Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2014 | Page 18

MEGA
By Debbie Selinsky

Franchising All-Pro

I

Former NFL tackle parlays his winning ways in franchising

f you ask retired NFL defensive
tackle Don Davey to list the qualities needed to succeed in the NFL
or in franchising, his list is the same:
competitiveness, tenacity, discipline, coachability, and focus.
Those same qualities worked well for
him in the NFL, where he played defensive tackle for 10 years, starting with the
Green Bay Packers and then moving to
the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he led
the young team to a berth in the AFC
Championship Game in just its second
year of existence.
The same qualities he displayed in the
NFL have contributed to his success today

as the operator of Firehouse Subs restaurants in Florida and as the brand’s area
developer for Wisconsin. And that success
has not gone unnoticed: the IFA named
Davey its 2013 Franchisee of the Year.
Add to that his role as founder and
senior portfolio manager of Disciplined
Equity Management, an institutional
money management firm with more than
$150 million in managed assets. He also
is the owner of Parrothead Properties,
a real estate investment company with
commercial and residential holdings in
Florida and Wisconsin.
“Some people look at my life as hectic and chaotic,” says Davey, who earned

bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. “But I thrive with
lots of balls in the air. I guess you could
say I’m opportunistic. For example, I
didn’t start out to form a financial advisory business, but I recognized a need
among former teammates for quality
investment advice from someone who
knew exactly what they were up against.
I managed my own finances successfully
for the 10 years I played, so I know how
to help them.” Davey says his background
in engineering and statistics provides the
foundation for the quantitative methods
he uses at the firm.
Another example of Davey taking advantage of an opportunity came when he
signed on as a franchisee with Firehouse
Subs. “My Jaguar teammates and I had
been eating at Firehouse several times a
week because we loved the food. I got to
know Robin and Chris Sorensen there [