“How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.” – Jimmy V
Every Person Has a Story
They didn’t fail me
As I drove in to work this morning at 5am, I began to ask God to give me wisdom for the day. Due to 3 of our leaders being unable to work this weekend, we were stretched thin… and I definitely needed God’s help as I ran the AM shift. When I finished praying, God gave me an incredible thought: Trust the Team. Wow! So simple, yet so hard to do at times. I’m the type of person that loves to do ALL of the work myself, but as a leader, it is impossible. Sure you know it’s done right when you do it personally… but all the time training and investing in these kids was not in vain. They are equipped and able. That said, we had one of the busiest days in recent months. A line to the door for almost 5 hours. What did I have to do? I had to trust the team. And they didn’t fail me.
Share this:
I’m no football team.. but I have a cheerleader!
I cannot begin to describe how incredibly important my wife has been, currently is, and will be on this journey. When I think back over these past 7 months, I see how valuable and crucial it has been to have my wife as my biggest cheerleader. Leaving a career in Christian radio and taking the leap of faith financially, as well as sacrificing our time as a family, is never “easy”, but my wife has stood by my side and supported me 110%. She is currently in her 3rd trimester. We are expecting baby #2 (a girl) in November. Our two-year-old son is my temperament. Packed full of energy and personality. It tires my wife out, for sure… and yet she is faithfully cooking, cleaning, getting my uniform ready for the next day, etc. She has given up so much for the sake of following this journey. There are no shopping trips, dinner out with friends, or massages… she went back to an old flip phone, and we cut the cable TV and gym memberships. The funny thing is… she doesn’t even mind. Not one bit. She believes in me. Sure, it’s tough financially… and I am gone about 60 hours a week (drive time included), but the fact of the matter is that she loves me, and desires to see God use me to impact Chick-fil-A and the surrounding communities. That, my friends, is my partner. My soul-mate. The love of my life. Thank you, babe!
Share this:
The almighty dollar: Is it your priority?
I don’t know if I will ever end up operating a Chick-fil-A, but I can tell you this for a fact: I am definitely not on this journey to obtain riches. I didn’t come from money, but I did come from a family who loved, served, and cared about people. People give me a drive I can’t explain. I trust a lot. Maybe too much. I don’t hold grudges. Can’t. I’ve never burned a bridge, or intentionally made enemies. People are my passion! Of course CFA is a business, and I would do my ultimate best to be a good steward of my store, and seek to do everything in my power to make it financially beneficial to the company at large. But if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years.. it is this. If the dollar becomes your priority, people will suffer along the way. Period. If you are the head of a company, and you are squeezing every penny out of everything and everyone in sight… to the point where you spread your crew so thin they are stressed out and worn… you have your priorities in the wrong place. And trust me… you are the topic of conversation around the water cooler… and it’s not a pretty picture. Interestingly enough, if your priority is people… the money will come. Why? Because you’ve built a culture of loyalty, contentment, trust, happiness, etc that will propel your company to infinity and beyond. So take the greed snake out of your boot and start loving on some people. It will be so worth it!
Share this:
Doubt? Yep, I’m human.
Somehow my 9 hour shift became a 13 hour shift… and with only a bagel in my belly for sustenance, my head was pounding. Maybe it was the fact we got ROCKED today by an unexpected public school orientation “rush”, or that while learning to cut, wash, chill, and spin lettuce, I was pulled in 18 different directions. By the time I was ready to call it a day, I realized that help was needed for a marketing event… so I stuck around. I had to. I couldn’t leave my team in a pinch. At the event, someone commented on my white, button-up shirt which was stained with oil, grease, syrup, etc. I was worn, and I began to doubt if this whole thing was for me. My goal is to be an operator… but just being a team leader has my head spinning at times. When I finally felt I could leave, I clocked out and said goodbye to my team… and that’s when it happened. Like it always does. One by one the hugs, the “Love ya Kento”s, and the “see you tomorrow”s came flooding in. And I believed again. I believed because I believe in them… and it’s because of them that I am even on this journey. I am so incredibly blessed.
Share this:
My Operator is a “Clean Freak”, and I LOVE IT!
I personally love cleanliness. Cleanliness can make, or break, your reputation. Yesterday, I spent the last few minutes of a 12 hour shift walking around the store with my Operator, taking notes of everything that needed to be cleaned. It’s HIGH on his priority list, which means it needs to be high on ours. But why? Simply because the boss man says it needs to be done, or maybe because if it’s not done, we receive low scores when inspected… or perhaps if we refuse, it’s our job at stake? Honestly, you could make a case for any of the above suggestions… but what my Operator, Dean, instills in us is that we need to be a FAITHFUL STEWARD of ALL that God has entrusted to us. WOW! If we get that… if we TRULY grasp that… even the not-so-glamorous parts of our service, like cleaning, will be enjoyable. Cleaning is so important, but having the right attitude and motive behind the cleaning… that’s a GAME CHANGER!
Share this:
Sharing our passion for people
Tonight was incredible! Ok, to be honest, each and every time we get to share our passion for people… and the culture at Chick-fil-A… it’s incredible. We gathered new hires together for Day 1 of orientation. They are treasured by us all already. The joy on their faces is immeasurable. So pumped to see how they will use their gifts and talents to impact each other, and the community around them.
Share this:
A true leader defined
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. —Douglas MacArthur
Share this:
To hire, or not to hire
The hiring process has to be the toughest aspect of my job. With a personality that loves people, and wants to give a chance to every human being who walks through the doors… it honestly breaks my heart to file an application knowing that they probably won’t be a part of the team. At the same time, this process is good for me in that it stretches me beyond my comfort zone, and makes me realize that just because someone doesn’t fit into our culture, doesn’t mean they can’t excel somewhere else. I wish nothing but the best for them, and cherish the time that we were able to spend together… even if it was for just a few moments. To those new hires… I cannot wait to bring you alongside and show you what a tremendous opportunity it is to serve our community and each other. Welcome to the team!
HOUSE OF PRAIN 