Great Clips CEO Steve Hockett readily acknowledges how unlikely it seems for him to become the leader of North America’s largest salon brand, especially considering the rocky start to his franchising career.
In the 1980s, Steve owned a Great Clips salon—a venture he openly admits wasn’t very successful. (He’s quick to point out that his salon was located between a golf course, a convent, and a cemetery—not exactly ideal for attracting customers in search of a great haircut!)
Fortunately, Steve rose above that low point in his career, and in the accompanying article in Franchising World, he shares key business and life lessons from his 37 years with Great Clips. Here’s an excerpt of what Steve had to say. (You can read the entire article here.)
IN HIS OWN WORDS: Steve Hockett
Many of you reading this are on your own franchising journey, and no matter how different our stories are, I’m sure we have a few things in common—a phone call that changed our career path, a failure that reminded us of what we’re better off doing, an opportunity that opened just in time.
Even if your current path doesn’t parallel my personal journey, I hope some of my life lessons and perspective will help reassure you.
Best Advice Ever Received: “It’s Not Personal. It’s Business.”
Whether celebrating success or managing a difficult situation, some of the best advice I’ve ever received was from a Great Clips franchisee who told me (when I was a fellow Great Clips franchisee), “Steve, our interactions relating to Great Clips are all business—it’s nothing personal.”
While I have great personal relationships with franchisees, when it comes down to making tough decisions, answering tough questions, or dealing with challenging situations, the best thing we can do for all involved is to keep it all about the business. Don’t let emotions take over. Don’t let personal feelings get in the way.
This advice has allowed me to place a clean, clear, and intentional focus on the good of the system, brand, and franchisees.
What I Wish More People Knew: “Franchising Opens Unexpected Doors and Opportunities.”
I’m a small-town kid from rural South Dakota who has experienced all three legs of the franchising stool. I’ve been a franchisee. I’ve been a franchisor. I’ve helped build a franchise supplier business.
Did I excel at all three? No. But even as I failed as a franchisee, I saw my opportunities to excel as a franchise leader and supplier. That’s what makes franchising so powerful: the ability to grow alongside the great people in this industry and take advantage of opportunities as you get to know how everything and everyone works together.
From there, it’s just a matter of developing and applying your unique strengths to a brand you love or a problem you were born to solve.
What I Would Tell Myself Before I Started: “Respect the Three Ps: Patience. Presence. Performance.”
One of the reasons I’m where and who I am today is because I let failure refine—not define—me. If I could push rewind and whisper three words of success to my former self, it would be these:
• Patience Trust the process, but put the work in. Make stuff happen, but don’t outrun what you can do.
• Presence Understand and prepare for where you are, who you serve, what you need to deliver, and how you’ll get it done. Presence is what powers influence, the strongest fuel in franchising.
• Performance Quite simply, you have to deliver for the franchise, your customers, and yourself. Confidence speaks volumes. Results speak for themselves.
If I had known more about these three Ps when I was just starting out, I may have saved myself a few headaches, but I honestly wouldn’t change my journey for anything. It has been an amazing ride. That’s because it’s our personal journeys that inform our reactions to challenges, successes, and opportunities—and the stories we tell ourselves throughout the process.
Thank you, Steve, for sharing these great life lessons. Your thoughts on patience, presence, and performance are so helpful for anyone navigating their own franchise journey. We’re lucky to have your leadership at Great Clips, and we appreciate how you continue to inspire and support us all!
Beth Nilssen
Director of Franchise Development | Great Clips, Inc.
800-947-1143 | [email protected]
If you’d like to know more about being a Great Clips franchisee and how the team at the corporate office would support you as you build a hair salon franchise, give me a call! I’d love to talk with you.