There is an allure to owning your own business — liberation, control, and doing what you are passionate about. Rather than receiving the same paycheck each month — regardless of your efforts — your bottom line will reflect what you put into your business. There are certainly risks, but for many the benefits far outweigh them.
Great Harvest is a Freedom Franchise, with each bakery individually owned and operated. Our owners enjoy a balance of freedom and security. They have the freedom that comes from owning their own business and the security of having tools and systems provided to them if they choose.
We Can Help You Map Your Success
At the franchise office, we are here to help our owners and we love to do so. However, we can only help so much — all actions are ultimately the responsibility of the owner. Owner horsepower and leadership are incredibly important to the success of their bakery. A great location, great products, and great crew will not make an owner successful and happy; it must be intrinsic — the owner must drive their own success and ultimately their own pursuit of happiness.
Success is the achievement of a goal. A goal without a plan leaves one grasping for anything and hoping to clasp onto something that will pull them one step closer to their objective. This mindset leaves one at the mercy of chance, rather than embracing the opportunity to control one’s own future. A goal ought to have a map:
“A map says to you, ‘Read me carefully, follow me closely, doubt me not.’ It says, ‘I am the earth in the palm of your hand. Without me, you are alone and lost.’” —Beryl Markham in West with the Night 1
At Great Harvest, we can help to create a map that leads to the goal destination, but following the path is ultimately the responsibility and choice of the individual.
Passion and the pursuit of happiness bring new owners into the Great Harvest family. Happiness, to borrow from Galt’s speech (in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged), is “that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values.” To be happy is a moral decision — but first, you must know what you believe to be moral:
“ . . .neither life nor happiness can be achieved by the pursuit of irrational whims . . .The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live.” —Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged 2
Once you know which values you strive to live by then you can deduce how they may be achieved, thus creating your map to happiness.
The Power of Choice: You Choose
Choosing to be a part of the Great Harvest family is a decision made with passion — a step in one’s pursuit of happiness. What is it about Great Harvest that instigates such happiness? Consider our Mission Statement:
Be Loose & Have Fun,
Bake Phenomenal Bread.
Run Fast to Help Customers.
Create Strong & Exciting Bakeries.
And, Give Generously to Others. ®
Our Mission Statement is founded upon the values of rationality, quality, responsibility, generosity, and integrity. If these values align with yours, and happiness is the achievement of one’s values, then being a part of the Great Harvest family and embracing our shared values can bring your passions and success to fruition.
Further, you choose. You choose to be happy. Here is a real-life bakery story:
Upon opening, the bakery was an immediate hit — the high volume production did not slow for months. The owner — however grateful — was exhausted, stressed, overworked, and ultimately, short-tempered. His attitude was affecting the entire staff, and morale was low. One day, the owner walked into the bakery and his behavior was completely different — he was cheerful, cracking jokes and smiling. Smiling. The staff, bewildered enough to forget Emily Post’s etiquette recommendations, asked what had changed. The owner matter-of-factly answered, “I got tired of being angry, so I decided to be happy.”
This was a monumental turning point for the bakery. Sure, the owner still had rough days, but he committed to his decision to be happy, and his staff reflected his change. Owner presence, leadership and integrity are hugely important to the atmosphere of the bakery. Does an owner have to always make the right decisions and always be improving upon yesterday’s sales? Of course not; even Clark Kent had bad days.
Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, said:
“The difference between people who succeed and people who fail, I think in many cases it’s not fear. Everyone experiences fear. The difference is: what do you do with your fear? Do you work to overcome it or do you let it defeat you? And I think that is actually what distinguishes very successful people from others.”
In the case of the overwhelmed bakery owner — he overcame his fear, adjusted his outlook, and has since continued to be a very successful bakery owner with a hard-working, efficient and happy staff.
Introducing a New Blog Series on Success via Pursuit of Passion
The pursuit of a passion is the pursuit of happiness. However, not every passion leads to a lucrative career. How have people successfully turned their passions into a career? What decisions did they make? What character traits do they exude? I will follow this blog with a series of profiles on people who have attained success through the pursuit of their passions, examining their characters and drawing out the traits that have directly influenced their achievements.
Start Now
Whether you are a bakery owner, prospective owner, or someone who just likes to follow the Bread Business Blog, here is what you can do today to start to drive your passions toward success:
- Know what you want. What is important to you, and why? How are your core values reflected?
- Take control. When you decide what you want, commit to it. Do not hope that it will happen — make it so.
- Pursue your happiness.
Do your values align with the Great Harvest Mission Statement? Are you committed to controlling your own future? Do your passions include running a small business, producing quality sandwiches, breads, and goodies, and leading through example? If so, click on the button below to get more information about joining the Great Harvest family.
Download Great Harvest’s Franchise Information Packet:
You may also enjoy reading these posts about creating success in the Bread Business:
- 10 Characteristics of Successful Great Harvest Bakery Owners
- Bakery Magic No Accident in Owensboro: Owner Horsepower is Key
- What's the Secret to Finding (& Keeping) Great Bakery Employees?
Works Cited:
1 Markham, Beryl. West with the Night. San Francisco: North Point, 1983. Print.
2 Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. New York: Random House, 1957. Print.
Image credits: © Wavebreak Media Ltd. / 123RF Stock Photo; © olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo; © luismolinero / 123RF Stock Photo, all modified by text overlay.
