Top Military Vet Turned Multi-Unit The Joint Franchisee Talks Servant Leadership

Q&A with Barrett McNabb: Top Military Vet Turned Multi-Unit The Joint Franchisee Talks Servant Leadership

Original article published by Franchise Times, November 3, 2022 on FranchiseTimes.com

Barrett McNabb is a retired United States Army Officer. His more than 15-year decorated military career ranged from serving as a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and taking part in the initial Iraqi invasion in 2003, to being an Embedded Military Advisor in Afghanistan in 2006, and then functioning as the top military analyst in the Middle East.

Barrett owns six The Joint Chiropractic franchises in Houston, Texas. He is a dedicated franchisee who serves as the president of The Joint’s National Franchise Association Board, an internal operational committee that promotes constructive, two-way communication between franchisees and The Joint leadership. He was recently asked why he goes above and beyond to help others, and furthermore, how he finds the time.

Why do you serve?

I can’t think of a greater way to take care of your family, your employees or yourself than by serving. I seek leadership opportunities to help others be successful. After all, the more successful my fellow The Joint franchisees are, the more valuable my business is as well.

Ultimately, I serve because I care. It’s also a business and we must make money - to support those who work for me, as well as my family. But you can’t be a successful leader in the Army, or as an entrepreneur, if you don’t care. In my experience, military officers are often portrayed in the movies as very pretentious, as if everyone is there to polish our boots. However, that’s the inverse of what happens. When I was a Platoon Leader, I led by example. I was the last person to go to sleep, and the first person to wake. I always pulled the first shift and the last shift, and when we would go through the chow line, I would make sure my men got to eat first. Taking care of people is ingrained in me – it’s what I did in the military and what I do with my own business.

What are some of your accomplishments and favorite pastimes?

I constantly take my military experience and servant leadership style and apply those facets of my life to my clinic portfolio. As a result, my clinics exceed the national average in sales and number of new patients, including conversion and attrition rates. Additionally, in 2016, The Joint Chiropractic wanted to onboard a Military Appreciation Program and I was instrumental in its success. When Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, I convinced The Joint Chiropractic to extend the military discount to first responders and the National Guard, offering unlimited chiropractic care during the aftermath. As a result of these efforts, I won The Joint’s Franchisee of the Year in 2017 and Regional Developer of the Year in 2018.

In my downtime, I am creating a YouTube channel about business, I’m a husband and a busy father of two young children, and I’m writing a book to help Veterans apply their military skills to the business world.

What about time management?

When I retired from the Army, I had no idea what I was going to do next, but, every day I would get fully dressed in a suit and tie, go downstairs to my small home office which was just a folding table, and I would go to work. No matter what my future held, I had the mindset that it was time to get down to business.

The funny thing is, I used to be a procrastinator when I was a kid. But today, as it pertains to business, I find that I’m often waiting on others. For me, if I commit to doing all the things on my list, it allows for a work life balance. For instance, I never schedule anything when my children are home from school. I guard that time. You must have a personal life with your family, as well as a business life. If I work very hard during business hours, it leaves me extra time for my family or to field a phone call from a fellow franchisee in need. As simple as it may sound – use the time that you have when you have it.

How did the military prepare you to be an entrepreneur?

I had zero business experience when I retired from the Army, or so I thought. As I researched small business opportunities and how to write a business plan, I looked at some of the ideas I had for business and how I could nest into a niche market. What’s the mission statement? The competitive advantage? Then it all clicked. This is what we call a five-paragraph operations order. It’s how I planned our missions to go out and fight.

1) SITUATION

2) MISSION

3) EXECUTION

4) COMMAND & SIGNAL

5) SERVICE & SUPPORT

I realized that it mirrored what I already knew. Now, when I’m looking at my marketing efforts, as an example, I run it like a war. Using Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), I define the operational environment, describe the battlefield’s effects, and identify the threats and courses of action. If I take out threat/enemy and insert customer and I run that same process, I can find my customers, grow, and be successful.

What would you say to other franchisees in the industry about the importance of serving?

There is one thing we all have in common - we are in business to make money. But like my time in the service, I have come to learn that there is so much more to it than that. Kindness and leadership come back to you tenfold. It helps with buy-in from your employees, it creates a happy work environment, and ultimately, higher revenues. The way you interact with, and support others, is what sets the example and inspires others to do the same. Lead by example. It’s contagious.

About The Joint Chiropractic

The Joint Corp. revolutionized access to chiropractic care when it introduced its retail health care business model in 2010. Today, it is the nation’s largest operator, manager and franchisor of chiropractic clinics through The Joint Chiropractic network. The company is making quality care convenient and affordable, while eliminating the need for insurance, for millions of patients seeking pain relief and ongoing wellness. With 800 locations nationwide and nearly 11 million patient visits annually, The Joint Chiropractic is a key leader in the chiropractic industry. Ranked number one on Forbes’ 2022 America’s Best Small Companies list, number three on Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list and consistently named to Franchise Times “Top 400+ Franchises” and Entrepreneur’s “Franchise 500®” lists, The Joint Chiropractic is an innovative force, where healthcare meets retail. For more information, visit www.thejoint.com.

Business Structure

The Joint Corp. is a franchisor of clinics and an operator of clinics in certain states. In Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming, The Joint Corp. and its franchisees provide management services to affiliated professional chiropractic practices.

Media Contacts

The Joint Corp.
Margie Wojciechowski
[email protected]
Office: (480) 245-5960 x 210
 

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