Nick Sarillo lost the feeling of connection to his work when the home construction employer he worked for over 12 years shifted focus from quality and craftsmanship to speed and mediocrity. So Nick did what every self-respecting man of action does. He quit and started his own business where every employee would feel connected to his or her work. Today, Nick’s Pizza & Pub is the 4th busiest independent pizza company in America and it’s the cover story in this month’s Inc magazine. The story is entitled “Lessons from A Blue-Collar Millionaire,” written by Bo Burlingham, one of my favorite writers.
Nick’s Pizza & Pub is a prime example of a business that thrives because its leader is focused on achieving both task excellence and relationship excellence. Just read its purpose and values below:
Nick’s Pizza & Pub
“Pizza on Purpose”®
Our Purpose: “The Nicks Experience”
Our dedicated family provides this community an unforgettable place; to connect with your family and friends, to have fun and to feel at home!
Nick’s Pizza and Pub Values
- We treat everyone with dignity and respect.
- We are dedicated to the learning, teaching and ongoing development of each other.
- We have fun while at work!
- We provide a clean and safe environment for our guests and team.
- We honor individual passions and creativity at work and at home.
- We communicate openly, clearly and honestly.
- We honor the relationships that connect our team, our guests and community.
- We take pride in our commitment to provide a quality service and a quality product.
- We celebrate and reward accomplishments and “A+” players.
- We support balance between home and work.
- Health: We are a profitable and fiscally responsible company. We support the physical and emotional well-being of our guests and team members.
- Our team works through support and cooperation.
I met Nick and his business partner Chris Adams at The Great Game of Business Conference and Nick attended a presentation Jason Pankau and I gave last Fall at Northwestern University’s Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement. I admire his ability, character and courage. In addition to his business’s purpose and values, here is some of Nick’s additional wisdom that I’m particularly fond of:
- “Our competitive weapon is our culture.”
- “Good companies connect with purpose.”
- “You don’t need a marketing strategy. You don’t need a twitter strategy. You need a trust strategy.”
- “Clearly state your values” and “walk the talk.”
- “We teach our team members to work through conflict on their first day.”
- “Our motto as leaders is ‘we’re coaches, not cops.'”
I’m delighted that Nick and his Pizza & Pub are in the limelight. The feelings of pride and esprit de corps at Nick’s are what’s missing at so many organizations today.
Nick, congratulations to you and the Nick’s family. And Bo, thanks for another outstanding article!
