Circle of Friends and Family
Maybe it was just me, but I don’t think so. This Great Harvest Convention felt special. They’re all wonderful, but this one felt over the top good. Maybe it was in part the setting on beautiful Marco Island, FL, and the fact that many of us 
were in need of sunshine after a long winter. But it was more. Speeches were spot on. Key note speakers spoke to the heart of what we care about, sessions left owners with great tools and resources to take back to their bakeries all over the country. The tribute to our late bakery owner and friend, Jack Corkey, touched all in the room, even those who didn’t know him. The auction and fundraising for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society for late owner and friend, Mauri Booten, gave a sense of solidarity and purpose in honoring our late friend and helping cancer victims. Jack and Mauri’s wives, Laurie and Mary, were both there to share, and to be embraced by their Great Harvest family and friends. The whole event spoke of Community, Friends and Love.
It made me reflect back to our first Convention in Jackson Hole, WY in the early 1990’s. I had been with the Franchise several years. Many of the people I’d met over the phone, but never in person. It was the same for many of them. The Convention was like a fun family reunion. I vividly remember sitting at a table during one of the lunches with a vendor who told me he’d never seen anything like this gathering. Everyone genuinely cared for one another and enjoyed each other’s company, like close friends and family. He had attended many Conventions that were political and back-biting. He looked at me very directly, to be sure I understood what he was saying, and told me we had something very special.
Well, that specialness is not only still there, it’s evolved in a remarkable way. Pete and Laura Wakeman, founders of this unique “people-based” company 
back in the 1970’s, passed the torch to a new set of owners almost exactly 10 years ago to date. Mike Ferretti, CEO, and Nido Quebin, Chairman of the Board, have not only carried the torch, but added their own flair to what was already there. Nido, a renowned inspirational speaker in his own right, has brought in many great speakers and inspiration from his connections within the speaking circuit. Though Mike isn’t fond of speaking, his sincere manner and concern for the welfare of the bakeries and staff, speaks volumes.
Then there are the individual bakery owners and the staff in Dillon. There are many connections and friendships within the Great Harvest Community, some that go way back and many that are more recent, but all these connections speak of much more than business. Great Harvest is truly a community that exudes fun and deep caring. There are few Franchises, if any, where store owners are encouraged to communicate with each other and share ideas, experience and knowledge. Inevitably from these communications, friendships form. At the Franchise office, every person cares about the welfare of the bakeries and does their best to help them succeed. It’s much more than a job.
How does something like this come about? It comes back to the people…surrounding yourself with people who care, who have the desire to make things better and the passion to live a Mission Statement like this one: “Be Loose and Have Fun, Bake Phenomenal Bread, Run Fast to Help Customers, Create Strong Exciting Bakeries, and Give Generously to others.” The end result? Not only a successful company, but a superb “Circle of Friends and Family”.
