Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2014 | Page 16

MULTI-BR A N D 50 “Treat others as you want to be treated. If that doesn’t work, treat them the way you would want your children treated.” PERSONAL First job: I was a head cashier and assistant bookkeeper at a local supermarket during high school. Formative influences/events/key accomplishments: Opened and operated a very successful Curves franchise for 10 years. This allowed me to be home when my kids were home from school and to offer something of value to women. Biggest mistake: Not moving to the town where my Curves franchise was located. My husband traveled Monday through Friday and we had no family support system in Texas. It would have made life a whole lot easier for all of us. Smartest mistake: Getting into the restaurant business. While our oldest son Ryan attended college at Colorado State University, he worked for the husband-and-wife team that founded The Egg & I. Initially, I wanted nothing to do with the restaurant business, but I was finally convinced and Rob and I purchased our first The Egg & I restaurant in July 2008. We minimized our risk by having Ryan as the GM and operations specialist. Here we are six years later, with Ryan and his wife now buying into the business with us, and we just opened our third location. Decision I wish I could do ove r: Again, I wish that we had moved to the town where my Curves was located. It was a long commute, my children were small, and my husband traveled. I will forever be indebted to the incredible staff I had at Curves. I could not have done it without them. Work week: I wish I could say that it’s always a five-day work week, but that’s just not possible right now. We opened Mama Fu’s in October 2013 with our partners, and then our family just opened our third Egg & I restaurant on February 17. My 17-year-old will be home for only a little while longer, and she still enjoys doing things together. I have to take advantage of this time with her. I also believe that our bodies and our minds need rest in order to perform at our best. Typical day: There is no such thing in the restaurant business, especially when you are opening new locations. Any day could include dealing with emails, Facebook entries, potential client follow-ups, local store marketing, networking and networking follow-ups, staff meetings, fundraisers, licenses, bank meetings, chamber meetings, meeting with potential catering customers, staff issues, meeting with the builder or a vendor, touching tables at the restaurants to receive feedback from our guests, decisions regarding advertising, sponsorships, and, of course, always looking at the end-of-day sales reports. It’s never boring. Favorite fun activities: I love to read. I belong to a book club that forces me to make the time. I also love getting together with my gal pals. I enjoy power-walking outdoors, paddle boarding, theater, and travel. 14 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE II, 2014 Exercise/workout: I have gotten into doing the Bar Method, which uses a ballerina bar to elongate and strengthen your muscles. I like that there is no pounding involved. But if there were a Curves nearby, that is where you would find me. It’s the best workout in the shortest amount of time. Favorite tech toys: iPhone, iPad, iMac, Nook, Kindle—when they’re behaving. What are you reading? I just read Orphan Train, a novel by Christina Baker Kline. It’s a fascinating story based on historical facts and firsthand accounts of Depression-era children, mainly from Ireland and Poland, who were sent to cities in the Midwest and taken in as foster children or indentured servants. Today there are more than 1 million descendants of the Orphan Trains. I had no idea this was part of our country’s history. Do you have a favorite quote? 1) Treat others as you want to be treated. If that doesn’t work, treat them the way you would want your children treated. 2) Look to the left and then to the right and someone has bigger problems than you do. 3) It is what it is. Best advice you ever got: My mother told me that if I had to choose between spending quality time with my kids or worrying about having the house look perfect, the house could wait. If I could wait to answer emails until the kids were asleep, that’s when I should do it. In other words, our children are our first priority and our time with them is precious. The best business advice came from our son Ryan. I went to use a to-go cup early on and he pointed out how much each cup and lid cost us. We then talked about the cost of using a paper towel versus an expensive napkin, and how over time, it really does add up. I’ve learned that you need to stop money from leaving your restaurant in terms of waste. What gets you out of bed in the morning? My kids, my faith, our dog, and our businesses. What’s your passion in business? I love meeting new people and helping people. I believe that we can all learn from one another. I love introducing people to our concepts because we truly have fantastic food and service. I also love training the staff on customer perception. It’s funny how long someone may have worked in the restaurant industry and not ever been told why things are done a certain way. How do you balance life and work? Sometimes I balance things better than others. Most important, my kids always know that they come first. For me it truly is a balance of family, faith, hard work, play time, exercise, eating right, down time, friendships, and giving back. Last vacation: Last August in Aruba with our 17-year-old. Person I’d most like to have lunch with: My mother. She passed away suddenly last May and we were very close.