Mooooving on….. 

So here goes…. put on your seatbelts…. this post will not be easy to write. As you know, for almost 4 years, we have sacrificed life on all levels to pursue owning and operating a Chick-fil-A restaurant. From learning and growing the business in my local store, to traveling all around the USA as a Grand Opening Trainer for Corporate…. Chick-fil-A has been my life. It’s a journey I began during the last few days of December in 2012, and from the first day being trained on register by Veronica Pentony Weibel, to following Jeremy Stouder around the country because he was someone I looked up to…someone who I loved like a brother, and I remember the day he became an operator. Wow! That was a great day for Chick-fil-A as a chain. Incredible man of character and a leader of leaders. 
There were many ups and downs during these 4 years…. the ups far out-weighed the downs…. and the downs were simply opportunities to better myself as a leader and as a person. In May of this year, after being given the blessing of my operator, my team, operators around the country, as well as business consultants…. I interviewed to become a Chick-fil-A operator. I was ready…. my family was ready. But God, in His sovereignty, led those who make the decisions at Chick-fil-A to say no to me at this time. It was too competitive. And I was at peace. I was at peace because I knew I had given my all…. had the blessings of people in the chain that I had utmost respect for…. and knew I was prepared and ready. So to be told no, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had said no. My friend, Lysa TerKeurst, says that with every rejection, there is usually some kind of protection. I trust God with what He was protecting me from in this season of life. I may never know. 

Over the past few months since that decision, my wife and I have been really seeking God’s direction in our lives. Many good friends within CFA have offered me positions in other parts of the country, and we felt honored and humbled by these offers, but we did not have peace about moving. My heart was with my home team at the Chick-fil-A of Wesley Chapel, and until God moved us….. that is where I wanted to be. Wesley Chapel is where it all began. 
Dean Sandbo brought me to Wesley Chapel almost 4 years ago…. and there was no way I could have known then how much I would develop as a leader, grow personally, and depend on Jesus Christ for strength day in and day out. This store has been and always will be incredibly close to my heart. They are family. The Weddington/Wesley Chapel community was my community. My guests light up my life each and every day…. and I am Facebook friends with probably half of them. The experience and relationships I experienced were invaluable. Dean, thank you for giving me a fighting chance. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for your generosity, your love, and your support. My team…. you all are rockstars!! We’ve laughed and cried together and have done life with each other for a long time. Thank you! May my legacy be one of someone who tried to make sure everyone around me felt loved. 
To my wife, who sacrificed most of all….. thank you for loving me, for believing in me, for rooting me on since day one. You are my rock, my ultimate support, my love and my soulmate. Getting a “no” answer was not failure, but rather an indication of God’s direction on our lives. You and I both know we would have invested our lives in the team and our guests at our own Chick-fil-A restaurant. We were ready. We ARE ready. But God chose not to open that door in this season. I love you! 
Facebook friends….. you have been faithful, supporting, loving, and absolutely stinkin’ awesome along this journey. Wow! You guys followed each and every step over the past 4 years. I love you all dearly. I appreciate your friendship more than you will ever know. 
A year ago, I recruited Hayley Summerville out of the drive-thru window. Her family had just moved here from New Jersey, and her dad had transferred to NC to run the Charlotte division for Ryan Homes. Through God’s leading, and through talking to Hayley’s dad, Kevin, I interviewed a few weeks ago, and today, I accepted the offer to become a Sales and Marketing Representative for Ryan Homes in the Charlotte South division. 
God works in mysterious ways…. all we can do is trust in His plan for our lives and give Him the glory. My operator tried calling me tonight after I texted him the news…. but I simply couldn’t answer the phone. I was too emotional. When CFA is your life…. when your dreams and desires were to own a store of your own, and to cultivate and develop a team of your own…. it’s extremely difficult to walk away. Extremely difficult. It hasn’t hit me yet, honestly. I’m sure it will sink in during the next few days and weeks. 
I do not know my final day at CFA…. but it looks at this point that I have less than a month. Man….. I don’t know what to say other than Thank you to all who have invested in me over these years…. all you grand opening trainers, local CFA friends, corporate friends, etc…. Wow….. I am so blessed. Even though I will clock out for a final time, the friendships will last a lifetime. So happy for that. 
Truett….. hope I did you proud. ❤