2017 MVP AWARDS Single Brand Leadership Award
2017 MVP AWARDS
to grow his portfolio to 100 stores with “ a team that is superior to any in the industry ,” he says .
Sport Clips founder and CEO Gordon Logan , who nominated Weber for the award , calls him a superstar franchisee . “ We couldn ’ t have a better brand ambassador than Johnny Weber ,” says Logan .
Weber recently earned another nod from his franchisor at the brand ’ s Annual Huddle with “ The Sporty Award ”
MANAGEMENT
( named for the company ’ s mascot ) for turning the brand ’ s “ culture into a way of life .” Weber , a franchisee since 2008 , is also the brand ’ s area developer in Tennessee , Indiana , Kentucky , Alabama , and the Florida Panhandle .
With a constant focus on supporting his fellow franchisees , Weber says he is in the business of building and growing people . “ It is my belief that the better we can build a brand nationally , the better we are all going to do .”
Business philosophy : To create a championship haircut experience for men and boys in an exciting sportsthemed environment .
Management method or style : 1 ) Living by our values and heart of a champion . 2 ) Can I trust you ? – To do what ’ s right . 3 ) Are you committed to excellence ? – To do your best . 4 ) Do you care about me ? – By treating others the way they want to be treated .
Greatest challenge : Starting my business with very little money . However , it taught me how to maneuver through hard times and find lending partners , both banks and private lenders .
How do others describe you ? You can see the passion I have for Sport Clips every day . I am logoed everywhere I go and consider myself a leading ambassador for this brand and this industry . I think other people see that I care for others and I want to help people succeed . They will also see the will to win in all aspects of my life and business . Motivated , passionate , and kind .
How do you hire and fire , train and retain ? You can only be successful if you can build great teams ! We are in the people business . My team is my biggest investment . Training is key to retaining , and we hire to develop . Our training programs are critical in developing , motivating , and retaining each team member . When a team member is competent , they are confident . Confident team members provide a championship haircut experience and stay within our organization . Turnover can be detrimental to any organization , and we work with any team member that loses focus of company goals . Our goal is to have each team member experience personal and professional growth within our organization . If turnover does happen , our teams need to know that they did everything they could to help that team member before parting ways .
BOTTOM LINE
Annual revenue : $ 23.8 million .
2017 goals : To open 11 personal stores and 22 in my developing territory .
Growth meter : How do you measure growth ? Same store sales growth , revenue , and client count . As we grow the brand , the number of stores we are adding is important as well .
Vision meter : Where do you want to be in 5 years ? I would like to own more than 100 Sport Clips stores and have a team that is superior to any in the industry .
What are you doing to take care of your employees ? Becoming the employer of choice is a top priority within my company . We have high expectations of our team members and value the work they do . Being able to provide a work and home life balance is something we pride ourselves in . We really focus and invest time in developing team members to move up in our organization . “ We Hire To Retire ” is a philosophy we live by to train and share daily business skills to become a lifer in our organization . We develop a relationship so we can help in times of need and help coach our team members like we would a friend .
What kind of exit strategy do you have in place ? I haven ’ t ever thought about an exit strategy . I ’ m still pretty young and dream about continuing to grow my business better and larger to provide opportunities for the great people who work with me .
Why do you think you were recognized with this award ? Appreciation is the first word that comes to mind . As an entrepreneur I love what I do and appreciate the values Sport Clips is about . Back when I started my company , I bought and took over several stores that were struggling and turned them around to profitable locations . I have always been willing to help other franchisees and team members of our brand . We build our business following these core values and truly care about the brand and all of our team members .
How have you raised the bar in your own company ? Surrounding myself with a great team has allowed growth and strong team development . Our standards are met through hard work and dedication . Every quarter we are focusing on the next and building to end the year with a bang .
What innovations have you created and used to build your company ? Keeping it simple is where we start every day . If we treat every client with kindness and a sense of urgency we can create that “ wow ” experience ! Our smiles are the most important part of our uniform .
2017 MVP AWARDS Single Brand Leadership Award
What core values do you think helped you win this award ? Trust , compassion , determination , and leadership drive me every day to be the best I can be . I pass this along to all avenues of Sport Clips . I know there will be obstacles and times of struggle , but through determination and belief in our brand success will follow .
How important is community involvement to you and your company ? Being part of local communities is something that gives back to me every day . As a small-business owner , having community support is huge . Whether it is pairing with a local charity or donating our time ( and sometimes our hair ) to the nonprofit St . Baldrick ’ s Foundation in the fight to conquer childhood cancers , that ’ s what our business is about . We try to pay it forward and rally around our communities as much as possible .
What leadership qualities are most important to you and your team ? Accountability and pride in what you do are at the top of my list . We want to make sure there is complete satisfaction for every client , every time and deliver a flawless and championship MVP experience .
46 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE III , 2017