1851

Armed with experience in both the retail and health care industries, Lisa McGill might have been a stranger to the franchise industry, but she certainly understood the secret to successful business development.

So when she was asked to join the <a href="https://franchise.wbu.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=for-wild-birds-unlimiteds-development-team-success-starts-with-building-relationships-11306" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Wild Birds Unlimited</a> team as the Manager of Franchise Development, her first question to Paul Pickett, the brand&rsquo;s Chief Development Officer, was this: &ldquo;Why hire someone with no franchise experience?&rdquo;

Pickett&rsquo;s answer would eventually chart the course for McGill&rsquo;s career with <a href="http://wildbirdsunlimited.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=for-wild-birds-unlimiteds-development-team-success-starts-with-building-relationships-11306" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wild Birds Unlimited</a>.

&ldquo;Paul told me that he hired me for my talent and vision. He said, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t want to have to break all of the bad habits that I&rsquo;ve seen in franchise development professionals.&rsquo; That ultimately allowed me to think outside the box,&rdquo; McGill said. &ldquo;From the very beginning, he encouraged me to come up with more efficient ways to accomplish our franchise development needs, and oftentimes, that meant challenging industry standards and offering up new ideas.&rdquo;

During the 12 months after her hire, McGill absorbed as much information as possible about the franchise industry. Fortunately, she had the support of a tenured team to help her along the way. But it was ultimately Wild Birds Unlimited&rsquo;s endearing culture that made the career transition a seamless one.

&ldquo;The learning curve was certainly steep. But I found that Wild Birds Unlimited matched my personal value system perfectly. This is a brand that&rsquo;s all about fostering relationships and promoting communication that is filled with integrity and transparency,&rdquo; McGill said. &ldquo;The brand has an overall belief that goodness should always be paid forward, and that we should all care for others. That helped me to fall in love with both the brand, and the franchise industry.&rdquo;

In the years ahead, McGill made it her goal to bring those values into the brand&rsquo;s franchise development process. She got started by first analyzing what prospective franchisees look for when assessing the right brand to invest in. And she should know&mdash;before coming to Wild Birds Unlimited, McGill first looked into becoming a franchisee herself.

&ldquo;When I joined Wild Birds Unlimited, my vision was built off the things that I looked for in a franchise. As a potential franchisee, I wanted full transparency. I wanted to know if existing franchisees were happy. And I wanted to know that a business I was evaluating had the potential to be a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship,&rdquo; McGill added. &ldquo;It is my goal to make sure that kind of information reaches every single prospect that comes to Wild Birds Unlimited. I believe I understand how candidates want to be treated. I keep my own experiences that in mind when working with Wild Birds Unlimited&rsquo;s franchise development process.&rdquo;

That&rsquo;s where McGill&rsquo;s keen attention to relationships came into play. &nbsp;Through fostering meaningful, one-on-one relationships with candidates, existing franchisees and Wild Birds Unlimited&rsquo;s corporate team, the brand&rsquo;s founding mission to enhance lives is plays out beautifully. And so far, it&rsquo;s clear McGill&rsquo;s dedication is paying off in a big way. Following the brand&rsquo;s best year in franchise development in over a decade, Wild Birds Unlimited kicked off 2017 with 14 new franchise agreements already in the works in the first quarter. In the years ahead, McGill&rsquo;s goal is to continue her focus on fostering relationships to fuel strategic growth with happy, committed franchisees.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&ldquo;I think Wild Birds Unlimited is unique in the passion and joy that both our owners and their customers experience on a daily basis. We really care that our franchisees are happy, and we work hard to develop processes and systems that support their continued satisfaction,&rdquo; McGill said. &ldquo;People want to be happy, simply put. And we want them to experience that with Wild Birds Unlimited. That&rsquo;s the real secret to longevity.&rdquo;

For Wild Birds Unlimited’s Development Team, Success Starts with Building Relationships

1851 Franchise

How Lisa McGill, Wild Birds Unlimited’s Manager of Franchise Development, fosters relationships with incoming candidates to drive growth in a meaningful way.

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

for-wild-birds-unlimiteds-development-team-success-starts-with-building-relationships

Busy Bee Jumpers

Top 10 Reasons To Buy a Busy Bee Jumpers Franchise in 2025

top-10-reasons-to-buy-a-busy-bee-jumpers-franchise-in-2025

Home Halo

home-halo-former-athletes-frachisees-image

Why Former College Athletes Can Make Winning Home Halo Franchise Owners

former-college-athletes-home-halo-franchise

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue Featured in USA Today as Key Player in Helping Seniors Age Safely at Home

trublue-featured-in-usa-today-as-key-player-in-helping-seniors-age-safely-at-home

Right at Home

Right at Home Marks 30 Years With Continued Franchise Growth

Right at Home Marks 30 Years With Continued Franchise Growth, Tech Advancements, and Strong System Engagement in First Half of 2025

right-at-home-franchise-growth-2025

KidStrong Franchising, LLC

Unlocking Superpowers: How KidStrong Is Building the Next Generation of Confident Kids — and Thriving Franchise Owners

kidstrong-franchise-confident-kids

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

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Image of Donald Trump pointing with red stripes in the background

August 1 Tariff Deadline Is Said to Have ‘No Extensions’: What This Could Mean for Franchises

august-1-tariff-deadline-franchise-impact

What June’s Jobs Report Means for the Franchise Industry

what-junes-jobs-report-means-for-the-franchise-industry

Drone Delivery Takes Flight in QSR: The Future of Franchise Operations?

drone-delivery-takes-flight-in-qsr-the-future-of-franchise-operations

Chick-fil-A Tops Customer Satisfaction Rankings for 11th Year as Challenger Brands Gain Ground

chick-fil-a-tops-customer-satisfaction-rankings-for-11th-year-as-challenger-brands-gain-ground

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Kelsey McManemin — Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-kelsey-mcmanemin-vice-president-of-marketing-hteao

Photo of a large group of people standing in a circle, placing hands together in center

Franchise Opportunities for Minorities: Expanding the Franchise Network

franchise-opportunities-for-minorities

Amanda Evans - Stellar Service Brands - Franchise Marketing Leaders 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Amanda Evans — Senior Vice President of Marketing, Stellar Service Brands

stellar-service-brands-marketing-leader-amanda-evans

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery 

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery in Overland Park, Kansas

paris-baguette-franchise-overland-park-khandelwal

Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

From Corporate Careers to Community Roots: Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

kansas-couple-opens-childrens-lighthouse-gardner-olathe

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise

For Wild Birds Unlimited’s Development Team, Success Starts with Building Relationships

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS