THE SO WHAT? WITH JOE SCHUMAKER FCSI
Why I Walk The Line
Independence must be an inarguable professional credo for consultants, says Joe Schumaker FCSI. But how do we walk it like we talk it?
I
love the Johnny Cash tune, I Walk Te Line. Te Man in Black may have been singing about fidelity in this instance, but to him, accountability was something he had to live and breathe. Being transparent, honest and accountable are essential tenants for independent foodservice consultants too. “Walking the line” for FCSI Professional members means living and breathing our independence. Being independent is not just a choice, but a mission. Like Johnny, you’ve gotta walk it like you talk it. But so what? It sounds straightforward to walk that line of independence, but while there are some extremely black and white areas of this industry, there are some gray ones that need to be carefully navigated too, because this can be a nuanced picture. So, what does being a truly independent
consultant really mean? Well, let’s first acknowledge that we’ve still got to make money in this business. Your value is in your technical skill and hard-earned experience in the field, but unequivocally it’s also in your objectivity and neutrality too. Tat said, to really understand how to best service your clients when specifying equipment, for example, it certainly helps to keep a close – but professional –
JOE SCHUMAKER FCSI Based in Idaho, Joe Schumaker FCSI is the founder and CEO of FoodSpace
FURTHER DETAILS: So what do you think? Join the debate by contacting Joe:
10 joe@myfoodspace com
relationship with manufacturers. You’ve got to keep that healthy tension. You also have to be fair. Invited to a manufacturer’s facility to see their latest equipment up close? You then have to try and see all of their competitor’s products too. But you are also bound to be time- poor and need to make good use of your availability. It’s another reason why industry trade shows are so important to us.
Walking the line of independent consultancy means walking the halls too.
AN AGNOSTIC PLATFORM
Testing equipment to ensure it is absolutely the best fit for your client is crucial, though. It’s a key reason why I wanted to build my own test kitchen and culinary design studio, which opened in August this year. FoodSpace’s 5,600 sq ft test space in Meridian, Idaho, is my way of helping to drive innovation within the industry. I see it as a laboratory for the future of food. Outfitted with the latest technology, the facility is designed to be an agnostic platform where chefs, manufacturers, and innovators can test and compare products under real-world conditions. Te versatility of the kitchen allows for unbiased experimentation and creativity. Unbiased is the key word here,
however. I believe consultants are perfectly placed to help redefine the foodservice design industry. But that must be done independently, objectively, and fairly. Have you questioned your independence recently? We all need to. In nature, the only unifying sign of life is growth. We have to grow, to move, to continually review our policies, and to try new ideas if we are to fix an industry that, to me at least, is fundamentally broken. At some point, stagnant water starts to stink. So, let’s freshen things up by getting moving, and pushing forward. “I keep my eyes wide open all the time,”
sang Johnny Cash. Like Johnny, we’ve all got to walk the line – and we’ve got to look ahead to a better future too. Let’s walk it, and live and breathe it, together.
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