How This Former Walmart Executive Found Success in Franchising With Sport Clips Haircuts

After spending more than two decades building a career at Walmart, Bill Riiff never imagined his next chapter would involve owning a hair care franchise. But after decades of corporate leadership and nearly 20 years as a loyal Sport Clips* Haircuts customer, a chance encounter with a franchise owner opened the door to an entirely new career.

“I had been a client at Sport Clips for probably close to 20 years,” Riiff said. “When I moved down here, I went in like normal and got a haircut. On my third visit, I met a guy who was stocking shelves. He was very kind to me, and we talked for probably 10 minutes. Right after that holiday season, he and I connected. The potential just blew my mind. Six months later, I bought all the locations in this area, and I've never looked back. It has been the time of my life.”

Although he had experience overseeing multimillion-dollar retail operations, managing his own business presented an entirely different set of challenges. By leaning on fellow Team Leaders, corporate leadership and the brand's operational resources, Riiff was able to build his confidence and focus on developing his team.

Today, Riiff believes the key to successful franchise ownership is less about knowing how to cut hair and more about knowing how to lead people.

"My job is to ask: What do they need? How do I make it better? How can I support them and make their workday as enjoyable as possible?" Riiff said. "The highest value I can offer is being a leader who cares, and the team needs to know that."

Riiff was recently featured on an episode of 1851 Franchise's "Meet the Franchisee" podcast, where he sat down with publisher Nick Powills to discuss his transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship, the lessons he's learned scaling five Sport Clips locations and how franchise ownership has allowed him to build a successful business without sacrificing time with his family.

A transcript of the interview has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Nick Powills: So many things I want to unpack from your story, Bill. But go back to when you were in corporate America. How do you even start thinking about a franchise? How does this even enter your thought process?

Bill Riiff: It actually didn't. I was in corporate America, living what I felt was my best life. I enjoyed living in that world. I am a very structured individual, so I really enjoyed it. But I was always interested in what life after corporate America might look like.

Then the time came when my kids went off to college, and my wife and I were placed somewhere where we were just by ourselves. We decided to uproot and move. I said to myself, "It's time to maybe think of something different, retire." I went off with another retailer for a very brief moment, but I got there and I just wasn't happy.

I had been a client at Sport Clips for probably close to 20 years. When I moved down here, I went in like normal and got a haircut. On my third visit, I met a guy who was stocking shelves. He was very kind to me, and we talked for probably 10 minutes. Right after that holiday season, he and I connected. The potential just blew my mind. Six months later, I bought all the locations in this area, and I've never looked back. It has been the time of my life.

Powills: He was the business owner at the time, right?

Riiff: That is correct. He owned nine locations out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the locations in Lancaster, which is where I live now. I went in, he was there, and he sold me everything in Lancaster. It was amazing.

Powills: You had a tremendous, long career at Walmart. You were very committed. Franchising is a little bit different. Now you are investing your own wealth into a business. You moved fast, six months from that discussion to closing. How were you reconciling these conversations in your own mind to say, "All right, I'm going to be in the hair care business now"?

Riiff: First and foremost, I had to get my wife to understand what we were about to undertake. Taking the money out of our retirement was a very scary conversation for us to have.

The franchisee I purchased this from is the epitome of what an amazing Team Leader at Sport Clips is all about. He showed me the ins and outs. He was a great mentor and quarterback for me and was able to guide me down that road.

In my mind, I always knew I had certain skill sets: how to take care of people, how to mentor people, how to pick leaders. If you work for the largest retailer on the planet, work ethic is never an issue. What I didn't understand was reading a P&L from corporate America versus reading a P&L that was just me. While they are very similar, they are extremely different. Those were some of the nuances that were literally scaring me going into this. I knew working hard wouldn't be the problem; it would be whether I could assimilate to a Stylist versus a retail employee. It was very scary for me at the time.

Powills: How fast did you get comfortable with the idea that your magic piece was that you knew how to work with people, rather than having the specific skill set they had?

Riiff: I was probably floundering for about six months. The challenge for me was that I didn't enter franchising like a typical franchisee. I didn't go through the whole process of buying licenses and doing all of that; I went straight into acquiring. While I found success that way, it definitely wasn't advantageous. After joining, I had access to all the resources I could have and should have utilized coming in from the outside. If I had done that, I don't think I would have floundered for those six to nine months.

The support network at Sport Clips is far greater than what I saw during my research. It is real. I can pick up the phone and reach all the way to founder Gordon Logan and CEO Edward Logan, down to my local area coach and everywhere in between, and they will respond that day. It is not just fluff; they offer solution-based conversations.

You also learn to build a network with other Team Leaders and franchisees very quickly. That helped ease my anxiety. I can go to work every day and be nice to everybody, but I still don't know how to cut hair. In this world, if you don't know how to do that, it can become very challenging.

Powills: If I took all the franchisors I've ever worked with and asked what the difference is between good and great, it comes down to the ones that understand the majority of franchisees are transitioning from an environment with built-in infrastructure to one where they are on their own unless the franchisor provides it.

In corporate America, it is easy because you can look at your coworkers and your boss. In franchising, you are on an island unless the franchisor builds that support network. Every franchisor says they give all the support in the world. But when I walked into the Sport Clips corporate campus, it was clearly designed to support the franchisee. The outside world doesn't understand that depth.

How do you navigate the voices in your own head when you no longer have a corporate structure like Walmart behind you? And second, how did your expectations of Sport Clips' support compare to the reality of what they provided?

Riiff: I'll answer the second question first: I had no idea how much support Sport Clips was going to provide me. Early on, I leaned 80/20 on local Team Leaders. There was the person I bought the stores from, and there were four or five owners around me in other states whom I could contact. They were so accommodating.

During my Discovery Day phases, the company connected me with successful, open-minded people willing to share their failures and successes and help me navigate pitfalls. The company does a great job connecting incoming owners with articulate Team Leaders who truly listen to your fears and concerns.

I had been running hundred-million-dollar businesses with Walmart, yet coming into this, I felt three times more overwhelmed. The Team Leaders around me said, "Bill, you're so far ahead." I was my own worst enemy in that respect. That support network is vital. Team Leaders don't want to see anyone fail because it affects the brand across the country. In the early stages, I leaned heavily on them.

On the corporate side, the moment I went to Discovery Day and met Gordon Logan, his resolve, his communication and his passion stood out. His son, Edward, our CEO, along with the leadership team beneath him, reassured me completely. I even tested that support while going through contract negotiations. Even though I was not fully in the system yet, they took the time to alleviate my fears and offer solutions to problems I hadn't even encountered yet.

Those are the top reasons for my success. My contact list is loaded; if I need help with an HR problem, it is right at my fingertips. That access is invaluable. It was very comforting when I was preparing to invest my money. My fears were put to rest early on, allowing me to focus my attention on my Stylists and my business.

Powills: I'm jealous of that. I was talking with my wife about a labor challenge I am facing in my business. I called friends for advice, but none of them are dealing with what I'm dealing with because our franchising business is unique. You can look around the room at a peer who is going through the exact same thing.

Franchisees across every sector underutilize that. When you are in the system, you build a network of existing franchisees who have the same conversations in their heads and can talk you off the ledge. That is a major advantage of being a franchisee.

Riiff: A handful of people bought their franchises around the same time I did. Some are very successful, while a few are not doing quite as well. The biggest takeaway is that those who struggled put themselves in a silo. The ones who succeeded were open and humble enough to say, "I don't know what I don't know. I'm not looking for you to do it for me, but point me in the right direction and help me get out of this spiral."

The leadership is always there; you just have to reach out. Since COVID-19, staffing has been one of the biggest challenges in this industry and across the economy. I learned early in retail that people don't leave jobs for money; they leave people. That is more evident now that I own a business. If I was short-staffed at Walmart, I had a constant stream of applicants. Here, candidates need a specific license and skill set. It is much better for me to retain, mold and develop the team I have rather than constantly turn over staff. We have been able to reduce turnover across my five locations to a minimal level.

Powills: That is because they work with you. You are the differentiator.

Microsoft recently announced major layoffs, giving exit packages to staff because they can handle workloads through AI. The divide between those willing to embrace AI and those who aren't is drastic. Many people may decide they don't want to work behind a screen and would rather do skilled trade work with their hands.

Tech professionals may move toward franchising, expanding the labor pool. When you have strong Managers who genuinely care for their team, compensation becomes an equal balance of cash and culture. That will give you the opportunity to continue scaling your business.

Riiff: I truly believe that culture is driven by behavior. If I'm having a bad day and walk into a salon with eight Stylists working, the last thing they need to hear is my personal stress. Everyone has outside concerns affecting them.

My job is to ask: What do they need? How do I make it better? How can I support them and make their workday as enjoyable as possible? Most people have to work, so my goal is to create an environment where they are happy to show up. The highest value I can offer is being a leader who cares, and the team needs to know that. I try to live that every day with my family and with the people who work for me.

Powills: That translates directly to the customer. I have been a customer since about 2007, visiting every two weeks. If the Stylists are unhappy, they will not treat customers well, and unhappy customers will not return. It is a complete waterfall effect starting from leadership.

When I get the MVP service, I never feel like anyone is cutting corners. When I ask for a hard part, they don't nickel-and-dime me. If a franchisor selects owners with the right culture, customers will return more frequently. Even if I only need a haircut once a month, I might come twice because the environment feels great.

Riiff: Your story is very similar to mine. When I traveled for Walmart, I could go to Bentonville, Arkansas, realize I needed a haircut before visiting my divisional manager, and stop at a Sport Clips. My profile was in the system anywhere in the country, and the quality was consistent.

What I loved about this brand is that we aren't just selling haircuts. You can get a good haircut at any local barbershop or salon. I don't claim to have the only great cosmetologists or barbers. The differentiator at Sport Clips is that we are selling an experience.

We sell the atmosphere, the culture and our signature MVP service. It isn't proprietary or patented; anyone could attempt it. Yet since 1993, no one has replicated it at this scale. Gordon, Edward and the entire leadership team have aligned hundreds of owners around the understanding that we deliver an experience, not just a haircut.

Powills: Customers recognize that value. It provides an intangible quality that matters.

On a lighter note, I've campaigned for years to get white capes instead of black ones. When gray hair falls onto a black cape, it's a stark reminder of aging. A white cape would do wonders for my self-esteem.

Looking back, you spent 25 years building a career at Walmart, left for another retailer and realized quickly that you weren't happy. Did you need that brief, unhappy experience to give you the chip on your shoulder required to take this leap?

Riiff: Yes, because I wasn't actively looking for an alternative income stream. Walmart treated me well for decades. The next company was a fine retailer, but it simply wasn't the right fit for me, and I was unhappy.

I had to provide for my family and figure out my next step. When I began researching entrepreneurship, I realized the initial time commitment was significant. I wanted to learn every single aspect of the operation. I attended core camp and held the shears myself. I wanted to understand the pressure of standing behind the chair.

It is an underappreciated art form. When a child gets a first haircut, parents and grandparents often stand watch and critique every move. People visit Stylists for milestone events, whether it is a graduation, a job interview or a wedding. There is immense pressure in those interactions, and people take it for granted.

I needed to find a new path. When I evaluated the initial investment against the potential return of running successful stores, I hoped to at least break even. Within my first year, I surpassed that goal entirely. By year three, my return on time invested put me on the other side of the mountain, enjoying the fruits of my labor.

Staffing and Client counts have been challenging. Before the pandemic, the percentage of men and boys getting haircuts at home was in the single digits. Post-pandemic, that figure rose to 20% to 30%. Salons and barbershops are competing for a smaller overall market. If you differentiate through experience, the return is there. My team has achieved that, and our partnership with the brand has been a great relationship.

Powills: The customer value comes from that experience. Whenever I visited the River North location in Chicago, it served as a welcome mental break from a stressful day. Customers aren't just buying hair care; they are buying 30 minutes of relief.

Being loyal to one company for decades, having the courage to admit you are unhappy at the next stop, and then launching your own business takes real bravery. What makes you proudest today? Do you ever pause to take in what you've built for your family?

Riiff: I'm an emotional person when it comes to my family; they mean everything to me. When I first brought up franchising, my wife was skeptical. She has always supported me, but taking our retirement savings to invest in an industry I knew nothing about was daunting.

Our mutual trust carried us through. Once she attended her first company huddle and saw the culture firsthand, she was all in. Running this business without support at home is nearly impossible.

Our three adult children are thriving on their own career paths. They get to watch their dad earn a great living while having time to spend with their mother. We celebrate 27 years of marriage this coming January.

Retail demands can be brutal, but this business provides genuine work-life balance. My father is 87 and my mother is 82; they celebrated 64 years of marriage on Oct. 6. In August, I was able to take my father on an open-cockpit flight through Dream Flights, an organization Sport Clips sponsors. Having the flexibility to spend meaningful time with my parents while growing a business is what this franchise has made possible.

Many Team Leaders across the country share that sentiment. I take great pride in my family, my business and my team. My area Manager is the finest right hand anyone could ask for in this industry.

Powills: I recently listened to a podcast where a host asked a woman in hospice if she had any regrets. She initially said no, but the next morning she admitted she had spent the entire night thinking about it. She said she had five pivotal moments in her life where she reached a fork in the road, and each time she chose the safe option. Her regret was never taking the risk to find out what could have been.

Your story reflects choosing your own happiness at that critical fork in the road. Choosing that path allowed you to build a business, secure your future and spend priceless moments with your parents and children. You took an uncertain path instead of settling for a comfortable corporate paycheck. Your vulnerability in sharing that journey will help anyone currently weighing whether to take a leap of faith.

Riiff: Thank you, Nick. It was definitely a risk, but it was a calculated risk. I believed in myself and my work ethic, and I wasn't throwing money into a void.

Nothing in life comes with a guarantee; there is always a chance things won't pan out. But as long as I stay grounded in my faith, my principles and my team, I know I'm supported. I have the highest praise for this franchisor. They have treated me well, created an exceptional risk-reward ratio and connected me with remarkable leaders across the country.

Powills: I'm grateful to Bill for sharing his story and spending this time with us. I'm Nick Powills, and this was another episode of “Meet the Franchisee.”

Watch the full podcast here.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sport-clips.