The Bathroom Stop

You’d be surprised how much you can learn in a bathroom.

A clandestine pit stop has long been one of my underwriting team’s best sources of intel. 30 seconds in the loo reveals more than you’d think.

How does the business treat employees?

Is the culture one of excellence or neglect?

Are repairs prioritized or procrastinated?

The answers to those questions coalesce into a single message: the “little stuff” adds up. The way you treat your people impacts how they treat their responsibilities. If the business owner rents, it reflects the way they treat someone else’s property. If they own, how seriously they take stewardship.

Admiral William McRaven went viral years ago for heralding a simple habit: “make your bed.”

I echo his sentiment from another angle: clean your toilet.