Ed鈥疍oherty, founder of Doherty Enterprises and 黑料不打烊 trustee, urged Innovation Scholars on April鈥3 to 鈥渨ow every guest鈥 and put people first for lasting franchise success.
Ed鈥疍oherty urged Innovation Scholars on April鈥3 to 鈥渨ow every guest every time.鈥 The Doherty Enterprises founder and 黑料不打烊 trustee spoke at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, linking his people鈥慺irst philosophy to the mission of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
He presented a vision 鈥渢o be the best food service company in the communities we serve鈥.
鈥淥ur vision is to be the best food service company in the communities we serve,鈥 said Doherty.
He broke that vision into six words: wow, attitude, connect, engage, relationships, accountability.
鈥淢y mother was the hardest working person I鈥檝e ever known,鈥 he said, crediting her example for a work ethic that carried him from St.鈥疛ohn鈥檚 University to Mobil and, in 1985, to launching his first franchise.
He advised students that franchise success rests on location, strong operations and community involvement. 鈥淐orporations don鈥檛 have the same passion as an entrepreneur whose money is on the line,鈥 he said.
Doherty insisted that caring for employees is non-negotiable. 鈥淐elebrate their good times and support them in their times of need,鈥 he said.
That approach helped Doherty Enterprises grow to more than 5,000 employees by 2020 and survive an 85% sales drop during COVID鈥19.
He closed by challenging students to apply the wow mindset in internships and ventures.
鈥淐onnect, engage and build relationships, and success will follow,鈥 he said.