Mike Sullivan
Mike Sullivan was born in New Jersey and moved to Texas when he was 10 years old . His Dad raised him from 12 and instilled many of the values he tries to live by today .
“ One of the biggest things I learned from him was to be generous with your time . He attended every basketball game and school event to show support , even though it meant putting off work that needed to be done ,” Sullivan said .
“ My Dad challenged me to be the best at what I did , regardless of what it was . I think that ’ s something that stands out to me today in how I want to be known as an Operator . We may fall short sometimes but I ’ m looking at our effort and if we ’ re giving our best . I think the other big lesson I learned from him was the importance of being present . My Dad has always wanted to be a supportive part of my life . Especially now , with two boys of my own , his influence is there . It ’ s easy to get caught up in how busy the restaurant gets but I ’ m always reminded that he showed up for me and I want to do the same for my children .”
Sullivan graduated from Tomball High School and attended Sam Houston State University , where he received his bachelor ’ s in business .
“ I was fortunate enough to work for Chick-fil-A Operator , Eddie Kober , in Conroe and Willis prior to being selected for the Huntsville opportunity . Eddie ’ s mentorship has impacted how I see our business and , more importantly , how I build relationships with people ,” Sullivan said . “ Eddie challenged me in many different ways and I still find myself reaching out to him for advice from time to time . I was thankful for his patience and grace as I learned and developed as a young leader in his business and now , I ’ m thankful for our friendship .”
Sullivan was working for another quick service restaurant company and was looking for a change . He met with his Dad at the Chick-fil-A in Willis for lunch and to talk .
“ Over the course of our time , one of the team members came over and said I should reach out to Eddie , who was the Owner / Operator , to discuss opportunities with Chick-fil-A ,” Sullivan said . “ About two weeks later , I met with Eddie and two weeks after that I started with Chick-fil-A . It ’ s been nine years , and I
still pinch myself on most days when I see my restaurant . It ’ s an amazing opportunity and blessing to get to do what I do .”
Sullivan ’ s biggest impact has been being raised by a single father , which impacted how he looks at the seriousness of raising children and the importance of our involvement as parents .
“ Something that I ’ ve become very passionate about is the development of young people . Unfortunately , so many of them don ’ t know that there are opportunities out there for them for one reason or another ,” Sullivan said . “ This is part of why we participated in Leader Academy and also why we do profit-sharing nights for Huntsville High School student-athletes and academic programs .”
Sullivan said there are daily challenges that we all encounter , but he ’ s reminded of Galatians 6:9 , where we ’ re told “ to not grow weary in doing good ”.
“ I ’ m human and fall short , but I ’ m encouraged to know that I ’ m called to do good , I ’ m in a position where I can do good and that someday there will be a harvest for not giving up ,” Sullivan said . His normal day starts by reviewing data from the previous day and communicating any focuses he has to the team .
“ I ’ ll usually spend most of my time at the restaurant talking to team members and leaders with a focus on growth and development . We are constantly working to discover solutions for the challenges we have ,” Sullivan said . “ Some are easy fixes and others require time to implement . My focus is around the discovery of the opportunity and ensuring that our Team has what they need to correct it .
As an Operator , the most important skills Sullivan said he needs are to know my team and be able to help them grow both as people and professionally . “ For us to represent Chick-fil-A well in our community , we rely on our team having the skills and tools necessary to get the job done consistently , with each customer ,” Sullivan said .
He said his biggest challenge is finding the appropriate balance between working on the business and working on being a dad and husband .
“ I ’ m extremely lucky that I have the best job I could have hoped for . I ’ ve also been married to my wife , Heather , for almost seven years and we enjoy our time being a family and watching our little ones grow up ,” Sullivan said . “ Sometimes I think I get it right and can balance family and work and other times I ’ m way off . It takes a constant and deliberate effort on my part .”
Relaxation can be challenging for Sullivan and his wife with two boys who are both under three . Nonetheless , he said fun for him is getting to be their Dad . He cherishes the moments they get together , like taking their oldest to Monster Jam this past year .
“ Something I ’ m really challenging myself on this year is to slow down and prioritize better . Each day there are lots of people and tasks that need my attention , and it can be difficult to know and act on the priorities ,” Sullivan said . “ As I grow in my role , I want to continue growing personally so that I keep those priorities in order , regardless of how busy it gets .”
Sullivan reflected that he and his wife are incredibly thankful to be a part of the Huntsville community .
“ We love where we live and can ’ t think of another place we would want to be ,” Sullivan said .
- Written by Brenda Poe
20 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | DECEMBER 2022