Showing posts with label Blimpie Subs and Salads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blimpie Subs and Salads. Show all posts

Friday, June 13, 2008

A Man’s Best Friend

I am a media hound – known to never pass up an opportunity to promote my business, brand or self... there I said it. Well this week, this hound passed the spotlight to a different hound of sorts, my dog, Honey.

Now, some of you are already wondering, what’s this got to do with franchising? Come on, you know better than to ask. In some shape or form, everything that I do, somehow ties back to franchising and this is no exception. Firstly, this story about Honey that I’m speaking about can be found at http://www.woofpatrol.com/, a website created and managed by Yvonne Conza, also known as Mrs. Tony Conza, my former employer, good friend and Founder of Blimpie Subs and Salads.

It seems like everywhere I turn, there are links to franchising relationships from the past and this time is no different. Over a recent meal with Tony, we were talking about our mutual love for dogs. I showed Tony a picture of Honey and he told me to e-mail it to Yvonne. Until then, I had no idea that Yvonne had created this wonderful canine-centric website. It just never ceases to amaze me, how many times franchising relationships wind up leading to places or opportunities that I never dreamed I’d go to or know about. It really is important to understand this, especially for those of us that are trying to further establish ourselves, our businesses and brands in the industry. Over the years, many of us have changed jobs, brands or concepts, but those relationships that we had with co-workers and friends at those places, shouldn’t end too, when a job does. Keeping in touch with our peers can lead to bigger and better things throughout one’s career and life.

So, I may be a publicity hound – but now, so IS my hound. Kidding aside, it's just another powerful form of networking... something to talk about... to be proud of... it's all about friends and family, the company I am building and about franchising, the business model that I love so much.

Friday, June 6, 2008

A Prayer Request for a Friend!

I had a bombshell dropped on me on Wednesday night when I learned that a member of my franchise family has been torpedoed by multiple attacks of Cancer. Anybody who has ever been a part of the good old days at Blimpie International, knows who Randy Pirotin is. For those of you that don’t, Randy has been the Area Developer for Blimpie’s Georgia territory for a great many years. Again for those of you that know him, you know what a heads down, head strong, get it done no matter what, fighting kind of guy he is. Now, Randy is fighting the fight of his life. If there’s anyone that I would bet on to win this battle, I’d put my money on Randy. That notwithstanding, I wouldn't mind tipping the odds a bit, in his favor. The next time you bow your heads in prayer, won’t you please put in a good word for my friend Randy? In advance... my sincere thanks.