Meet Seth Holan, Wild Birds Unlimited’s New Manager of Franchise Development

After spending 15 years in specialty retail management, Seth Holan was ready for a change. When the opportunity to become the new Manager of Franchise Development at Wild Birds Unlimited he jumped at the opportunity.

“I wanted a more challenging path that would also develop my retail skills in a different way,” shared Holan. “I came from specific retailers that were all company based, so learning the franchise system and seeing how that operates really intrigued me. I’m looking forward to building relationships with potential franchisees.”

Holan’s background and desire to learn is what drew Chief Development Officer Paul Pickett to Holan three years ago when they met while Holan worked with Pet People. “Seth was a hard worker and expert in his industry. His energy and passion for learning and growing within a specialty retail system made me think he would be a great addition to the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise development team.”

Holan jumped at the chance to join Wild Birds Unlimited. He knew the reputation of the brand and thought their franchise model was admirable. With Pickett leading the charge, Holan knew Wild Birds Unlimited would be the perfect opportunity. “Wild Birds Unlimited is a very strong and reputable franchisee system. They’ve been around for 35 years and they continue to grow. I’m a big believer in working together and bringing people together through strong relationships and am a strong supporter of their mission of “We bring people and nature together” and that’s really what I saw with Wild Birds Unlimited,” shared Holan.

Pickett has already watched Holan hit the ground running, just two months after starting with the bird-feeding franchise. “Seth’s commitment to building relationships has already made a big impact recruiting potential franchisees. He’s able to connect with them on a different level and walk them through our process. He already understands what makes Wild Birds Unlimited so special and he’s able to articulate that wonderfully to our candidates.”

Joining a passionate team of bird enthusiasts has helped Holan grasp the special community Wild Birds Unlimited has created. The warm, welcoming nature of each member of the team is apparent and it makes it easy for Holan to speak with potential franchisees. “People love the hobby. I enjoyed working in the store a couple weeks ago. I was able to see associates engaging and building relationships with customers. The sales associates often remembered prior visits and have a mass amount of product knowledge. They’re able to build trust with the customers that you don’t see anywhere else. Seeing franchisees and associates in action is an amazing and a wonderful story to tell to potential franchisees.”

As Holan continues to get his feet wet, he’s excited for what the future holds for his time at Wild Birds Unlimited. “I look forward to building relationships with potential franchisees and finding franchisees who are the right fit for the Wild Birds Unlimited system. Being a part of growing an already established brand is very exciting and I can’t wait to be able to bring some fresh ideas that help the brand reach an even wider audience.”

With locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Wild Birds Unlimited is the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores. Recently ranked No. 2 Overall and No. 1 in the Retail category on Franchise Business Review’s prestigious 2018 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards, there's no better time to join the Wild Birds Unlimited team. Click here to learn more.