Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2013 | Page 38

M U L T I - B R A N D

“There are so many moving parts that sometimes I
forget to stop and listen to the employees who really take
care of the business inside the four walls.”
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: You get out what you put in, as long as what you
put in is done with integrity and aligns with your overall worthwhile goals.
Management method or style: Lead by example.
Greatest challenge: Giving the right people my quality time. There are so
many moving parts in my everyday schedule that sometimes I forget to stop
and listen to the employees who really take care of the business inside the four
walls.
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: I tell my
employees that if they have an idea to improve our business, or if they want to
try something different, ask themselves two questions: 1) Does it break any of
our rules, policies, or procedures? 2) If your idea doesn’t go as planned, will
it cost the company money or negative publicity? If the answer to those questions is no, then go for it and do it the best you can.
How close are you to operations? Can’t get any closer or my family
will disown me!
What are the two most important things you rely on from your
franchisor? I like to think of my franchisors as my partners. I look for my
franchisors to work together with their franchisees to make the best decisions
for the company as a whole. I think it’s very important for franchisors to use
their franchisees for their knowledge and expertise. I really believe that when

you have franchisees and a franchisor who work together to understand each
other’s visions, the company as a whole is unstoppable in growth and success.
What I need from vendors: Just a relationship. We just need to understand each other’s best interests and work together to maximize both of our
goals.
Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the
economy? Not really. I have never been a believer in becoming a “discount
house” for any reason. Just execute the best possible customer service standards, and as long as you have a great product or service you will be fine.
How is social media affecting your business? It’s definitely something to be on board with. I think it helps tremendously with brand awareness.
Plus, it can often be used for little to no cost. That’s priceless!!
How do you hire and fire? Hire slooooooowwww, fire fast.
How do you train and retain? Coach and develop every day. Praise as
often as possible.
How do you deal with problem employees? If I have put in every
effort to coach them and bring them up to the company standard and they still
aren’t getting it, it’s time to promote them to a guest or customer.
Fastest way into my doghouse: Lie and lose integrity.

BOTTOM LINE
2013 goals: Open more units and increase sales and profit on existing units.
Growth meter: How do you measure your growth? One store at
a time.
Vision meter: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years?
Still building brands and creating new relationships.
How is the economy affecting you, your employees, your customers? I’m very pleased with the concepts I’m vested in. I don’t think the
economy is hurting those concepts as much as others. In Smashburger, we
provide our guests with a great product at a decent price. Buffalo Wild Wings
provides a great experience and an awesome atmosphere with an affordable
menu. I could take the best of both Buffalo Wild Wings and Smashburger and
apply it to what Flip Flop Shops offers: a cool atmosphere with great merchandise at an affordable price.
Are you experiencing economic growth or recovery in your
market? Knock on wood! We have grown every year and have had positive
same-store sales every year, during good times and bad. I think, as long as we
execute the personal experience and WOW factors within each of our stores’
four w