"The Master value is trust. There are no relationships that can survive for very long without it."

- Jim Amos

What I’m Planning to Do Next

February 14th, 2013

I’ll be sharing knowledge as an educator, member of several boards, author and advocate for small business and veterans.

Thirty years of leading national and worldwide companies provides a useful perch for observing the economy, as well as a lot of hard-won lessons. There’s nothing quite like the perspective you can gain by spending time in the C-Suite, devising strategies, developing profitable enterprises, stumbling and making friendships along the way.

I’m determined not to let those lessons go to waste.  For the last 10 years, one of the greatest pleasures of my career has come from using my experience to guide business colleagues and companies as a member of several boards of directors. Over the course of my career, I’ve grown companies amid Jimmy Carter’s stagflation, the Ronald Reagan supply-side economic boom, the recession of the early 1990s, the Internet revolution, and the Great Recession.

I’ve earned plenty of scars along the way, and I’m happy to explain every scar, how I got it, and how it might have been avoided in order to help other companies prosper.

Ready to share my experiences, advice

After three decades of leading companies like Tasti D-Lite, Planet Smoothie, Mail Boxes Etc., and I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt, I’m ready to move into an advisory role, which will allow me to more broadly share my experience and guidance with companies both in and outside of franchising, and free me to share in other ways, as well.

I am on or have been on the board for the National Veteran’s Administration, The Marine Military Academy, The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Procter and Gamble’s Agile Pursuits, Zig Ziglar Corporation, WSI of Canada, The University of Missouri, The HealthStore Foundation and Ken Blanchard’s Faith Walk Leadership Foundation — and I’m eager to share my experience with anyone who may benefit. I’d love to add my perspective to two or three more boards over the next year.

I also plan to continue to share lessons as an author and as a speaker. I’ve written or co-authored several books — The Memorial, Focus or Failure: America at the Crossroads, The Transparent Leader, Corporate Giants, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Franchising, Above and Beyond, Living An Uncommon Life, and most recently The Tasti D-Lite Way — and I have another book in the works.

I also hope to continue teaching MBA classes as a guest lecturer. It’s rewarding as a businessman to be able to go in and speak to young people about the realities of the battlefield.

Finally, I will continue to invest in promising companies. With the economy beginning to grow and new lending solutions starting to emerge, now is an excellent time for a savvy investor to assist promising franchises and help boost the economy through the growth of new and exciting concepts.

As I said, I’m looking to share as much as I can to help our nation and everyone in the business world succeed. If I can be of help, I hope you’ll reach out to me.

 

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