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SPEAKER_03Well, thank you, Darren. It's uh my pleasure to be on and uh uh just you know look looking forward to this conversation for a little bit now.
SPEAKER_01Same here. So when did you first realize God wanted to be involved in your work and business?
SPEAKER_03Uh it that's a great question. Uh, as as I look back on, you know, I I grew up a Catholic in on Long Island, surrounded by Jewish friends. Okay, so I went to more bar mitzvahs than birthday parties growing up. And um my wife and I got married in the Catholic Church on Long Island and moved to Florida, went to the found a Catholic church, went to the church and really couldn't understand the priest. He was from South America, didn't connect at all, and then we started church hopping, and then we started looking for uh a church, and uh we went to another church and it, you know, again, uh found the pastor. Uh he had like two or three girlfriends in the front row and didn't like that. And we have three young kids, and we moved to another church, and we ended up downtown West Palm Beach at First Baptist. Uh, and and my father-in-law and mother-in-law were kind of leading in in this search, and we all went to church together, and uh we fell in love with uh First Baptist, which today is called Family Church downtown uh West Palm Beach, and fell in love with this church and just the people and uh you know they just really hugged on our kids and and um it was really at that time as a family that we got baptized in the ocean together, as an entire family together, um, that we you know started the the true journey uh asking Jesus to be part of our lives and and um and to live for Jesus um as much as humanly possible. Okay, and which I think that that is a big challenge for everybody, and obviously we're all humans, and so um, but going forward after that is when I first realized that hey, this is this is now a little um easier for me in my business life because you know my world is franchising, so we help people start their own business. We help people, we train them, we set them up in the business, we support them. Um, and so we have a mission statement. You know, we have one customer, our franchisee, when they're successful, we're successful. And it's kind of wrapped around our Christian beliefs. And in and so, and but we do have to walk the line here a little bit, Darren, because we've got Muslim franchisees, we've got Jewish franchisees, we have from all atheists, uh, you know, gay straight, we have every every type of person in our franchise system. So I have to, you know, like be careful, even though we're privately held company and everybody knows I'm a Christian, I don't hide that from anyone. Um, in the same breath, I respect, you know, the people that are out there and their beliefs. And, you know, we kind of walk the line there a little bit. But I think that out of example, we, you know, being able to um with in franchising help people achieve their own independence and and to really promote to them to give back to their communities, to help the less fortunate, to to find what motivates them as they become successful. And, you know, for me, it's so gratifying to see franchise owners that have you know done so well financially and then have given back to their local communities, um, and and to uh really to multiply that and and to see that work out there in in out there. So uh, you know, I think it was really interesting. My daughter-in-law, who went to Palm Beach Atlantic University as well with my oldest son, AJ, and um we were talking, and and and she was like, you know, this business is like uh this is your mission. This is like your mission field is your business. And we were talking about that. And she's so right. Uh, it really has become that. And it it didn't start out that way. I have to just tell you, Darren, I wish, I wish I could sit here and tell you that um, you know, this was all done purposely. Um, but you know, uh, I'm on the same journey everybody else is on, and and you know, just trying um to walk the the to walk the walk and and you know, through circumstances, not only, you know, family, full family baptism in the ocean together, which was amazing. Um, but but through my my parents' deaths and going through that together, um, you know, going through uh, you know, the trials and tribulations of life, uh it it really calls for us to to be stronger and and to to reach out and and and pray.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. What's an example of a time when you had a hard decision to make in business that really, when you boil it down, was was a question of am I gonna put God first in this business or am I gonna put myself first?
SPEAKER_03My goodness. Uh, Darren, that probably happens uh a couple times a week. Okay. Um, we have scenarios where you have to make business decisions, um, but uh, you know, you have other, you know, uh circumstances that come up. You know, obviously um money is uh you know can be a problem for some people, but it it if it's used properly, it it can be a great thing. And and so I I I think that you balance, you balance these decisions that you make, and you can't lose sight of your center, you know, like if if I was uh you know to do something exactly the opposite of my not only my upbringing, but you know, uh of of what you know Jesus would do. I I look, I I I don't know if I could deal with that very uh very well. Um although there are business circumstances that come up that it's hard to, you know, you go turn the other cheek. You you wanna you you you have to fight sometimes in order to get uh not get taken advantage of. So I I think there's a false sense out there to the a lot of the public that uh Christians are wimps. Uh I I I I don't adhere to that. I I don't I think you know, as Jimmy Scrogins, my pastor, says that Jesus was the the biggest and best warrior of them all. And and so um he just did it a different way. And and so um I I think that that's something that comes up all the time, Darren, whether it's a small decision or a big decision.
SPEAKER_01Could you give us an example of one of those decisions?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I I can. I have my I have my three sons that work with me. And you know, sometimes, you know, they're young, they're 25, 28, and 30. And you know, sometimes they'll they'll come in and and this just happened this this past week. One of them um, you know, came in and and kind of felt like somebody was taking advantage of us, okay. And I guess if you looked at it on paper, you go, you know what, they are taking advantage of us, but we knew it. Did we did we know it? Did we and so I had to kind of talk him off the ledge of, hey, let's go legal on this, okay, that we're gonna go after this person because this isn't right. But at the end of the day, it's not worth it. And so, you know, are you gonna be taken advantage of? Yes, in business. It it it if you're a Christian or you're not a Christian, you're still gonna get taken advantage of, okay. There's a lot of smart people out there. There's a lot of um, you know, uh, I don't want to say connivers or, you know, uh different types of people that maybe don't have the same heart as you might have. And and so, and they're doing it for they're motivated by different circumstances. So I think the idea is to say we have in our agreements mediation and arbitration. We we want to try to get a retired uh judge or a third party to just say, if there's a difference in opinion on certain things, um, let's get an elder, uh, you know, not an elder from the church, but an elder for in the law uh to sit down and work out that difference. So I think that sometimes we lose sight of things that, you know, we don't wanna um we don't want to be taken advantage of. You know, you don't wanna you don't want to look foolish, but in some cases, you know, it's just the way it is.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And that's a major difference in the way a Christian approaches business law and and conflict, is as Jesus said, uh, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God. And so it sounds like your your heart in that was to approach the situation or whoever it was that was, you know, trying to take advantage and and and just bring peace and be a peacemaker. And and that's not that's not just peacekeeping. It's like, okay, well, continue to do what you're doing, and I'll just we just want to keep the peace, but but make the peace. And that's that's what you're doing by pursuing, you know, arbitration, and and there's just so many such a better path when you do it.
SPEAKER_03I recently, I recently had a deal I did there, and that um, you know, during the due diligence process, we were told some false false claims, okay, you know, and um misrepresentated uh greatly. And and so, but the deal was done. And so what I'm what I'm in the midst of doing is talking to them to say, okay, this is what happened. I don't want to fight, but I want it, I want you to look at this from my side and say, what do you think is the fair thing to do here? What do you think the right thing to do here is? So trying to get something, you know, resolved. This is what sometimes business what happens in business, uh, but sometimes you have to fight and and you have to stand up for your rights and in those cases. So I hope not to. Uh, you know, that's why we have the mediation uh scenarios. Um, but sometimes you you don't have a choice. Uh, I've got a scenario right now going on that, and we don't have a lot of them, we have a handful, but I've got a scenario going right now where there's somebody had our name for one of our brands in another state. Now we had the federal registered trademark, and we have it, but they were that name, and no one found them. No one, you know, it just happened. So I don't blame them. I mean, they were just business people in business, they just happen to have this same name. They didn't do anything to me, but I didn't do anything to them either, you know. And and but now there's okay, who has the name? And so, you know, uh, what do you say? You try to work something out, and hopefully you can, and and and everybody can move forward. And and you know, I still hold out hope that that'll happen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And um, you know, on this theme of of conflict resolution, one of the verses that's been uh a guidepost for you is Proverbs 18, 17. Um, the first one to plead his cause seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him. Uh, so how is that? Can you give us an example of how that's played out in your business?
SPEAKER_03Uh, that that is that is probably uh the one that comes up the most in like this, is one of these ones every day where there's two sides to every story. Basically, what the the proverbs is saying is that before you make a decision, and this is the way kind of I I interpret it, is listen to both sides of a story before you make your decision. Don't go off, you know, half, you know, whatever, and and make a decision based on hearing half the story. Okay. Take a step back, listen to one side, go find out the facts of the other side, and then make a sound business decision or a sound decision in life. And I think this goes for not only business, but this goes for life as well. I mean, the way the world is today with the social with social media, and as fast as everybody is hearing things, they're hearing one side to a story and they're making decisions about everything. And I'm no different. I like, you know, recently, you know, somebody was outside of Brett Kavanaugh's house with guns and knives and craziness, and they picked him up. I only have heard one side of this story, so I'm not, you know, I'm not I don't know. I don't think it's right he was outside the you know Supreme Court justice's house. But in the same breath, I'm not jumping to conclusions about these things. And so uh I think I think more people would be, you know, in a lot better position if they didn't just jump to conclusions and and they would listen to both sides of a story before they make a decision.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. What's an example of that from your business where maybe you did it the wrong way and and jumped to the wrong conclusion and then later found out that there was another side or or maybe an example of how you did it right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, I could give you a very big one where it involved a lot of money. I could give you very little, you know, small ones that uh you know happen all the time. Uh you know, like uh look when when you when you look at buying businesses, like I buy businesses, I also sell businesses, but we have 11 brands in in in 1600 franchisees in 80 countries, and and you know, I think my part of my job is to live by example for not only my family and my faith, but for my franchise owners as well, that that we consider part of our family here. And as we go forward, you you find out something about a business, you go, oh wow, that's great. You listen into one side of a story, and it sounds like this is a great thing. And then all of a sudden, as you start to develop, you know, conversations or research on other things, you start to find out these other things that might balance it out or actually take it to where you go, no, this isn't gonna work for us. Uh, I could give you there was a um, this is a perfect one for you. We were looking at a business, it was a dumpster business, you know, the the the dumpsters that you would rent outside of homes. And and it was a really it was a good business, very profitable business. And our thought process was like we have graphics with Sinorama and our other brands that we could put really nice graphics on these dumpsters so that when they're sitting in front of businesses or homes, it would look really nice, like whether they're bushes or tree graphics or whatever. You you've probably seen these kind of graphics before, but a lot of these dumpsters are really not good looking. They're just you know, either the you know, green or in this case it was black, and they were using a name, okay, that was not appropriate. Okay. And you know, I talked with them, I sat down and said, Look, you got a great business. I think we could really do really well with this business, but if you Google this name, all of these other things come up. I don't want to be associated with this. I if if I'm gonna do this, we need to change the name. And I'll do it. This is a good deal. I like it, I want to do it, but we need to change the name. And they would not change the name. Uh, I walked away from the deal. I can tell you it didn't, you know, that that was probably millions of dollars for our company. It would have been a great deal for them and for us, but that that name you that they have, okay, they think it's catchy. Um, I don't. And and it and if you Google the name, you end up in not good areas, and and I did it, and I said, No, I don't want anything to do with this. And and so I had to walk away from it. Uh just I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror, you know, just because of the money. You know, it's just it's not right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. What's another um another principle or maybe biblical application that has been a guide for you in business?
SPEAKER_03Well, I I think I I think giving back uh is a big part of this. I mean, the tithing with the church, obviously, but we do that, we tithe as a as a family. But um I I think leading by example for the community and and giving back to the communities and and helping the less fortunate. Um uh look, I think we live in such a polarized environment today that you have uh, you know, people would look at me and say, oh my gosh, he's a CEO, so he must be a Republican. Okay. Or I mean, they put you in a box. Or because I'm this way, I'm that way. And and uh, you know, uh it's not true. I I don't I try not to put people in boxes just based on their titles or where they're from, or I I grew up in a highly democrat uh area on Long Island. Um most of my friends are are Democrats, and and uh, but um I I lean way further to the right. I'm more conservative, but I don't think every person that goes to church needs to be a conservative. I I think that we want to reach everybody, right? And so um, you know, that's a biggest, I think that's one of the biggest challenges the church has today is to be able to take sides in certain points. but not make it political and and they're talking to a mixed audience. It's it's not a I've watched our pastors. It's not an easy tightrope and oftentimes I'm glad I'm not up there having to give that you know talk. But um for me, I think going back to you know biblical principles of you know turn the other cheek, look out for others, um, you know, help the less fortunate. Um and and uh we do all of those things and and then promote it. We get the opportunity Darren to not only promote that but to multiply that in communities all over the world. So uh you know as it was interesting I had a conversation with one of uh my uh close business friends and he was talking about how franchising is not only you know what we do and it's who we are but we have a chance to impact people's lives much much more than just selling a product or a service or anything or the guitar uh that's behind you there uh you know any anything you know so i i i take a step back and take that responsibility you know very very clearly yeah what's an example of how you you really feel like you've been able to make an impact on one of your franchise franchisees or well they'd be franchisees correct um and and you know from a from a spiritual standpoint um look we there are there are times i've actually gone to church and taken a a franchisee to our church or promoted our church i think um there are examples where we have pushed folks to i want to say not over the line but pushed them over the top to to be a leader in your community and give back walking that line uh so to speak darren because again we have all kinds in our franchise system and so um you know it's it's it's not Chick-fil-A here that we don't own those businesses okay the franchisees do they have 94% we get six percent um at Chick-fil-A they don't they don't ever have ownership they can't sell it you know it for ours we sell our franchisees business for them and they get the bulk of the money they may sell it for you know millions of dollars depending on how well they've done with this business um very often 800 900 000 you know that they've had a business for 10 years and they've been able to sell it for a lot of money and that's great to have a great income for 10 years or 12 years and and then be able to sell a business for a lot of money but we promote them giving back in their community to build and grow the brand it's the right thing for the business but it's the right thing for you know for for humankind okay it's the right thing for their community and so you know we we have pushed people pretty hard in this area because of yes it's good for business and that's that's part of this right in you know you you you want to promote that especially today i mean the the it is people are more conscious today of the things they buy and what who they do business with and making sure they have you know the you know the sim similar beliefs or some kind so it's it's important that we give back in in the community so there are i i mean i can go you know in australia we have 200 franchisees in australia it it is one of the most unchurched area that i go to okay it's it's first world the people are great okay really friendly really nice people they just don't believe in god uh in so many cases it's incredible um that you know to have a country that size that's so unchurched but you you you make your cases for business and then all of a sudden they're looking at them and they're seeing hey i i've i've got to run my business a certain way to do better and but happens that same way is going to hopefully lead them to to church and and in their personal life as well yeah um that's the that and i've seen it i've seen that happen i've had people say man you sucked me in uh into this uh you know it's the right thing for my business my business is done really well but i didn't want to lead this double life okay i i i i you you you've changed me part of what uh i do also is i promote becoming a lifelong learner and it is a way to improve individuals lifelong learning is critical um the speed at which things are changing today the speed that technology is coming at us um sitting here in our studio and and where five years ago we wouldn't even think of having a studio okay um it's just incredible how fast things are changing so we promote that higher learning and and lifelong learning and throughout those books um i sprinkle a lot of books that walk the line okay and those books are great for business but great for life and uh like a a guy like john gordon uh who did the energy bus and and did the carpenter and who's you know i'll tell people the the initials of the carpenter are jc okay and so you figure it out okay and so these are books we give out to our franchisees in training school and we we kind of really work with them on this without being so um upfront to say you know we're trying to change your life uh no we we're trying to improve your life right we're trying to make it better and this is what I do you know uh if I see church as a place to go and give back um I I'll give you a quick story I invited my sister to church and pastor did a great job I mean he was up there for 40 minutes and he just did an amazing job and afterwards we did what probably you know 90% of the people after church they're outside or they're talking in what'd you you know what you get what'd you get talking a little bit right about the sermon or what they saw or anything else and my sister said I didn't like that one sentence he said about divorce and I said to her I said he spoke for 40 minutes that was one sentence let's see you go up there for 40 minutes and see if you don't come up with one sentence that somebody else doesn't agree with but she wouldn't go back and I think a lot of people are like that they they they they look for that one thing that's there and and I don't I don't go to church to get something I I go to give something I'm giving to God I'm giving that time I'm you know uh I'm giving to the church and and that time so when you change your mindset from going to church to get something out of it to going to church to give something back it it changes everything. Yeah and I think there's too many people that they try something and they're I didn't get anything out of that. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Well you went with the wrong mindset okay um and and all of a sudden you start getting a lot of things when you go with the mindset of giving yeah yeah well said so unitedfranchisegroup.com is the website um what do you want to say to people about how they can get involved with what you're doing well I mean look if there's anybody first of all that's looking for a business that they want to get into I can't make any promises.
SPEAKER_03We've got a lot of different business opportunities that are great here. The promise I would make that as the CEO of this company, I will never embarrass any one of you. Okay. You will never feel uh you know anything but uh great things from our company and business and training and support and you know it'll all be there for you and and we lead with a Christian belief it it at the heart of our whole organization. So you'll feel really comfortable in this so if you're looking for a business that would be one thing. If you're looking for a a position or a job that's another thing we've got a lot of businesses that are looking for great people and uh you know you can always apply for a position at Unitedfranchisegroup uh com as well and get that information out there. And then lastly if you need any of the services that our franchises uh offer whether it's a a vehicle wrap a signage or uniforms from fully promoted or an office from venturex and office evolution that we have um you know that's all part of things that we do and and we'd love to have you at the Great Greek to to try some uh baklava ice cream or uh you know any of the great food that we have as well we just started a business called Graze Craze which is charcuterie boards and boxes which is really really popular today and um we're really excited about that one growing and expanding as well so so sure if there's anybody out there that you know is interested in owning their own business getting a job in one of the businesses or utilizing any of our services and as a uh you know in in anything that you're doing there um visit unitedfranchisegroup.com that'd be yeah and um and just to give a quick plug for your center that the Titus Center you didn't know this before we got on the call but they recently became one of our clients helping them out with some web things and so forth.
SPEAKER_01But people that just want to kind of learn about franchising and and really can get some excellent educational content on um what is what is it to be a franchise or or what are some questions to think about. If you're thinking about purchasing a franchise um definitely head to tituscenter.com to to learn about that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah the Titus Franchise Center is something we're really really proud of uh it's at Palm Beach Atlantic University which is right next door to our church family church and so um you know it's a it's a give back that we've done there uh but the kids are really learning and growing immensely and we've got a lot of um older students as well they come online and and they go there and and so it's really been great to educate on franchising uh you know quick story Darren real quick um when we announced that and we did the grand opening one of the reporters asked me a question in front of the whole group they said now why would you waste money teaching kids how to flip hamburgers okay I said sir you don't understand what we're doing we're teaching them how to own McDonald's okay we're not teaching them how to flip hamburgers here they're gonna own the businesses they're gonna own and start franchise companies they're going to be able to have such an advantage um and it just goes to the the cynical nature out there of those reporters that often will you know just look for the negative uh on anything and so you know here we do this this big give back we started a school in franchising we're teaching kids it's it's everything's in in there and you're teaching them the flip hamburgers is what the first question is.
SPEAKER_00So I mean it's it's just a constant fight and and so we just have to stay the course and um I really appreciate the work that you do and you doing this podcast uh and getting the word out I think uh you know kind of uh attaching business people with uh with our Christianity uh is so needed out there so thank you for doing what you do Darren certainly thank you for that encouragement and and yes I mean as bus Christian business professionals we're we're not just called to make a profit we're called to make disciples and it sounds like that's really what you're doing with these franchisees and it's it's not necessarily this in your face like let's get in a Bible study and let me um you know let me let me preach to you but let me model the Christian life for you and and that's how Jesus did it and um and people ought to start to ask for a reason for the hope within us you know as we as we go along and do life together and and it sounds like you're really getting a lot of these these great opportunities with your franchisees and thank you for sharing with our audience uh today and for years to come as people listen and get encouraged by this interview um thank you so much for sharing your time and your wisdom with us today well my pleasure Darren anytime we appreciate what you do uh you guys you have a great day today and to all the listeners God bless thanks Trey we hope you've enjoyed this episode you can share your feedback and get more information to help you partner with God in business and disciple your company your industry and your community at theologyofbusiness.com the Theology of Business podcast is sponsored by Hybridgebooks and Media, a media agency specializing in publishing and promoting the world changing ideas of inspiring public leaders through book publishing, website development, publicity, email marketing, social media management, public health management, and video based course publishing. Take the next step to share your message with the world by contacting us at hybridia.com. Thanks for listening and keep partnering with Cloud in your business