Lessons From Franchise Executives: David Raymond of Premium Service Brands

As a former Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps who went on to build a respected post-military business career, David Raymond entered the franchise world with a pretty strong leadership background.

He soon learned that the franchising industry isn’t the Marine Corps. It can be tougher.

“I was probably borderline arrogant,” Raymond said. “I've had a fair bit of success in my career. I thought that would instantly translate into success in franchising. But it can be very humbling.”

Today, as Premium Service Brands’ chief operating officer, Raymond has learned from his early experience. His takeaways for franchisors: Be patient. Listen to people. Learn empathy. And trust your franchisees.

“We’ve got 250 franchisees at Premium Service Brands,” he said. “That's 250 successful adults who have had success in their careers and who have succeeded in a wide variety of different professions. Every single one of those experiences is valuable to the franchisor. So if you're smart, you engage those resources.”

The bottom line: Raymond believes collaboration, understanding and communication are key parts of leadership.

“It's important to understand what the other person is trying to do, what they're trying to say, and honestly how they're hearing what you're saying,” he said.