Franchise Update Magazine Issue IV, 2012 | Page 13

How does your management team
help you lead? They help in multiple

ways. 1) They are significantly more
talented and capable than I am. 2) They
know much more about their functional areas than I ever will. 3) They
challenge and improve my thinking
and decisions. 4) They role-model our
values to their organizations and carry
our message to the field. 5) We share
a common goal for our company and
we’re working together on the best
plan to get there.
Favorite management gurus. Do you
read management books? I actually

far prefer to read management books
written by proven business leaders (vs.
those written by “gurus”). My favorites include: Gordon Bethune (former
CEO of Continental Airlines) wrote
From Worst to First; Gary Loveman
(CEO of Harrah’s Entertainment)
wrote Putting the Service-Profit Chain
to Work; Larry Light (former CMO of
McDonald’s) wrote Six Rules for Brand
Revitalization.
What makes you say, “Yes, now that’s
why I do what I do!”? When we can

help create “life changing” success
for our people and franchise partners.
One example is a franchise partner at
Church’s Chicken. We were able to
structure a deal that enabled him to
buy his first Church’s restaurant. Three
years later he tracked me down at our
annual convention and gave me a giant bear hug. He told me how he had
grown his business to three restaurants
and, because of his success, how he had
been able to move his entire extended
family from Pakistan to Texas. I was
elated to have played a minor role in
his huge success.

“We’re more
focused on
being better
than being
bigger, and
we look for a
greater margin
of safety for
investments.”

note and a gift card to someone immediately following their demonstration
of a core value.
Favorite company product: For break-

fast, low-carb Scrambler with sausage; for
lunch, the double bacon-cheese Krystal
burger; for late night, share a 12-pack
of Krystals with friends.
BOTTOM LINE

Grow Market Lead

our VP of operations; Craig Barton,
our chief people officer; Brian Blosser, our VP of development and construction; Tom Peterson, our CMO;
and Partha Mukherjee, our CIO. We
are currently looking for a CFO. All
of these individuals have years of experience in the foodservice industry
with brands like Church’s Chicken,
Hardee’s, and others.

What are your long-term goals for the
company? In 5 years: 1) become the

What time do you like to be at your
desk? 5:00 a.m.

favorite QSR in the South; 2) sell out
all development territory in our current
11 states; 3) grow to over 500 stores; 4)
double the profit margins in company
and franchise stores; and 5) generate a
10X return for investors.

Exercise in the morning? Wine with
lunch? I find some way to exercise ev-

How has the economy changed your
goals for your company? We’re more

PERSONAL

ery day. I only drink wine when there’s
a reason to celebrate.
Do you socialize with your team after
work/outside the office? We socialize

at the office, in the field, and when we
travel together.
Las