Welcome to the Forty Over 40 blog. We frequently spotlight one of our honorees and their thoughts on reinvention, mentorship and momentum…plus a peek into what makes them tick.
This Q & A is with Cheryl Bachelder CEO of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. Cheryl has more than 35 years of experience in brand building, operations and public-company management. Cheryl attributes her success revamping Popeye’s and bringing it to its current 1.4 billion market cap to her bringing servant leadership to the company. She has taken all her learning from leading the company’s turnaround into a book published March (2015), Dare to Serve, How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others.
1) What was a pivotal momentum of reinvention for you?
My biggest reinvention occurred after my biggest career failure. I was recruited to be President of KFC restaurants, a division of Yum Brands in 2001. I thought I was ready to lead this enterprise – and in many ways I was prepared. But there was one important gap. I had not yet developed deep-rooted conviction about “how” I lead. I will still trying to fit in as a leader, mimicking the leadership approach of others – when I needed to find my authentic point of view. Long story short – I left KFC in Fall of 2003 after a tumultuous tenure with mediocre results. his was the wake up call I needed to codify my approach to leadership – an approach that is rooted in my wiring and my principles. This approach, now described in my book Dare to Serve, has led to the remarkable turnaround results we have accomplished at Popeyes.
2) Who has been a valuable mentor or sponsor?
My father was by far the most valuable mentor in my life. He was a successful business man in the electronics industry. He was an incredibly smart, innovative, and principled leader. Over the years, he shared with his four children his leadership challenges – and every story had a “moral.” If he had to close a factory or fire a senior leader, he shared all the challenges of those kinds of decisions, including the importance of treating the people with dignity. In the end, he was my greatest leadership teacher. And after his retirement, he continued to mentor me for 25 years – through every stage of my career – until his death in 2009.
3) What is your biggest goal right now?
My biggest goal at Popeyes right now is this. We are known for amazingly good, freshly prepared, flavorful Louisiana recipes. Our food is second to none in quick service. However, we are not known for an incredible employee and guest experience – in this arena, we are an ordinary company. I believe we must have an employee and guest experience that is as amazing as our food to sustain our long term success. We are working to transform ourselves to accomplish this bold goal – and have a concrete destination in mind of top-tier sales and profitability for the chain.
4) How did you get your first job? How did you jump to your second job?
My first job after college was with Procter & Gamble. I graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree and a Masters of Business Administration in August of 1978. My university had an excellent placement office – and they ran a great process for interviews. While I was pursuing opportunities in management programs at AT&T and General Mills, Procter & Gamble’s recruiting team contacted me and asked me to interview with them. They said the reason they called me was that I was President of my campus sorority. They were “looking for leaders.” It was a wonderful place to begin my career.
My second job was more difficult to land. My husband and I were newlyweds and we made our first move to Boston, MA. He was going to school to get his MBA – I wanted to continue in my field of brand management. There were very few companies to chose from – so I focused on the largest and best, The Gillette Company. It took weeks for me to find an opportunity to interview. I finally found a search firm that knew there was an opening in the PaperMate Division. I wanted to work in the Personal Care Division, but I jumped at the chance to interview. I was offered the position and worked for some of the best leaders of my early career.
5) What time do you typically wake up? What do you do every morning?
I wake up at 6 a.m. I’m not much of a morning person – I prefer to stay up late at night, but mornings are an important part of my day. It is my only true quiet time of the day. The first hour is spent reading my Bible and praying about the day ahead. I think about how I can best serve the opportunities on my calendar that day. The second hour is spent getting ready for the day, eating a good breakfast and talking to my mom who lives with us. After two cups of coffee and my vitamins, I head to work or the airport.
6) How did you feel on your 30th birthday? What were you doing at that time?
On my thirtieth birthday, I was 9 months pregnant with my first child, living in New Jersey, working as a Group Brand Manager for Nabisco. This was also the week that my five year business plan for LifeSavers and Breathsavers had to be presented to senior management in Norfolk, VA. I checked with my doctor, and with her approval, got on a flight to Norfolk to present my plan. I had to cover my big tummy with the Wall Street Journal as I boarded the plane so as to not raise concerns about my impending delivery. My presentation went great. And three weeks later my life was forever changed by the arrival of a beautiful, healthy baby, Tracy Renee.
7) How do you unplug? How often do you unplug?
My personality does not “unplug” well. I’m always thinking and imagining the future. That’s good for business, but not good for relaxing. I have two spots where I truly unplug. One is our summer lake cottage in Northern Michigan. In the summer, it is cool, breezy blue skies on the shore of Lake Michigan. I love to walk, sit on the porch, read, and sleep here. The second place that I truly unplug are on ocean cruises. My husband and I take one every other year – often with our kids and my mother. I love the beautiful views, the simplicity of unpacking just one time, and the fact that my cell phone seldom works here.
8) What was the last business book you read?
The last business book I read was “Give and Take” by Adam Grant. Adam Grant is a young, fabulous thought leader, teaching at Wharton University (youngest tenured professor). He gathered compelling data on the differences between leaders who “take” for themselves – and leaders who “give” for the benefit of the people and the enterprise. It is a compelling treatise for leaders who want to both love the people and create superior results.
9) What is your “keep me going” quote?
The first quote is from Max Stackhouse, Professor Emeriti at Princeton Theological Seminary. In his book, On Moral Business, he says “increasingly business leaders will be the stewards of civilization.” His point is that our institutions, such as government, education, etc. may fail to lead us – and the responsibility may fall to business leaders be steward the world. The implications of that idea motivate me daily to become a better leader. The second quote is from Albert Mohler, who wrote The Conviction to Lead. He said, “Leaders are made by other leaders . . . who go on to make more leaders.” This is my personal purpose – to inspire and develop next generation leaders.
10) What is your secret indulgence?
My indulgences are not very secret. I love a clean, crisp glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc before dinner. And in the dessert category, I cannot pass up an incredible key lime pie.
Check out Cheryl Bachelder’s full 40 Over 40 profile here!
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