By NatalieMaynor via Flickr Creative Commons

I’m not a big fan of fast food. I don’t eat meat, so that means most fast food chains hold little appeal in the first place. On those rare occasions when I find myself hungry, on the road, without food and without time or inclination to go to a real restaurant, I’ll make a run for the border and hit Taco Bell.

It’s not exactly enjoyable or satisfying, but it is serviceable. One step up from astronaut food or a nutrition pill. Or maybe it’s a step down.

Regardless, that’s all I expect of it. If the kitchen crew screws up my order, that’s kind of par for the course. If it’s cold or the tortilla is a little stale? Meh.

A while back, Spike Jones of Brains of Fire compared different approaches to marketing using fast food and home cooking as an analogy. As usual, he was right on the money.

I think it goes beyond food and beyond my own industry. I think you can apply the fast food v. home cooking analogy to almost any service or business or organization.

And you can tell which kind of food you’re dealing with by looking at the cooks’ intentions.

Are they trying to nourish you and make you stronger? Do they care what your favorite foods are? Are they interested in the quality and skill that goes into each dish?

Or are they punching a clock and collecting a check?

Just what kinds of cooks are they?

And what kind of cook are you?

PS I have nothing to gain from promoting this, but Spike will be at the Albany-Colonie Chamber’s Bright Ideas Conference Oct. 15,

I have been reading Spike’s work and following him on Twitter for a long time, and am very excited about this chance to see and hear him in person.

I do love this TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson, who contends that school systems “educate” creativity out of children. It’s the funniest presentation on education I have ever seen, and I’ve seen some funny ones. Enjoy: