Before McDonald’s

I’d spent my life in the legal profession – from student right through to senior leadership. However, I’d always aspired to have a family business that drew upon the skills that me and my wife had honed in business and people management.

My connection with McDonald’s

McDonald’s was the first and only organisation that I wanted to invest in – I knew that I needed a healthy challenge to take on. The selection process took six months of interviews and restaurant visits.

What inspired me to become a McDonald’s Franchisee

In my old job, I often found myself referencing McDonald’s as a benchmark of excellence. I thought, instead of talking about it, why not be a part of it? I’d often sit in corners of different restaurants at different times of day pretending to work so that I could watch the Crew and customers because I found it fascinating.

Top insight

Don’t expect to come in, park your money and watch the figures rack up on the spreadsheet. Being a Franchisee is a way of life, rather than a job. You’ll really understand the meaning of 24/7.

My growth

When the time comes to reflect on my career, I’ll want to look back knowing that we created something special and had fun along the way. It took a lot of bottle to swap a shirt and tie for a Crew uniform. But, in my kids’ eyes, it’s much cooler running a McDonald’s business than being a solicitor.