God Given Gifts // Living Your Dreams, Part 12

Each one of us has some dream for our lives.  The trick is making sure that the dream matches our God-given abilities. In today’s program I’m joined again by a special guest – Peter Irvine the former Managing Director of Gloria Jeans Coffees.  

It's a fantastic thing that God puts dreams into our hearts. Some people live out those dreams in amazing ways; others have dreams but they never take that first step. And yet others set out on their dreams and, at some point, they end up wondering, “Am I really cut out for this. Do I really have the skills and abilities to live this dream?” This week we are joined by Peter Irvine, the managing director of Gloria Jeans Coffees. Over the last ten years, Peter's been involved in growing the Gloria Jean's chain from two stores in 1995 to how many today, Peter?

Peter Irvine: Two hundred and sixty-one stores.

Berni Dymet: That's awesome. You know, that's quite a…I mean, that's amazing in ten years. And as we were talking yesterday, this year you finalized the transaction to take over the brand globally.

Peter Irvine: That's right.

Berni Dymet: So, Gloria Jeans global is now Australian owned. That's fabulous! Now, pardon me for asking. But you came from an advertising and marketing background; I heard someone say once that marketing is the ultimate triumph of style over substance which is not a bad definition. It might be a bit rude, but what made you think that you could get involved in the "coffee game" coming from an advertising and marketing background?

Peter Irvine: Well, I don't see that we are limited. If God calls something into being, then He is going to provide the resourcing; He's going to provide the people; He's going to provide the wherewithal to make it happen. And we certainly have seen that through our business. But when both parties…my partner, Nabi Selah, he comes from a coffee growing, coffee roasting, coffee procurement (and tea as well)…he was bringing that already into the country and had worked on plantations roasting coffee. And I was coming from a background of marketing and understanding, to some extent, franchising, working very closely with McDonalds for 30 years.

Berni Dymet: Right.

Peter Irvine: And certainly other clients in the retail sector. So, when you bring those experiences and disciplines together, you've got a reasonable package to work from. But, on the other hand, I believe you can take someone and if they know the job, they've got the experience, they can come into a position and be able to start helping, assisting and building the product because they have an openness to learn; they know the disciplines. They just learn about the business as they are going along and can make the right decisions.

Berni Dymet: Let's say you hadn't been involved with McDonalds for thirty years, and you had been involved in other areas. Would you still have done this if you felt that God was calling you to do it?

Peter Irvine: Oh, most definitely. Because we are a franchising business, if you don't understand franchising and you are not used to dealing with franchisees, it's pretty scary. And some of our people, who come and join us, have a real head-change in how to deal in this type of business because franchisees, yes, have to follow the system; but they are unique individuals.

Berni Dymet: So, when, at the early stages, when you were planning this venture, what I hear you saying is that you had a sense that you had the right skills and background but not all of the answers, not all of the skills.

Peter Irvine: Well, I don't think we always have the answers. As we grow, we learn. I mean when we opened the first store, it was difficult but easy in some ways. You didn't know the obstacles, the opposition.

Berni Dymet: Ignorance is bliss.

Peter Irvine: That's right, it was. And you just plow through and you just assume certain things. And, in fact, I think some people thought, “Oh, these guys are fairly naïve in this. We'll help them out.” When you start on the second, third, fourth and fifth store, you know what happens. You know the obstacles. And, I think, you are anticipating them. And that's a problem. And you've got to get your head around that. And just try and plow through them or push them aside.

Berni Dymet: What are some of the things that you are really good at and some of the things that, maybe, you are not so good at that you have had to find other people to be involved?

Peter Irvine: Well, I'm a bit of a "jack of all trades." I know a bit about a lot of things which is dangerous in itself. But the real strengths, I guess, are working with people, being able to mot