Mike McFall, co-founder and co-CEO, and Laura Eich, chief purpose officer, host conversations with leaders of the world’s most innovative, people-centric companies.
At BIGGBY COFFEE, the high-energy coffee franchise with 390 units nationwide, a healthy workplace culture and long-term business success aren’t mutually exclusive. As BIGGBY COFFEE has grown its presence and impact, it has proven that happier people create better businesses. Now, Co-Founder and Co-CEO Mike McFall and Chief Purpose Officer Laura Eich are broadcasting this message and celebrating the efforts of other transformational leaders from around the world in their new podcast, “Love in Leadership.”
“The vision of BIGGBY COFFEE is to improve workplace culture in America, and the podcast is one of the ways that we can influence the world as it relates to that vision,” said McFall. “The more stories we can articulate about the performance of loving, supportive, nurturing workplaces, and the fact that they outperform traditional environments, the more people will be interested in adopting the concepts that LifeLab is working on. And therefore, we will have an even greater impact on workplace culture.”
In all of its ventures, BIGGBY COFFEE is focused on helping people build a life they love. Whether the team is supporting a local barista, a growing franchisee or a member of the Home Office team in this mission, creating a workplace that values each individual for who they are is one of the key ways BIGGBY COFFEE lives up to its purpose.
McFall explained that the BIGGBY COFFEE system has implemented multiple programs to support this purpose day in and day out. For example, BIGGBY COFFEE Home Office employees can take advantage of a sabbatical program that provides three months of paid time off every five years. The brand also offers individualized coaching that supports team members’ personal development and provides access to “forums,” which are small groups that unite team members throughout the system for monthly support and collaborative meetings.
Notably, none of these programs are focused specifically on professional development. While work-related conversation may come up, McFall emphasized the fact that participants are encouraged to use these programs to grow “as a human.” These opportunities are in place to support members of the BIGGBY® family in discovering their own passions and ultimately building a life that is meaningful to them.
“The number one leading cause of death in the U.S. is chronic disease. The leading cause of chronic disease is stress and anxiety. The leading cause of stress and anxiety is the workplace and finances. Leadership is about impacting and improving your community and the human condition, and workplace culture presents a clear opportunity to do this,” said McFall. “If you’re the CEO of a business, and all you care about is growing the asset, you’re a manager. I care about leading. I care about taking the position that I have in this world and improving the lives of others. I care about what happens in my community independent of me and my business.”
By welcoming business leaders who share a similar vision and implement similar workplace benefits to the “Love in Leadership” podcast, McFall and Eich are able to paint an even more robust picture of what loving, nurturing workplaces can look like, both in terms of employees’ satisfaction and the continued performance of the business itself.
Join McFall and Eich for each new Love in Leadership podcast episode, featuring stories of other global leaders building supportive workplace cultures that put the human being first, available wherever you get your podcasts.
BIGGBY COFFEE, based in East Lansing, Mich., was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. The brand’s cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself and Share Great Coffee help coffee lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with names like Teddy Bear and Caramel Marvel, BIGGBY COFFEE baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customers’ day and supporting them in building a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY COFFEE has cafes across many states, including Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.
