The impact of a great mentor: Gregg Majewski talks with Bob Norman

Interview between Gregg Majewski and Bob Norman about leading by example, the importance of training, and Jimmy John’s impact on his career.

Key Takeaways

Leadership by Example: What Makes Bob Norman a Great Franchise Operator - Bob Norman credits his success as an operator to the mentorship he received from Jimmy John Liautaud, emphasizing the importance of leading by example. He believes that you can only expect from others what you’ve demonstrated yourself, a principle he applies both in business and in his personal life.
Training, Trust, and the Third Store - Bob Norman believes that as a company scales, operators will have to learn to trust others to run the various locations and embrace training so that new locations can hit the ground running and continue to increase knowledge in order to operate with sustained excellence.
Jimmy John’s Lasting Influence - Gregg Majewski and Bob Norm have a relationship that stretches back to their days within Jimmy Johns. Much like Gregg, Bob reveres Jimmy John's founder and reminisces happily about the times they shared.

In this special episode of Room for Seconds, host Gregg Majewski introduces a guest who has played a pivotal role in shaping his career and life. With over 27 years of friendship and mentorship tracing back to their days working together at Jimmy Johns, Bob Norman was instrumental in Majewski/s growth as an operator. Majewskin credits Norman not only for teaching him the fundamentals of operations but for fostering a bond that helped him achieve success both personally and professionally.

Leading by Example

Norman attributes much of his success to the mentorship of Jimmy John's founder, Jimmy John Liautaud. He emphasized the importance of leading by example, a principle instilled in him early on. Norman says this mindset not only guided his career but also influenced his personal life as a parent. Leading by example became the foundation of his leadership style, both in his business and family life.

“You have to lead by example," Norman shared. "You can't expect someone to do something that you haven't shown that you're willing to do yourself.”

Training and Trusting to Scale

One of the biggest challenges in Norman's career came when he expanded from managing two stores to three. At that point, he had to fully embrace the concept of trust and training. Scaling a business meant he could no longer be hands-on at every location, which required him to trust others and focus on building a strong training program. The key to successful expansion, he discovered, was creating a foundation where new locations could thrive through rigorous training and a focus on certification.

"You have to have a foundation and training. And I really had to embrace training more than I ever have.” Norman explained. “Once you embrace the training aspect, you can really scale that out," Norman explained.

Jimmy John's Influence

Norman also spoke fondly of his lasting relationship with Jimmy John Liautaud. Beyond business, Liautaud was a significant figure in Norman's personal life, providing support during tough times and fostering a familial atmosphere within the company. Norman reminisced about the generosity and camaraderie that Liautaud offered, recalling trips to Wisconsin where Liautaud would open his family’s compound and cook for his team.

“He's the founder of a company. He could have been doing whatever, but he took the time to be there for me.” Norman states underscoring the unique bond that made Jimmy John's more than just a company, but a family. "Who does that?"

Norman's journey is a testament to the power of mentorship, trust, and the importance of creating a strong foundation through training and leadership by example.

This episode is a heartfelt tribute to Bob’s impact on Gregg’s journey and a celebration of the people who help shape our paths in unexpected ways.

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About Gregg Majewski

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands.

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Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands

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