Getting the good coffee
With over 490 stores and kiosks across Australia and over 900 coffee houses
in 35 countries worldwide, Gloria Jean’s Coffees is an Australian business
success story. Peter Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean’s, recently presented
his “20 keys to catapult you towards your vision” at one of Saward Dawson’s
highly successful business seminars.
Keep the vision
Peter began by discussing the early days of Gloria Jean’s where maintaining
commitment to the vision was imperative. Time and again he emphasised
remaining true to your vision and to beware of distractions. Don’t live in
other peoples’ mindsets, they can be diverting and negative. He also stated
his reason for being in business, “To succeed and be successful, to be a
blessing to others…. It is not all about us.”
A positive attitude is essential, you need to be able to counter the barrage
of negativity. Peter recently stopped deliberately turning on the radio and
TV news and even the stock market report. He spoke of his sources of
encouragement and for remaining positive. There will always be plenty of
negativity so be intentional about being positive. You will be healthier and
it is good for relationships. Get rid of bad people in your organisation.
They are better gone and it can improve overall morale. Get good counsel and
advice but in the end, you are the one who has to make the decisions.
Be remarkable and be involved
Be remarkable within your industry. Stick to a core idea. Peter quoted the
McDonald’s theme of “Mac time”. If you stick to it, you can change peoples’
thinking. Stand out from others and think differently.
Whilst most people are happy to give a few dollars to worthwhile causes,
Peter recommends getting active within the community. He is convinced it
will grow your business. He used the example of Gloria Jean’s opening a
store in a women’s prison. Now Gloria Jean’s have 3 ex-inmates on staff. The
women have active careers which dramatically reduces the likelihood of them
re-offending. Peter says, “You never know what impact you might have.”
Judging by the comments from the 180 people in attendance, Peter’s talk was
inspiring. If you would like a copy of the DVD (no charge for clients,
friends and associates), please contact Saward Dawson. Peter’s book, Win in
Business, is also available in bookshops.
Saward Dawson will continue to present high quality business speakers.
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Published : 19 August 2009
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