Like many successful leaders, Kuesel & Associates President Art Kuesel finds that his energy and ability to think “outside the spreadsheet” are fueled by multifaceted interests. Cooking is one of them. 

Successful business development and accounting benefit from many of the same skill sets as cooking, including:

• Precision and measurement: Exact measurements of ingredients deliver consistent results in cooking, just as precise calculations and accurate data entry are necessary to measure and communicate financial health and results.
• Creativity and adaptation: Chefs experiment with flavors and techniques to continually improve. Similarly, innovative thinking is crucial to identifying new opportunities, adapting to new information, and changing market conditions.
• Strategic approach: Strategic plans detailing objectives, markets, and methods are like a recipe for growth.
• The right ingredients: Quality ingredients make a good recipe great. Similarly, business development requires a quality mix of strategies, relationships, and market insights.
• Customization and variety: You’ll see that the guacamole recipe below can be tailored to individual tastes. Smart business development strategies should be customizable to meet specific preferences, needs and goals.

Thinking about how these strengths align can point you to highly desirable business development outcomes. It also might make you hungry, in which case you should snack on some chips with this guacamole:

Art’s Perfect Guacamole

• 1/3 cup red onion minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ jalapeno pepper, seeded de-ribbed, finely minced
• ¼ serrano pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, finely minced
• 1/3 small can of smoked chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (gives it smoky richness)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 6 Avocados, peel and pit discarded
• 1 tomato, cored and chopped
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon Smoked Tabasco
• Kosher salt and Black Pepper 

Directions: 

Crush the onion, garlic, and peppers in a molcajete (Mexican basalt mortar and pestle). Add the peppers, cilantro, and lime juice. Keep grinding until it is a coarse paste. Add the avocado, continuing until everything is mashed but still textured. Mix in the tomato, sour cream, and Tabasco. Add salt and pepper 1/8 tsp at a time, tasting along the way so you don’t over-season it. Note: You could mix everything with a fork or pulse it a few times in a food processor, but those results may vary.

Drink:

Try this with a margarita or glass of Sauvignon Blanc.