“ I always practice the philosophy that if you find something you love to do , you never work a day in your life .”
PERSONAL
First job : Assistant manager trainee for Burger King .
Formative influences / events : Attending public speaking classes , hearing presidents give speeches , and attending The Wharton School .
Key accomplishments : Sharing success with family and friends , building one of the biggest Wendy ’ s franchisee systems , and becoming one of the 10 biggest Wendy ’ s franchisees .
Biggest current challenge : Creating stability in the company so team members can achieve long-term success .
Next big goal : Transition the business to the next generation .
First turning point in your career : When I left Burger King in 1988 . Since then , I tell everyone I couldn ’ t pay for the education I received there . It put me where I am today .
Best business decision : To expand the Wendy ’ s brand in 2013 . Since then I went from 13 units to 179 .
Hardest lesson learned : That you can ’ t dictate the needs of team members or customers .
Exercise / workout : I try to do 45 minutes on the treadmill every day , and play racquetball .
Best advice you ever got : From my father : Whatever you do , be the best at it .
What ’ s your passion in business ? People development , being able to give back and pave the road for team members to be successful and grow into management .
How do you balance life and work ? It ’ s very hard . I try to stay positive and laugh as much as I can .
Guilty pleasure : Eating a cannoli every night .
Favorite book : How To Win Friends and Infl uence People by Dale Carnegie .
Favorite movie : “ Men of Honor .”
What do most people not know about you ? I give back a lot in a quiet way without acknowledgement . I sit on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County , an organization near and dear to my heart .
Pet peeve : When people disrespect others . No matter your opinion , you should respect the feelings of everyone .
What did you want to be when you grew up ? To provide more for my family than my parents could provide for me .
Last vacation : Mediterranean cruise .
Person I ’ d most like to have lunch with : My brother .
“ I always practice the philosophy that if you find something you love to do , you never work a day in your life .”
family to be ,” says Rodriguez . “ My son , who is a part of the business , embraced the idea of growing and was ready to take it to the next level .”
Part of his growth strategy was to create an “ A-Team ” of top talent experienced in mergers and acquisitions . “ We acquired poor operators and bought them at the right price , which put us in a position where lenders could help when the company decided to sell markets , and we got to pay less for broken stores to fix them with Dave ’ s DNA and culture ,” he says . “ I couldn ’ t have done it without investing in a great CFO , COO , and president .
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy : To create a strong DNA and culture that resonates with internal , external , and outside partners ’ expectations .
Management method or style : Everyone is born with a brain free of charge . Let them use it .
Greatest challenge : Adapting to changes in today ’ s society and understanding employees and customers and their needs .
How do others describe you ? Passionate , determined , sincere , and infl uential .
One thing I ’ m looking to do better : Continue to become a better leader and a better listener .
How I give my team room to innovate and experiment : I give them a long rope , only pulling it back before they drown , if necessary .
How close are you to operations ? Extremely close . Whenever I judge progress , all I do is go to restaurants and talk to managers and employees .
What are the most important things you rely on from your franchisor ? Strengthening of the brand , transparency , and improving the economic model .
What I need from vendors : Strong partnership and dependability .
Have you changed your marketing strategy in response to the economy ? How ? Yes , we ’ ve had to create value and update restaurants to cater to Millennials and new generations .
How is social media affecting your business ? We ’ ve had to transition traditional ways of marketing to staying up-to-date on social media , which is growing faster than TV and radio .
How do you hire and fire ? We have a hire-for-life mindset and fi re only if they are jeopardizing the brand or the company .
How do you train and retain ? By creating a very strong culture that fosters growth . These go hand in hand . We commit to training to develop team members ’ skills .
How do you deal with problem employees ? A lot of coaching and outside development such as classes and sometimes counseling .
Fastest way into my doghouse : To be insensitive to others .
22 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE I , 2017