Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2015 | Page 36

D OM I N A T O R S
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: It’s all about execution. You have to get out there
and make things happen. You can’t sit around and wait for results. You have to
go out and create.

has a lot of control and ownership.

Management method or style: I try to be very organized and I’m very
analytical, digging deep into the numbers. I have dashboards telling me key
analytics on a weekly basis. All the team members know their KPI and they
report in on a weekly basis whether they have achieved it. Coaching comes in
one-on-one status meetings with team members to see what’s working well
and what needs to be improved, or what support needs to be provided.

What I need from vendors: We need partners, people who understand
what we’re trying to do.

Greatest challenge: Attaining growth and profitability at the same time.
People say if you’re growing you’re not profitable, and if you’re profitable
you’re not growing. I want to do both.
How do others describe you? At a conference, one person called me
a “tutor ninja,” which was funny because when I was a kid I wanted to be a
ninja, doing back flips and throwing ninja stars. I think most people find me
humble and modest.
One thing I’m looking to do better: To choose one thing to be better at
and really honing in on that. Right now I’m focusing on leadership. And being
less impatient.

What are the two most important things you rely on from your
franchisor? Support (training, systems, beta) and resources (technology).

Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the
economy? How? Marketing has always been an important part of the budget, regardless of the economy.
How is social media affecting your business? It’s not something that
can really be quantified; still in the early phase.
How do you hire and fire? Hire slow, fire fast. In hiring, I take my time
and ask out-of-the-box questions. We’re always recruiting and we set expectations from the beginning.
How do you train and retain? The training program has to be specific to
each person’s role. Performance has to be tied to KPI; it cannot be subjective.
And retention starts with building a culture where people want to work, creating
a second family, and helping them see they are part of making a difference.

How I give my team room to innovate and experiment: Delegating is extremely important. So is building a culture that encourages creativity
all the time.

How do you deal with problem employees? Communicate with
them; try to see what is going on. Having things laid out crystal clear in the
beginning provides you with a point of reference to help guide the conversation,
identify the gap, and correct it.

How close are you to operations? Close. I have meetings to discuss
strategy and keep things moving forward. However, the operational team really

Fastest way into my doghouse: Not doing your job and clashing with
the company culture.

“I want to buil H