Do You Want It Fast, or Do You Want It Right?
Why rushing the process—whether in business or on the land—will always cost you more.
“Do you want it fast, or do you want it right?”
That was my go-to question back in my restaurant days—usually said with a raised eyebrow to a server tapping their nails on the food window, huffing at the kitchen staff during a rush.
It was my calm-but-clear way of saying:
“Relax. We’re working on it.”
I’d been a server before, so I understood where they were coming from. You don’t survive on $2.13 an hour. Every table turn, every tip, every second mattered. The pressure was real.
But that pressure also made people impatient—and sometimes downright rude.
The irony? Their chaos usually came from their own missteps:
Forgetting to ring in orders
Letting their section “run” them
Only focusing on their own tables, instead of the whole restaurant
They couldn’t see the bigger picture.
So I’d remind them:
“You’ve got four tables. The kitchen’s working on fifty.”
That mindset—knowing how to zoom out, prioritize, and slow down to protect quality—has stayed with me. And this past week, it came back in full force.
Fast Forward to Now
My cleaning company just wrapped a huge post-construction project.
We were brought in as a secondary contractor, meaning we didn’t bid the project ourselves, but were contracted to do the actual work based on a set scope.
Let me say this plainly:
There’s a fine line between competitive bidding and overpromising. It became clear early on that the balance was off.
The Job site? Still under active construction (should have been complete)The estimate? Too aggressive.
The timeline? Too short. (moved up to meet an event deadline)
The result? Stress on the workers. My workers. My team.
And that’s not something I tolerate.
Because here’s one of my core beliefs (yep, another Amandaism):
It’s always better to underpromise and overdeliver.
So I stepped in.
Set expectations.
Held the line.
Reset timelines and clarified scope—not just with my crew, but with the GC, the prime contractor, and everyone else involved.
Protecting My People Is Non-Negotiable
In the end, the job got done.
The GC was pleased.
The prime contractor respected my boundaries.
But more than that, my team felt protected.
They came to me after and said:
“You’re a great boss.”
“You’re awesome to work for.”
“You’re a nice lady.” (Okay, that one made me smile.)
These are the voices that matter to me.
Look, I’m not perfect.
But I am consistent.
And I will always advocate for my people.
I will always be willing to say “no” when expectations are off.
Because saying “yes” to everyone else at the expense of your team—or yourself—is a fast track to burnout and resentment.
So… What Does Any of This Have to Do With Uba?
Everything.
Whether you’re running a restaurant, managing a 175,000 sq ft cleaning contract, or building a homestead from scratch on raw desert land…
The temptation is the same:
Cut corners
Overpromise
Rush the process
Ignore what’s realistic to make yourself feel better in the moment
But every time I’ve tried to “speed it up,” it’s cost me more in the long run—money, peace, relationships, energy.
Here’s another one of my favorites:
“Hope is not a strategy.”
If I want Uba to be what I’ve envisioned—not just beautiful, but sustainable—I have to move differently.
Slow. Intentional. Grounded.
Even when I’m excited.
Especially when I’m overwhelmed.
Amanda’s Mindset Shift Tip
Here’s what I know to be true:
If you don’t have time to do it right, you’re going to have to make time to do it over.
It’s only cheaper if you only have to buy it once.
Sometimes the answer is just no.
You eat an elephant one bite at a time.
None of these are mine originally—but they’ve all become part of how I live, lead, and build.
The Bigger Picture
Reality isn’t the enemy of your dreams.
It’s the foundation that makes them possible.
So whether I’m negotiating with a contractor or figuring out how to harvest and store water in the desert—
I remind myself:
Don’t build fast.
Build well.
Build once.
Build to last.