Leading with Passion, Purpose & Loyalty w/ Paul Pickett

What does it take to build a franchise brand that puts people first and thrives for over thirty-five years?

In today’s episode, Paul Pickett, Chief Development Office of Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU), shares what has been key in making WBU successful over the last 35+ years.

The first key to success is having a strong values-driven culture. Paul shares how his mantra of “How you do anything is how you do everything” has helped shape not only his leadership but the franchise’s commitment to excellence, genuine feedback, and fostering a voice for every team member and customer. And Paul unpacks how WBU has maintained its strong people-first culture despite growing to over 360+ locations. Paul digs into his “How did we do” culture, transparency with feedback, and why being open to criticism (and actually doing something about it) is critical for long-term success.

Paul’s career with Wild Birds Unlimited has perfectly combined his love of birds, nature and people. Paul joined the WBU team as the first full time employee in 1989 shortly after graduating with his Master’s Degree in Biology/Ornithology from the University of North Dakota.  He has over 35 years of experience in working with potential franchisees as they join the WBU team and manages all of the real estate and legal responsibilities for the WBU system.  Paul is a frequent speaker at franchising conferences and sits on the IFA’s Convention Committee and Franchisor Forum.  Additionally, Paul is co-founder and Chair of the IFA Franchise Pride Leadership Council, serves on IFA Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is a member of the IFA Foundation’s Diversity Committee.  One of the highlights of his career was chairing the 2018 Franchise Update Leadership and Development conference. In 2020, Paul was honored to receive the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee Crystal Compass Award for his significant contributions through leadership within the franchise community. Paul was recently awarded the 2023 Ronald E. Harrison Diversity Award, honoring his commitment to fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in our community.

So, if you are looking for actionable insights on how to build lasting franchisee satisfaction, integrate feedback into your company DNA, and lead with both empathy and uncompromising ethics then this episode is for you!

Connect with Paul

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-pickett-cfe-2b5b7711/

Episode Highlights:

• Paul Pickett’s early career and origins with Wild Birds Unlimited
• The growth of Wild Birds Unlimited from 28 to over 364 locations
• Importance of

Franchise Directory - https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-franchise-directory

Franchise Registry - https://www.franchiseregistry.com/

Current SBA SOP - https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs

Connect with Tracy

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-panase/

JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale

JBF Franchise System - https://jbfsalefranchise.com/

Email: [e-mail]

Connect with Shannon

Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/

JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsa