Franchise Update Magazine Issue II, 2013 | Page 27

Grow Market Lead
slow housing market, and weak consumer confidence, he said the economy
is improving “slowly and fitfully.” Addressing the paralysis in Congress, he
made what he called a “bold prediction”
that Congress will strike a grand bargain this year on the economy. Citing
Winston Churchill’s observation that
the U.S. will do the right thing—only
after exhausting all other possibilities—he added that if the Congress acts
decisively, consumer confidence will
improve in the coming year. If not, he
cautioned, 18 to 36 months of further
uncertainty are in store.
The outlook for franchise lending
is good he said—as long as franchisees
are top performers or associated with
top-performing brands. He noted that
with many private equity funds nearing
the end of their run, transfers and M&A
activity will increase, providing plentiful
opportunities for larger multi-unit organizations to acquire units from smaller
(1–3 unit) franchisees. In summary he
said, “It’s a period of slow growth, but
the economy is improving.”
That was followed by the announcement of Multi-Unit Franchisee magazine’s 2013 MVP Award winners (see
sidebar, page 21).
Most dramatic presentation

Thursday morning’s general session
saved the most dramatic and moving
for last as Mark Kelly, former astronaut
and Navy pilot, and husband of former
U.S. Congress member Gabrielle Giffords, took the stage for an inspiring

“The power of the
human spirit is an
incredible thing.
Gabby reminds me
every day to deny
the acceptance
of failure.”
­­— Mark Kelly

keynote speech. He told tales of his
aerial combat and space missions with
a behind-the-scenes look at what happened—and what could have happened.
He called every successful launch of the
Space Shuttle (he went up four times) a
“minor miracle,” and said that at takeoff
the Shuttle “is like a butterfly bolted to
a bullet.” At takeoff, the Shuttle accelerated from zero to 17,500 mph, creating
tremendous g-force stresses. Re-entry
is no picnic either: temperatures reach
5,000 degrees and astronauts must wear
a liquid cooling suit to survive. In between, though, up in orbit, he said, “It’s
amazing to see this big blue marble
floating in the black.”
Kelly also shared the heroic story
of his wife Gabby, who was shot in the
head at a political rally in her home
district near Tucson in 2011. Kelly
said Giffords—who at 26 was CEO
of El Campo Tire Warehouses, a 15-

unit automotive chain founded by her
grandfather—has been strong and determined throughout the ordeal, and
he spoke of her bravery in facing what
appears to be a lifetime of rehabilitation. Kelly said that every morning as
his wife heads out the door to rehab,
she looks at him and says, “Fight, fight,
fight.” He said her attitude remains a
daily inspiration to him. “The power of
the human spirit is an incredible thing.
She reminds me every day to deny the
acceptance of failure.”
At the conclusion of the general session, franchisees gathered for roundtable
discussions, each with a different topic
and hosted by a subject expert. This format, offering something for everyone,
allows small groups of people to discuss
specific strategies, tactics, problems, and
solutions. Topics included technology,
customer retention, new store openings,
and a perennial challenge: finding and
keeping great employees.
Attendees then moved on to lunch
and more networking in the Expo Hall.
After lunch, attendees gathered for
the final general session of the conference for a panel about private equity
funding and its role in franchising. The
panel included successful multi-unit
franchisees Aziz Hashim (4 restaurant
brands), Rob Branca (Dunkin’ Donuts),
and Gary Robins (Supercuts), along
with two brand executives, Kathleen
Gilmartin, CEO of Interim HealthCare, and Jim Lyons, COO of Quiznos.
The conversation ran the gamut from
the pros and cons of PE money to due

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