From the Founder, Brian Mazza 8/22
Last Call
I’ll never forget one jam-packed Sunday night at The Ainsworth. It had been a brutal week—long hours, late nights, early mornings, and more than enough chaos to wear me down. By Sunday, I was shot. Tired. Hungover. Beat up from the grind. Every cell in my body wanted to stay home. But if you ever partied with us on Sunday you know we created Sunday Funday, either downstairs getting wild in Windsor Custom or back at table 68 where Irish Car Bombs started at noon, and tequila flowed in our bloodstream all damn night until you came back to 27th and lex to have an afters fashion show.
So, there was a client I had promised to meet. A new connection. Ten minutes at high-top 41, a quick check-in, nothing big. I told myself, “If I don’t show, I’ll reschedule.” But something in me knew better—hospitality is about reliability. People are drawn to those who show up when it’s inconvenient (NEVER EVER FORGET THAT).
So I went. I shook hands, shared a drink, made the introduction. That ten-minute conversation turned into a relationship that changed my wallet for years to come. Over the years, it would evolve into hundreds of thousands of dollars in business. And it all started because I treated “last call” like it mattered.
If I had skipped that night—if I had listened to fatigue and excuses—that opportunity would have vanished. No reschedule, no redo. It was last call. And I took it.
The Lesson
Every night in the club, there’s a last call. The music still plays, but the bartender is already shouting. It’s your final chance before the lights come up. Some rush to act. Others hesitate and end the night empty-handed.
Life is no different. Doors close. Windows expire. The timing will never be perfect, but the opportunity will not wait. Sometimes the single decision to show up when you least feel like it becomes the one that changes everything.
Life is full of last calls. The longer you wait, the fewer chances you’ll have. Reliability—showing up when it’s inconvenient—is often the difference between mediocrity and momentum.
The Playbook: How to Handle Last Call
Spot Expiring Opportunities
Ask yourself: Where in my life is the bartender already yelling “last call”? Maybe it’s your health. Maybe it’s a relationship. Maybe it’s a business idea you’ve delayed too long.
Move Before the Lights Come On
Don’t wait until urgency forces your hand. If you see the window closing, act now.
Be the Person Who Shows Up
Reliability is magnetic. Most people fold when tired, stressed, or inconvenienced. The ones who push through get remembered—and rewarded.
Accept That Last Call Doesn’t Repeat
You don’t get two last calls. Once the lights flip on, the chance is gone.
Apply To Your Life:
Identify three areas of your life where the window is closing.
Write your “last call move” for each.
Show up—even if you’re tired, even if it’s inconvenient.
That Sunday night at The Ainsworth wasn’t about one drink or one handshake. It was about a principle: if you want to live a high-performance life, you can’t ignore last call. Opportunities don’t wait. They pass. And the people who win—the people who change the trajectory of their careers, relationships, and lives—are the ones who make their move before the lights come on.
