Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2013 | Page 42
2013 MVP
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy/management style: As I’ve gotten each part of
our organization started, I’ve found someone who is better than I am and have
turned it over to him and gotten out of his way.
Greatest challenge: Recruiting the right talent to keep up with our growth.
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: I turn it
over to them and move out of the way. I have gotten much better at having
forthright conversations when things aren’t being performed to expectation.
How close are you to operations? I’m not hands-on on the day to day,
but I visit all 41 locations every six months. I go with our COO and get out
to meet all the associates, shake their hands and thank them face to face for
what they’re accomplishing. While I get weekly updates on operations, I concentrate far more on acquisition of real estate, development, and finances.
What do you rely on/expect from your franchisors? A profitable
business model and a willingness to make changes on their end in order for it
to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
What do you need from vendors? Corporate manages these relationships, but what we need from our vendors is leading-edge innovation, quality,
and a mutually beneficial relationship.
How is social media affecting your business? Social media is helping our business, but for us there’s not much push or pull from it. Its importance
will be growing in the future, and so will our involvement.
How do you hire and fire? I hear what happens but I’m not involved
anymore. Our organization sets clear expectations with clear timelines and
then goes through a methodical process when an associate is not meeting
expectations and lays out what is needed for them to achieve success. At the
end of the day, if someone is not the right person, we help them find success
elsewhere.
Fastest way into my doghouse: Lack of integrity. I’ll work with anyone
with deficiencies unless it’s a jugular integrity issue, such as the values they
must uphold while representing the company.
“At the end of the day, if someone is not the