Chick-fil-A and other happenings in our world

Hello All!

It has been a very long time since I last wrote to you all... I apologize!! Life as a Chick-fil-A employee has been keeping me, well, rather busy these days. The past three weeks have been awesome! I have been putting in over 50 hours each week and the time on my feet has been rather grueling. I am not use to being on my feet for such long periods of time. Other than that, I have been so amazed by how quickly I have adjusted to the new schedule. When it comes time to leave, I find myself not wanting to leave. It is so fast-paced - the time just flies.

Brad has been so wonderful the past three weeks - he runs all of the errands and takes care of our furry child, who by the way, has been very neglected since I started working at Chick-fil-A.

I am certain that this is my life calling and feel so humbled to be working at the unit. Everything from breading the chicken to managing the hispanic & teenage staff, I have never been so confident that this is where I am supposed to be. I wear many different hats at the unit as a Manager. My main responsibility at the store is to oversee the catering aspect of the business. Also, since I have the nifty trade of speaking Spanish (which by the way, my Spanish has dramatically gotten better in the past three weeks), I have been responsible for managing the kitchen staff. This is a really humbling part of my job, as the kitchen staff are a very critical part of the store running smoothly. In fact, if it were not for the kitchen staff, the chicken would not be breaded, the food would not be prepared, and of course, the final product that reached the customers mouth would definately not be the same. It has been great getting to know the staff and having the ability to converse with them. I find it very humbling to learn about their lives and work in the trenches with them. I strive to be a servant leader at Doug's store, so interacting with everyone from the teenage drive-thru "specialists" (as I like to call them), from working in the trenches in the kitchen has been very important to me. I am amazed by how much I have learned already and how much more there is to learn. No doubt, it will be a lifetime of learning at Chick-fil-A.

I taped Oprah the other day, where she interviewed young, ambitious people like ourselves and they talked about how they got to where they are today. One common theme throughout the show was that if you are passionate about what you are doing professionally, then it does not seem like work. Also, you are getting paid to do what you are most passionate about! I was so intrigued by the people interviewed on the show and felt an immediate connection to them. I am now working and pursuing something that I am so passionate about and it is so exhilarating. Of course, I could not be doing this if it were not for my supportive husband and family. I feel so lucky and even though my feet throb by the end of my 10-hour days, I feel so lucky to be doing what I am doing. We will continue to grow and learn as God leads us down this journey.

Thank you for your continued love and support. We couldn't be doing this without you!

Love,

Brad & Lauren

ChickfilA here we come!

Dear Family and Friends,

As some of you may already know, Brad and I (officially Lauren) applied to operate/own a Chick-fil-A restaurant in April of this year. We have been involved with the Chick-fil-A Park Meadows unit since January of this year. The past six months has brought with it many challenges and opportunities as we have been in the application process. We are happy to report that we are one step closer to achieving this goal.

Today is my final day at Johnson & Johnson. My decision to leave such a reputable company was especially difficult because for the past two and a half years, I have had the privilege of working with highly intelligent and committed people, which has made me a far greater person than I could have imagined.

It was always my goal to work in an industry that positively effects this world, in a role where I could be a positive influence with others. It is my belief that understanding and relating to people creates these opportunities. That is why I have decided to take an opportunity with Chick-fil-A and work as a unit Manager to learn the business from front to back. I will be working under Doug, the operator at Park Meadows as he teaches me everything I need to know so that we can be successful Chick-fil-A restaurant Operators in the future (if we are chosen). I will start on Monday, October 6th, working at the unit 50 hours a week and the next month will be filled with many challenges as I transition into this new role.

I am very excited about this opportunity and am blessed to have so much support from our family in accepting the position at Doug Jacobson's Chick-fil-A unit at Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree, Colorado (the unit is outside of the mall). This is a leap of faith that we are taking because there are no guarantees that we will get a store, nor a specific timeline of if/when that would take place. However, we are confident that we have made the right decision for our future and are so passionate about our future goal of operating a Chick-fil-A restaurant.

You have seen us through a lot in the past three years, everything from Brad's almost tragic skiing accident, our mariage, and now as we open this new chapter in our lives. For this, we are truly grateful and have been humbled by the compassion that you have shown us. We are so excited to share this journey with you all as we pursue our dreams of operating a Chick-fil-A unit.

May God Bless You & Eat Mor Chikin!!!
Lauren