While he cheerfully concedes he isn’t the world’s best golfer, Hockett, who played on his high school’s team, took what he learned about persistence and applied it to his career at Great Clips. In 1988, he opened a Great Clips store, but it failed. Hockett says that setback is still fresh in his mind and he thinks about it every day.
Instead of making excuses or passing the blame onto others, Hockett reviewed what happened and realized he had only himself to blame. He knew he would do things differently if he ever had the chance to rejoin Great Clips, something he wanted to do as quickly as possible.
“I loved the business, I loved the people, I loved the concept,” Hockett said about owning a Great Clips franchise. After his store went under, Hockett went back to Great Clips and told them he wanted to work with other franchise owners to avoid a similar outcome.
Steve spent several years working to rejoin Great Clips, and his persistence paid off when he received a call offering him a position in their marketing department. Since then, Steve has steadily climbed the ranks, playing a pivotal role in the company’s remarkable growth. Under his leadership, Great Clips has expanded from 2,700 to 4,400 salons across 190 markets in the U.S. and Canada.
In this episode you will learn:
Looking back at his store failing, Steve goes back to what he learned from all those bad shots on the sandy courses of South Dakota, including knowing who was to blame.
“You have to look in the mirror and understand that if you fail, it’s a lot on you. It can be on other things, but you got to own it,” he said.
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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