Growing a Franchise
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Christian Brothers Owner Moves From Coaching to Cars
Former Southern Nazarene University head coach finds success as franchisee.
Mike Cochran has two passions in life, football and business. With his career as a football coach behind him, he decided to become a franchisee with Christian Brothers Automotive.
An Oklahoma City native, Cochran obtained bachelor’s degrees in psychology and business from Bethany College. There, he developed his love for football and education. Following graduation, he moved to Friends University and earned a master's degree in marriage and family counseling.
With his studies behind him, Cochran decided to embrace his entrepreneurial spirit which lead him to opening a private practice. Over the span of five years, he was seeing much success, but he couldn't leave his football career behind him just yet.
Cochran's adoration for the sport presented him a coaching position at Mid-America University, which in turn allowed him to take a position as Innovative Adult Education Director of Admissions. Then in 2006, he relocated to Southern Nazarene University to accept the head coaching position where he coached and inspired athletes.
Over the years, Cochran had been a dedicated customer with Christian Brothers Automotive and developed friendships with many of the franchisees throughout the community. His outgoing personality allowed him to become acquainted with great individuals from all levels of the organization. When he learned the store on South Western Ave. was for sale, he recognized it as the ideal opportunity to begin a new business venture with a trusted and respected organization.
“The answer to join the Christian Brothers Automotive franchise was a simple one,” Cochran said. “Being a customer of the brand for years, I knew the credible reputation the brand held as well as the high-quality service they provided.”
In 2015, Cochran left coaching behind him to focus on being a franchisee. Now, he provides customers the same respect and attention to detail he experienced while dealing with the brand.
Christian Brothers Automotive is one of the nation’s leading automotive service and repair franchise systems, with more than 145 locations in 20 states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
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About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
