Work-life balance.
Those words have the potential to elicit all sorts of reactions in working parents—not least of which is skepticism about how such balance is even possible these days.
For a while, women entering the upper echelons of the C-Suite caught the brunt of this hot button topic. Remember when Matt Lauer asked GM’s Mary Barra if she could be an accountable CEO and mom? Or when the Atlantic asked PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi if “women can have it all?” People even publicly debated whether or not Hillary Clinton could be both a grandmother and president.
But then, back in 2015, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) made a statement that forced many to realize that juggling family time and long hours in the office isn’t necessarily gender specific. Ryan explained he “cannot and will not give up his family time” to become speaker of the house. That very public focus on his personal life got almost as much attention as the actual question of whether he will become speaker. Ryan is hardly the first to make such a statement. Former Google CFO Patrick Pichette famously decided to leave the company to spend more time with his wife after an epiphany atop Mt. Kilmanjaro. And Max Shireson stepped down as CEO of the database company MongoDB last year in order to find “balance” and be with his family.
Fortune Magazine recently reported that half of MBA students—male and female—say they plan to prioritize their families over their careers. In that same study, 42 percent of male MBAs said they feared that keeping some balance in their lives would derail their career ambitions. But it’s not just younger men who feel this way. The Pew Research Center also reported that working fathers are as likely as working moms to say that they would prefer to be home with their children, but must work for financial reasons. The organization also notes that half of fathers say they have difficulty balancing work and family.
The stories and the statistics paint a telling picture—the demands of today’s highly competitive and fast-paced workplaces often leave little room for the rest of life. But that doesn’t mean that people won’t try to strike a better balance—people like these dads, who each have a successful career in franchising offered up a few work-life balance tips they’re using to make it all work.
Gordon B. Logan: Founder & CEO of Sport Clips*
Gordon B. Logan smiles as he thinks back to his son’s first job with Sport Clips—the haircut franchise Logan founded back in 1993. At the time, the younger Logan, Gordon Edward, was a student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and his first taste of Sport Clips was visiting various stores for plan reviews.
Today, as the company celebrates its 1,500th store opening, Gordon Edward’s role has evolved into something much greater—and he has his dad to thank for that. Gordon Edward joined the Georgetown, Texas-based Sport Clips full time in 2010 as the director of 32 company-owned stores. Under the mentorship of his father, Gordon Edward learned the ins and outs of running a business on the verge of significant expansion. Through all of this, Gordon B.’s goal was simple—he wanted to groom his son to eventually take the helm, preparing him to help the brand grow into a billion-dollar empire. Now, with a recent promotion to vice president of operations (and armed with the sage advice from his father), Gordon Edward is more than prepared to carry the torch and help Sport Clips get there.
Gordon B. may call his son his “retirement plan,” but it’s all in good humor. For him, being a father and an entrepreneur meant paving the way for his son’s success—and the success of his company. But in order to do so, it was crucial to maintain the right kind of work-life balance between his son and his business. To make that happen, Gordon B. stresses that it all came down to one simple principle: honesty.
“In order to make Sport Clips thrive as a father and son team, we learned how crucial honesty is—with each other and ourselves. We didn’t have to worry about playing politics—we could just get down to brass tacks and focus on making our business the best it can be,” Gordon B. said in an interview with Franchise Times.
Scott Thompson: Vice President of Franchise Development for Premium Franchise Brands
By day, Scott Thompson, the vice president of franchise development for Premium Franchise Brands, oversees the continued growth of the nation’s leading and fastest-growing commercial and residential cleaning brands—JAN-PRO and Maid Right. By night, he’s a dedicated family man who never skips a beat.
It’s no small task. After all, JAN-PRO sold an additional 1,458 units in 2015 alone, and the brand is showing no signs of slowing down. And yet, Thompson knows how to perfectly manage it all, and he’s proud to say that as JAN-PRO’s growth has skyrocketed, he’s never missed a single family event.
“Whether it’s a ballgame or a doctor appointment, it’s so important to me to never miss anything with my children. If there’s something important going on with your family, make sure you’re there. You can work from your phone or you can work at night after your kids are asleep—whatever method you choose, you can always find a way to put your family first,” Thompson said.
He believes that’s one of the main reasons why people enter into franchising in the first place—it allows for the kind of flexibility needed from modern-day dads.
“People get into franchising to find flexibility rather than being forced to sit behind a desk all day and into the night. This really makes achieving a good work-life balance extremely realistic,” Thompson added. “At Premium Franchise Brands, we wholeheartedly encourage our team to leave to be with their family—putting those priorities in place and allowing yourself the opportunity to step away and truly enjoy the time you have goes a very long way.”
Brewer Stouffer: Founder of The Roman Candle
Brewer Stouffer, the founder of The Roman Candle, is a man with many passions—the first of which is food. Stouffer ate his way through small Italian pizzerias in Tuscany—mesmerized by the simplicity of fresh San Marzano tomatoes and hand-pulled mozzarella. He sampled ceviche in Seville and street food in Munich and Budapest. And he sipped on afternoon beers in corner cafes as he listened to the lively sounds of locals catching up over lunch in Brussels, Paris and London. In 2005, fueled by those experiences, he opened the doors to his first restaurant, The Roman Candle—a one-of-kind pizzeria that prides itself on farm-fresh ingredients, quality sourcing and a craft, handmade approach.
That same characteristic passion runs deep in everything Stouffer does, including being a father to three young kids. His secret to running a growing business while simultaneously being the best family man possible is easier than it might seem—just allow yourself to be totally present, no matter where you are and who you’re with.
“I’m passionate about what I do. I’m up at four or five in the morning trying to get a jump on the day, making sure that our restaurants are consistently exceeding the expectations of our customers. I take great pride in having strong relationships, too, and I’ve always been incredibly close to my children and my wife,” Stouffer said. “But often, I have trouble “turning it off’ when I leave the office. I sometimes ask myself, “How do I save the best part of myself for my family?” When I’m home, it’s crucial that I’m totally present. And sometimes that’s as simple as completely unplugging for a little while.”
