Sport Clips Franchisee Loves to Help Others

The Sport Clips* area developer for North Carolina talked to his counterparts in South Carolina about giving out free haircut coupons to customers who donate blood. Lewis also encouraged his employees to give blood. The idea grew, Sport Clips corporate loved it and now it’s known nationally as the Saving Lives Never Looked So Good campaign and it’s rolled out every September. The response has been phenomenal, he said.

Last week, Lewis accepted on behalf of Sport Clips the Spirit of Franchising Award in Washington. The prestigious award is given out by the International Franchise Association.

“This has grown and expanded nationally,” Lewis said. “It’s really got legs. I am proud of how it’s grown.”

Lewis, who lives in Raleigh, N.C., and has three stores with his business partner, has given an astonishing 7 gallons of blood over about three decades. He’s also done a lot to raise awareness of the importance of blood donation, but he’s quick to downplay his efforts. He gives a lot of credit to Sport Clips for its involvement in charitable efforts and for helping him with his business.

In addition to running his stores, he works with new franchisees to help them with real estate, training, general support and more. Sport Clips has a great system to keep everyone on track, Lewis said.

Lewis, who grew up in Durham and went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said being a local resident who knows the area is appreciated by his customers.

“Lots of clients appreciate that,” he said. “They know me and they like that I’m a local guy.”

“I really enjoy helping my employees with their development. That is so rewarding,” he said.

One of his team coaches is a particularly impressive success story. She is from Guatemala and started as a stylist at one of his stores. She worked her way up to assistant manager and now is a great coach who helps others.