Mission Accomplished!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” 

It was almost two years ago that JUST TRUETT began. A simple idea. An idea that, two years later, I would have never believed would have reached so far and impacted so many. But that was my purpose for it. I wanted something simple, yet tangible. Something that would cause the 16 year-old new hire to ask, “What does ‘JUST TRUETT’ mean?” And in that moment, you have the opportunity to share the life and legacy of a man who not only mastered the chicken sandwich, but someone who also impacted lives. Thousands and thousands of lives.

When he passed in the fall of 2014, everyone knew who he was. Then, as time went on, I began to walk into stores and ask random employees about Truett Cathy. Sadly, many of the younger ones would respond that they didn’t know who he was – though his likeness in the form of a cardboard cutout was standing over near the playground. It was then that I really saw the importance of the JUST TRUETT t-shirt. A simple, yet perfect way to explain who he was and how he served. To the young new hire, “Do you know what you do when a guest comes back into your restaurant incredibly upset because you forgot to place a straw in their bag at the drive-thru window? You ‘JUST TRUETT’! You do what Truett would have done. You treat them and serve them how Truett would have treated them and served them.” And right there, that opens up the conversation of who Truett was, and you not only teach them the correct response in handling a tough situation, but you also get the opportunity to tell his story at the same time.

Right from the beginning, I wanted to do things the right way. I asked Dan Cathy for permission to use his dad’s name on the t-shirt, even though ‘Truett’ is a first name used by many throughout the years. I also did not add the CFA logo, the Cathy name, or CFA font. Why? Because I wanted it to be a simple shirt that only those “inside” CFA would understand the meaning. A shirt where it was “understood” that it was associated with CFA without being technically a CFA shirt.

It took off immediately. Operators and staff across the country were catching my vision. From Dan Cathy, to Mark Cathy, corporate staff, operators, team members, and even raving fans and NFL players – they loved and appreciated the mission and mindset behind the shirt. Operators were messaging me with stories of how they used the shirt to teach classes on leadership. Friends had me ship the shirt to England to wear during the overseas pop-up events. And during the floods in Houston, shirts were shipped down to a local store to use while serving the community. It was making an impact and it was serving the purpose for which I had prayed it would serve.

To this day, as promised to Dan Cathy, I never made a dime off the t-shirts in profit. If anything, I took a loss and it was worth it to me. I loved this! It was a fun mission and it served its purpose well.

Today, I was asked by the family, through the CFA legal team, to discontinue the shirts. They expressed their gratitude and the efforts made to continue Truett’s legacy, and even though the shirt is technically not a CFA shirt, they need to be careful with their name and I completely understand that.

So as of today, I will be shutting down the Just Truett facebook page, the instagram page, and discontinuing production of the shirts. Those who have the shirts, please continue to tell the story – it must still continue to be told.

To all of who who have used these shirts to create a REMARKable experience for your team and your guests, and to all of you who have made a positive impact on those you have been in contact with because of the shirt, I thank you. Thank you for getting behind me, knowing my motives and heart were pure in this effort and for supporting JUST TRUETT throughout the past two years. I am forever grateful.

I humbly and respectfully bow out, knowing that I love the Cathy family, the brand, and the raving fans. And you never know. Maybe I’ll be adding to his legacy by owning and operating my own CFA restaurant one day. Only the Lord knows. To Him be all the honor and glory. Amen.

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One Year.

It’s been one year since I left Chick-fil-A. I remember September 9th, 2016, well. My team surprised me with cakes, cards, and banners strung across the ceiling over the order line. So many friends came to see me off that day, including my family, my operator, guests that had become family, and even Buffalo Bills fullback, Mike Tolbert and his family – a family with whom I had built a relationship through a little window on the side of the chicken coop.

People often ask, “Do you miss it?! Are you coming back? Are you going to apply for a store again?” I do miss it, sure. But I’m where God wants me right now. And I believe that is the BEST place to be – where God has you NOW. Will I ever apply again? I don’t know. Right now I’m focused on being the best Sales and Marketing Representative for Ryan Homes that I can possibly be. We are settling down in Fort Mill, SC, and have a new home church in Harvest Baptist in Rock Hill, SC.

So I write this brief post to say that there is life outside of Chick-fil-A. When you taste and see and are a part of the culture that is Chick-fil-A, it’s hard to leave. Really hard. But when you realize that God always knows best and that He knows what areas of your life need fine-tuning and stretching, He will find a way to move you, in order to better you.

I stepped into a position at Ryan Homes that has stretched me and is stretching me in every way imaginable. I knew very little about sales, blueprints, construction, etc, but I’m learning daily, and growing in knowledge and experience. It’s fun. It’s a challenge. It’s life outside of Chick-fil-A, and it’s ok. Why? Because personal growth doesn’t just happen in a restaurant. It happens where God plants you.

So I challenge you, my fellow Chick-fil-A’ers who have also been turned down for the Leadership Development Program and/or for Owner/Operator: Step out. Step away. Do something new. Stretch yourself. Just because you aren’t wearing Oobe doesn’t mean God can’t use you!

I’ve learned over 36 years to never say never, but only to trust God and His timing. So let’s never stop learning, never stop leaning, never stop loving, and never stop leading. And simply trust that God has amazing things in store for our lives!

Love you all and am so incredibly thankful for you. Oh, and come buy a Ryan Home from me! 🙂

Tolbert

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One fantastic year of #JustTruett

It has been exactly one year since I wrote this post about launching the Just Truett t-shirts, and as I sit and reflect on what has probably been the craziest and busiest year of my life, I cannot help but praise God. I am not where I thought I would be at this time, but the journey has been a blessing and the future is bright.

As most of you know, I was turned down this past May to own and operate a Chick-fil-A in Montana. It was a long shot from the get-go, and corporate had told me they had chosen someone over a year ago, but I still gave it my all and went for it. I’m so happy for the operator they chose for that particulate location. He’s a great guy and a super fit for the Flathead Valley of Montana.

After much prayer, I decided to leave Chick-fil-A in September and go into real estate (though I still enjoy consulting and helping others in their own journeys). I obtained my NC Real Estate license and have almost completed my training to become a Sales and Marketing Rep for the Ryan Homes brand of NVR, Inc. Real estate class was no joke, but I love learning, growing, and expanding my horizons, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Along with changing careers, we lived 3 different places in 2016. We had been renting, thinking I was going to become a CFA operator in some part of the country, and therefore did not want to be tied down owning a house. After signing on with Ryan Homes, we settled back into Fort Mill, SC. I am pretty sure my wife was pumped to finally “settle” somewhere. 🙂

Since so much happened this year, I did not have much time to focus on promoting Just Truett shirts…. yet I was inundated with stories from operators and staff around the country telling me how they were able to use them to tell the story of Truett Cathy and his heart to serve others! Love getting feedback like that.

It has been exactly one year since I began to really promote the t-shirt and teach others the meaning behind the shirt. As I promised Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A and Truett’s son, I did not make a profit selling t-shirts. I had a few people in the chain who were skeptical about the shirts, and/or the motive behind the shirts. Was I making money off of someone who is deceased, am I trying to gain attention, or maybe I was simply using Truett’s name to launch some larger venture later. None of these can be further from the truth.

This year, 210 shirts were purchased/donated across the country…. actually, one went to England as well for the pop-up event Chick-fil-A does for a day. They were used for conferences, events, in-store service, and other venues. With some of the funds, we were able to give $500 to a Chick-fil-A team member who had lost her brother in an accident and needed a vehicle. People have used the t-shirt in so many incredible and creative ways…. I am overwhelmed reading them all. I recently started an Instagram page to try to document those who have sent photos wearing the shirt. You will see operators, corporate staff and even Mike Tolbert of the Carolina Panthers!

I just finished running the numbers, and to those who doubted I was doing it for the right reasons and simply trying to make a profit…. I ended up negative $225 at the end of the year. And that is OK! Why? Because my goal from the very beginning was to create a simple shirt that reminded us all daily to serve as Truett served, to care as Truett cared, and to love as Truett loved. It’s a model of service that continues to this day in Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country, and hopefully this shirt helps in a small way to carry on his legacy.

A special thank you for everyone who purchased a shirt or multiple shirts this year. Because of you, so many lives were impacted this year. May God bless you! tc

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An encouraging word goes a long way!

Ever get into a rut? I’m not even typing in the negative sense of the term… but rather a steady routine of sun-up to sun-down. A routine that lends itself to one wondering if they are still making a difference… still being influential.

I have the privilege of being a director for Operator Dean Sandbo. It’s a fantastic place to serve. Though we are not perfect, the place is alive with people who love to love people, and who love to work hard, and strive to be innovative and creative. Business is good!

But on an individual level, sometimes you don’t know if you are still making an impact… still being influential… even though inside, you feel you are giving 110%.

I feel called to be a Chick-fil-A operator one day. I very much believe that God has called me to fill that position when it is His time for me to do so. But as many of you know, the journey can be long and tiresome… and you need that “spark” of encouragement from time to time.

A couple days ago, that “spark” called me over to himself. He was an older man who had stopped in for lunch, and he said these words to me, “You held the door for me and greeted me warmly when I entered the restaurant, and all while I ate lunch, I watched you. I watched when you had your break, and I watched as the kids (my team members) came around to talk to you at your table. That tells me you are a good manager.”

WOW! A simple man with a simple word. But it spoke volumes of encouragement to me. I am not the perfect leader… no one really is the perfect leader. But I trust that one day, when it’s all said and done… that people will say that I was faithful to what I was called to do, and that they felt truly loved when I was around them. It is genuinely my heartbeat.

To you, sir, Mr. Spark of encouragement… Thank you! Thank you for taking the time to breathe into existence words that give me energy and spirit to keep on keeping on!

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