I have never believed a business is fixed by a strategy deck. It is fixed by the people on the floor, and by a leader willing to develop them.
That conviction was formed over more than a decade in the pastorate, leading congregations across several Willow Creek Association churches, sharpened across five years training every new store manager and district manager in a Starbucks region, tested inside a Fortune 100 company where I ran IT training for five thousand employees, and proved out as an owner: my wife Jen and I bought a struggling Traverse City market in 2017, and the turnaround came from hiring well, paying well, training relentlessly, and refusing to panic-hire when it got hard.
The one constant across all four is people — hiring systems, wage and benefit design, training and retention. Sales doubled. The team went from 12 to more than 60. Retention ran near three times service-industry norms. We sold at record profitability in 2024 — and I had already run the same playbook through three separate Starbucks store turnarounds, each with double-digit comparable sales growth.
Leading a $2.9M ground-up development: an 8,137 sq ft Italian market, deli and café opening in 2027 with roughly 60 team members. Site selection, lease negotiation, capital structure, architecture and buildout, national vendor partnerships, the operating system and the hiring plan. The first Boar's Head Market of Distinction in the Southeast.
Transitioned a traditional convenience store into a national award-winning specialty food market. Doubled sales from $2M to $4M in five years and grew the team from 12 to more than 60. Added a world-class coffee program, launched a mobile ordering and loyalty app that drove roughly 9% of annual sales, and brought in more than 10,000 new SKUs. Earned the National Boar's Head Market of Distinction and operated the highest deli-slicing volume of any in the country. Named a Homebase 2024 Best Places to Work national winner; two State of Michigan Congressional Awards. Sold in 2024 at record profitability.
Led the IT training team supporting more than 1,500 business applications for over 5,000 employees. Served as SharePoint administrator, building and maintaining sites with subject-matter experts across the business, and coordinated large IT projects directly with executive vice presidents and directors. Completed the Devon Energy Leadership Program in 2015.
Led three separate stores through turnarounds with double-digit comparable sales growth over five years. Stores consistently ranked in the region's top 10; one ranked top 25 nationally for drive-through transactions. Trained every new store manager and district manager in the region and served as its Lean Lead. Received the President's Award from Howard Schultz for organizing a national service event with more than 300 employees.
More than ten years leading congregations affiliated with the Willow Creek Association, including neighborhood ministry for a satellite campus of the third-largest church in the United States. Raised close to $140,000 in support through internal and external donors, and held full accountability for nonprofit organizations — budget, staff, volunteers and facilities. Running an organization on influence rather than authority is still the foundation of how I lead.
Starbucks Coffee Company, for a national service event with 300+ employees
State of Michigan, for community service
Fresh Coast Market, 2021–2024; highest deli-slicing volume in the country
National award, 2024
Cornerstone University, 2005 — Dean's List, Honors, 3.65 GPA
Legacy Christian Homeschool Co-op, a 501(c)(3) grown to 50+ families in year one