I’m no GQ model….

…. but she thinks I am. Meet Lydia. She is one of our faithful guests at the Chick-fil-A of Wesley Chapel. Her friend, Brenda, brings her to eat lunch, talk, and work on jigsaw puzzles. The first time I met Lydia, she referred to me as “Mr. GQ”. I couldn’t help but laugh. I was tired, and dressed head to toe in Oobe work apparel. Dashing? Not in the least. But we had a blast that day. I’ve gotten to know her over the past few months… and always try to stop by her table to say hello. Her puzzle of choice today? Dora the Explorer. So as I sat for a few moments helping her with the puzzle, I couldn’t help but smile. You see… Lydia has Alzheimer’s… and it’s pretty advanced. She’s a special lady, and I’m so thankful God has given us the opportunity to be a bright spot in her day. As for “Mr. GQ”… I’ll own it for you, Ms. Lydia!

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Tweak it, baby!

I just returned from Recurring Operator Training at the Chick-fil-A Home Office in Atlanta, GA. Incredible time! My operator, Dean Sandbo, graciously allowed for myself and fellow leader, Kyle, to accompany him as we will both be taking training director roles in the near future.

Boy did we cover a lot! The corporate trainers are top-notch. From the recipe for biscuits, to the recipe for service… it was clear that we ALWAYS have room for improvement.

So coming back to the local store, we have a vision to share… or maybe, rather, to refresh. We also have plans and procedures to help us strive daily for flawless execution. But why? For what purpose? A better quality food? Sure. A remarkable experience in the restaurant? Yep. But I go back to the fundamentals in terms of motive. And for me, that is a genuine LOVE for my guests… as well as for my fellow team members. Because when you love…. you care. Truly. And it takes you from a “punch in and out” routine and mindset, to an incredible culture for your team and for anyone who visits the restaurant.

I leave you with these thoughts:

[1 Corinthians 13 – CFA Version]
If I bake my biscuits correctly, If I refresh every beverage, If I bread the chicken to perfection, If I clear every tray, If I put the right amount of sugar in the tea, If I clean every window, If I am accurate with every order, If I make my Chick-fil-A profitable…. yet I don’t have a genuine LOVE for my guests and felIow team members… I. AM. NOTHING.

Is loving someone… genuinely… difficult at times? Yes! Of course. But we all must remember that “Every Life Has A Story”… we just have to take the time to read it. If that doesn’t affect you… if that doesn’t cause you to have compassion and motivate you to make a difference, check the temperature of your heart.

Making money is great, but a genuine care and compassion for people is not only the core of Chick-fil-A, but it was the passion of Jesus Christ. He ALWAYS had time for the individual.

Go love on some people today!

(Brian Hogan – Corporate Trainer, Art Terkeurst – Operator, Dean Sandbo – Operator, Kyle Snipes – Team Leader)

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Say Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!

Just completed a 15 hour day at Chick-fil-A. That rhymed… ok, moooooving along. I won’t even tell you about the guy that rode through drive-thru on a horse, or how incredible the second night of orientation went with the new hires. Instead, I want to share about meeting a couple gentlemen today, probably in their 60s. The one was clad in a Hawaiian shirt and Desert Storm U.S. Coast Guard hat. It was his first time at CFA. Found out he was visiting from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cool! My wife is from that area. We clicked right away. Later, I visited the two guys at their table and sat down with them. They asked me how long I had worked at CFA. I told them my story, and how I would love to operate my own store someday. The friend of the man from Milwaukee then says, “If Chick-fil-A decides to give you a store someday, I will pay the $5,000. And if you need more, I will help you”. WHOA!! How awesome is that for a confidence boost?! He was absolutely serious. Our guests are truly amazing.

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New Kids on the Clock!

Spending my evening with a class of new hires has to be one of my favorite things… it’s definitely more of a revival service than an orientation class! I wish each one of you had the opportunity to listen to my operator, Dean Sandbo (pictured below), share his heart. His passion and drive are incredible. I can promise you this: It all boils down to people. So blessed to be a part of it!

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A Blast Beyond the Clock

I think it’s an understatement to say that we absolutely LOVE our team members at Chick-fil-A. And that love is not confined to the time clock. We don’t simply care about them and how they are doing while clocked in, but we desire to invest in them and their interests far beyond the clock. Tonight was Senior Night for one of our team members, Hannah Hastings… so a few of us drove over to the local high school and had a blast cheering on her and her fellow teammates. It had been YEARS since I had last attended a volleyball match. Hannah did amazingly well… and it was fun to spend time together as a CFA family. After the games, my wife and I were talking about how awesome it would be to have a store someday, and continue to invest in the lives of others. People are definitely our Passion!

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Where there is no vision….

I’m a HUGE proponent of “enjoy the moment” and don’t get too focused on the future. However, if there are no plans, no goals, no VISION… you will fail. Period. Now that I have almost nine months of experience at my local CFA store, it is definitely time to begin planning ahead. 

For those of you not familiar with Chick-fil-A, there are a few “paths” to take in the journey to hopefully becoming an Operator one day. You can apply to become a Corporate Trainer, a Grand Opening Supervisor, or an Interim Manager (IM)…. to name a few of the more standard routes. Andre Kennebrew (CFA Corporate Talent Scout) recently visited the Charlotte market to explain these paths, and how extremely competitive it has become. Basically, there is so much interest out there, that they can afford to take only the “cream of the crop”. WOW! Honestly, I wanted to walk away from that meeting discouraged… thinking that there is no way that I can make it with only nine months experience up to this point. 

Thankfully, my Operator, Dean Sandbo, encouraged me when he mentioned that he could see me in the IM program. This was the path that my wife and I have been desiring since day #1. Andre had mentioned two things that stood out to me in the meeting in regard to the IM program. 1) They were seeing more and more 30-ish year-olds from other backgrounds than CFA enter the program. 2) They are OK with families with children. I thought to myself, “This is the time… if I am ever going to take it. My kids will be under school age… and we are not tied down to Charlotte at all”. 

Some of you are wondering what the IM position entails…. I will sum it up for you! Think of an interim pastor filling in at a church. It’s basically the same principle. For “up to” 2 years, my family would potentially bounce around the USA while I stood in as an interim operator until corporate found a permanent operator for that specific location. I could be in Texas for a 3 months… then moved to Chicago for 6 months… then New Jersey for a month. You just never know. It all depends on the need. At any point during those 2 years, they could pull me out to inform me that I am ready for my own store…. or, I could spend two years traveling around the country, and at the end…. discover that I don’t have what it takes to be an Operator. Again, nothing is guaranteed. It’s a Christian-based organization, and there is definitely a lot of FAITH involved!! But I know this is where God wants us…. and I am going to do my ultimate best to pursue the IM program. It’s really, really tough to get in… but with God, all things are possible. 

To wrap this post up, my plans are to remain in my local CFA for another year (ish)…. and then hopefully hit the road, or go another route. I would definitely appreciate your prayers on our behalf. Even though I often feel SO incredibly inadequate, my love for the CFA brand, my guests, and my team members is out of this world! 

 

Below: Andre Kennebrew (center) talks with team members interested in a long-term career with Chick-fil-A

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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. 

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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!

 

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