If You Want to be an Owner, You Must Act Like an Owner

Ah, the age-old question, “How did you become an owner?” People have been asking me that one for years, followed by the classic, “How can I do it too?” Well, my response is as predictable as my morning coffee order: “To become an owner, you have to start by acting like one.” Easier said than done, right? But this mindset has been my path to leadership and ownership. Sure, owning a business requires more than just a visionary attitude; that attitude is the secret sauce.

Let’s rewind the clock to my college days at ASU. I found myself in the most unexpected gig: an Assistant Manager at a Taco Bell franchise. From an operational standpoint, it was like the Bermuda Triangle of Taco Bells, swallowing profits and customer satisfaction. Coming from a Taco Bell in Ohio, where we were running a tight ship, this was like switching from a sleek sports car to a rusty tricycle. After just three months, I was ready to trade my manager’s cap for a military helmet. But my buddy from Ohio, Greg Albrecht, talked me down from that ledge.

Picture this: an eighteen-year-old freshman (me), my sister Tammie, and Greg. We sat down and cooked up a business plan. It outlined my potential role as General Manager to turn things around. The franchise owner faced tough times and granted me a three-month interim deal at the meager wage of five bucks an hour. Fast forward three and a half years, while attending ASU, I ran that Taco Bell like it was my family business. We took it from the state’s worst performer to the top dog, with sales and profits tripling.

Now, here’s the kicker. When I finally handed in my notice to the franchise owner, he dropped a bombshell, “Good, now I get my Bell back!” Initially, that stung like pouring hot sauce in my eye, but soon, I realized something—I had transcended the role of a manager. I had adopted the mindset of an ‘owner.’

But what’s this whole ‘owner’ mindset, you ask? Well, it’s a cocktail of principles:

• Join the “figure things out” club.
• Don’t kick the can down the road; tackle problems head-on.
• Hug those problems like a teddy bear until they’re solved.
• Drive out waste, theft, and inefficiencies.
• Never think you’re all that and a bag of chips, and don’t believe your own press clippings.
• Make that money and keep the ship sailing.
• Adapt and evolve, like a chameleon at a disco party, changing colors with each new song.
• Pour your heart and soul into it.
• Shake your head at failure and give it a wink.
• Invest in people, infrastructure, and community goodwill.

This owner mindset has been my North Star in every job I’ve held, leading me to check “Become an Owner” off my career bucket list. I was even fortunate to have co-founded a legal tech company, Lex Solutio, with my partners Dave Landmeier and Steve Moore. But here’s the kicker: I’d already embraced that owner mentality long before Lex Solutio became a reality.

So, folks, remember this: With the right mindset, even a naive, poor kid from Ohio can go to places he never knew existed. Embrace that ‘owner’ attitude, and you’ll be rolling in the dough or maybe the sour cream.