When Maria opened her 150-seat restaurant near TD Garden, she knew playoff season would make or break her year. In January 2024, with the Celtics' playoff odds uncertain, she faced a choice: hope for the best, or plan for the worst. She chose to hedge — $11,700 to protect $65,000 in projected playoff revenue.
The Celtics clinched. Her contracts expired worthless. And she captured every dollar of playoff revenue — staffed confidently, stocked fully, with zero anxiety about what might have been.
The $11,700 was insurance I was happy to lose. We generated $65K from playoff traffic and the hedge gave us certainty to staff properly.