help, drive the business, but don’t solve the problem.

I am however still constantly reminded by the gifts that my paternal grandfather earned, a 5 piece Picquot ware tea service comprising of twin handled tea tray, teapot, hot water jug, sugar bowl and milk jug for 25yrs of service and a pair of binoculars for 40 years of service to the Gas Industry.

Not quite a carriage clock or pocket watch, but i love the binoculars as they are a decent pair for the time and more personal to him, as he was something of an avid twitcher.