Greg Flynn started w/ 8 Applebees
Stayed 100% focused
Spent the next decade expanding restaurants
Now expanding into adjacent industries & globally
He's the world’s largest franchisee with 2,600 locations
It's all about people & process
If you want to master any craft, read this:
The 4 Stages of Competence model was created by Matthew Broadwell in 1969.
It says we progress through stages when moving from total novice to expert at a given craft.
The stages are as follows:
1. Unconscious Incompetence
At this stage, you're a total novice and don't even know what you don't know. You lack competence and don't have an understanding of your own incompetence.
2. Conscious Incompetence
Here, you've become aware of your own incompetence, but you haven't addressed it yet. You know that there's a gap in your skills that needs to be filled.
3. Conscious Competence
At this stage, you've developed a level of competence at your craft, but it requires conscious effort and focus. You can do it, but it takes work.
4. Unconscious Competence
This is the pinnacle of expertise, where you have extreme competence and can execute without conscious effort. Few people ever reach this stage.
I visualize it most clearly as a hierarchy, with progress marked by a graduation up the pyramid from one stage to the next.
This model is useful as a reflection tool for providing clarity about where we sit on a given skill or craft at any given moment.
We tend to overestimate our own competency levels, so having a clear framework is helpful for cutting through the noise and delivering an honest personal assessment.
To determine whether you've graduated from one stage to the next, here are some simple questions to ask:
Stage 1 to Stage 2:
• Am I aware of how bad I am at [X]?
• Am I aware of what is required to learn and develop at [X]?
Stage 2 to Stage 3:
• Can I do [X] at a consistently average level?
• Have I avoided "rookie mistakes" the last 10 times I have done [X]?
Stage 3 to Stage 4:
• Can I do [X] at a top-1% level with my eyes closed?
• Do people tell me that I look effortless when doing [X]?
Most of us will spend our lives in Stage 3, where we can create results with effort.
But to reach Stage 4, we need to engage in deep, deliberate, focused practice.
Our brains have myelin, a fatty tissue that insulates our neurons and greases them for proper firing.
Stage 4 is where countless hours of effortful practice result in more myelin, allowing us to execute with ease.
Stage 4 is the level of Sprezzatura—studied nonchalance, earned effortlessness.
It's a state we can aspire to, but few will achieve across more than 1-2 areas in our lives (at best).
As you progress in any new endeavor or craft, use the 4 Stages of Competence to reflect on your growth.
If you enjoyed this or learned something, follow me @SahilBloom for more in future!
🚨New Franchise Alert🚨
Zoom Drain’s new Denver, Colorado, location is now open. Owned and operated by Andy Korsgarden, a home services expert with decades of specialized experience, this location will proudly service Arvada, Golden, Thornton, and the surrounding areas.
We would like to thank our long-term partners at @ServiceTitan for supporting The Zoom Drain Empire Event – National Conference 2023 | Presented By @SpartanTool.
We're looking forward to educating & informing our franchisees on all-things ServiceTitan in Charlotte next week!
We’d like to thank our friends at @SpartanTool for being the Presentation Sponsor of the Zoom Drain Empire Event – National Conference 2023. Your continued support helps us further educate and inspire the entire Zoom Drain community.
#zoomdrainempire#bettertogether
We’re thrilled to have been part of @naahq’s 2023 #Apartmentalize event. It was great learning more about the industry and sharing the benefits Zoom Drain offers for apartments and multi-housing facilities. If you’re there, be sure to swing by booth No. 1035 and say hi!
Wow. This is what it looks like when we say 1.1°C of warming is making an impact.
It may not seem like a lot, but when you warm the average it can significantly shift the extremes.
If warm is the norm, hot days will become even hotter!
#climatematters ⬇️
Great conversation! https://t.co/BaYdA82SUN #ZoomDrain#FranPath thank you Brittany and Jamie❤️🌪️✨
“Brittany and Jamie are joined by Zoom Drain and Franchise Fastlane to discuss why a niche business can be the right fit for many potential franchisees.”