Growing a Franchise
Keeler offers this advice to anyone thinking about getting into franchising: “Operate your business like a speedboat instead of a barge. If you’re going down the water in a barge, it takes you a while to turn. If you’re operating like a speedboat, you can turn on a dime.”
Darren Keeler was spinning records as a nighttime Top 40 DJ before switching careers to the franchising industry in 2019. Living in Carolina Beach put him right next to the original Shuckin’ Shack, a family friendly seafood franchise and a place he was already pretty familiar with.
A friend of co-founders Matt Piccinin and Sean Cook, Keeler took a job in the Shuckin’ Shack main office, working his way up with innovative marketing strategies. He’s now the vice president of marketing and creative for Shuckin’ Shack Franchising.
“I saw myself in this team,” Keeler said. “We all have the same goals, characters and personalities. I saw myself fitting very well into this team, and I just took a dive.”
When it comes to the franchising industry’s resilience during the pandemic, Keeler said he’s impressed.
“The industry is innovating itself,” he said. “We thought during the pandemic things were going to be at a standstill, but that’s just not the case. Innovations have happened really quickly in the last two years.”
Watch the full interview with Keeler above, or click here to watch it on YouTube.
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