On this episode, we’re joined by Tom DuFore.
Dr. Tom DuFore is the founder & CEO of Big Sky Franchise Team. He is an author, entreprenuer, franchise expert, and host of the “Multiply Your Success” podcast. Big Sky Franchise Team is an award-winning consulting firm specializing in helping growth-minded entrepreneurs franchise their business. Tom and Big Sky have advised more than 600 clients, including Jamba Juice, Two Men & A Truck, Matco Tools, and many others. Tom values building others up, whether it’s an owner looking to franchise their business or members of his team. His leadership focuses on treating people with respect, encouraging them to be their best, and always learning. He seeks to live out his company’s purpose to “Inspire and Foster Greatness” through its three core values: Win-Win Relationships, Professional Excellence, and Continuous Improvement. Tom has an undergraduate degree in business, an MBA, and a DBA. He is happily married with three wonderful children. In his free time, Tom enjoys coaching youth baseball, writing music, and listening to audio books.
Along with Debbie Philpott and Ethan Slaughter, he’s co-author of the new book, Virtuous Business.
Key Takeaways
- The Virtuous Business Model Starts With Christ at the Center: The framework pairs a virtuous leader (professional, personal, and spiritual domains) with a virtuous organization (economic, social, and spiritual capital). Tom encourages leaders to ask what their center is, and for Christians, that center is Christ-likeness.
- Clear Values Shape Culture, and Sometimes Cost Relationships: Early on, Tom assumed his team would absorb company values by osmosis. Once he clarified them, starting with “win-win relationships,” those values became decision-making filters that changed employees for the better. It also meant painful separations with longtime team members who no longer fit the culture.
- Franchisors Succeed by Serving Their Franchisees: Tom coaches franchisors to ask how they can help franchisees reach their goals, not how they can make more money. Problems begin when that question flips. Building relationships with staff, customers, and the community drives revenue and trust, which is why small businesses rank among the most trusted institutions.
Christian Business Leader is the show for marketplace Christians seeking to explore and apply God’s will for business. If you want to learn more about how to do business for the glory of God and shape culture through discipling the business world, this show is for you.