Living in Charlotte, NC, playing pro football for the Carolina Panthers was not only a blessing for Kory but also a privilege. Looking back, he had the opportunity to network and rub elbows with many of the elite people in the city of Charlotte. This included an investment banker, members of city council, highly successful doctors and lawyers, as well as a host of entrepreneurs and community celebrities. Kory cherished every event and marveled at every conversation.
Paula & Bruce
This is where Kory’s mindset shift took place and the vision of what is possible took over. Kory became great friends with two amazing people, and until this day Paula and Bruce have no idea how impactful they were in Kory’s life.
Paula and Bruce are very successful entrepreneurs, but more importantly, people of great character and integrity. Each one is leading the charge in their respective endeavors. Paula is an optometrist by trade but also a brilliant and successful real estate investor. Bruce buys and sells insurance companies. Being exposed to these two great people really started to fill Kory’s mind with the multitude of opportunities available after retiring from the game of football. Bruce and Kory would converse on numerous occasions about the franchise business. He always assured Kory he would be successful in any business, mainly because of his work ethic and people skills. Coming from someone as accomplished as Bruce, Kory took that to heart. Kory could spend hours and hours writing about his experiences with Paula and Bruce and how they helped him to see a bigger picture for himself. They were the catalysts in Kory’s transformation.
The Franchise
So Kory decided to be All-In — a familiar message echoed by every coach he has had the opportunity to play for. Kory started his quest to be a restaurateur by working as a General Manager for over two years before he could buy his first franchise. Kory managed Domino’s Pizza locations in the city of Hemet and San Jacinto in Southern California. This is where the foundation was laid. Kory’s tasks included: increasing store profitability, managing employee relations, and providing 10x the value to each and every customer. This was a whole new experience, but he was committed. The start was rough, but he succeeded and ended up doing exceptionally well.
Kory’s Time
Finally, the time had come when Kory could own and operate his own location. August 1st, 2007 was the day he received the keys to his first restaurant. Little did he know, this was just the beginning. Kory was so excited and filled with joy, but nervous as all heck. This was his baby. He had waited so long to get here, and thought…let’s do it!
Kory’s team raised sales significantly and really took over the community, local schools, and colleges. Kory had taken all the fundamental teachings and strategies of football and the concept of a Team, and applied them inside a pizza kitchen. Just as important was his self-education by reading countless business books to grasp the concept of business and how to win at it.
In 2008, Kory had an opportunity to grow his franchise company. That year, one year from his start, Kory added 4 additional locations for a grand total of 5.
Picture this: a brand new owner, 5 locations, 95 or so employees, under-capitalized, and oh, by the way, our economy is in shambles. Not a very good outlook, indeed…let the struggles begin. The next 5 years would bring a host of emotions that really hit the core of Kory; such as emptiness, loneliness, and high amounts of stress.
But nonetheless, it was one great experience Kory will never forget. Having the vision to grow to 50 stores and $35-40 million in sales annually was still his target. Kory never wavered from that no matter how tough things were. Kory had a great support staff of employees who battled with him every day to control cost, increase sales, and provide top-level service.
Kory and his staff drove combined unit sales to almost $4 million, created a better customer experience, and brought a bigger awareness of the Domino’s Pizza brand to each community served. But the outlook was still disturbing.
As time went on, with the lessons and experiences Kory learned, he could have taught any class at any top notch business school in the country. Over time it became increasingly more difficult to stay above water. Kory remembers having this horrible feeling, and one day saying to himself, “I did not sign up for this”, but this is business.
Those were the toughest 5 years of Kory’s life. But the life lessons, growth, and knowledge that he gained were invaluable.
Kory’s Motto:
Kory believes that if you have the stomach to deal with the daily ups and downs of being a business owner or entrepreneur, then he would advise you to take the leap. He firmly believes that the only way to create a real “Legacy” to pass on is by charting your own path for Success. He learned this at a fairly young age.
Kory’s Advice:
- Have a minimum 6 months of capital reserve; 12 months would be best. (Especially when taking out loans)
- Do your homework; know your market in and out.
- Control the variables that MAKE you money Extremely Well.
- If the Deal does not feel right then PASS — there will be others.
- Have a big enough WHY
- Standout above the crowd
- Enjoy the Journey
