Authors Clint and DeAnna Lewis: Why A Personal Connection Is The Key To Retaining Employees
By: Jilea Hemmings
Tags: Franchise, Faith, Business, Franchising, Finance

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

We are in the food industry and we serve a crave-able concept…flavored chicken wings ie. Wingstop. What was once upon a time served as an appetizer is now the main course meal.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company?

We still laugh at this to this day, when we opened our first Wingstop in Bakersfield, the brand was very new to California, several customers came to the restaurant thinking we were Red Wing Shoe Repair. If you look at both logos, I understand the confusion. Once they got in the door, they ordered food even if that wasn’t their initial intention.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful to who helped get you to where you are?

There have been several mentors that have guided us and given us advice on navigating life and business from our pastor being our spiritual advisor and so many others in the business that took us under their wings and walked us through the journey in becoming restaurateurs in both Wingstop and Fatburger brand. Now we pay it forward by mentoring others that are just getting started in business from selling t-shirts to opening restaurants.

Are you working on any exciting projects now?

Yes, we are so excited to have launched our brand new co-authored book, Faith, Family & Franchise, and looking forward to hosting our very first book tour this Fall, coming to a city near you. Our book is available on our website www.faithfamilyfranchise.com and everywhere books are sold, on eBooks as well.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We have been so blessed by our success that it has always been our mission to give back to the community that has supported us for over 15 years. We are proud scholarship sponsors for Cal State University of Bakersfield and Harvest Connections Bakersfield. As part of our community outreach, we sponsor and support several local high school athletic programs and provide complete meals for over 250 families and growing during the winter holiday season. In 2019 we sponsored our first backpack giveaway to K-12 students.

Can you share what excites you most about your industry? Can you share what concerns you most?

- Food industry, people will always eat and dining out is a social experience as well.

-Our employees become our family, we see them start with us and we experience their growth, even with their families, some employees started with us with small children who have grown up and now work for us as their first job, that’s rewarding.

-Being part of a brand that when we became franchisees had only 200 stores to know have 1500+ locations and are a publicly-traded company on the stock market.

-Our biggest concern is serving COVID 19 pandemic and what the economy will look like when it is over.

Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life?

There are so many books of choice, Rich Dad- Poor Dad, Think and Grow Rich. The most influential book for us is the Bible, because of it we are better people independent of and for each other, our spiritual walk is as important as our business life. Helps us to stay committed to each other and humbled by all the blessings we have received.

Can you share “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started In The Food Industry”?

-Understand that it’s a full-time business 7 days a week 365 days a year.

-Not taking some of the disappointments and dishonesty of employees personal, it will happen in a cash business.

-Do not grow/expand too fast.

-Make sure you understand your numbers and count up the cost of doing business.

-Surround yourself with the right successful people in your industry. Mentorship is important.

What advice would you give to other CEO’s or founders to help their companies to thrive?

Connect with your employees, let them know you appreciate them from the beginning and not just when you are called out about some injustice, after showing bias or discrimination grievance shows up. The connection is the key to retention of employees, even the ones that leave you will never forget the impact you made on their lives.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

My goal and dream would be to teach finance or have a finance curriculum in grade school, never to early to learn money matters. Finance is more than just making money and learning how to count money, learning to invest, and save is especially important.

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

From your mouth to God’s ear lol 😊 We would love to have a conversation with King LeBron James. LeBron has stayed connected to his original core of support, not just bringing them along but bringing them up with him. His core group is all educated and a part of his brand. He’s socially connected to the community and gives back through advocacy and education. He is also a businessman, even invested in a food concept brand Blaze Pizza. LeBron has a wealth of information we could glean from.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

Instagram: @faithfamilyfranchise

Facebook: Faith Family Franchise

Twitter: Faith Family Franchise

Website: www.faithfamilyfranchise.com

Email: info@faithfamilyfranchise.com