Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2012 | Page 24

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B R A N D

PERSONAL, CONTINUED
Favorite fun activities: I love to travel and visit the Caribbean islands.
find myself coming back to fiction. I guess I just like to be entertained. I also
My favorite spot is on a beach, feet in the sand, margarita in hand. I’m also
am listening to a novel from Audible.com written by Dean Koontz—another
one of those people who loves Disney World, especially as my kids get older
favorite author.
and I don’t have to keep standing in the line for “It’s a Small World” during
Do you have a favorite quote/advice? I like to live by the motto “It’s
95-degree weather in the rain. (That has happened on more than one occafive o’clock somewhere!!!” It fits my business and lifestyle. I like to have fun
sion.) I like to just cruise around now, hit the countries in EPCOT, and sample
and look forward to the next margarita.
the restaurants. My favorite spot is a restaurant called “San Angel Inn” at the
Mexican Pavilion. A good friend of mine, Fernando Villegas, owns it. It’s a place Best advice you ever got: It wasn’t advice, but more an example set by
I could hang out all day doing tequila flights and watching the kids go around
my father. I can’t remember a day that my father missed work. My father’s
on the water ride. If you can get past the
whole career was working for the State
I like to live by the motto
lines, Disney is the perfect place to me.
of New Jersey. He had fantastic benefits
Not a blade of brown grass or a piece of “It’s five o’clock somewhere!!!” that included many usable sick days
trash that stays on the ground for more
that most state employees would readily
than a minute. I used to ski a lot and re- It fits my business and lifestyle. take advantage of. I never remember
ally love it, but it seems lately I gravitate
him using one. He took his job very seriI like to have fun and look
toward warm weather more. That must
ously, I assume mostly out of a sense of
forward to the next margarita. responsibility for his family. I think that
be an age thing.
stuck with me. When you’re the owner
Exercise/workout: I would like
and the boss you certainly have the opto say that I love to exercise, but it’s a
tion to decide to stay in bed and get a
chore to me. A perfect week for me will
couple extra hours of sleep, or to take
involve lifting three days a week and
the day off. I never sleep in and rarely
doing something aerobic three times a
take the day off.
week. The reality doesn’t always match
up. Most of the time I will get my liftFormative influences/events:
ing days in, but I miss my aerobic days
9/11 had a major effect on me. I
often. My wife gets on me about that.
remember seeing the planes hit while I
I think she wants to keep me around
was watching “Good Morning America.”
so she wants to make sure I’m heart
I had no idea how to react. I was very
healthy. I try to comply but I get bored
scared for my family, so I got in my car
very easily doing the treadmill thing. I
and started picking my kids up at school
think ADD is an attribute many successful
to keep them with me. It was the first
people have.
time that I felt I couldn’t keep my family
safe. I think because of that I have beFavorite tech toys: Man, I love the
come more of a family man than I used
iPad. It is so cool. It was definitely a
to be. I am definitely a little overprotecgame-changer, and it’s just the begintive of my younger ones and don’t like
ning. I am currently awaiting the next
to let them out of my sight. I also had
version and will be the first in line for the
a recent health scare. I am 100 percent
iPad 3. I can’t wait. I also love the new
healthy now, but it made me realize how
tech and entertainment stuff they are
short life can be. It really ratcheted up
putting in cars, especially since I drive
my drive to grow my business. I want
so much. I am not a gamer but I can
to make sure if anything ever does hapappreciate the great graphics they have
pen to me, that my family is financially
now. Those video games can suck you in
secure.
for hours—not good for a guy who has
a bunch of restaurants to oversee.
How do you balance life and work? I do what I do because I like
spending time with my family. I have gotten myself to the point that much of
What are you reading? H[H[