Was Entrepreneur Mitchell Skunked by Foes?

Running a Business Is Not Easy

David Mitchell is the successful

business owner of Gamers (https://gogamers.com/) which started in Omaha. You most likely have heard his name in the news media regarding the 11 Worth Cafe (https://www.wowt.com/content/news/11-Worth-Cafe-closed-permanently-citing-safety-concerns-threats-on-social-media-571321011.html) and his run for Omaha City Council or the criminal charges pressed against him. He has beaten back the criminal charges (https://www.bigtimedaily.com/david-mitchell-beat-3-charges-and-is-fighting-back-against-the-unfair-justice-system/) and did an interview with Movement in Omaha for Racial Equity

He is passionate, a father, and a self-learner. The interview made me appreciate his side of the story and the frustrations he went through in growing his business. Now, his legal advisers are building a defamation suit against many people, including law enforcement. I do not know where such a lawsuit will go, but I suspect it is the wrong direction to take. So I outline the missteps Mitchell made.

First, when you start to make serious money in a successful business, the envy of others kicks in. This happened to Mitchell when an employee was fired for misconduct and an ex-girlfriend made allegations against him. I suspect when this happened, the knives came out and the allegations against him began to build. An ex-girlfriend can do a lot of damage and make former friends smell like a skunk. Fortunately, he has beaten back the charges.

Second, businesses avoid activism unless it has broad public support. Protesting the 11 Worth Cafe through Facebook was bound to cause controversy. Also, expanding demands to the Robert E. Lee lunch only added to the problem. Had the protest stayed focused on its original purpose, perhaps the results would have come out better. However, attacking a restaurant business owned by the well-known Caniglia family members (https://omaha.com/entertainment/caniglia-familys-history-in-omaha-restaurant-scene-spans-nearly-a-century/article_e7815a44-0f9a-502e-84fa-c9b642dce28f.html) was going to upset a wide array of people involved in the restaurant industry. At the same time, Mitchell is in the computer gaming industry, not the restaurant industry, which likely resulted in people questioning why he was doing what he was doing.

Also, with COVID and the George Floyd riots, the public was in no mood to hear out any protest, particularly after the death of James Scurlock. Mitchell should have realized these were going to be a public relations disaster for his business and himself but his passion got the best of him. Larger segments of Omaha residents aligned against him and the actual problem of 11 Worth Cafe was lost, particularly when the business closed. In the interview, Mitchell states the 11 Worth Cafe was already about to close but if so, why bother with any protest whatsoever?

Third, running for public office requires you to have a long well-established good reputation as well as an understanding of public relations or hire someone who does. Mitchell had no chance. He lost sight of his business. I suspect he will learn from this experience and try to improve his approach on these matters. Entrepreneurs are up to taking on such challenges.

Fourth, Mitchell makes reference to Furgson and has made reference to George Floyd, not understanding such incidents have portrayed a distorted reality on race (https://horowitzfreedomcenterstore.org/products/i-cant-breathe-how-a-racial-hoax-is-killing-america). However, Michell understands riots are harmful to businesses.

Mitchell deserves an honest hearing from all. He will not easily fade into the background but what he does next is unknown.