In this episode recorded in May 2019, we interview Dan and Angie Roberts, our recent winners of the Team Leaders of the Year (2018). The husband-wife duo discuss what first drew them to choosing Sport Clips, how they have achieved a healthy work-life balance and how they overcame challenges in the early days.
| Episode Air Date |
Guest Name |
Guest Title |
Topic(s) |
| June 14, 2019 |
Dan & Angie Roberts |
Team Leaders |
Winning "Team Leaders of the Year" at the 2019 Huddle |
Each episode of the Podcast is also available on iTunes and the Google Play store.
Transcription:
Chad Jordan: Hey, everybody. This is Chad Jordan from Sport Clips. This is another edition of The Sport Clips Hall of Fame Podcast, and hopefully you're watching this on YouTube or you're listening on iTunes or Google Play or SoundCloud, or even on our sportclips.com/podcast website that we have. We've got another great episode for you today. I'm in beautiful Omaha, Nebraska, where they have rolled out the red carpet for the weather for this California boy. We're recording this in, it's the spring, late spring, and it feels like it's in the 30s. I know it's not, but that's what it feels like.
Angie Roberts: I think it's 43.
Chad Jordan: Okay, all right. Well, I'm not used to it. I didn't bring the coats for this, and I'm leaving tonight and I'm not going to miss the cold weather, cold, rainy weather. But, at any rate, having a blast here and the couple that we're going to interview today for the podcast, they are a major reason why I've had such an amazing time in Omaha, and why our clients have such amazing experiences in eight stores right now with a ninth on the way. We're going to get the bottom of kind of the secrets to their success because I don't want them to be secrets, I want them to be shared across all of Sport Clips and the franchise world would be nice.
Without further ado, could I have, let's see, I'm going to go ladies first. Could I have you, young lady, introduce yourself? How about, boy, why don't you give me half of the store numbers and then we'll have your husband give the other half and see if he has them memorized, as well? Yeah, your name and store numbers that you have as part of your repertoire.
Angie Roberts: Angie Roberts, NE101, NE102, NE103, NE104, NE106.
Chad Jordan: Oh.
Angie Roberts: Made it easy for you.
Chad Jordan: Oh. Okay, all right. Okay, that was nice, and then to your left, who do we have?
Dan Roberts: Dan Roberts, and we also run 107, 109, 111, and IA601.
Chad Jordan: All right. They're all what, within half-an-hour of each other or so? They're all pretty clustered, right, around here in Omaha.
Dan Roberts: That's the beautiful thing about Omaha, you're within 20 minutes of everything.
Chad Jordan: Yeah. Although, the roads in Omaha, are in a league of their own, let's put it that way.
Angie Roberts: They're a little rough, right.
Dan Roberts: They actually renamed the triple-A baseball team to the Omaha Potholes.
Chad Jordan: Okay, it's very fitting. Very fitting.
Angie Roberts: It's pretty bad.
Chad Jordan: Fortunately, I've had a great driver, we'll talk about Stephanie here, the area coach here in a little bit. But, the reason we're having this dynamic duo on the podcast is because they were recently named Team Leaders of the Year at our annual convention and they have had a Logan Trophy Store. Let me see if I can get the number right. NE107.
Angie Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Did I get it right? Okay.
Dan Roberts: Nice job.
Chad Jordan: NE107 and that store is, is it Terra Kohler? What's so-
Angie Roberts: Tanya.
Chad Jordan: Tanya, okay. All right.
Angie Roberts: Yup, [Tanya Kohler 00:03:12].
Dan Roberts: Bingo.
Chad Jordan: Okay, Tanya Kohler.
Dan Roberts: That's pretty good.
Chad Jordan: They already are well known in the Sport Clips world for having amazing stores, just really well run, successful stores. At our most recent convention, their name was read off. What happens when they read your name? Who? It was, Edward was reading the names this year. What happens when the names get read and you guys realize you're Team Leaders of the Year? What was that like?
Dan Roberts: We also got to add though, Sandy at E102.
Chad Jordan: Oh, yeah.
Dan Roberts: Was a runner-up-
Chad Jordan: Runner-up.
Dan Roberts: With the Logan Trophy, as well.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, twice. Is that true?
Dan Roberts: Got to give them props.
Chad Jordan: Okay. Yeah, we'll talk about Sandy in a little bit, but you guys were sitting up front, right?
Dan Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: You were kind of close. Now, how did that work? Did you know? Did they say, "Hey, we're going to seat you up front because you're going to have a chance at winning." Or, you just happened to be sitting up front this year?
Angie Roberts: They have a seating order and then I have a seating chart and our area developer was up front this year, so that was exciting. But, the girls, it's kind of comfort, first come, first served. Our girls got down there early and grabbed that table.
Chad Jordan: Oh, yeah, for the awards banquet, you're right, yup.
Angie Roberts: Yup, yeah, so they grabbed that table. I remember looking around at the girls and they were all holding hands, all of our girls at the table. So-
Chad Jordan: What were they praying? What was going on?
Angie Roberts: No, they were just like holding hands. I don't know, maybe, maybe.
Chad Jordan: Having a you know Hail Mary, right?
Dan Roberts: Right, right.
Angie Roberts: Right, right.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: But, fellow team leaders, as you know, I don't know I feel like our managers are kind of like your children and when you take them to the Huddle you feel like Mom and Dad and your eight children at the Huddle. As a parent team leader, I was so proud they're all getting along. Because, eight girls, you sometimes they'll have these-
Chad Jordan: Rawr!
Angie Roberts: I wanted a picture of them all holding hands so the next time we got a phone call from one of them about something the other one did that was annoying, remember, you held hands at the Huddle, I saw you. You do like each other.
Dan Roberts: At one point, you got along.
Angie Roberts: That was really cool, I saw them and then actually, once they said our names, we were, I was shocked. But, it was so cool to see their reactions. They were all crying-
Dan Roberts: Yes, oh, yeah.
Angie Roberts: And hugging and-
Chad Jordan: Was this before or after Hildamay had gotten Manager of the Year?
Angie Roberts: We were first-
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: And then, she was after that.
Chad Jordan: Oh, man, so sheesh. You guys started. Was it right after?
Angie Roberts: I think she was right after us.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: Yeah.
Dan Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: The euphoria hadn't even died down yet after you guys winning.
Angie Roberts: No, no, which made it super fun watching her.
Dan Roberts: I thought one of the things was cool is that in the process, we were, all I could think about was I wanted Hildamay to win. I was like, gosh, I hope she wins, I hope she wins, and then they announce our name and I'm like-
Chad Jordan: What are we up for?
Dan Roberts: Wait a minute, what are we even-
Chad Jordan: We're not managers.
Dan Roberts: What are we even doing here? Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Chad Jordan: That's great.
Dan Roberts: I was just like, I hope Hildamay wins. But, at the same time, when they were holding and... I'm a typical husband, so I don't notice when she gets her hair done. I was kind of oblivious to everybody holding hands, but they were rooting for us at the same time that we were just-
Chad Jordan: Wow, that's neat.
Dan Roberts: Come on, Hildamay, come on Hildamay.
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Angie Roberts: Yeah.
Dan Roberts: And, again, to think that all of their nominations are what got that.
Chad Jordan: Right. We were talking off air. You guys were reminding me, clarifying, you weren't reminding me, you were clarifying, because when I interviewed Hildamay for her podcast, I knew I hadn't gotten the story correct, but I had mentioned to her, I think that Dan or Angie had emailed me asking for, "What are we supposed to do with Manager of the Year nominations?"
But, that didn't make sense because how long have you been Team Leaders?
Angie Roberts: 11 years.
Chad Jordan: 11 years. In those 11 years, you've nominated a manager or two before.
Angie Roberts: We have, we have.
Chad Jordan: Why would you reach out to the social media guy for... We put two and two together off air and realized, Hildamay was the one who emailed me saying, "What are we supposed to do to nominate our Team Leaders?"
Angie Roberts: Aw.
Chad Jordan: Of course, she would have been, what? Her second year-
Angie Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Of being a manager. Of course, she didn't know the process, and I didn't know the process, either. We forwarded it along to the appropriate people.
Dan Roberts: They're pretty resourceful, I think they were trying to work all the angles.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, I'm sure, they're like, "Hey, we know somebody on the inside."
Angie Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Let's-
Angie Roberts: But, that's cool that she felt so comfortable with you-
Chad Jordan: Yeah, that is.
Angie Roberts: That's kudos to you-
Chad Jordan: No, it's-
Angie Roberts: How comfortable managers feel with you.
Chad Jordan: You've got an amazing team here, we're going to talk in today's podcast about your stores, about this market that you found yourself in. What makes them so well run? Like I said, what are some of the secrets? But, I want to get to first, yeah, it's not the BC days, it's the BSC days. Before Sport Clips case. Because, are you both full-time in Sport Clips, or is one of you like an insurance broker or something on the side or you got some?
Angie Roberts: Both full-time.
Dan Roberts: We are both full-time at this point.
Chad Jordan: Okay, both full-time. 11 years in, 8 stores in, you're both full-time.
Dan Roberts: I'm three-and-a-half, almost four years in full-time.
Chad Jordan: Okay, okay. Give me, so take me back, okay so it's 2019, so around 2007 or 2008 you guys are thinking, we need to do something additional to our, add something additional to our lives. Whoever takes this question, take it and run with it. What was your life looking like at that time and what made you lean towards Sport Clips?
Dan Roberts: Well, we had been transferred to Omaha through my professional career and-
Chad Jordan: Which was what? Is it like, were you a top secret government or something, I still can't get out of you what you were doing before this.
Dan Roberts: Right, right. I was in medical sales.
Chad Jordan: Okay. Oh, that's why, it was so exciting that you didn't want to-
Dan Roberts: Surgical sales.
Chad Jordan: Okay, you didn't want to represent because it's just-
Dan Roberts: It was a very good job and if you know anything about the surgical world, it's pretty high pressure.
Chad Jordan: My dad was an OR nurse, so-
Angie Roberts: Oh, yeah.
Dan Roberts: Okay.
Chad Jordan: I know a little bit about surgery.
Dan Roberts: Pretty high pressure stuff and I liked it and it offered me a lot of opportunities but I thought, there's got to be a better way because, a lot of those companies were led by fear. In other words, if you don't-
Chad Jordan: You better sell or else.
Dan Roberts: If you don't get the job done there's 150 people behind you that would love your job.
Chad Jordan: I know that sales world very well, yeah.
Dan Roberts: Right, right. I traveled quite a bit.
Chad Jordan: Were you based out of here already?
Dan Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: You relocated here-
Angie Roberts: We're both from Iowa.
Dan Roberts: Correct.
Chad Jordan: From Iowa.
Dan Roberts: At that time, I covered Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota. So, if you think the weather is bad here...
Chad Jordan: It only gets worse to the north.
Angie Roberts: North, yeah.
Chad Jordan: And more again-
Dan Roberts: Right, right, right.
Chad Jordan: The more north you go.
Dan Roberts: I remember being in North Dakota once and I threw out a hot cup of coffee and it crystallized instantly.
Chad Jordan: Oh, sheesh. Yeah, like those viral videos we've seen.
Dan Roberts: That's an example, but, I just didn't want to miss all the kids stuff.
Chad Jordan: What kids?
Dan Roberts: We were building a family.
Chad Jordan: Okay, so how old are your kids now?
Dan Roberts: Well, I'll show you.
Chad Jordan: You've got some photo, man, this guy is prepared, brought photos, you got something else, another prop for me.
Dan Roberts: Today.
Chad Jordan: All right. That's what they look today. All right.
Dan Roberts: Yup, yup, yup. And then, this was a little bit down the road, that's me as Sporty there.
Chad Jordan: Of course, every team leader has to play Sporty at some point.
Dan Roberts: Right, right, right. Right.
Angie Roberts: You have to play Sport at some point.
Chad Jordan: That's, baptized.
Dan Roberts: Today, we have a 16-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son.
Chad Jordan: Oh, wow. So, they were littles.
Dan Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: That's the kind of the time of your life where you're looking at it, you're traveling a lot.
Dan Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: You're going, "I don't want to miss this. I want to be here."
Angie Roberts: And, they were little-
Dan Roberts: I was raised by a single mother.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Dan Roberts: Dad was in a different geography. Because of that, my mom had to work a lot and she missed a ton of sporting events. And, I listened and learned and she really wished that she had the opportunity to take part of that. That's really what motivated me to look. Would you agree?
Angie Roberts: Yeah, yeah.
Dan Roberts: Okay.
Angie Roberts: So, I was a stay at home mom.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: I have a little bit of a different version of the story.
Chad Jordan: Okay, all right, yeah. That's marriage for you, right?
Angie Roberts: Right. Yes. I was staying at home, we had a one-year-old and a four-year-old, I guess he thought, she needs more to do.
Chad Jordan: Oh, okay. All right.
Angie Roberts: That's my version.
Chad Jordan: You're going stir crazy?
Angie Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: It that what's happening?
Angie Roberts: I just didn't have anything to do.
Dan Roberts: I mean, the infants were hard on me.
Angie Roberts: Right, right. Pregnancies were hard on him, too.
Dan Roberts: Joking, joking.
Angie Roberts: I laugh because when we moved to Omaha, Dan didn't know what to do because his barber didn't move with us.
Chad Jordan: Oh, okay, so this is a personal story here, okay.
Angie Roberts: His barber was invited to our wedding.
Chad Jordan: Wow.
Dan Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: What's your barber, is he still-
Angie Roberts: It's takes an hour-and-a-half-
Chad Jordan: Is he still alive?
Dan Roberts: [Gerry Matarelo 00:11:27] with Barber Stylists Limited in Des Moines, Iowa.
Chad Jordan: Wow.
Dan Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Did he still have a shop and everything?
Dan Roberts: Yeah, still got the shop.
Chad Jordan: All right, okay. Shout out to-
Angie Roberts: He drove and hour-and-a-half, no two hours to come to our wedding in small town Iowa. Gerry came, in the freezing, sleeting snow. So, he had a really good relationship with his barber. I remember when we moved over here, he was frantic because he didn't have a barber. He tried some different franchises, and he loved Sport Clips. Obviously, a shout out to-
Chad Jordan: Let's see. There was only one here, right?
Angie Roberts: No.
Chad Jordan: How many were there here? No, there were a couple, 11 years ago.
Dan Roberts: So, I got to add to that.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Dan Roberts: The first haircut I had was Sport Clips, it was at David Weissman's store and you visited that store.
Chad Jordan: Yes.
Angie Roberts: Yeah.
Dan Roberts: Okay, 101.
Chad Jordan: Yup.
Dan Roberts: And, ironically, the girl that cut my hair is employed for us now.
Chad Jordan: Who was that?
Dan Roberts: Lindsay Jones.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: Yup.
Dan Roberts: Believe it or not, isn't that crazy?
Chad Jordan: Lindsay, and it must've been a good haircut.
Dan Roberts: It was great, yeah.
Chad Jordan: Okay, so Lindsay played a role in you guys becoming Sport Clips Team Leaders.
Dan Roberts: Absolutely.
Chad Jordan: Now, you're Team Leaders of Year.
Angie Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Hey, Lindsay, I think you should ask for a raise. I don't know what they're paying you right-
Angie Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Just between you and me-
Angie Roberts: Right, right.
Chad Jordan: No, I'm just kidding. But no, really you should. That's awesome. You sat down, you had gone to other places, Sport Clips was your favorite and by... 2007-ish, right?
Angie Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Was that the timeline?
Dan Roberts: Yup.
Angie Roberts: There would've been three. Because, we opened 104.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, okay, that's right.
Angie Roberts: There would've been three.
Chad Jordan: You started, yup.
Angie Roberts: Yup. Yup.
Chad Jordan: They looked way different than they look now.
Angie Roberts: Yes, yes.
Chad Jordan: Still had the five point play.
Dan Roberts: Yup.
Chad Jordan: Do you remember, did you get the MVP your very first time? Did Lindsay-
Dan Roberts: Yeah, that's what I liked.
Chad Jordan: She upsold you to the-
Dan Roberts: I didn't think I'd like the steamed towel, but I loved it.
Chad Jordan: Wow.
Dan Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Sheesh, and all these years later. So, hey, news flash, this is great, thank you. Next time you think about, should I really press this client to try to get an MVP, think about it, that could be the future Team Leader of the Year, you're upgrading to an MVP.
Angie Roberts: That's right.
Dan Roberts: You can't afford not to ask.
Chad Jordan: That's exactly right, so, and like Hildamay said in her podcast, that by the time this one airs, people have listened to. It's to the client's best interest to have it.
Angie Roberts: Absolutely.
Chad Jordan: And, you are living proof of that.
Dan Roberts: Yeah. Yeah.
Angie Roberts: I though it was so funny, too because I remember him coming home and he was like, "So, I got a haircut, and I did like the whole thing and it was like $20 dollars."
Chad Jordan: Whoo, and you were like, $20 bucks, man.
Angie Roberts: I'm like, I'm so glad you have no idea what I pay when I go to get my hair done. But, again, obviously he felt that it was definitely worth it.
Chad Jordan: Did the light bulb go on right then? You realized, wait a minute, this is a concept that could work and maybe I could start looking to transition?
Dan Roberts: Right. Well, we were looking into franchise concepts. Because, we didn't have time to reinvent the wheel and come up with our own ideas. We needed somebody with experience that had a system in place that's proven to work.
Chad Jordan: But, you, were you open to anything? Food, tire changing, you know, you name it.
Dan Roberts: We were probably like a lot of people at that time, Subway and Quiznos and all that was pretty hot. But, I just, I didn't want to be-
Chad Jordan: Perishable goods man, that's tough.
Dan Roberts: Yeah, food is tough and I didn't want to be making sandwiches the whole... Remember, the whole goal was to spend more time with our family.
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Dan Roberts: And, I didn't think that that would fit into what we were looking for. We actually took it, was it Metro-
Angie Roberts: Metro Community College.
Dan Roberts: Community College. Metro Community College here, we both have our degrees but we took it upon ourselves to take a franchising class.
Chad Jordan: Really?
Dan Roberts: At Metro Community College.
Chad Jordan: Wow.
Dan Roberts: To learn more about it and the best advice he gave me was, "Make sure that the lifestyle that the franchise provides you, fits into what you're looking for." Which is, exactly what I was just saying.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, because you didn't want to be stuck to a shop seven days a week, 12 hour days. This is coming from somebody who started a restaurant chain and knows a thing or two.
Dan Roberts: Oh, okay.
Chad Jordan: And, got out when he could.
Dan Roberts: Right, right, right.
Chad Jordan: Because, I had small kids, as well.
Dan Roberts: Yeah, yeah.
Chad Jordan: That's in the podcast for another day. But, I think you made the right choice, is my point.
Dan Roberts: But, that was the best advice I have been given is-
Chad Jordan: That's amazing.
Dan Roberts: Because, no matter how good and also how bad you do, if it doesn't fit your lifestyle, it's not going to work in the long run.
Chad Jordan: Those, so, was the goal, the early days, Angie would kind of operate and be the offsite owner/operator, while you still kept your career going for a little while?
Angie Roberts: Yeah.
Dan Roberts: Yeah, I mean, we did not have a bunch of money in the bank. We could not just roll this out and fund it ourselves. I had to stay employed to have a continual-
Chad Jordan: What did you start with, a three pack?
Angie Roberts: Yup.
Dan Roberts: Yeah, and I actually cashed and some of my 401K, so I was really rolling the dice.
Chad Jordan: Been there, done that.
Dan Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: You literally went all in.
Dan Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: The first store, was it 104, or you bought an existing store?
Angie Roberts: We opened 104 first.
Chad Jordan: 104, okay.
Angie Roberts: Yup.
Dan Roberts: It was our very first store, yeah.
Chad Jordan: You did a build out, went through the whole GO, our Grand Opening process.
Dan Roberts: Yes.
Angie Roberts: Actually, it was dirt. The spot was dirt.
Chad Jordan: Okay, take me... It was not even a empty shell yet.
Angie Roberts: Nope.
Chad Jordan: There were no walls.
Angie Roberts: Correct.
Chad Jordan: They hadn't built the place.
Dan Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Take me through those early days on what you were seeing, what you were fearing. Was there any trepidation? Or, was there more too much excitement around the possibilities?
Dan Roberts: Well, we were excited and scared and I mean, you know I cashed in some of my retirement and so that's a scary thought. We leveraged our home for some of the business loans that we got. That's a scary thought, but I guess we went for it.
Angie Roberts: Excitement and nervousness, I think there was both. It was, yeah, it was just a piece of land and David was helpful. Our area developer was helpful. The real estate committee, everybody at corporate was so helpful from day one.
Dan Roberts: During the building process, and leading up to it, there was a lot of hours between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.-
Angie Roberts: Yeah, when the kids are [crosstalk 00:17:49].
Dan Roberts: Getting all the kids done that you needed to, ordering all the products-
Chad Jordan: Especially, because you had another job-
Dan Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: It's not like you could do it while you're talking a surgeon into buying whatever he needed.
Dan Roberts: Right, oh, yeah.
Chad Jordan: Or, whatever you're doing.
Dan Roberts: Absolutely right.
Angie Roberts: Yeah, no multi-tasking there.
Dan Roberts: Yeah. So, I don't know.
Angie Roberts: Then, I think it was, I guess, once we got the store up and running, I think it was really hard to let go. I don't have children that I've sent off to college yet, thankfully, but not too far away. But, I kind of envision it to have that similar feeling. You know, you have to give everything you can, all the support, but then yet, you kind of have to [crosstalk 00:18:24].
Chad Jordan: What was the challenge? Not being there every hour of every day?
Angie Roberts: Yes, and, trusting.
Chad Jordan: Opening and closing.
Dan Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Yeah.
Angie Roberts: You're kind of on edge until it's, once it hits 8:00 at night, and there's been no phone calls, at 8:30, you're like, okay. I can relax now until 9 a.m. tomorrow. But, you know, just yeah, letting go and trusting them that they're going to take care of this thing that you just put so much money and soul and sweat into.
Dan Roberts: Right.
Angie Roberts: I think that was kind of-
Dan Roberts: I remember interviewing for, which we knew, had a pretty good idea, the most important thing to do is hire a manager. We had heard that over and over and over. I remember interviewing for-
Chad Jordan: Hiring the right manager.
Dan Roberts: Yes. Yes, yes. We didn't have... Now, we only promote from within, period. You cannot come-
Chad Jordan: Like, Hildamay Cruz.
Dan Roberts: Right. You cannot come from outside and be a manager with us. But-
Chad Jordan: That's a luxury at eight or nine stores that you didn't have at once.
Angie Roberts: No.
Chad Jordan: Let me-
Dan Roberts: There's a point to this though that we were interviewing all these manager, receiving applications, resumes, the whole nine yards, and, we went through the process and the day after we hired our first manager, I received a resume from Sandy Graham, who is now Sandy Palmer.
Chad Jordan: Okay, I was going to say. Sandy. I didn't know here maiden name but yes, okay.
Dan Roberts: Yeah. So, timing is a big thing, too.
Chad Jordan: Yes, exactly, yeah. No kidding.
Dan Roberts: Because, I certainly would've hired Sandy had I received that resume a day earlier.
Chad Jordan: 24 hours earlier.
Dan Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Did you hire Sandy anyways, as a stylist?
Dan Roberts: She became the manager at NE102, which at that time was owned by somebody else.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, okay.
Dan Roberts: Or, Team Leader, somebody else. And then, little did we know, two years after we opened 104, right?
Angie Roberts: Yup.
Dan Roberts: Yeah. We have a similar story to a lot of people. It did not take off right away. 18 months in, I'm like, this is a reverse ATM. You know? What did we do to ourselves?
Chad Jordan: It's a newer market that you are in, right?
Dan Roberts: Yup. Yup.
Chad Jordan: You were first timers, you didn't, no offense, but you didn't really know what you were doing yet.
Angie Roberts: No.
Dan Roberts: No, we didn't, no.
Chad Jordan: How do you survive that?
Dan Roberts: We were trying to work our way through all those challenges of getting the right people in place and getting that energy and that vibe and we just decided, we said, "We got to make a choice. We're either all in or we're not." We ultimately believed in what Sport Clips stood for, because it meshed so nicely with why we wanted to look at other opportunities. An opportunity presented itself to buy two stores in the market, which was NE102 and NE103 at the same time. So, existing stores, that had been open, what? Six, seven years at that time?
Angie Roberts: Sure.
Chad Jordan: Did one of them come with Sandy?
Angie Roberts: Yes.
Chad Jordan: Did any? 102 had her?
Angie Roberts: Yes.
Dan Roberts: 102, the manager was Sandy.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: Yup, yup.
Dan Roberts: And, at that time, what? Six to seven thousand a week? That store?
Angie Roberts: I can't remember.
Dan Roberts: Roughly. Six to eight, maybe.
Angie Roberts: Yeah, that sounds right.
Dan Roberts: That ballpark.
Chad Jordan: It was treading water for you guys. But, it wasn't what it's doing now.
Dan Roberts: Right, right, right.
Chad Jordan: I mean, she just added $20K a week, Mother's Day week.
Angie Roberts: Yeah, yeah, because she had probably been there for a couple years, maybe. That's it.
Dan Roberts: So, when we purchased those two stores with our existing store, that was the difference maker. We were all in at that point.
Chad Jordan: And, all in in what aspect? That you believed, we're going to make this work, or we're going to go down swinging, is that what you mean?
Angie Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: Or, did you quit-
Dan Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Your other job to focus on, okay-
Angie Roberts: No.
Chad Jordan: Still hadn't done that.
Dan Roberts: Still hadn't done that. Couldn't afford to at that point. But, I think it gave us more visibility on to what is successful and what is not. Would you agree with that?
Chad Jordan: So, the key for you, so the early key was getting out of just having one store. You needed that two to three stores.
Dan Roberts: Doubling down on our gamble.
Chad Jordan: Right, yeah.
Dan Roberts: Yeah, yeah.
Chad Jordan: To use the Huddle theme that you were Team Leader of the Year. Double down. Yeah.
Dan Roberts: I didn't even think of that.
Angie Roberts: Good one.
Chad Jordan: Yeah, you're the living embodiment of someone's who's deal like, a couple that have doubled down.
Dan Roberts: Right.
Angie Roberts: Those stores, I mean, they were turned around by the team leader that we bought them from. So, they were on their, you know they were becoming successful, so I think that helps.
Chad Jordan: Do you want to give a shout out?
Angie Roberts: So, that helped, too.
Chad Jordan: Sure.
Angie Roberts: They were being run by successful Team Leaders that we purchased them from. I think that helped, too. Like he said, just had more ambition and more gumption going in the right direction.
Dan Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: So, which was looking back, which was more challenging? Opening a brand new store, especially as first timers, or buying an existing store? They each have their differences, right?
Dan Roberts: I'll let you answer that.
Angie Roberts: I personally think it's more challenging opening a brand new store.
Chad Jordan: Okay.
Angie Roberts: Versus purchasing.
Chad Jordan: And, why?
Angie Roberts: You already have the staff, you already have the client flow. I feel like that most difficult thing even today is recruitment. I think once we get them they stay.
Chad Jordan: Yes, that's true for you guys, for sure.
Angie Roberts: I think getting the clients is the easy part, I hope I don't sound so boastful-
Chad Jordan: No, you don't and you're talking to the marketing director.
Angie Roberts: I have a marketing degree. I totally understand marketing. I understand recruit... but I think that's harder. You have a team there and maybe that team needs some work. I'm all about giving everybody an opportunity to jump onboard. We've made a lot of changes in the last couple of years that I kind of talked to you about with bringing Tess on board.
I feel like even if you have a staff and maybe they need some TLC, that's easier than bringing in new people. That's my opinion.
Chad Jordan: Right.
Angie Roberts: I feel like it's easier to face those challenged of an existing store than getting a new staff, but that's my opinion.
Dan Roberts: Yeah.
Chad Jordan: No, aye, Team Leader of the Year, I think your opinion counts for something.
Dan Roberts: Yeah, right, right, right.
Angie Roberts: I think it's, yeah, to me it's harder to recruit staff than clients.
Chad Jordan: Well, if you think about it, it's easier for a client to risk going to a place for a haircut than it is for a stylist to risk leaving a current job, which they all have-
Angie Roberts: Right.
Chad Jordan: Right? I mean, every style... stylists work.
Angie Roberts: Yes, yes.
Chad Jordan: For them to leave a current job for something that they don't yet know about, which is why promoting the culture of Sport Clips and creating the culture of Sport Clips in a market is so important and you guys have done just, I'm doing the shout out now because in this market, I've... I think you guys are the first set of stores that I've gone to, every team leader, your stores. Because, they're all close together.
Angie Roberts: Yes.
Dan Roberts: Right, right, which is great.
Chad Jordan: When I come to market. But, we have this saying, or this mindset at headquarters that we know within three seconds of walking into a location what the vibe's like, and what the culture.
Dan Roberts: It's very important.
Chad Jordan: And, how the team leaders are doing.
Dan Roberts: It's very important.