I was talking with an old friend about his successful career and he told me that he felt his longevity in the industry was seen as a negative, not as a positive, by some in the industry and it appeared also by him? I had to ask myself why this could be? His vast experience should be viewed by himself and others as “added wisdom”, gained by trial and error.

His viewpoint spoke loudly to his own “Burnout,” but is that really what years of work have to lead to?

The dictionary definition of burnout is “the end of the powered stage in a rocket’s flight when the propellant has been used up.” With people, a lot of energy perusing various goals is used up- and when people are burned out they feel somewhat used up and complacent. You can hear the burnout in someone saying, “We tried that once before and it didn’t work so it won’t work now.”

The foodservice industry, like many industries, is dynamic: customer preferences change. That should present challenges to all of us, “forcing us to rethink what we “always knew”. My advice to my friend in this industry is this, "you need to become a student of your industry. Think of new approaches or new ways to use old products and concepts. This will provide you renewed energy. As a veteran you shouldn’t worry about making a mistake. You of all people should know that a failure or setback really becomes an opportunity.

When any of us start worrying about burnout, we should stop thinking about the past and look to the future. As business analyst and author, Peter Drucker, has said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Brent M. Jones

Brent writes with quiet confidence and curiosity, exploring communication, reinvention, and what truly matters. His reflections invite readers to slow down, reconsider their stories, and reconnect with the values that guide them. Through books, essays, and his What Matters newsletter, he offers writing that doesn’t shout—but still speaks clearly.