Let’s talk Pixar and business, shall we?

I want to share something I personally hold to be true, and I’d like to relate it to the movie Ratatouille. You might be familiar with the movie; it’s a great story.

Basically, there’s a rat named Remy and he wants to cook. He decides he can after seeing a professional chef, Auguste Gusteau, on TV who says anyone can learn to cook. Remy finds Gusteau’s cookbook and decides this is something he can do. He goes ahead and jumps in and starts cooking on his own, and he becomes very good. As the movie progresses, there’s some back and forth with this food critic, Anton Ego, who at the end concludes that Remy actually is an excellent cook.

With Ego’s conclusion of Remy’s being an excellent cook, the critic also tells the rat that he never believed in Gusteau’s theory that anyone can learn to cook. But, after having excellent food from an unusual resource, Ego decides that not anyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere–the Ratatouille theory.

So what does that mean, and how does it apply to your actual business?

You’re the one for the job

For starters, no one knows your business like you do. No one can promote you, no one is a better cheerleader, no one can talk about what you do better than you. As a business owner, you’ve been with the business from start to go, you know pricing, you know all the ins and outs, so nobody knows it better than you.

It’s anyone’s game

The way this theory really applies to your business: if I can learn it, you can learn it. I’m telling you that you can absolutely learn it. Social media is a tool to help you grow your business, but a lot of people think, “I’m too old,” “I’m not technical,” “This is too hard for me,” “I just can’t do it.” That’s crazy. I’m telling you, I was the least technical person on the planet. My last boss at my last job used to call me technologically-challenged, and he was right. Technology just wasn’t my forte. Then I decided I wanted to learn it, so I did. If I could learn it, anyone can; you just have to want to. I think that applies to anything you need to know to be a great business owner.

Lean into your strengths

You are going to have a natural talent, and some things are going to be harder for you. You don’t have to be the very best at every single thing for your business to be wildly successful. You don’t have to be a certified accountant for you business to thrive and make money. You don’t have to be a master chef for your business to have an awesome marketing plan or a great social media presence. 

So what if you’re just a chef? So what if you’re just a sous chef? If it’s great and it works for your business, that’s what it comes down to. What works for your business? What works for you? How are you going to take your business and move it forward?

No lone wolves

You have to remember, there’s always guidance available. There’s always a Gusteau to reference; there’s always a cookbook for assistance. You’re never really and truly by yourself.

The Ratatouille theory says anyone can cook, and a great cook can come from anyone. It relates to your business because anyone can learn to do social media, and a great social media marketer can come from anyone. It all comes down to how badly you want to do it and whether you’re willing to learn it and take the time it requires to get it done. It’s that simple. You’re never on your own; you always have guidance because there’s always someone like me you can ask questions to and how-tos, like cookbooks, to reference.

That’s what it comes down to. If you want to do it, you can absolutely do it. If you want to learn it, you can. It’s just a matter of getting in and getting it done.