1851

Being a leader&mdash;what does it take to be a great one? For a company to succeed, a lot has to do with who is at the top of the totem pole. If there is no real leadership or someone who isn&rsquo;t exuding leadership qualities, that company could end up in turmoil.&nbsp;

According to a recent Fast Company article, the top five qualities of a great leader include flexibility, the ability to communicate, humility and presence, being responsible, and a group of characteristics including courage, tenacity, and patience. One company&rsquo;s leadership is showcasing all of those qualities--Jersey Mike&rsquo;s. More specifically, Chief Marketing Officer Rich Hope, who displays a variety of those leadership qualities on a daily basis.

Rich Hope has been the CMO of Jersey Mikes for the past seven years, and has maintained the same quality of leadership throughout his tenure.

&ldquo;I have always had the same approach to leadership, and that&rsquo;s to empower people to do their job. I&rsquo;ve never micro-managed and have always given them the space and resources to do the job,&rdquo; Hope said. He also always tries to lead by example and work harder than his employees every single day.

He has also noticed that a positive attitude goes a long way.

&ldquo;Looking at things negatively never works. Yes, it&rsquo;s much easier to be negative, but try and approach everything with a positive attitude. Positivity goes a long way in this world, and it&rsquo;s an important aspect of leadership,&rdquo; said Hope. &nbsp;

When it comes to his proudest moment at Jersey Mike&rsquo;s, it&rsquo;s one that has come every year for the past seven years during Jersey Mike&rsquo;s Month of Giving in March. Hope organized this event, and during this month, Jersey Mike&rsquo;s partners with around 150 local charities and asks for customers to donate to the specific location&rsquo;s charity partner. On the final Wednesday of the month, their &ldquo;Day of Giving,&rdquo; 100 percent of the sales will be given to to a local cause. &nbsp;Last year they raised over $4.1 million, and this year, they hope for over $5 million. Hope stated they started at $700,000 seven years ago, and it makes him proud that that number keeps growing&mdash;a clear indicator that they&rsquo;re helping more and more people.

Aside from the &ldquo;Month of Giving,&rdquo; his other favorite thing about working at Jersey Mike&rsquo;s is the people.

&ldquo;I work with an extraordinary group of people with passion for the brand. You can feel this energy and positivity in the air and everyone that I work with are great people to be around.&rdquo;

As far as advice to a new or experienced leader goes, it&rsquo;s the same for both.

&ldquo;Empower the people you work with. That has been a long-standing mentality in my career and it allows them to do their job. I don&rsquo;t want to do their job--I want them to want to do it. And I can&rsquo;t say this enough&mdash;it&rsquo;s vital to always stay positive.&rdquo; &nbsp;

How Jersey Mike’s Chief Marketing Officer Uses Positivity to Drive Success  

1851 Franchise

Jersey Mike’s Chief Marketing Officer, Rich Hope, explains how he lets a positive attitude fuel his leadership style.  


how-jersey-mikes-chief-marketing-officer-uses-positivity-to-drive-success

Onigilly Japanese Kitchen

Unlocking the Potential: How Much Can You Earn as an Onigilly Franchisee?

unlocking-the-potential-how-much-can-you-earn-as-an-onigilly-franchisee

Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions

DeWitts Ignite New Chapter for Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions in Reno 

Grease, Grit, and Growth: DeWitts Ignite New Chapter for Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions in Reno, Nevada

grease-grit-and-growth-dewitts-ignite-new-chapter-for-filta-environmental-kitchen-solutions-in-reno-nevada

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Layne's Chicken Fingers-50 Unit-Wendy's-Franchisee-June-2025

Why This 50 Unit Wendy’s Franchisee Is Betting on Layne’s for His Next Big Move

wendys-franchisee-expands-with-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

CapitalSpring

CapitalSpring’s Jim Balis Talks Growth, ROI and the Future of Fast Casual on “Rock My Restaurant”

capitalsprings-jim-balis-talks-growth-roi-and-the-future-of-fast-casual-on-rock-my-restaurant

Children's Lighthouse

Children’s Lighthouse Ramps Up Growth in First Half of 2025 With Strategic Expansions, Franchise Signings, and New Headquarters

childrens-lighthouse-ramps-up-growth-in-first-half-of-2025-with-strategic-expansions-franchise-signings-and-new-headquarters

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

What June’s Jobs Report Means for the Franchise Industry

what-junes-jobs-report-means-for-the-franchise-industry

Drone Delivery Takes Flight in QSR: The Future of Franchise Operations?

drone-delivery-takes-flight-in-qsr-the-future-of-franchise-operations

Chick-fil-A Tops Customer Satisfaction Rankings for 11th Year as Challenger Brands Gain Ground

chick-fil-a-tops-customer-satisfaction-rankings-for-11th-year-as-challenger-brands-gain-ground

Technomic Releases Annual Ranking of the Top 15 Fast-Food Chains in the U.S.

technomic-releases-annual-ranking-of-the-top-15-fast-food-chains-in-the-us

Rising Jobless Claims Could Signal Challenges — and Opportunities — for Franchising

rising-jobless-claims-affect-franchising

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Carol DeNembo — Chief Marketing Officer, Mountain Mike’s Pizza

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-carol-denembo-chief-marketing-officer-mountain-mikes-pizza

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Kelsey McManemin — Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-kelsey-mcmanemin-vice-president-of-marketing-hteao

Missy Maio - Gong Cha - Top Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Missy Maio — Vice President of Marketing and Global Partnerships, Gong Cha

franchise-marketing-leader-missy-maio-gong-cha

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise Built on Heart and Community

paris-baguette-franchise-rockaway-new-jersey-vishal-junjea

petbar Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

petbar-franchise-deep-dive

Design with outline of three houses and people working on laptops within them

Top 10 Low-Cost Home-Based or Mobile Franchises for 2025

low-cost-home-based-mobile-franchises

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Juan & Whitney Fernandez & family, BIGGBY COFFEE logo

From Chiropractic to Coffee: These BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchisees Are Brewing Something New in Troy, Ohio 

biggby-coffee-franchise-coming-to-troy-ohio

How Jersey Mike’s Chief Marketing Officer Uses Positivity to Drive Success

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS