Corporate Exec. to Franchise Owner/Consultant: Caring About People as a Common Thread

Access Your Leadership with Hakim Lakhdar

Jim McEleney, a franchise consultant with FranNet who helps people look at their options for business ownership in the franchise model, joins Access Your Leadership to share some of his amazing stories and lessons from his international work and how that all led him to what he’s doing now. In this episode, Jim explains what it was like and what he learned working in the U.K. and India for a combined nine years! He spent three years in London, then two in India and then another four years back in London before moving to Florida and embarking on another career adventure. Hakim and Jim discuss how Jim’s leadership of himself and others allowed him to create a reputation in his company as a leader who deeply cared for his people, could motivate and propel large teams/offices towards a common goal and could adapt his style to fit the needs of the company and those he led. How does one decide to seize an opportunity to work overseas and what are the considerations involved? What is it like to work and live in both English and non-English speaking countries? What is the value of community and why is it so necessary when acclimating to overseas work and expat life? What are some of the possible pitfalls of working internationally? How might working with a coach, especially a local culture coach, support you and set you up for success? What is the relationship between technical expertise and leadership, and how big a role does people management play? How does maintaining a growth mindset and being open to opportunities create a wealth of professional (and personal) possibilities? What skills are transferable from international finance/banks and franchise ownership and consulting? Why is being “culture conscious” so important when leading an existing or new team of employees? What might compel someone to leave a long-time, successful career to pursue business/franchise ownership and how can working with a consultant help with that decision? How does simply understanding people and meeting them where they are factor into the way we lead ourselves and others? All this and more is touched upon in this exciting and compelling episode. Enjoy!

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Jim on LinkedIn

You can email Jim directly at [e-mail]

To learn more about FranNet visit https://frannet.com/ (and look for Jim)

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [e-mail]

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.