ceoprofile your office to front-line employees ? First off , have your values all over the place — on office walls and in stores . Hire people who share those values . Be genuine and passionate for your business and others will follow your lead . It starts with you .
Where is the best place to prepare for leadership : an MBA school or OTJ ? I have found that reading books from the great leaders you admire will best prepare you .
Are tough decisions best taken by one person ? How do you make tough decisions ? I think having a sounding board like a board or group of mentors is vital to helping think through the really tough decisions . At the end of the day you must make them and not be afraid to make a wrong decision . You will make many wrong decisions along the way .
Do you want to be liked or respected ? I don ’ t have a need to be liked or respected . However , I have found that people do like and respect me , which is helpful to the organization . They won ’ t work for you unless they do .
Advice to CEO wannabes : The job requires a very specific personality . Before you decide you want that job , really do some deep learning on yourself to make sure you truly possess the personality . If you don ’ t , it ’ s a recipe for disaster .
Management
Describe your management style : I ’ m data driven . I don ’ t micromanage . Rather , I do my best to inspire my team to be passionate and do their best work .
What does your management team look like ? We have , including myself , seven members of the senior management team : CEO , president , SVP finance , SVP development , VP operations , VP supply chain , and VP marketing .
How does your management team help you lead ? We have a culture where group thinking is always encouraged . We also spend 90 minutes per week in a formal meeting where solving issues is a priority among the leadership team .
Favorite management gurus / books ?
“ I lead by example . My focus is constantly trying to simplify the organization , and to delegate to the greatest team in the industry !”
I love former Yum ! CEO David Novak ’ s The Accidental CEO ; former GE CEO Jack Welch ’ s Winning ; Gino Wickman ’ s Traction , Get a Grip , and Rocket Fuel ; and Good to Great by Jim Collins .
What makes you say , “ Yes , now that ’ s why I do what I do !”? When a franchisee opens a restaurant that blows the doors off the sales average and becomes a successful business owner and improves their personal life .
Personal
What time do you like to be at your desk ? At scheduled times , and the last thing before I leave the office .
Exercise in the morning ? Wine with lunch ? Exercise 6 a . m . to 7 a . m . Monday to Friday . Beer or vodka on Friday or Saturday nights . Possibly on the golf course !
Do you socialize with your team after work / outside the office ? The president of the company is my best friend so we see each other all the time . I try to do things on a monthly basis with members of the team . A lot of our team do get together on a weekly basis . I am just usually tied up .
Last two books read : Good to Great ( usually once per year ) and The Martian .
What technology do you take on the road ? Laptop and iPhone .
How do you relax / balance life and work ? I have 2 young boys , 5 and 3 , so outside of work I spend time with them . While it ’ s not relaxing all the time , it ’ s my favorite thing to do . I also plan four fun trips each year , two with only my wife and me , and two with the whole family .
Favorite vacation destination : Too hard to pick a favorite , but anywhere there is a beach and sand volleyball .
Favorite occasions to send employees notes : Anniversaries , birthdays , when someone wows me , and holidays .
Favorite company product / service : At Capriotti ’ s , the Cheese Steak . If you mean favorite other than Capriotti ’ s , the Apple iPhone .
Bottom Line
What are your long-term goals for the company ? 500 profitable stores all executing our uncompromising standards of quality and service .
How has the economy changed your goals for your company ? It hasn ’ t .
Where can capital be found these days ? Capital is everywhere today . Everyone is chasing yield . There are so many investor groups , private equity groups , and personal investors looking for return . Banks are still good , but always the strictest .
How do you measure success ? I try to only look 90 to 180 days out at a time , and if we are accomplishing our list of quarterly initiatives that we set out for the leadership team , then we are successful . We also use a weekly scorecard to measure the big metrics . When that scorecard is all green , life is good .
What has been your greatest success ? My ability to achieve a positive , happy mindset throughout my day . Life is not the long-term destination , it ’ s the daily journey .
Any regrets ? Not so much a regret , but if I had a do-over , I wish I would have spent more time focusing on learning the best corporate structure for the organization 8 years ago , because now we are doing the work . If we had done it back then , we might be miles ahead of where we are now .
What can we expect from your company in the next 12 to 18 months ? 75 new locations sold , 20 new locations opened . n
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