If you aren't pissing someone off, then you aren't doing the right thing! - CWK

"If you aren't pissing someone off, then you aren't doing the right thing!"- Christopher Kasmiroski

This is my take on a quote from U.S. Army General George S. Patton, “If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn't thinking.”. Granted mine is a bit more intense, but in this modern short attention span culture I felt compelled to modify it.  Patton's quote is much better for the record!  This short little article bleeds over into multiple categories and I ask for your patience.

So what does this article opening have to do with olive oil? Everything and nothing. After building various companies over the years in multiple fields many concepts hold true. Here are some truths as I have learned: Despite what your friends told you, the customer is not always right. Business plans are often like battle plans in that your business plan will rarely stay in tact after you go to market. You must constantly adjust and failure to do so will be just that - failure. Failure is not to be feared, but failing to recognize the realities of the current situation should never be tolerated. Lastly, which is more a personal view and not some universal truth as I have learned it. Pursue excellence! Provide a superior product, service, and support to your customers. Treat customers as you yourself want to be treated.

Some experts in the olive oil world view me as disruptive, but I never built Texas Angel Oil for the “olive oil experts” and many experts love me. As I heard Rush Limbaugh once say and I'll paraphrase, “I'm living rent free in the democrats mind”. I'm living rent free in some olive oil experts minds apparently after receiving an email that asks to see all my olive oil operations from an olive oil expert. I do love to see the competition and lord knows I have often called and simply asked to see everything they are doing. What stood out to me in this request was this person quantified this request by stating they are familiar with everyone else's operations, except mine. Sorry that you feel left out. I don't think I pissed this person off and I would be honored to give them a tour, but it will have to wait for I'm a little busy these days. Why am I disruptive? I don't intend to be, but at the same time I see how many of the olive oil companies are positioning themselves and I don't see long term success being both achievable and sustainable. Combined with my simplistic and “sometimes” blunt nature has apparently given some pause in my field.

Look olive oil as a business is not overly complex and maybe there is confusion due to all of the complex flavors of various olive oil. Olive oil has developed over a thousand plus years and you will be hard pressed to find someone unfamiliar with olive oil in general. Thanks to some incredible olive oils that kicked the world off in their love affair with olive oil. Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and I can go on...- Thank you and keep up making great olive oil. A divide exists with consumers in the olive oil world, between “Great” olive oil and just “olive oil”. In the United States our local market shelves were full of olive oils and most of them in my useless opinion are not worth your time or money. However, you will start to find more local, regional, and world class olive oils on store shelves. Word is getting out, at least here in this country that your choice in olive oil can be as specific as your intended use. Combined with the increasing public awareness that olive oil flavors are both as varied and unique as the entire animal kingdom. Take 2 of the same olive tree varietals and plant them 1 mile apart and you will most likely have 2 distinct and unique flavors of olive oil at pressing. Every orchard around the world has the ability to produce 1 or more types of olive trees that can produce arguably the greatest olive oil of that type. How it's processed is a major difference, but what ultimately ends up in your kitchen is most often a blend. Yes a blend. Sometimes this blend is for profit as in the companies that blend a pure extra virgin olive oil with a lesser olive oil all so that they may place the words extra virgin olive oil on the label. Ah, but the blend that is to achieve a certain flavor and now you're speaking my language.

Texas Angel Oil is blended from 4 different olive types; Arbequina, Coratina, Leccino, and Picual olives. All extra virgin. This blend was achieved with the goal of creating a great extra virgin olive oil ideal for almost all cooking types. Over time as Texas Angel Oil matures blends will be specialized for individualized meal choices with various bottle options. It is this pursuit that I realize Texas Angel Oil can no longer stay just a product of Texas exclusively. Somewhere in the world there is a family similar to mine cultivating and growing a particular type of olive tree that will produce a particular flavor. It is this flavor that when you meet with those you love and your preparing a meal, will you simply grab a random olive oil? Or will it be an extra virgin olive for as I have stated before, “A meal to remember”. I personally select different olive oils based upon if I'm cooking eggs or marinating a brisket for some world class Texas BBQ. I urge you to try different types of olive oil and if your budget dictates I hope recognize that you might have a day to day olive oil, but make sure you have a great extra virgin olive oil for “those” special meals.

Side note: Bobby Flay recently released a Texas BBQ recipe and no....just no. It might be a BBQ recipe, but it most certainty is not Texas BBQ. You can find real Texas BBQ recipes with Texas Angel Oil's own BBQ competition team on facebook. Guadalupe BBQ Co. Competition Team. I'm actually a huge Bobby Flay fan and maybe that is why I'm taking this ill gotten Texas BBQ recipe of his so personally. Come on Bobby!

Please remember some Basics of olive oil:

-Buy Fresh

-Check your local olive orchards and ask them the best time of year to order

-Try olive oils from around the world

-Buy olive oil in dark glass containers when possible

-Call someone you love and invite them for a meal

-Lastly and the most self serving is try my Texas Angel oil www.texasangeloil.com or now you can order on Facebook; fb.com/texasangeloil

**Stay tuned as we are pressing what could be both the most unique and expensive case of olive oil in the world. This is for a great charity event coming up this September!**

Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil

If you aren't pissing someone off, then you aren't doing the right thing! - CWK