--- title: "Sailing Into Franchising: Navy Veteran Doubled System Record for Sales in First Year" url: https://burnaze.com/article/f0a90958-3506-484e-ae8e-8979dae0810f source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/20260228_sailing_into_franchising_navy_veteran_doubled_system_record_for_sales_i.html author: "Kevin Behan" category: "Franchise Industry" industry: "Franchise Industry" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-03-20T12:30:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T16:40:22.451Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/10211_plate.jpg --- # Sailing Into Franchising: Navy Veteran Doubled System Record for Sales in First Year **TL;DR:** Clement Troutman, CEO of Troutman Management, achieved record sales in his first year as a franchise owner of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, doubling the brand's previous record with $2 million in sales. Troutman, a Navy veteran, has expanded to multiple units of Tropical Smoothie Cafe and PJ's Coffee of New Orleans, with a succession plan in place for his family to take over the business. *By Kevin Behan, originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-03-20. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/20260228_sailing_into_franchising_navy_veteran_doubled_system_record_for_sales_i.html).* ## Story **Name:** Clement Troutman **Title:** CEO **Company:** Troutman Management **No. of units:** 2 Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1 PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans **Age:** 67 **Family:** Wife Jackie, 2 daughters, Ashanti and Jocelyn, 1 son, Jordan, and 1 granddaughter, Johana **Years in franchising:** 9 **Years in current position:** 9 Clement Troutman didn’t lack confidence as a first-time franchise owner. In his initial meeting with former Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Mike Rotondo, Troutman told the executive that he would become the system’s highest-producing franchisee. Troutman also ended each franchisee onboarding call with a confident message about the prospects of his first store in Capitol Heights, Maryland. “Make sure to tell Mr. Rotondo that MD 018 is coming,” he said. After five or six calls, the development team had heard it enough to finish the sentence for him. In 2017, Troutman backed up those words in his first year in business by reaching $2 million in sales, double Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s previous record. “I guess I was the Roger Bannister for Tropical Smoothie Cafe since it had never been done, and I say that with all humility,” Troutman says, referencing the man who broke the four-minute mile. “I didn’t know any better. There were no barriers to the dream. It was the power of teamwork working closely with the franchisor while serving a major need in the community. It wouldn’t have been possible without franchisor boots on the ground working with us each step of the way.” Troutman spent 23 years in the U.S. Navy before working as a defense contractor in cybersecurity consulting. A decade ago, a confluence of random factors pulled him into franchise ownership. His daughter, Jocelyn, was working on a college project about the smoothie industry’s popularity. Around the same time, a colleague recommended lunch at a Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Troutman came away impressed by the brand’s light, health-conscious menu and sustainable business model. The experience planted a seed, and later that night, he filled out an application to become a Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisee. At that time, he had no experience as a business owner and no history in the restaurant industry, but he saw nothing risky about leaving his steady job. “Not at all. The bigger risk was continuing to do what I was doing,” he says. “Most people resist change, but it is necessary. I was still young enough and strong enough to do it. When you hit your 50s, you can reach a moment of clarity very quickly. I think the sweet spot is between 48 and 60 years old. At that point, many people are seeing kids off to college and can pursue their dreams to build something for the future.” Troutman’s first cafe outside of Washington, D. C., was an immediate success. In an area with only fast-food restaurants at the time, Tropical Smoothie Cafe gave customers a healthy alternative that they craved. The franchise model provided an established playbook for success, and his team executed. One of Troutman’s first goals was to serve one million people, which he accomplished in just more than three years. The steady influx of customers created a good problem. The business outgrew its 1,600-square-foot space. Last year, the original Capitol Heights restaurant was relocated to another store that is three times the size of a standard Tropical Smoothie unit. Troutman currently has two Tropical Smoothies open with another three in development. In December, he opened the first of two PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans shops. Troutman keeps a firm hand on operations and can be found in one of his restaurants nearly every day. His dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. He is featured in the International Franchise Association’s new “Franchise Means Local” campaign and will serve on the IFA’s Board of Directors this year to help raise awareness and promote opportunities for others in franchising. After Jocelyn graduated from Howard University, she was hired as the franchise’s first manager. She now serves as its COO, Troutman’s wife, Jackie, is the CFO, and their son, Jordan, is the CTO. A succession plan is in place for the next generation to eventually take over the business and carry Troutman’s legacy into the future. PERSONAL **First job:** On a paper route delivering The Detroit News when I was 12 years old. **Formative influences/events:** Many family members but particularly my uncle and my mother, who were very influential in my life. My mother, Betty Troutman, taught me to be resilient against the odds and be kind to others. My uncle, Leon Thomas, was a decorated Marine (Purple Heart) and the family patriarch who taught me strength. My high school football coach, Gene Brodie, taught me core values such as character, winning in life, and discipline through athletics. ; top-producing Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchisee; Prosper Forum Accelerator/Leadership Council; Mission of Love Board of Directors; and selected to the 2026 IFA Board of Directors. **Biggest current challenge:** The rising cost of goods and labor during a fragile economy. We try to manage that through enhanced quality control measures. We’re attentive to usage while reducing unnecessary waste. **Next big goal:** Help recruit and develop 500 franchise owners by being an advocate for franchising. I work with the IFA to promote opportunities that franchising presents. **First turning point in your career:** In our first year in business with Tropical Smoothie Cafe, we doubled the brand’s top revenue mark with more than $2 million in sales in 2017. **Best business decision:** Leaving my corporate job to start my franchise journey with no franchise experience. **Hardest lesson learned:** Better to decide and fail early than later. Not experiencing failure early delays real learning and can be very expensive due to great opportunity costs. The sooner you fail, the sooner you start learning how to get it right. I quickly decided to start learning right away. **Work week:** Four to five days a week. I’m in our restaurants on an almost daily basis. **Exercise/workout:** I walk three to four miles a day and ride a stationary bike. **Best advice you ever got:** To be successful, be willing to do whatever it takes plus a little bit more. **What’s your passion in business?** People. Serving others to help them achieve an optimum quality of life and reach their goals and dreams. ****How do you balance life and work?**** God, family, business. I usually start my day by reading the Bible in the morning. I will then see my 1-year-old granddaughter before she goes to daycare and then turn my attention to business during the workday. My wife and two of my children are active in the business, so I will interact with them at work as well. **Guilty pleasure:** Cookies. **Favorite books:** Skill With People by Les Giblin and The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. The more I serve others and hear “thank you,” the less I focus on myself. **Pet peeve:** People who are disrespectful or lack empathy. **What did you want to be when you grew up? ** An NFL football player. **Last vacation:** A five-day cruise to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas in December 2023. Person you’d most like to have lunch with: David Steward, the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology. MANAGEMENT **Business philosophy:** Exceed customer expectations; don’t meet them. **Management method or style:** Leadership by example and putting people first. **Greatest challenge:** Finding good managers who want to become great leaders. Some managers have potential but may not be willing to do what it takes to be a leader. Many of them take pride in their skill set and how they do things, but they’re not focused on leading others. Some people hesitate to share too much information for fear of having competition for their job. **How do others describe you?** I hope they see me as inspiring, selfless, and generous toward others. **Have you ever been in a mentor-mentee relationship? What did you learn?** Yes. I learned from several very successful and highly respected mentors that leadership is based on trust, and trust must be earned. The key to great leadership is to listen, ask questions, and then serve those entrusted to you uncommonly well. Then and only then will they be willing to follow. **One thing you’re looking to do better:** Follow up more intentionally and quickly after establishing new personal and professional connections. **How you give your team room to innovate and experiment:** Our approach centers around empowering staff to do their jobs and do them well. While we do not look to deviate from our franchise model, we still encourage feedback on how we can improve. Any form of innovation is closely coordinated between the franchisee and franchisor. **How close are you to operations?** I’m on site between locations daily but still mindful not to get in the way of the team’s production. It’s important that they know I trust and believe in their performance. **What are the two most important things you rely on from your franchisor?** Timely and consistent communications and enforcement of brand standards. **What you need from vendors:** Timely and accurate deliveries. We increased the amount of community outreach to connect with our customers. If they’re not coming to the mountain, we must take the mountain to them. **How is social media affecting your business? ** Social media has become a must to stay relevant in today’s business climate. Our younger Generation Z customers do not watch traditional television to get information. Messaging must be short, less than 15 seconds, and impactful. **In what ways are you using technology (like AI) to manage your business?** While we have not done so yet, we are planning to incorporate AI into our drive-thru ordering capabilities to take customer orders and free up staff to provide better and more timely drive-thru service. **How do you hire and fire? ** We conduct in-person interviews with candidates after reviewing applications to identify the best ones for consideration. Firing only occurs after evidence clearly establishes that the employee cannot be retained or considered for corrective measures. In such instances, communication with the affected individual is done swiftly and in a dignified and respectful manner. **How do you train and retain?** Training is an ongoing process from the beginning with dedicated introduction modules that help the employee learn each position. Additionally, we assign an experienced operator to work side by side with new hires and verify that the new person completes all tasks correctly before moving on to the next phase. Only after completion of each station’s requirements will a staff member be placed in a position to operate alone. **How do you deal with problem employees?** Problem employees are counseled and reminded of their commitment to follow established policies and procedures. Verbal discussion, followed by written counseling sessions, will be introduced. We may suspend someone if we feel the behavior can be changed and the employee can get back on track. If all attempts fail, then the employee will be issued a termination notice. **Fastest way into your doghouse:** Not telling the truth. BOTTOM LINE **Annual revenue:** Between $2 million and $2.8 million in each of the first eight years in business. **Goals over the next year:** Increase revenue to the $3 million to $4 million range. **Growth meter: How do you measure your growth?** Based on the number of orders (transactions) and sales (revenue). ** Yes. While Tropical Smoothie and PJ’s Coffee are both in the beverage market, they are still different products and provide balance in our portfolio. **How is the economy in your region(s) affecting you, your employees, your customers? ** The federal government shutdown had a significant impact on the economy in our region and, as a result, directly affected both our employees and customers. Our staff was concerned about their jobs and whether our businesses would be able to endure a stressed economy. Likewise, customer visits declined in large part due to economic uncertainty. A significant number of business closures, coupled with the government woes, make for a very delicate economic outlook. We are all affected, whether directly or indirectly, by the uncertainty. **Are you experiencing economic growth in your market? ** Market growth has been steady rather than accelerating. **How do changes in the economy affect the way you do business?** Changes in the economy affect our business in significant ways that require flexibility, often on short notice. As a result, evaluating fluctuations in consumer habits during these changes is vital. **How do you forecast for your business?** Forecasts are set first on an annual comparable-sales basis and then quarterly, monthly, and weekly. The same projections apply to the number of transactions or customer orders. **What are the best sources for capital expansion?** The best sources for capital expansion are local banks, national banks, and credit unions. We tend to focus first on local banks and then national ones with the intent of building mutually beneficial relationships. Credit unions sometimes play a role. **What are you doing to take care of your employees? ** Constant interaction with our staff is vital to ensure we understand how to meet their needs. We ensure that staff have the necessary operational tools to produce quality and do so in a timely fashion. In addition, we value being sensitive to staff needs. Two of our locations include a dedicated employee break room where staff can relax during breaks and train on-site. We also provide a customer-service library because we take our employees’ professional development seriously. Our goal is for each member of our staff to succeed when working with our teams and in life. **How are you handling rising employee costs (payroll, minimum wage, healthcare, etc.)** For payroll, we increase training to make sure we have the best staff and reduce the cost of turnover. We also look for opportunities to increase sales rather than raise product prices to offset labor costs. **What laws and regulations are affecting your business, and how are you dealing with them?** Minimum wage-increase mandates significantly impact our business by increasing costs. Wage increases associated with performance and revenue growth are the most beneficial method for all concerned. Minimum wage increases also result in higher costs of goods, which contribute to thinner profit margins for owners. We are considering adding kiosks to reduce labor costs. At the same time, we are mindful not to sacrifice the personal touch customers expect. We also provide rewards for customer service achievements, including team recognition, the Employee of the Year Award, the MVP Award, and retention awards for years of service. The coveted Peer Award (one employee is selected as the top performer by their peers) is also part of this program. **What kind of exit strategy do you have in place? ** We currently have a succession plan to keep the business in the family with our children. We want to build something to grow for future generations, starting with my granddaughter, Johana. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - franchise ownership (topic) - restaurant industry (topic) - Multi-Unit (sector) - multi-unit development (topic) - family business (topic) - Kevin Behan (person) - Tropical Smoothie Cafe (company) - International Franchise Association (IFA) (regulator) - veteran entrepreneurship (topic) - Mike Rotondo (person) - Clement Troutman (person) --- Originally reported by Kevin Behan, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/20260228_sailing_into_franchising_navy_veteran_doubled_system_record_for_sales_i.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/f0a90958-3506-484e-ae8e-8979dae0810f).