This BBQ Business Owner Fires Up Creativity

Written by Chloe Knowles

I first heard of Creative Campfire, a once-a-quarter event at Think, in a Slack channel. I was shocked, thinking I had missed an email. A campfire? S’mores? Should I bring a blanket?

Short answer: yes. The office is always cold.

That was one of the first things I learned as an intern. But I’ve learned more since, especially during this campfire. This is my first, and while it is Think’s tenth campfire, I think it was special for both of us.

I didn’t have many expectations. I found out it’s a speaker event with a funny name — not an actual campfire. It was my off day, and I took the chance on this “campfire.”

I’m glad I did.

I was expecting a speaker—a random, super inspirational person who would drone on about their accomplishments, networking and the key to success. That’s how most speakers are in college, so I didn’t expect to have a connection.

Though, as I left, I desperately searched for the speaker on LinkedIn. I excitedly texted my boyfriend, “Oh my gosh, we have to try this place,” and found myself thinking about the campfire for the almost two-hour drive home.

Creative Campfire introduced Thomas Ward, entrepreneur and founder of Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa and Pigzza, to our Think team, community members and me.

While these special guests are hyped as innovators, creators and thinkers who share their work and what inspires them, I wasn’t expecting to feel inspired. To my surprise, I was inspired.

Like, for real.

Being Inspired by… BBQ?

BBQ might not be the first thing that pops into your head for inspiration. 

But that BBQ will be the kick I need when I’m stuck on a word, a design, or an idea that isn’t clicking. At Think, I’m learning to be innovative, bold and push myself toward new possibilities. Weirdly enough, BBQ can be innovative, bold and full of new possibilities.

At least, that’s what I took away.

Take Out My Takeaways

From being the son of a successful ice cream business in Puerto Rico to the challenges he faced moving between Puerto Rico and Orlando in the food business, I found Thomas’ story resonated with me by not being an instant success story.

 Though I’m not the child of an incredibly successful business owner, nor do I have an interest in running a restaurant, I did openly listen. 

 That’s where my takeaways come in.

Getting yourself outside the box they put you in.  

Thomas said his work can get boring, so he always looks for something new. His advice: break that mold and create your niche by being different.

I found myself confused at first. Of course, find your passion. When you turn 18 and have to think about the next 40-ish years of your life, everyone asks: “What do you want to do?”

While Thomas breaks his mold by using tacos and bentos with BBQ, I’m still finding my niche. His food is refreshing and outside the box, but I ask myself: What’s my thing that puts me outside the box?

Stay consistent. Stay engaged. 

Remember the purpose: the audience. In restaurants, your customers are everything. In marketing, it’s your target audience

Thomas responds to almost every review and talks with competitors. I’m learning how listening and engaging with your audience lets you adapt.  For me, Instagram comes to mind. Like Thomas said, looking at what competitors are doing can help you see the future of the industry.  Instagram reinvented itself by taking inspiration from Snapchat and Tiktok to launch Stories and Reels, elevating the experience and keeping users active on their platform.

Persistency works.

You will fail. You will question why it didn’t work. Thomas has failed many times, tried a million recipes and spent countless hours learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry.

As an intern, you are terrified to fail.

Here at Think, I’m practicing how to fail by brainstorming or repeatedly changing every typed word. But sometimes, the idea or concept sucks, like Thomas’ first brisket recipe. Sometimes, you fail, but you get up and try again. And again.

I’m learning how takeaways are fundamental to Creative Campfires. Think invites everyone to listen to someone’s story so they can take something away — whether it’s a slice of tasty Pigzza or a new way of thinking.