How One CEO Helps Professionals Achieve Their Dreams

Prior to joining Premium Franchise Brands, Eddie Curry spent 16 years as VP and Director of Treasury for the RTM Restaurant Group, which operates more than 900 Arby’s and other restaurant franchises. In 2005, Eddie joined Premium Franchise Brands and its two subsidiaries, JAN-PRO and Maid Right, as CFO. Over the course of about ten years, Eddie has helped triple the company’s revenue. Today, he is the President and CEO of Premium Franchise Brands.

Before taking the reins at the company, Eddie had mixed perceptions of what it’d be like to run a business. He had mastered his role in the finance realm, and he knew that to make a successful CEO, he must maintain an active awareness in every other part of the company in addition to the department he was already well-versed in. 

“You are pulled in many different directions as a President and CEO,” Eddie explained. “You truly must embrace the role of a facilitator across many departments, employees, customers and stakeholders, and you have to get everyone working towards the same outcome.”

With those ideas in mind, Curry took on the role of CEO and has since learned to appreciate his position of facilitator. And he’s realized since that his role gives him the opportunity to do much more than connect each piece of the puzzle – he now has the chance to invest in his employees at a whole new level.

“What I’m most proud of as a leader at Premium Franchise Brands is my team,” he said. “Each and every person here is extremely passionate about helping others achieve their dreams, which is the greatest aspect of our business model.”

Through JAN-PRO and Maid Right’s two-tiered system, the brands create multiple franchise opportunities suited to different types of business owners, from “Master Owners” who have the chance to support “Unit Owners” on the business side of things, to those Unit Owners who live their dreams through business ownership opportunities they never thought possible.

The brands’ unique business model gives people the chance to truly discover and live out the American Dream, which is why it was so important for Curry to build a team of people who are passionate about the entire system, from the corporate leadership team to each local employee across the globe. Once you have that team you trust, Curry advises other business leaders to do everything in their power to help each team member be successful.

“You can’t do it by yourself,” he said. “My biggest piece of advice for other leaders, whether new or experienced, is to focus on the people. Hire great people and do everything you can to help them be successful. Listen AND take action. Over communicate.”