The Daily Grind with Matt Clarke

Check the Crust

Written by Matt Clarke | April 14, 2026

I am not ashamed to admit it. It seems awkward to some, but my favorite pizza comes straight from the freezer. Yup, that's right. It's not just my favorite frozen pizza, but my favorite pizza altogether. Right out of the frozen food section at Costco, Milton's cauliflower-crust veggie pizza, two in a box, is at the top of my list. Don't judge. 

We take that wonderful foundation and add to it all of our desired pizza ingredients: jalapeños, mushrooms, pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and enough garlic seasoning to keep the vampires away. The best thing is, WE get to decide how much of each topping to put onto it. It is custom-made just for us. We bake it to a perfect crisp and enjoy.

Over the years, we have tried a lot of different crust options. None of them even touches the Miltons. Some look good, claim to be what we like, and even have beautiful pictures on the box, but they aren't the same. No matter what ingredients we put on those impostors, it is never as good and just won't measure up. While the toppings are great to add, if the crust isn't right, I don't want any part of it. In the Kingdom of God, the toppings are the things I do and say, the crust is my heart.

"And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved." (Romans 10:8-10)

How crazy I can be, trying in vain to be good enough, perform at the right level, and earn my way to God’s favor. It is a never-satisfying push to do and be better and better. I try to check more boxes than the day before, read more, exercise more, write more, and love more. I cast an image to myself and the world that I am hitting the mark. All of it is delicious toppings that add flavor to my life. But without the right foundation, it is a dish not worth serving.

Consider your business. Is the core of what you do in alignment with your purpose? A great application and clear expectations are the foundation for a memorable experience. A disciplined economic formula will determine if you will make profits or suffer losses. A healthy culture will produce healthy teammates, and the heart of how you see people will lead to how you treat them. It all starts with the right foundation. Everything else is extra.

 Let your actions and words be a reflection of your heart.

Let your actions and words be a reflection of your heart. Once the base is right, load that puppy up with all the toppings you can muster. Don't be deceived, however, good toppings can never cover up a bad crust, no matter how delicious they look. Check the crust. What you believe in your heart is what truly matters. Everything else just adds flavor.

Okay, okay, maybe it is not my absolute favorite pizza, but it sure is good!!!  
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