The Power of Yet
A few years ago, my friend Margaret Brower attended one of our MIBE events. She was going through a transition after a very successful time in catering sales, trying to figure out what would come next for her career. With tears in her eyes, she shared with the group, “For the first time in my career, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
After the session ended, our controller at Footers, Krystal Hoeft, walked up to her and said, “I just want to add the word ‘yet’ to what you said earlier. You don’t know what you’re going to do yet.”
That single word changed everything. Margaret remembers that moment vividly because it shifted her perspective from frustration to possibility. One small word reframed what felt like an ending into a beginning. She went on to start Rainmaker Sales and Marketing, and is now one of the most sought after sales and marketing consultants in the catering and event industry.
Anthony & Margaret at the Leading Caterers of America gathering in Rhode Island
I was reminded of this story recently while walking through the halls of my kids’ school during parent-teacher conferences. On the wall was a poster titled “The Power of Yet.” It’s a concept from Carol Dweck’s book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, which explores the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The fixed mindset says, “I can’t do this.” The growth mindset adds one powerful word, “I can’t do this yet.”
“Yet” is the language of growth.
It creates space between who we are and who we’re becoming. It acknowledges effort, progress, and potential. “Yet” gives us permission to be a work in progress, to struggle and to improve without judgment.
As leaders, yet is a powerful tool in how we coach and develop others. It changes conversations.
Instead of saying:
“You’re not good at that,” try, “You’re not good at that yet, but I believe you can be.”
“We haven’t figured this out,” becomes, “We haven’t figured this out yet, but we will.”
“They’re not ready,” turns into, “They’re not ready yet, but they’re growing.”
When we create a culture where “yet” is part of our vocabulary, we build resilience, curiosity, and courage. We give people room to make mistakes, learn, and keep going.
This week, I had the chance to see Margaret again at the Leading Caterers of America gathering in Providence, Rhode Island. Seeing what she’s built was a powerful reminder that every great story begins with uncertainty.
You don’t need to have it all figured out, you just need the belief that you’ll get there.
So the next time you catch yourself, or someone on your team, saying “I don’t know how” or “I can’t do that,” pause and add the word “yet.” Because “yet” doesn’t just change the sentence, it could change the story.
Keep MIBE-ing!
Anthony Lambatos
Founder, MIBE Hospitality Leadership Development
Owner, Footers Catering
P.S. Learn the power of your leadership! Join us at our MIBE Summit January 25th - 27th.
