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Love in Leadership

BIGGBY Coffee feels more like a family than a typical franchise. In this live-recorded episode from the BIGGBY Nation Summit, we dive into the power of community in business. Hosts Mike McFall and Laura Eich, joined by a live audience of franchisees and staff, use the BIGGBY brand as a lens to discuss how to foster relationships and culture within a franchise network. They explore the core elements of a successful franchise system and emphasize the importance of authentic relationships for long-term success.

Laura shares her insights on the unique bonds within the BIGGBY community, while Mike opens up about his franchising journey. Together, they discuss the value of attending annual conferences, building strong community ties, and why collaborative decision-making is key to organizational success. The episode wraps up with a Q&A session where Mike and Laura address common challenges faced by franchise owners, offering solutions rooted in mutual support and mentorship. Don’t miss this insightful discussion; tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• [01:02] Outline of what to expect from today’s episode in front of a live studio audience.
• [03:21] BIGGBY Nation Summit and how building relationships leads to business success.
• [07:35] Laura and Mike talk about their biggest takeaways from this year's summit.
• [09:41] How to approach the process of decision-making within a franchised business.
• [10:32] Hear about the progress and impact of BIGGBY's Farm-Direct Coffee program.
• [13:01] Discover the difference between the importance of self-care and community care.
• [14:23] Surprise giveaway for our live audience: LifeLab team-building kits.
• [15:30] Mike and Laura unpack the concept and power of human-centric leadership.
• [20:05] Tips and recommendations for getting your team excited for networking events.
• [25:03] Find out what makes the BIGGBY brand and culture different from its competitors.
• [29:55] Laura shares how BIGGBY has supported her in her new endeavors as a mom.
• [33:18] Mike explains the idea of fluidity in leadership and provides examples.
• [37:48] Learn about the benefits of becoming a franchisee and how to get started.

Quotes:

“When you are part of a franchise system, or at least part of what I consider to be a healthy franchise system, you've got a whole bunch of people doing the same thing you're doing day in and day out that have a vested interest in your success.” — @MikeJMcFall [0:04:02]

“[BIGGBY is] selling a coffee that improves communities.” — Laura Eich [0:12:18]

“Your organization should start with taking care of people as its basis.” — @MikeJMcFall [0:15:37]

"Aggregate time is important. I get it, but perception to me is more important."— @MikeJMcFall[0:27:16]

RESOURCES:

• [00:00]BIGGBY Nation Summit.
• [05:43] See the International Franchise Association (IFA) for more information.
• [10:03] The Disney movie Frozen 2 and the song The Next Right Thing.
• [13:18] Learn more about LifeLab and how it brings people together.
• [25:03] Other coffee franchises: Scooter's Coffee and 7 Brew.
• [28:00] Another coffee brand, Dutch Bros.

FOLLOW:

Follow Laura Eich:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram
  

Follow Mike McFall:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• X
• Instagram
  

Follow BIGGBY® COFFEE & LifeLabTM:

• Website
• Facebook
• X
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• About LifeLabTM
  

ABOUT LOVE IN LEADERSHIP:

At the Life You Love LaboratoryTM and BIGGBY® COFFEE, we’re out to prove that financial success and healthy workplace culture aren’t two separate goals. BIGGBY® COFFEE's own cultural transformation is proof that not only is it possible to have a successful company where people aren’t miserable at work, but that the happier your people are, the more your business will grow. Each week, join host Laura Eich, Chief Purpose Officer at BIGGBY® COFFEE, and her co-host and BIGGBY® COFFEE co-CEO Mike McFall as they’re joined by guests from around the world to learn how they are fostering a culture of love and growth in the world’s most innovative and people-centric companies. Get inspired. Get real. Get ready to transform workplace culture in America with us. This is the Love in Leadership podcast.

Learn more at: loveinleadershippodcast.com
ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Mike McFall began his journey with BIGGBY® COFFEE as a minimum-wage barista at the original store in East Lansing in 1996. Over the span of 23 years, alongside business partner Bob Fish, he has helped create one of the great specialty coffee brands in America. Today Mike is co-CEO with Bob, and BIGGBY® COFFEE has over 250 stores open throughout the Midwest that sell tens of thousands of cups of coffee each day. But more importantly to Mike and BIGGBY® COFFEE, the company is a profoundly people-first organization.

Mike is also the author of Grind, a book which focuses on early-stage businesses and how to establish positive cash flow.

Laura Eich is BIGGBY® COFFEE’s Chief People Officer, having worked in a variety of roles at BIGGBY® COFFEE for the last 11+ years. She helped launch BOOST, the department at BIGGBY® COFFEE which ultimately became LifeLabTM — BIGGBY® COFFEE’s in-house culture cultivation team designed to help people be the best versions of themselves and help companies support them along the way. In her role, Laura helps people build lives that they love through the process of building profitable businesses and robust, growth-filled careers.