Posted on Mon, Aug 30, 2010
Posted by Bonnie Harry on August 31, 2010
Bill and Peggy Dial listed backpacking, hiking and motorcycling as some of their current hobbies when they opened their Albuquerque Great Harvest Bread Co® in 1989. Now Bill is a rock climber and Peggy an avid tennis player. That may not seem like 
such a big deal except when they opened their store, they were close to the 50 year mark. Twenty one years later, they have not slowed down and continue to be an inspiration. Last year, Bill had to cancel his Grand Canyon trek with friend and fellow bakery owner Scott Creevy because he had so many rock climbing dates set up!
This soft-spoken and gentile couple hails from West VA originally. Their quiet demeanors belie the depth and strength of their characters. Peggy’s beautiful smile and gentle persona and Bill’s warm smile and twinkle in his eye reflect their gentleness and humor. But at their depth also lies a core of integrity, tenacity and wisdom.
Their Great Harvest bakery, located at the corner of Montgomery and Juan Tabo, has been a wonderful family business for the Dials. Their daughter Ann, with the bakery since 1998, is the store manager. Ann’s four children, Ryan, Chris, Kelley and Rebecca all 
have worked in the store (Kelley and Rebecca still do – the boys are on to other careers). Ryan, currently a teacher and grad student, developed a gluten-free line of products, including configuring the recipes and connecting to Celiac organizations in Albuquerque. Jim, Ann’s brother, recently joined them and helps with customer service and heads up a Farmer’s Market.
Bill and Peggy still work five days a week and do behind-the-scenes work including bookwork and equipment maintenance as well as waiting on customers, helping with the day-to-day decisions and operations, and backing Ann up when needed. And best of all, they help brainstorm new ideas on how to keep the business relevant and exciting for their customers.
The Dial’s Albuquerque Great Harvest is one of the most successful stores in the system. What are some of their “secrets” to running this business together as a family? Discussions among them are respectful. One of their rules of thumb is to have an open mind in discussions, to look at all sides of a situation. Some of this scientific and methodical aspect may come from Bill’s work in the industrial chemical field, but the respect and integrity comes from a deeper and natural place. It’s simply part of who they are.
When I asked Ann how it was working with her parents, she said “wonderful” and Bill and Peggy have the same sentiments. They’re all good at separating personal life from business life. Business decisions are made in the interest of the business. They have a clear vision of that. And the best thing is, when any one of them needs back-up, the others are there.
Great Harvest, as a Freedom Franchise, has been a good match for
the Dial’s entrepreneurial spirits. They’ve led many firsts, including the addition of gluten-free products, and a hard crust line-up of breads. Not to mention they have the only twinkly neon Great Harvest logo sign in the system! They’re always willing to test things out, whether it’s a new labeling program or a prediction and pricing system. Ann told me there is always support among them for trying new things – and it’s OK if something doesn’t stick. You just try something else. In addition to their innovations, they are more than generous in sharing time and information with the other people in the Great Harvest system.
When I asked if they were glad they did this bread business, the reply was an immediate “yes”. While the last few years have been challenging, Bill pointed out life always has its challenges. Doing something they enjoy with their family, making great friends in the process, and still having time to enjoy and stay youthful and active, they are great mentors on how to live life.
Have any of you been in the Great Harvest in Albuquerque? What did you think?
Posted on Wed, Aug 18, 2010
Posted by Kayla Conner on August 18, 2010
Like most Great Harvests, Bloomington, Illinois, owners Rick and Anita Ashley donate their unsold bread to food banks or shelters. To take it a step further, they’ve also found a simple way for customers to contribute as well.
Anita explained, “When a customer buys 12 loaves, the thirteenth
is free. It’s a nice bonus for customers and something many look forward to earning. One of our favorite customers, Char, brought up the idea that she didn’t really need the free loaf, but was sure there were people who did. That’s how we began a program for customers to donate their free loaves to Claire House.”
Claire House provides dry goods and canned groceries to those in need, but they are not set up to distribute fresh products like bread. The free loaf cards donated by customers are distributed along with the groceries handed out by volunteers so recipients can pick up a fresh loaf at the bakery.
“Part of our mission statement is ‘Give Generously to Others’ and it is one of the reasons we chose to do this business. We think it is wonderful that so many of our customers want to contribute this way.”
Have you participated in a charitable opportunity with your local Great Harvest?
Posted on Thu, Aug 12, 2010
Posted by Debbie Huber on August 12, 2010
I’m using the Five Questions format again (check out this previous post for the story behind Five Questions), so I hope you enjoy it. Here’s some information from my conversation with Dave Scheel, the owner of the Great Harvest bakery in Missoula, MT.
I heard you were in Guatemala a few months ago – what were you doing there?
I was part of a service team that volunteered to work with the 
God’s Child Project (GCP). Nineteen of us went down during the University’s winter break for ten days. We worked in a bunch of different places – a hospital, nursing home, and an orphanage. We distributed clothes we’d brought from Missoula. We unloaded vegetables from trucks and distributed to the mothers as they picked up their kids from the GCP school.
Our big project was building a small house (12 feet by 16 feet) on a concrete slab. It’s a wood frame house with one window and one door. There was no electricity, so we used all hand tools. It took three days to build and is a big improvement for a family who lived in a rough shelter with a dirt floor.
I have a couple connections to GCP. My uncle is involved and helped get a second school and neighborhood center built. I also know a guy who volunteered there last year and talking with him sparked my interest.
What was it like?
If I go back, I definitely need to learn Spanish so I can talk with the kids and their families.
All of the people working and volunteering for GCP were amazing. The organization was started by a guy from Bismarck, ND. It’s mission is to “break the bitter chains of poverty through education and formation.” Many people in Guatemala are very poor. Kids are begging, shining shoes, and picking pockets to survive. There is a human trafficking problem. GCP has built schools, a homeless shelter, a medical clinic, a dental clinic and other support systems.
The volunteers are mostly either young or retired. They have lots of energy and are very committed to what they do. We met a “retired” software developer in Silicon Valley who works for $300/month to manage one of the Centers. Some of the other workers grew up in the GCP orphanage and now work for the organization.
What is your “How I found Great Harvest” story?
I helped my brother, Keith, start his Great Harvest bakery in Redmond, WA, thirty years ago. Then I worked for the founders, Pete & Laura Wakeman, to get the franchise side of the business started, but the business was so young that there wasn’t a viable role for me. This was several years before I opened my Great Harvest Bread Co. in Missoula, MT.
You were an architect, right? Why leave that profession to open a whole wheat bread store?
Yes, I worked as an architect for about 10 years. That is a demanding job – lots of nights and weekends. There is deadline stress all the time. You’re coordinating lots of people and information. It’s like a group term paper to the 250th power. There is a high chance of getting sued for mistakes and missed deadlines. I had no life outside of work. My brothers and sisters had super flexible lives as Great Harvest bakery owners (Dave’s siblings own Great Harvest bakeries in Salem, OR, Portland, OR and Redmond, WA.) And they were making more money than me!
You opened your own Great Harvest in 1995. What excites you about the business after 15 years?
I love my employees – we’re like a family and we have people who have worked for us for years. Everyone knows their job well, so I have a lot of freedom and flexiblity. I can be gone for a week at a time and they know what to do and how to handle anything that comes up.
To keep the bakery fresh, I’m working on remodeling the customer area. I really think I’ll run this business forever – well into retirement age, anyway. I like to keep learning new things and applying them to improve the business.
Thanks, Dave!
Are any of our readers customers in Missoula? What do you think of your bakery?
Posted on Thu, Jul 29, 2010
Posted by Debbie Huber on July 29, 2010
Jerry and Janet Lecy joined the Great Harvest family in 2007 
when they purchased an existing Great Harvest franchise in Lafayette, IN. They moved their family from Florida back to their roots in Indiana to become small business owners.
Listen to this three minute interview with Jerry to hear their story:
Have you been into the Lecy's Lafayette, IN, Great Harvest? Any stories to share about your experience?
Posted on Tue, Jul 20, 2010
Posted by Bonnie Harry on July 20, 2010
I first experienced Great Harvest bread as a customer when the company opened its little test bakery in Dillon, MT
in the summer of 1988. When a job in customer service opened up, it was a no-brainer to apply because I already loved the whole grain products. Within a few years, I became a Field person and began traveling to all of our bakeries. Last week marked my 22nd anniversary with the company.
After covering almost 700,000 miles and visiting over 190 Great Harvest bakeries (most of them multiple times), I’m even more intrigued by this freedom-oriented, individually-owned, fresh whole-grain, neighborhood bakery concept that’s grown steadily over the past three decades. Watching the evolution from 20 stores to over 200 has been like an anthropological study. The franchise office has its own history and changing culture. Join that with all the individual characteristics of each bakery and owner, and you get a wonderful network of unique personalities and rich character.
Great Harvest has always been people-focused. This focus ranges from hiring people to work at the franchise office to approving new owners as franchisees. The most important criteria for both is that applicants are a good fit for the business. Sometimes they’re thrown by the question “If you were a car what would you be?” I think I surprised the interview panel when I replied black with Corvette Stingray. Trust me, looks can be deceiving.
Great Harvesters are really all a family, and like any family there are some that might be labeled a little “odd”, but that’s part of the fun. We all share a passion for great food and baked products we’ve made from scratch and a love for serving these delicious products up to people. The Great Harvest owners are hands-on. They relate to their employees and customers in a friendly atmosphere they’re created. It doesn’t get much better than that. At the Franchise office, we have the same “hands-on” approach to helping the bakery owners (our customers.)
Unlike the average franchise, no two Great Harvests are the same. I’ve been struck by how each store reflects the personalities of its owners, and often it’s through their crew. Their bakeries become a wonderful expression of their individuality. With customer expectation of what “franchise” means, this individual expression has its challenges. The stores are definitely not “cookie cutter”, but the whole freedom factor is a big attraction. How many opportunities are there for having support systems and a learning community… yet in the end you get to call the shots and create your own business?
Someday I’ll write a book with all the Great Harvest stories…for 
now I’ll suffice it to say it’s been a fun ride with a lot of wonderful friends. One of my college Profs told me I had an aptitude for applied cultural anthropology and I should consider a career in that field. When I step back and look at my career at Great Harvest, it seems to me that’s what I’ve done! What a fun and generous group of people to hang out with for all these years.
How about your organization? What would a cultural anthropologist say about you?
Posted on Tue, Jul 06, 2010
Posted by Mike Ferretti on July 6, 2010
I read the news today, oh boy…..
We opened a Great Harvest store in South Pasadena, CA last winter and as we approached the big day, I saw more media coverage for it than any store I could remember. The buzz was amazing. One of the things we do for new stores is help spread the news about opening, but this was bigger than normal. And we are talking Los Angeles. Not Bluefield, West Virginia. In LA, you are competing with Lindsay and Brangelina for attention. To get some is a big deal. What was going on?
About a lucky (wo)man that made the grade.
The answer was actually pretty simple. As with most things in
life, the whole thing was driven by someone that cared, had an incredible story and an undying passion for what was going on.
And though the news was rather sad
Our bakery owners in South Pasadena, Patricia and Chris Diaz, went through more to get their store open than any other couple I have seen in my time in Great Harvest. Not many people would have had the drive to see that store through to opening. I admitted to our opening training team a couple of times I would have quit. Not Patricia and Chris. They kept moving forward against strong odds. That is a wow 
statement for me.
Well I just had to laugh
Then the day came. The store opened. I always call new stores on opening day to congratulate them but this store was so busy I got nothing. Just an answering machine. Move over Miley. Patricia and Chris were in town.
I saw the photograph
With all this store went through to get open, I promised myself that the next time I was in the LA area, I would go see them. I wanted to thank them in person for not giving up on their dream and to just see what the vibe was all about….
One of the hardest things I do is figure out when I can spend time in bakeries. With my dual role as location specialist and CEO I get to travel to every corner of the country. I am normally near stores. I am also normally being pulled home to be a dad or husband. Balancing that is hard and I rarely get it right. When I have the time to spend an extra day, like I did this week in the LA area, I do so. When I have to get home so the 18 year old isn’t doing what I did at age 18 when both mom and dad were out of town, like happened a couple of weeks ago when I was in Michigan, I don’t.
For me, spending time in bakeries is good. I always get something out of the visit that makes me a better CEO. This week, in addition to visiting Pasadena, I arranged a trip in August to our Thousand Oaks store and went to our Temecula store. I got some quality time in two stores and connected with a third. Some things I saw this week were awesome. The breakfast sandwiches in Temecula are incredible and will be tested soon to see if we can do them in other stores. But, selfishly, I got to read the news today. And I did it in LA with a good visit to a couple of really exciting stores…..Oh boy.
I am not even a Beatles fan but that song...
Thanks for singing along!
Posted on Fri, Jul 02, 2010
Posted by Kayla Conner on July 2, 2010
For those who read this blog regularly, you know about our "One Day, One Dollar, One Goal...to Find a Cure" campaign recently held in bakeries all across the country in memory of a former Great Harvest owner, Mauri Booton. This campaign focused on raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through their Team in Training program to support Mauri's wife, Mary, in her efforts for the San Diego Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon.
The "One Day, One Dollar, One Goal" campaign was a huge success on every level. We sailed past the original goal of $35,000 to help Mary cross the $50,000 mark. In addition, $5000 dollars was also raised to fund two memorial scholarships in honor of Mauri.
The generosity was overwhelming and Mary was the number two 
fundraiser in the nation for this event. The accomplishment was acknowledged at the Top Fundraising Dinner on the Friday night before the event, and of all things, the award was in the form of a gold record! It couldn't have been more perfect to honor Mauri, who inspired us all with his passion for music.
Along this journey, we learned that if Mary crossed the $50,000 mark there would also be a research grant designated in honor of Mauri, so that became a goal as well. At the Inspiration Dinner the night before the race, Mary was presented with another beautiful award and information about the research grant. It was an extremely proud moment that she shares with everyone who contributed to the campaign.
Mike Ferretti (Great Harvest's CEO), Jill Morrill, Mary and I had an 
amazing day together during the race. I've never participated in anything like this in my life, and at age 50, I'm still in a bit of shock that I committed to do something so out of my comfort zone. But there were so many good friends who supported me during my training and who believed I could...and that made all the difference.
I can't begin to describe the emotions as we crossed the finish line. This event raised $12,000,000 for cancer research. And, the importance of that was never more obvious than the morning of the race as we took off through the neighborhoods of San Diego. Along the course, we were met by cheering crowds and all the encouragement we needed, but what stood out the most were the simple hand-made signs that said "Thank you! From a cancer survivor."
I wanted to share their thanks with each of you... because it 
belongs to every customer, bakery owner, employee, and vendor that supported this campaign. As our friend Jill says, "It takes a village." Well, this is a pretty amazing village we have here and, we can be so proud of what we've done together.
Have you ever focused on a fundraising effort yourself that was met with overwhelming generosity?
Posted on Tue, Jun 08, 2010
Posted by Bonnie Harry on June 8, 2010
Jim and Robin Condie took over the Clackamas Great Harvest in February 2006. The store was thirteen years old. Over the past seven years, they've nearly doubled the sales and have had a lot of fun in the process. Jim was an attorney is his prior life (still licensed) and Robin worked in the Biotech industry (immunology). Robin laughingly told me the bakery is much more fun than her prior work! They were tired of commuting and loved Great Harvest and the idea of doing their own business. They jumped at the chance to buy the Clackamas Great Harvest when they heard it was for sale.
As with any small family business, their secrets to success have included a lot of hard work and focus on the things that matter. Robin admits that part of their success is their great location - right next to a Nordstrom Rack in a shopping center with high identity. As we all know, potential doesn't always translate to success. It requires the right management.
Jim and Robin are hands-on. They don't have managers. They work with the crew and do the training. This keeps them in touch with the day-to-day workings of the business. In a bakery where everything is made daily from scratch (it's a production facility as well as retail), being in close touch with the business and the crew is critical for success.
What about their crew? It's an understatement to say when I 
visited them, I was impressed. Their people were attentive, enthusiastic, caring, really one of the best crews I've encountered in my 22 years with Great Harvest. I asked Robin about the crew. Her response was "I love them. We have an awesome crew." I've learned over the years that owners are not just "lucky" to have good people. It's a result of how they manage. I asked Robin what their secrets were in developing such a great crew. How do they empower them, encourage them?
Robin says it's based on trust and being open, vulnerable, flexible and teachable. She didn't just mean the crew - it applies to all of them, including Jim and her. They want people to express their opinions, to come up with new ideas. She says their crew is smart. The team training model is "to be open to what other people have to say."
They always give positive feedback when a crew member takes care of something, goes the extra mile. And they've developed a peer system where crew members call out their peers in a positive way. In essence, the crew holds each other accountable. Robin told me about exercises and games they play to show the importance of all supporting each other and being team players. She stopped at one point, concerned she might be embarrassing herself telling about the games! Quite the contrary. I was fascinated by how effective these exercises are in getting the point across - plus they're a fun bonding experience as well.
The team spirit extends to the customers. Getting to know customers' names and preferences and including them in the fun is stressed. Robin told me "Life is about connecting to everybody." It's no wonder customers enjoy coming to this store. Not only are the products outstanding, the atmosphere is inviting and fun with a wonderful friendly, positive group of people to meet you when you step in the door. Congrats to Jim and Robin and their crew for creating a great refreshing oasis in a hectic world.
Have you ever been to the Clackamas bakery? Do you have any favorite Great Harvest people stories to share?
Posted on Thu, May 27, 2010
Posted by Debbie Huber on May 27, 2010
You may remember a blog post announcing the One Day One Dollar One Goal fundraiser in April. Great Harvest bakeries across the U.S. raised money for cancer research in memory of our friend and Great Harvest bakery owner, Mauri Booton. As a follow-up, here is a letter from Mauri's wife, Mary Hellerstedt:
To everyone in the Great Harvest Family-
I am overcome with joy and emotion as I try to take in what you have accomplished with the One Day, One Dollar campaign. I don't know how I can ever express or show you my appreciation for all the money you have raised for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society in honor of Mauri. I know he is dancing and woo hooing big time over this tremendous accomplishment!
As most of you know, Mauri didn't do anything he wasn't passionate about and if he was on a mission he put his heart into it. I learned a lot about passion and really living every day from Mauri, especially in the last four and a half years since he was diagnosed with cancer. He had many passions. Owning a Great Harvest Bread Co. and living the Great Harvest mission statement were high on that list. He loved being able to treat people like he wanted to be treated, being very community involved, mentoring young people, being productive, sharing ideas and banter and, of course, music.
Cancer changed a lot of things in our life, but not Mauri's passion to be the best he could be on a day in day out basis. He became committed to raising awareness and funds to help make a better tomorrow for cancer patients and their loved ones. He spent countless hours volunteering and talking to patients and families about resources available, sharing experience, concerns, music, stories and hope. He would be so proud of what has been accomplished through your efforts to carry on his mission.
Many cancer patients will benefit from what a committed group of small business owners can accomplish! I hope you are all truly proud of this wonderful gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart...I send huge hugs and will be forever grateful to the Great Harvest family! My story and blog are on my Team in Training site. Woo Hoo!!!
Affectionately, Mary Hellerstedt
Mary, our own Great Harvest Field Rep, Kayla Conner, and a former Great Harvest Des Moines employee, Jill Morrill, will be 
running their half marathon in San Diego at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on June 6th.
Rock On Girls! We'll be sending great vibes your way for a fast and easy race!
Posted on Wed, May 12, 2010
Posted by Bonnie Harry on May 12, 2010
They broke the mold when Barry Sparks was born. While all of us can boast some semblance of uniqueness, Barry's character so permeates every fiber of his being, once you get to know this man, you know you will never meet another human being quite like him. His crew described it well in the graffiti they wrote on the mill room wall in the bakery he ran for over twenty year..."Barry rules."
In 1986, Barry, his wife Kate, and his parents Jay and Mary Sparks opened the downtown Denver Great Harvest. It was to be the first of three Denver area stores they would open. The third store in Arvada was solely owned and run by Barry and Kate and most represented Barry's convictions. This last January, Barry sold Arvada Great Harvest, the last Sparks store. It felt like the end an era in Great Harvest's history. Like many of the original Great Harvest owners, Barry became an icon to many following in his footsteps. He epitomized the freedom Franchise owner, running the business with the passion of his convictions. "No shirt, no shoes, no problem" is a mantra that well represents his attitude towards others - accepting and humble.
Matt Salis, who bought the downtown Denver store from Barry, told me the more he gets to know him, the more he realizes the sheer genius of the man. Barry's advice is always given with such humility, it's easy to miss its profound nature. Along with sincerity, the advice is always wrapped in humor. Matt described Barry's teaching him how to clean a bun press. Barry told him, "This is a ‘one song' job. If someone is taking longer than that to clean it, they're not doing it efficiently." He then proceeded to scrape it down quickly and oil it abundantly with olive oil. When he finished, he looked at Matt, then at his hands that were still covered with Olive Oil, and proceeded to rub the excess oil on his face and his bald head. He told Matt, "See, that's efficient. Now the bun press is lubed and I'm lubed." Matt says he is amazed how the best way to do things often comes back to what Barry had figured out all along.
Through his tour with Great Harvest, Barry did opening trainings 
for the franchise as well as location hunting. And in the true spirit of generosity, he was always ready to talk and to share his insights and humor. He was a forerunner in marketing before the days of a marketing department. He could be spotted in the neighborhood with his little red wagon full of bread, ready to introduce the product to unsuspecting future Great Harvest junkies. He even had the courage to stand out on Colorado Boulevard and hand out sweets and bread to people frenetically driving by on their way to work.
As I've gotten to know Barry, I've realized the complexity of this man and his skills that he never talks about - like his woodworking craftsmanship, and the fact that he was an expert technical climber, an expert tele skier, not to mention a music connoisseur. One of my favorite Barry stories came from a regional gathering of owners in southern Colorado. We were commencing on an 8-mile hike. Barry was wearing sandals and I asked if he was going to hike in those. He looked at me and said, "no", took the sandals off, put them in his pack and proceeded to hike the entire distance in his bare feet. There is no doubt, "Barry rules."
His passion for learning and desire to make the world a better 
place is exemplified by his most recent pursuit. When asked what he was going to do next he replied, "Bring the big oil companies to their knees." What does this mean? He's pursuing a career in alternative energy. The field is lucky to have his passion and his genius. We love you, Barry. Please keep in touch!