The Fun Guy Who's Serious About Success

John Weber is running an empire from Franklin, Tennessee, and doing it his way with a humble manner and a strong work ethic.

Weber has an impressive 39 Sport Clips* units, with two more under construction. He also has a contract to buy two existing stores. He also is the area developer for Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, the Florida Panhandle, Indiana and Kentucky and consults with franchisees through the Weber Group.

Feeling lazy yet?

“I started as a franchisee and then bought the developing rights for the Tennessee market,” he said. “I picked up some existing stores. I built more stores and bought more in Alabama and Florida. My first store opened in 2008. It’s kind of a blur when I look back on it now. Sport Clips has really delivered for me.”

The affable, easygoing Weber said he had clear goals when he started, but he didn’t necessarily plan on attaining so much so quickly.

“As I grew, my vision expanded. So now my goal is to get to 50 stores as a franchisee. I’m the largest franchisee in the company right now. I’m very grateful for all the Sport Clips support I’ve received.”

Weber was a wrestler in high school and college, and “I attacked this the same way. We’ve taken the same approach. We do it better and work harder than the competition.”

In his other business, the Weber Group, Weber provides support for Sport Clips stores and other franchisees in that huge swath of the country. His team of about 15 people backs an eye-popping 136 stores.

“We primarily find real estate, bring franchisees in and educate them,” he said. “We use outside brokers and work on real estate. We help with training, grand openings and ongoing support, including management training.”

That kind of support is vital to new franchisees, he said.

“We’re the ones on the ground,” he said. “We are in the trenches with them.”

Weber was attracted to Sport Clips because of the great owner-investor model and the atmosphere of the stores. They’re a welcoming place for men, and the employees understand what their clients want.

“It’s a cool place to go if you’re a man or boy,” he said. “There’s sports on TV and it’s a comfortable atmosphere for men. It’s a locker room feel, but without the sweat. You can get in, get a great haircut and go on your way without an appointment.”

He also somehow finds time to help others through Sport Clips. The Help a Hero national program is one of his passions. And last year the Weber Group raised $33,000 for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. His company will raise even more this year, he said.

“We pay it forward and try to help others,” Weber said. “We also help those who need to get back on their feet, get back into the workplace by giving them a great haircut so they can go on job interviews.”

Weber also strives to help develop and coach his employees. His teams are his greatest asset, he said.

“I just want to run a great brand and a great company. I want to support my employees and develop their talents. We like to say around here that it’s important to be a day-maker. We make people’s days whenever we can.”