When Ted and Tina McMurdo opened their first Sport Clips Haircuts store in 2010, their son Riley ran operations while Tina managed the finances and administrative work. As they opened more stores, other family members joined the business, handling accounting, payroll and maintenance.

Al Rodriguez took a different approach, building a portfolio of more than 30 locations in Pennsylvania and Ohio while continuing his corporate sales career. He relied on Sport Clips' manager-led operating model, eventually bringing his son AJ into the business to oversee day-to-day operations.

Building a Business Around Family

The McMurdos began exploring franchising during the financial uncertainty of the late 2000s. Ted was still working at Mobil when he approached Riley about going into business together, offering to finance the venture while his son ran the stores and built equity in the company.

“We had talked about franchises for a long time, but I think the uncertainty of outside factors told him, ‘Now’s the time. If we’re ever going to do it, we should probably do it now,’” Riley said. “He approached me and said, ‘Would you go in on this with me?’ He put the money up and asked me to run the company and build up equity of my own in the business.”

In the beginning, Riley ran the stores and Tina handled the back office. As the family opened more locations, Riley's brother-in-law, Jason Arnold, joined the operations team, while his sister, Ashlie Bailey, took on accounting and administration. His wife, Jessica McMurdo, came aboard to handle payroll. Ted left Mobil in 2017 and now handles store maintenance and projections.

“Riley and I started this journey together, and we learned together,” Tina said. “I handled the back office, finances and accounting, while Riley handled the stores and management. That’s how it all began.”

Al kept his job in corporate sales as he built his Sport Clips portfolio. He hired managers to oversee the individual stores, leaving him more time to concentrate on growing the business.

“Having my day job forced me to work on it, not in it,” Al said. “I had to work through people, and hiring a good store manager was a critical component of it.”

AJ later joined the business after running his own ventures and eventually assumed responsibility for daily operations. With his son managing that side of the company, Al has been able to step away from some of the demands of running the portfolio.

“With my son being in the business and running the day-to-day, I now have the gift of time and spend it where I want,” Al said in a 2023 Sport Clips profile.

Making Family Partnerships Work

Bringing relatives into a business creates opportunities to share responsibilities, but it also requires clear expectations and a willingness to work through disagreements.

For the McMurdos, Ted credits the family's longstanding relationships and communication with helping them navigate those challenges. Even as more family members joined the business, they made a point of addressing disagreements rather than allowing them to interfere with their relationships.

“You have to have a pretty strong relationship from the get-go,” Ted said. “We’ve always had really good communication. I cannot say there haven’t been disagreements, but we always work through those. Nobody takes themselves so seriously that they are going to walk away from it.”

The Rodriguezes have also emphasized accountability as the next generation assumes greater responsibility. AJ summed up that expectation in straightforward terms.

“Nothing is given in our company, and everything is earned,” he said.

Preparing the Next Generation

The McMurdos had planned for the next generation to take ownership since their first store opened. In 2020, Ted and Tina made it official. Riley and Jessica received a one-third stake, as did Ashlie and Jason, while Ted and Tina kept the remaining third and voting control.

“I think it’s important that people understand Riley was part of the business from the very beginning,” Tina said. “When we talked about legacy and eventually passing it on, that was always the plan.”

For Al, succession has taken shape as AJ has become more involved in the business. With his son now overseeing daily operations, Al hopes to eventually pass the company on to him.

“It was never a solo act,” Al said. “My family was behind me the whole way, and my son AJ came into the business early on. Today he’s my successor, and building something he can carry forward is what it’s all about.”

AJ recognizes that the business now has responsibilities extending beyond the Rodriguez family.

“Lots of people depend on us now, and we want to build something that’s self-sufficient and dependable,” he said.

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