Franchise Update Magazine Issue III, 2011 | Page 16

Grow Market Lead

By Debbie Selinsky

CEO
profile: A Passion for People
Multi-skilled Lenny’s Sub Shop president
leads by example

L

enny’s Sub Shop President
Brent Alvord lends new meaning to the term, well-rounded:
an MBA in finance from the
University of Memphis, 15 years as
an executive with organizations such
as Burger King, FedEx, and America
Online, and a hands-on understanding
of the restaurant industry he acquired
as a youth working at Subway, Ruby
Tuesday’s, and Chili’s. On top of that,
he can quickly decipher a spreadsheet,
design software to assist the business,
create a marketing campaign, and mo-

tivate employees to do their best work.
So when he and his father, food and
hospitality industry veteran George
Alvord, acquired Lenny’s in 2004, he
was ready to jump in and help build
the six-year-old sub sandwich business.
Since then, along with their partners,
they have grown the 40 shops to 150
increasingly popular restaurants in the
southeastern U.S.
What motivates Alvord, a karate and
photography buff, to succeed in business and life is his passion for people,
as evidenced by his bachelor’s degree
in social work, his service on several
nonprofit boards in the Memphis area,
and his dedication to his wife and three
children. “I really believe that with great
success comes great responsibility. Because of all the blessings I have in my
life, I continue to ask myself every day
at work and at home: Am I living up to
the potential God has for me?”

at the sheep that didn’t do what she
wanted. She learned that if she asked
nicely, she’d get what she wanted.
I’ve worked with people who barked
first and it doesn’t work. I ask nicely,
try to take care of the employees, be
flexible, and meet their needs. Servant leadership, rather than being
the boss, is my philosophy.

Leadership

They see me out and about, visiting
the restaurants, and they know we’re
nice guys but tough if we have to be.
We have a very positive relationship
with our franchisees. They have invested their life’s savings, so we listen
intently, strive to satisfy their needs,
and treat them as we would like to be
treated. When we hire in the corporate office, we make sure that every
person cares over and above their
own job. Our value statements focus
on honesty, respect, and commitment.

What is your role as president? I’m
directly responsible for franchise development, marketing, finances, and
IT, including building our own POS
software program. My father, George
Alvord, is chairman and CEO, and Carl
Jacobson is general counsel and chief
administrative officer.

Name: Brent Alvord
Title: President
Company: Lenny’s Sub Shop
No. of units: 150 stores in 18 states

Leadership style? I strive for excellence and expect those around me to
strive for the same, knowing we’re not
always perfect. I’m direct, honest, and
offer constructive feedback.

Age: 39
Family: Wife Yendry, and three children:
Gatlin, 8; Benjamin, 5; and Amberlyn, 2
Years in franchising: 15
Years in current position: 7

14

What has inspired your leadership
style? My father, and Paul Sherman,

my boss at Burger King. But I also
took an important message from
the movie “Babe.” The pig was trying to be a sheep herder and barked

Biggest leadership challenge? In

the franchising space, it’s the adage
“You can lead a horse to water but
can’t make it drink.” We’ve set up our
system to get the “horses” as close to
drinking as we can so they can be successful. That means they need to do
their P&Ls and finances and marketing on a regular basis. We point out
that this will help them tremendously,
but they don’t always get it.
How do you transmit your culture from
your office to front-line employees?

Best place to prepare for leadership: an MBA school or OTJ? I have

an MBA, but I believe the answer is
OTJ. I joke that I use 5 percent of
what I learned at school, and the rest
comes from surrounding myself with
great people, who end up rubbing off
on me and making me live up to my
higher potential.

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