How Red Chickz founder went from dishwasher to national brand builder

Paths to Success: Achieving the American Dream 

What if your next breakthrough came from a dishwasher-turned-Founder or a tech innovator who transformed chaos into a scalable business? This episode of Founderology – Built to Breakthrough is packed with real-world insights for Founders building bold growth for lasting impact.

In “Paths to Success: Achieving the American Dream,” you’ll hear the powerful journeys of Shawn Lalehzarian, Founder of Red Chickz, and John Dorer, Founder of EB3.Work. These are journeys of success—they're living proof that with vision, grit, and the right strategies, anything is possible.

Inspiring Paths for Making Your Dream a Reality

From Dishwasher to National Brand Builder: Shawn came to the U.S. from Iran not knowing English. He started in the dish pit and never left the restaurant industry. Today, he’s leading Red Chickz with over 1 million TikTok followers, multiple locations, and a growing franchise system. 

Shawn’s ability to transform setbacks—like a one-star Yelp review—into fuel for growth is a strategy every Founder can learn and be inspired by as they grow they transform their dream to reality. 

Workforce Solutions that Fuel Growth: John Dorer saw the labor crisis in the restaurant industry and stepped up with a smart solution. His company, EB3.Work, helps multi-unit restaurant operators overcome high turnover and chronic staffing shortages by connecting them with qualified international workers through the EB-3 visa program. 

These are vetted, committed team members who want to build long-term careers in hospitality—providing operators with the stability and reliability they’ve been struggling to find.

Key Founder Insights from Shawn and John

Your past is preparation: From early jobs to hard lessons, every experience is equipping you for what’s next.

Use adversity as a catalyst: That one-star review? Shawn turned it into his blueprint for franchising. Your criticism could be your next great idea.

There is no one path to success: John develops the paths for highly qualified international workers to  connect with multi-unit operators so they both can achieve their vision and goals. 

Solve real problems with real systems: From TikTok marketing to immigration support, these Founders built solutions that deliver results.

Focus on solutions, not setbacks: “Spend 30 seconds on the problem—and three minutes on the solution.” That mindset alone can transform your leadership.

If You’re a Founder with Big Goals, this is 40 Minutes Well Spent

Whether you're trying to grow your brand, build a high-performance team, or solve your staffing crisis—this episode offers practical insights and bold strategies to help you do it better, faster, and with more purpose.

Discover what’s possible when you align your passion with purpose—and your systems and solutions with scale.

The restaurant industry is still the one industry where anyone at any time can put themselves on a path to living their American Dream. 

Listen now to “Paths to Success – Achieving the American Dream” on Founderology – Built to Breakthrough.