La Caille is “contemporary French cuisine in a 17th century chateau on an idyllic 22 acre estate complete with vineyard, fountains, peacocks and swans,” [1] nestled in a beautiful and peaceful setting at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is one of those places you go for very special occasions or celebrations.
During a recent meeting the owner, Steve Runolfson described himself as a “gentleman farmer who works at night in the kitchen.” I can assure you he is much more. For starters, he is one of the few people who understand how to consistently deliver “Old World Service.”
The purpose of the meeting with Steve was planning for the upcoming Celebration of Learning with the five of us who compose the Finance Committee of the Scottish Rite Learning Centers. Steve taught us how to make this gala event a huge success.
During the meeting, we were very surprised at just how willing Steve was to add extra value to every part of the planning and execution - every touch-point- and not just the event. He was offering so much more than just a beautiful environment, great food and drink. He showed over and over that he is a generous and community-minded man.
Close to the end of the meeting, Bob Shupe, probably the most generous man I know expressed to Steve our surprise and gratitude. It was here that Steve shared with us a very memorable thought. While he held up his right hand, holding his thumb and forefinger roughly an inch apart, Steve told us, “I’ve learned the secret of life. It is to give just this much more than you take.”
I later shared this thought with my son, and he replied, “Karma.” I corrected him. That is not Karma. In popular usage, Karma has come to mean what you give comes back to you, or “what comes around goes around.” Karma is really “the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation.” [2]
Steve was not talking about Karma. He was not talking about future incarnations of life. Steve was talking about this life and specifically, he was talking about the secret of a happy and fulfilled life.
This reminded me of a similar thought expressed by Emanuel Swedenborg, the 17th Century Swedish Christian Mystic. Swedenborg taught, “Real joy, which comes from loving to do good things without wanting to be repaid, is the reward that lasts forever.”
Steve’s thinking is very different from the usual negotiation where the parties vie for supremacy, trying to wring every ounce of value for the minimum return, and leave nothing on the table for the other party. It is the complete antithesis of Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is Good,” mantra.
Steve’s a man who has been wildly successful at his business for more than four decades, and he puts a lot more value than he has to on the table! I believe this philosophy has brought Steve his long-term success. And I suspect he has more than his share of joy.
[1] LaCaille.com
[2] Wordnet, Princeton.edu
During a recent meeting the owner, Steve Runolfson described himself as a “gentleman farmer who works at night in the kitchen.” I can assure you he is much more. For starters, he is one of the few people who understand how to consistently deliver “Old World Service.”
The purpose of the meeting with Steve was planning for the upcoming Celebration of Learning with the five of us who compose the Finance Committee of the Scottish Rite Learning Centers. Steve taught us how to make this gala event a huge success.
During the meeting, we were very surprised at just how willing Steve was to add extra value to every part of the planning and execution - every touch-point- and not just the event. He was offering so much more than just a beautiful environment, great food and drink. He showed over and over that he is a generous and community-minded man.
Close to the end of the meeting, Bob Shupe, probably the most generous man I know expressed to Steve our surprise and gratitude. It was here that Steve shared with us a very memorable thought. While he held up his right hand, holding his thumb and forefinger roughly an inch apart, Steve told us, “I’ve learned the secret of life. It is to give just this much more than you take.”
I later shared this thought with my son, and he replied, “Karma.” I corrected him. That is not Karma. In popular usage, Karma has come to mean what you give comes back to you, or “what comes around goes around.” Karma is really “the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation.” [2]
Steve was not talking about Karma. He was not talking about future incarnations of life. Steve was talking about this life and specifically, he was talking about the secret of a happy and fulfilled life.
This reminded me of a similar thought expressed by Emanuel Swedenborg, the 17th Century Swedish Christian Mystic. Swedenborg taught, “Real joy, which comes from loving to do good things without wanting to be repaid, is the reward that lasts forever.”
Steve’s thinking is very different from the usual negotiation where the parties vie for supremacy, trying to wring every ounce of value for the minimum return, and leave nothing on the table for the other party. It is the complete antithesis of Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is Good,” mantra.
Steve’s a man who has been wildly successful at his business for more than four decades, and he puts a lot more value than he has to on the table! I believe this philosophy has brought Steve his long-term success. And I suspect he has more than his share of joy.
[1] LaCaille.com
[2] Wordnet, Princeton.edu
1 comment:
What a beautiful story and beautiful writing, too. We need more Steves in the world!
-C
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