1851

On the outside, it seems like the franchising industry and the world of professional sports have nothing in common. But in reality, there&rsquo;s a lot that franchisees and franchisors can learn from athletes and their coaches.

At their cores, both franchising and athletic organizations are built on proven systems. When a franchisee signs an agreement to open up a location, they&rsquo;re given a playbook that they need to follow. That&rsquo;s why Justin Griffith&mdash;a former NFL player and coach for teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders&mdash;was drawn to the franchising industry over other business opportunities. By opening his own&nbsp;<a href="http://ownatoastery.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=what-franchise-executives-can-learn-from-athletes-and-their-coaches-9658" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Famous Toastery</a> restaurant, he was given the chance to use his skills off the football field.

&ldquo;The NFL is incredibly structured. Your coaches give you schedules and playbooks that you have to follow, and those proven guidelines then carry you from training camp all the way through the end of the season. The same can be said for franchising,&rdquo; said Griffith. &ldquo;As a franchisee, my job is to follow the playbook that Famous Toastery has put together. That system is there for a reason, and having that support system gives me the confidence I need as I break into the business world.&rdquo;

But the similarities between franchising and professional sports teams go beyond following a playbook. The roles franchisors and franchisees take on mimic that of a professional team. Franchisors act as a team&rsquo;s owner&mdash;they oversee the big picture items that make a team into a strong brand. Franchisees, on the other hand, take on the role of head coaches. Their job is to learn everything there is to know about the system that the owner has already created, and then successfully carry it out through their team of employees.

That requires creating an environment that encourages leadership and fosters a positive environment. According to Griffith, those two things all come down to the people you welcome into your system, and how you capitalize on their experience.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s all about getting the right people in the right places. Your team is never going to win if you have the wrong players taking on positions they aren&rsquo;t trained for. That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s up to the coach&mdash;or the franchisee&mdash;to figure out where people&rsquo;s skills and personalities will fit best in their business model,&rdquo; Griffith said. &ldquo;Coaches are also responsible for solving problems on the spot when things inevitably break down. No matter what happens with my employees or customers, I need to be ready to make a new game plan to ensure that mistakes aren&rsquo;t being made twice.&rdquo;

Much like a professional sports team, franchise executives need to work together with their franchisees in order to be successful. While local owners are ultimately in charge of their own businesses, the entire team needs to share the same passion for the brand&rsquo;s overall performance.

&ldquo;The best franchisees will run their location like a team that&rsquo;s playing to win. You have to think big&mdash;I&rsquo;m not just working to be the best franchisee in Famous Toastery&rsquo;s system. I want to run the best restaurant in Charlotte,&rdquo; Griffith said.

Griffith is far from the only professional athlete who has found success in franchising&mdash;just look at Peyton Manning&rsquo;s relationship with Papa John&rsquo;s, or LeBron James&rsquo; investment in Blaze Pizza. They won&rsquo;t be the last players to make the jump&mdash;professional athletes are able to take the discipline and work ethic they&rsquo;ve learned from their coaches and apply it into a business ownership venture. Because the models are so similar, it&rsquo;s likely that the franchise industry will continue taking pages out of professional athletes&rsquo; and coaches&rsquo; playbooks.

What Franchise Executives Can Learn from Athletes and Their Coaches

1851 Franchise

While franchisors are a team’s owner, franchisees are the head coaches that keep the players moving forward.


This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

what-franchise-executives-can-learn-from-athletes-and-their-coaches

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs Landmark 44-Restaurant Deal, Shatters Records in Monumental Third Quarter

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-records

Children's Lighthouse

Why Children’s Lighthouse Is a Great Opportunity for Swim School Franchisees

why-childrens-lighthouse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-swim-school-franchisees

Children’s Lighthouse Closes the Third Quarter with Record Franchise Signings and New School Opening

childrenslighthouse-q3-2025-growth

Pet Wants

How Pet Wants Is Redefining the Customer Experience in the Pet Industry

pet-wants-redefining-customer-experience

Jollibee

How Much Can You Really Make With a Jollibee Franchise? Inside the Numbers of Item 19

how-much-can-you-really-make-with-a-jollibee-franchise-inside-the-numbers-of-item-19

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

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image  of Happinest franchise collection and all their brands that work together. 

The Happinest Advantage: A Marketing Partner Invested in Your Bottom Line

happinest-franchise-marketing-strategy

Ty McBride on Turning Preservan Into a Franchise: No Shortcuts, Just Persistence

ty-mcbride-on-turning-preservan-into-a-franchise-no-shortcuts-just-persistence

Coffee & analytics image with photo of Nick Powills

Athletes And Franchising: Why the Connection Runs Deep

athletes-in-franchising

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

What Franchise Executives Can Learn from Athletes and Their Coaches

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS