Paul Pickett of Wild Birds Unlimited Honored with 2020 Crystal Compass Award

The Crystal Compass is an award given to franchise leaders who have led in the way in innovation within the industry. Created by the International Franchise Association (IFA), the Crystal Compass is awarded by the Women’s Franchise Committee to industry leaders like Paul Pickett of Wild Birds Unlimited who have gone above and beyond their duties to uplift their communities, clients and franchisees.

As chief development officer of Wild Birds Unlimited, Pickett has carved out a niche for himself in the business world, combining his love for birds, nature and people into a role he is truly passionate about. Pickett’s journey with Wild Birds Unlimited was first fueled by a lifelong passion for ornithology and the outdoors. Pickett met founders of Wild Birds Unlimited Jim and Nancy Carpenter at a flower and garden show in 1989, and the Carpenters quickly recognized his potential as a ambassador of their brand immediately.   . Pickett took to the business right away, and. thirty years later, Pickett has become an integral part of Wild Birds Unlimited.

The main takeaways of Pickett’s success are rather simple: be kind, do what you’re passionate about and pay it forward. Pickett has lived these principles throughout his 30-year career with Wild Birds Unlimited, during which time he worked tohelp develop Wild Bird’s Franchise Advisory Committee, advocated for and implemented Franchisee Satisfaction programs and managed franchise development, real estate and legal functionsfor the brand.

Within the franchise community at large, Pickett has served on the Advisory Board for the Franchise Update Leadership and Development Conference, which he also chaired in 2018. He sits on both the IFA’s Franchise Relations Committee and Franchisor Forum and is the co-chair of the newly formed IFA Pride Council.

Pickett is an active member of his local community and contributes to various nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. He spent a six-year term as board member of the Damien Center of Indianapolis, Indiana, the state’s oldest and largest service organization for people affected by HIV/AIDS. He has served on the Horticulture board of Newfields, a multiuse campus in Indianapolis that houses the Indianapolis Museum of Art as well as other cultural and historic attractions. Pickett has also volunteered his time with the Indiana Horticultural Society and the Indiana Voting Commission.

In his Crystal Compass-award acceptance speech, delivered at the IFA’s annual conference, Pickett attributed much of his success to the influential women in his life, including family members, neighbors, colleagues and industry peers who have helped him along the way. He cited their tremendous generosity, kindness and passion as inspiration for his own career. Among those he thanked were COO of Wild Birds Unlimited Pat Perkinson, founder and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited Jim Carpenter and Michelle Rowan of the IFA. His full speech, which is filled with insights on both life and business, can be found here.