Jimmy John Liautaud | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #314

today's episode is brought to you by. gray block pizza 1811 pico boulevard in. los angeles on the way to the beach gray. block get that hitter. today's episode is brought to you by. magic mind as well you know uh flow. state now comes in a bottle. a lot of times uh procrastination gets. you. well change that. coffee's not doing it for you. change it up. magic mind dot co.

and use promo code theo for 10 off. today's guest is entrepreneur. business owner. creator. hard worker and. human. mr jimmy john. leah. [Music]. sit toad tell you my stories.

[Music]. [Applause]. you got started uh my mother's from uh. outside of peoria illinois but you got. started in illinois and uh so take me. through a little bit of how. jimmy john's got started oh okay cool so. i graduated in uh in may or in june of.

1982 and it was about march and my dad. said to me he's like hey man he said. jimmy what are you going to be doing. after after uh. high school because you got to do. something you can't live at home. and he said you need to start applying. to college you got to start figuring out. what what you're going to do and i. college really was an option. uh i didn't do i graduated second last. on my high school class so who was last. you remember yeah craig schumacher great. guy he was last yeah craig schumacher. the love master craig schumacher oh yeah.

he was he was a classmate of mine craig. schumacher so not the comedian no not. the key not the continuous shoemaker no. no okay different guy but uh yeah so i. grew so anyway long story short is my my. dad my dad was an entrepreneur and he. said look. you're not going to college. uh you can't live at home. you know you start a business you got to. do something so i said why i kind of. would like to open a chicago hot dog. stand i love a chicago portillo hot dog. and a tamale and a and a french fry and. and uh i said i'd love to open a hot dog.

stand he said i'll tell you what he says. i'll lend you 25 thousand bucks dang and. we're pretty good deal he says and. here's the deal he said you get 25 grand. if it makes it i own 48. if it fails. you go to the army for two years and you. don't have to pay me back he really. wanted me to go to the army he fought. the korean war my big brother greg drove. a armored person i'll carry my little. brother robbie was a a ranger out in. fort ord california so you were you're. the odd duck total that duck total odd. duck all three of those guys are.

fighters and every time i got in a fight. i just got the [ __ ] beat out of me i. mean i don't know what to do in a fight. i just open up a concession stand that's. what you do that's what you do you open. up a a sandwich shop so anyway i. graduate high school and i and. and so i go to visit hot dog stands and. and and in two weeks i visited 50 i knew. what i had on them i need i knew what i. had to have on the menu i knew what what. equipment i needed to have and i made a. list i made a menu list and my equipment. list and it was easy i went to the.

library and got yellow pages we didn't. have technology we would have google and. they had the yellow pages in the library. and i googled restaurant equipment and. then used restaurant equipment and i. found places in chicago that had it and. i drove my car down to the city and i. found a section which is now the west. loop which is the hottest area in. chicago but storefront after storefront. of entrepreneur owned little used. restaurant equipment houses right so i. had to list some equipment for my hot. dog stand and the cheapest price i got. was 43 000 bucks so i drive back to home.

to carry illinois and i say pop he's. yeah what's up i said i need more dough. he said what are you talking about i. said i need 43 grand just for the. equipment i got a fryer a steam table a. hood i got a grill i got a flat top i. got a milkshake machine i got a he said. hey dude it's 25 grand yeah and i'm like. the bus stops here huh. wow you're serious he's i'm serious as. [ __ ] son he said so. this is like mid-june and so just it was. random but i was going to go visit a.

buddy at southern illinois university. that next weekend salukis right is it. that is the salukis it is the salukis so. i drive down there and i'm partying with. my buddy he says let's go get a sandwich. at boobie sandwiches i'm like what's a. little sandwich shop it's great so i go. to this little sandwich shop theo. literally it's got a refrigerator a. coca-cola refrigerator there's. vegetables in it there's meats in it and. there's beer in it and there's soda in. it it's like like coca-cola gave it to. him but he was using it all in the same. fridge all in the same fridge he had a. little make table half the size your. desk a little refrigerator make table a.

meat slicer and he was making and it had. bags of bread in a cash register the. guy's making sandwiches so i just came. from fryers and steam tables milkshake. machines and all this [ __ ] all this. equipment and here i'm like there's a. refrigerator i said i can do sandwiches. wow so so just like that so you went. from so before that it was hot dogs and. you just and that moment just changed it. for you that moment changed my head i. just came from 18 20 pieces of equipment. for 45 000 bucks i knew i could get a. used refrigerator for 400. i knew i.

could get a used make line for 500. i. knew i could get a refrigerator for 250. bucks or a cash which is 250 bucks i and. and i knew i could get a new used meat. slicer for six 700 bucks i just been. through every restaurant warehouse in. chicago oh and i bet yeah especially in. that area you're gonna have it probably. the best opportunity because so many. restaurants in chicago have even getting. into that kind of stuff uh here's a. video question that came in right here. we'll go to one early that came in for. you john right here actually yeah go. ahead what's up this is a question for. both you theo jimmy john.

you guys are two very successful. business owners and i just want to know. like what is it that. motivates you the most that gave you. that drive that gave you that edge you. know i'm looking forward to your answers. uh either way merry christmas happy. holidays both of you gang gang jimmy. jones thanks baby gang gang and i'll. tell you this and i'll and i'll kind of. add into what i was going to ask and. thank you for that young man and uh. yeah because i was going to ask you so. to go from to switch from hot dogs to. sandwiches so it wasn't really about the. was it still about the product as much.

or was it about because some people are. like i'm selling hammers that's it if. you show them a screwdriver they're not. going to change to that so was it about. business like did you realize at that. point like oh i just want to do business. or is it just. food business like because that's kind. of a pivot i mean it's a you know that. was a real pivot but it was a critical. pivot but my homework was done and when. your homework is done the answers were. obvious i knew how much i could buy used. equipment for i knew how complicated the. hot dog stand was i knew how many items.

were going to be on the menu and when i. saw refrigerator meat slicer cash. register boom three pieces of equipment. man i knew instantly that i could do. that especially with that fir when that. third one is the cash register you're. like okay. yeah this all makes sense absolutely. because that other list probably didn't. have a register on it and that's the one. you need the most absolutely so that's. interesting so then yes suddenly you're. like oh this is a paired down kind of. did it feel like okay this is a more. paired down version of what i want to do. or this is no it was another option and.

so what i did is i just pivoted and i. went and looked at other sandwich shops. um that were even at that time subway. wasn't baking in their own stores they. were getting bread delivered one or two. or three days a week so. so they weren't baking so i went and i. and i instead of just looking at hot. dogs hands around chicago i went to. milwaukee went to madison and started. looking at other sandwich shops and i. found a sandwich shop in in milwaukee. that baked their own buns and this and. they and they they baked their own bun. and and and you bought your sandwich on. this homemade bun. and and they and you got a soda pop and.

a 16 ounce returnable bottle when you. gave them the bottle back they gave you. your dime deposit bag that was before. your time right and but the best thing. about it was the bread and and so i. after visiting enough sandwich shops i'm. like damn i gotta figure out how to bake. bread so i went right back to the. library it's now july i'm right back to. the library and i got books on bacon. bread and baked bread in my mama's. kitchen and figure out how to bake bread. and then i had then i figured that out. so that was the next step so okay so. okay so you get to your bread yeah and. what are your parents doing during this. are they are they kind of impressed i.

mean they must be impressed with your. desire huh you know my parents were i. don't know that we were raised i think. we were basically fed you know my dad. was working my mom did i mean we got. four kids and we're all 13 months apart. and there's four of us three boys and a. girl so they we weren't really it wasn't. really you know we didn't have sore any. sort of traditional raising there's a. lot of love in the house we just didn't. have there just there wasn't a lot of. time to nurture so i was really on my. own the feedback was you know what's.

this guy doing you know i think they. were probably shaking their heads and my. dad was just hoping that i would just. hang it up and go to the army i think. that's really what he was hoping was. going to happen i mean like when i think. about it right now i think that's what. he was thinking about but were you like. uh so i got let me get a little bit more. what you're like then were you like uh. because you weren't you weren't a dumb. you you did. not well in your in your grades and. stuff but you weren't a dumb kid no i. wasn't a dumb kid but i i couldn't read. and comprehend so it's called dyslexia. you've heard of this oh yeah yeah one of.

my best friends has it good so i just. can't read and comprehend so so even now. married to leslie like if if something. comes in and it's a letter somebody. wrote it to us even if leslie reads it. to me i close my eyes and i listen to it. and i can take it all in but i just. cannot read and comprehend so i was. sharp enough to do stuff i could i was. good at math but i just yeah i just i. couldn't read man and and i think it. pissed the teachers off too and i think. i think they got angry because i thought. they. they probably thought that i i should be. able to comprehend and because i wasn't.

i must have been you know. oh yeah screwing around yeah screwing. around and i wasn't i just couldn't. comprehend you know it's like dance son. well i can't dance well then you're a. [ __ ] no i'm not i just can't dance. yeah yeah and then they think if you're. not dancing you're just loitering or. something else you're just doing. something uh yeah you're kind of ruining. the vibe then yeah yeah yeah so i was. but then what would happen then i think. teachers got a little angry they would. rib me a little bit and be angry and be. pissed at me and i was sharp enough to. be to stick it right back to him and i. think that's probably what pissed the.

teachers off and made him angry because. because i i i could see what they were. doing and i i didn't know why they were. angry at me because there was no but. when they were ribbing me i would give. it right back to him i i was you know. that's just what i did were you funny in. school were you like a funny guy yeah i. was funny i'm i'm a yeah yeah i had a. good time that's cool sure for sure were. you goofy funny or were you talk like. word funny like saying stuff that was. funny or would you like. were you like truffle shuffle funny kind. of guy or like just say stuff no i don't. know i think i was.

i don't know what any of those things. mean really i don't know what truffle. shuffle were you like a goof or are you. like uh you would get up and do. something physical or were you just you. would the way you more verbal it would. yeah. like i could respond to [ __ ] quick i. could say it yeah yeah okay yeah i mean. i just you know i could i could have a. good time with stuff and school is a fun. environment because you basically have. kind of an audience every day if the if. the curriculum doesn't really engage you. that much yeah um which sometimes. dyslexia to me is just that it's kind of. like the like.

the world of curriculum just it's not as. engaging for some people and so your. brain just doesn't. leech on to it so. it's almost like dyslexia sometimes can. be like a blessing it's like oh what am. i missing learning all this [ __ ] that i. don't really care about you know yeah um. yeah so anyway so so we're at the bread. so you got the bread recipe being from. louisiana man i respect that more than. anything dude like a po boy sandwich. people are always like what makes a i'm. like you have to have good bread like i. don't care other cities you have one in. salt lake city this is dog [ __ ] i want.

you have to have good bread you gotta. have good bread new orleans has great. bread great po-boys down there so gotta. have the great bread so i figured that. out yesterday you got the great bread. got the grape now was there a day where. you knew it cause like i'm i'm i've read. michael lindell's book you've read his. book um he wrote the he's the my pillow. guy right and he has a moment where he. finally gets the fluffing right in the. pillow and he just ca i mean he loses. he's just it's a great moment right did. you have that moment where you're like. this is the bread i had a moment and i. got a great story about the moment so i.

got the moment i got the bread i'm. baking the bread the bread's good i'm. going back and forth to the grocery. store and i lived in kerry and dominic's. grocery stores in crystal lake and i'm. going back and forth buying meats and. coming home and making sandwiches on the. bread. and i'm walking past the freezer section. one day and i see this frozen bread. dough in the freezer section had like. four like one pound loaves of bread this. big in a freezer bag it was rich's. frozen bread dough and i grabbed a bag. and i threw it in the cart so remember i. had now i had my i had all my meats and.

then i had this frozen dough i take the. dough home to the house i thought one of. these loaves out and i cut it in. quarters and stretch it out and bake it. off into a loaf and i baked the bread. way better than the bread that i came up. with okay and i looked at the bread bag. it said rich's frozen products i think. it was poughkeepsie new york and at the. time the entire new york the area code. was two one two so i dialed two one two. five five five one two one two and i. said can i have the number of richest. frozen products poukeepsy new york and. director assistant says sure one moment.

please and gives me the number so i call. rich's frozen products and i said hello. may i speak to mr rich the lady says one. moment please no way i swear to god. this guy gets on the phone and says. hello this is bob rich. i said hello mr rich he says yes ma'am. my voice said it was you know it's. pretty squeaky now but it's squeakier. then yes ma'am what can i do for you i. just went with it i said. i said i'm opening a sandwich shop in. illinois and i said and i just tried. your your bread donuts the way better.

than the bread dough i made can you. supply me my bread dough he says you're. opening a sandwich shop in illinois he. says give me your phone number let me. call you back. so i hang up the phone and he calls me. back in five minutes he says you know. where schomburg illinois is i said yeah. i live in cary illinois he said well my. friend lou ganella is building an. addition on his frozen dough factory. right by you wow and i'm gonna and you. go see him can you be there tomorrow. morning at 10 o'clock and he'll he'll go. set you go go see him at 10 o'clock. tomorrow morning i said really he said.

absolutely here's the address here's the. phone number you go tomorrow morning you. go see my friend lou ganela and how old. are you i'm 18 years old. 18 years old dude so i had a chevy. citation man the hatchback i dropped was. called a citation it was a chevy. citation man it was awesome front wheels. that's a ticket that's a parking ticket. i could do better. spin it backwards you know i could do. 360 donuts it was killer yeah so i go so. i go to uh i go to this factory it's a. construction site i walk in the front. door and there's a woman there.

a receptionist and and there's two. yellow hats there and one says jimmy. john on it construction ads and one says. lou. so i go and i go in there and uh uh i go. in there excuse me ron his name was ron. and he was it was lou's nephew or. something like that but lou owned it his. name was ron lucasy it was ron and jimmy. so. one minute ron comes out he says son put. that hat on but they come on with me. where you know i go into this kitchen. and here they got like 20 different. breads all lined out fresh out of the.

oven he says come on let's play with. some bread let's let's eat some bread. and see what you like and and we'll make. some bread dough and they have mixers. over here. in in about. six hours between he and i and i said i. like this one pretty good he's like well. then then we'll make that bread dough. for you i'm sure there's no way in a. million years did he ever ever think. that it would be what it was sure enough. i called him three months later i said i. got my location i'm going to do it. eastern illinois university and uh son. of a gun if i didn't end up loyal to.

that family and that company and we are. now their largest customer and i think. there's over a hundred ganella family. members that that are owners of this. company and we're i think we're when we. are their largest customer now so it was. wow that was a it was an incredible. experience and it was uh so random that. i called that phone number and the dude. was there was a bob rich and he picked. up the phone i mean what if he was at. lunch yeah yeah and what and just the i. mean that just makes me think about like. when you do something hands-on for.

somebody a lot of things in life it. takes somebody doing something hands-on. for you to really. believe that you can do it for sure so i. can't even imagine you walking in at. that age at that moment you're already. kind of a little bit excited you're like. here's adults they're talking to me they. know about bread what's even going on i. drive over the hat's there with your. name on it like they went that extra. step and i wonder if they if they. couldn't be thinking this guy's a big. sandwich entrepreneur dude i was 18. years old i didn't even have hair under. my arms yet man i was yeah late bloomer. he called me ma'am yeah i mean there's.

no clue i'm sure you didn't know if. you're going to get hair under your arms. if they're calling you man. right that's right jury's out that's. right and and you know and my dad is my. my dad was thinking the same thing but. when i had this bread dough and then i. started making sandwiches on that bread. dough man i knew and i had i came up. with six it's now august came up with. six sandwiches invited my family over. they voted on four and it was august and. uh anyway it's so kind though just the. kindness that i feel like they showed by. just saying okay here's just somebody. who's young and curious and i'm going to.

extend some time to them you know. absolutely i got to tell you a magical. moment i met a a grandson of mr rich who. has now passed away and i i have a i i. spend the majority here in key largo. florida and i was in key largo florida i. met a grandson of mr rich and i told him. the story of his grandfather the family. also has a home down in that area and he. was blown away he was blown away it was. so it brought me so it warmed my heart. to share how that man literally without. that phone call in that moment i.

wouldn't have pivoted there that which. would become the foundation of the jimmy. john's brand for you know 36 years. before i sold it so it was it was an. amazing moment and i got lucky i got. lucky but it was it was in the. bull's-eye and i i hit it and uh. and so you got the bread now. i really it's really interesting to hear. starting uh. uh especially like a sandwich shop. starting any business in a college town. i feel like it's such a strong move. because. if you can get a market that's excited.

that's young. and it's something that's hip. then. you know already other towns it's going. to work in that exact type of place you. know yeah that's exactly right yeah when. you look back at that moment in your. life kind of at that young moment. um so some of the cards were kind of. laid out for you it was like you weren't. really. college probably wasn't going to be your. thing right your dad kind of gave you. this amount that didn't really work out. with you know with the with the list. that you made when you lose fingers i go. to the army yeah yeah yeah he's looking.

for you he's like jeez put the oven down. and pick up a [ __ ] gun you know um. but what was uh when you look back at. that one you're like. was it just some natural gifts that god. do you just think it was just some. innate things like what are some things. that you know i really didn't think. about it i i really believe my dad i. mean my dad was a badass he was a tough. tough tough man he was he was tough and. i knew that i was out of there and i. knew i had to figure it out so i really. didn't spend much time. about anything except i i wanted to get. a location i want to go to eastern.

illinois university the reason i chose. easter my brother was coming out of the. army in november he was going and i had. two cousins that were there mike and. steve right so i said i'll go to easter. and i'm going to have family there i'll. open up the sandwich shop i'll prove to. the to the school that i'm worth of [ __ ]. and i'll get the sandwich shop going and. then i'll then i'll go to college and. get a degree and sell it and go get a. real job wow so that was my plan and did. you have a lady in your life at this. time what was your what was the love. life. like at this point i didn't know what. love was really no i didn't i didn't. have a lady in my life at all no okay.

not at all so not much not much lady. luck in the high school time no not at. all okay so you get over to eastern. illinois you got the first sandwich shop. beautiful locale um is it still there. today it's a it's right across the. street it's a tattoo shop now the. original i needed it was only 630 square. feet it was a it was a two-car garage. the there it was it was a house that was. converted into a dixie cream donut shop. had a two-car garage attached to it that. was a failed pizza joint i rented that. garage for 200 bucks a month and there.

was a bar behind me there was a bar to. the left of me and a bar in front of me. so i put my sandwich shop right in that. in that garage so when the bars closed i. came to jimmy john so i chose that site. the rent was 200 bucks a month and i. anyway august when i when i went when i. was going to do it. when you know you said like what was. your family saying i got the bread i. figured it out i had my sandwiches i. drive down to eastern illinois and i. came back with two leases the garage and. i rented an apartment and i said pops i. gotta fund the account we're i'm doing. this and i it's i still really didn't. have much feedback from them at all and.

then and they funded the account and uh. he gave me a checkbook and said you pay. for everything cod so you live in. reality you start with 25 grand so i did. so i bought i bought my equipment i. bought a used refrigerator i bought a. used meat slicer i bought a sears chest. freezer to hold my bread dough my mom. gave me her oven mitts her rubbermaid. cake spatula and she gave me her. tupperware to keep my tomatoes and. sweet and uh yeah man and i opened up in. this little tiny two-car garage at. eastern at 19 years old i i opened up my.

19th birthday january a day after i. turned 19 january 13 1983. i opened up my first store so you knew. so so the 25 000 does come into play so. that money at this point he's funding. the account so you have some money to. help you go absolutely yeah i had to. remodel it i had to build a counter i. had to put paneling up i had to i had to. plumb my sink and right get my bathroom. done so i did and i did i spent 23 871. dollars i needed a thousand bucks for. inventory and i remember the numbers and. uh so anyway yeah i opened up january.

1383 and i had a 1300 balance to start. with and uh started out man that was it. damn dude and how many gary v varner. truck videos did you watch to help start. all this none i bet i don't even know. who that is it's it's got gary vee it's. like they sell this entrepreneurial. spirit to a lot of people online a lot. of times okay it's not bad or anything. it's just like it's kind of the same. thing as just like get entrepreneur you. know like get entrepreneurial you know. um i wish i wish it was like you know. one of the kids asked he said you know. what is it what is it that drives an.

entrepreneur what is it i think it's. fear i think it's fear of failure i. think this was all driven by fear you. know that's really what drove it all. that's what you know fear of the army. fear of the army fear of moving out i. had to keep the ball rolling i had to. get funded i think i think really the. fear of failure is what really motivates. is the original motivator you know i. just i just didn't want to fail right. right and i failed my whole life so i. think that's that was a real motivator. because what the hell else was i going. to do and i didn't want to go to the.

army i mean there's no way i was going i. was going to get the [ __ ] beat out of me. in the army yeah i mean it probably. would have been yeah it probably. wouldn't have been stoked especially if. you don't want to go expect oh yeah. that's you don't want to be in there but. you want to be the guy in the army who. doesn't want to be in the army right i. think that's kind of the bad the the. tough vibe you know you need stress. relief that goes beyond some quick fixes. and a quick fix is something that just. fixes you but it's is it good is it bad. who knows it was probably made in china. so you need something more realistic and. that is head space.

you know there's so many things that is. trying to get our attention these days. on our phones and in the world and stop. lights and go lights. that we don't have any space in our head. headspace is your daily dose of. mindfulness in the form of guided. meditations in an easy to use app. you need some help falling asleep. headspace has wind down sessions their. members swear by that's right. you're settling down the kids are in bed. throwing some headspace relax. you can even tell your husband and wife.

hey i'd love to chat but i need the. space. headspace is backed by 25 published. studies on its benefits. six hundred thousand five star reviews. and over 60 million downloads you. deserve to feel happier in headspace is. meditation made simple go to headspace. dot com. theo that's headspace.com. t-h-e-o for a free one-month trial with. access to headspace's full library of. meditations for every situation this is. the best deal offered right now the best.

one right now. head to headspace.com. slash. t-h-e-o i use headspace and i thoroughly. enjoy it. the holidays are upon us. but the season goes after christmas it's. not just one day. but the best deal in wireless. can only be found at mint mobile. right now when you switch to mint mobile. and you buy any three month plan. you get another three months for free.

that's six month of plan. mint mobile lets you safely order from. home and maximize your savings with. plans starting at just fifteen dollars a. month that's right just fifteen dollars. a month. mint mobile. their best offer of the year is here for. a limited time buy any three month plan. get the extra three months use your own. phone with any mobile plan so you don't. have to change phone you don't have to. change number keep your same number with. all your contacts if you're not a. hundred percent satisfied mint mobile. has you covered with their 7 day money.

back guarantee for a limited time buy a. three month mint mobile plan and get. three more months free by going to mint. mobile.com slash t-h-e-o that's m-i-n-t. m-o-b-i-l-e. dot com slash theo cut your wireless. bill to 15 bucks a month at. mintmobile.com. theo. um here's a question right here from. some young gentleman right here that we. got what's up theo what's up jimmy john. this is mark coming at you from new. jersey as you can see my face kind of.

busted up right now got some of that. caucasian abrasion from slipping on some. black ice earlier. my question is for mr jimmy what's it. like running a company with your name on. it does it put extra pressure on you and. does it ever make it difficult for you. to separate your personal life from your. business gang gang. man that's a good question man that's a. really good question so. jimmy john is a character right and i'm. really jimmy leoto and i'm and i know. papa john really really well papa john. loves being papa john he really does.

he's very that's his sweet spot and he. just really loves it but i'm done with. jimmy john's i sold it i'm jimmy leoteau. it was a 36-year career it was. extraordinary i don't know if you've. ever been divorced before i have you. know i love my new wife is the love of. my life my ex-wife god bless her she's. remarried and she's doing terrific but i. i like my you know i really like my my. life right i like i'm really jimmy that. for me it was a character it's easy for. me to separate but i think it's.

different for different people so that. was a really really good question um. for me it's not hard but so so some guys. like being the character yeah when did. the character start to become. like yeah when do you start to become. the character like when does that happen. throughout this journey you know what it. it started to happen i think that that. you know wow you're jimmy john wow. you're jimmy john like since it wasn't. top of mind for me you know i was like. this dude working my ass off all the. time you know yeah and then i would. forget that i'm jimmy john because i'm.

working my ass off all the time oh yeah. yeah that's right i'm i'm totally jimmy. john yeah how is it oh it's awesome we. get up at five in the morning and we. work until three in the morning seven. days a week and we clean puke out of. toilets and we reinstall the urinals on. the wall and the dudes tear them off the. wall it's great you know it's awesome. being me you know come on and be me for. a while it's the best so i was always i. was always taken aback by it because i i. really it was never top of mind for me i. never like you know i never sort of.

we you know we were we were we we i. spent 10 years in 10 different cities. and and and opened 10 stores and that. was my first 10 years wow and i didn't. know how to do a bank loan or get a bank. loan so i'd save up my money and replace. myself at the sandwich shop and then and. then move to another city and open up. another store and then in order to have. the experience be like it was when i was. there i learned way back at an early age. to cut my manager in on a piece of the. action right so then they have some. vested interest so then they got a. vested interest so so you know i just uh.

i never you know so like when did i. start being jimmy john i would say. probably 2 000 we started growing 2005. we had 200 stores 2010 we had 500 stores. and and then when it got to be really. big you know yeah i'm jimmy john but you. know it's not that sexy dude i mean we. got refrigerators and meat slicers and. and salamis i mean it's you know if. you're impressed by that that's fine but. it's nothing but a grind right. yeah at that point uh. but at that point probably you start to. make your way out of the actual store.

that you're in and i'm sure it gets you. get into more of the corporate side of. stuff um but i want to i want to go so. when you make the so you guys are things. are going well. things are going well you're right there. positioned by the by the bars yeah um. and you decide to do a second shot yeah. um so does it feel like. like was that a risky move are you just. were you trusting your instincts at that. point were you trusting the numbers like. where did the. where does it go come from to take that. move so here's what happened theo.

just simple so i opened up in january. with two of my buddies and me so there's. three of us. january february was great then one guy. quit so you have seven day shifts and. seven night shifts essentially so then. one dude quit so i took seven days the. other dude took seven nights geez this. is like the bible. then then march came and this and the. night dude quit and they i get a call at. 4 30 in the afternoon i'm in the sub. shop and and the dude says hey man um. listen i quit i said you quit he said. well i said why are you questions. because you're an [ __ ] wow and i said.

okay. so what time are you going to be in he. says no no i'm out of here and the. customers came in and the phone rang and. one thing led to another it's two in the. morning so i got up and and and so i. closed the store two in the morning. after and then then opened it up again. at eight and i and this is like april of. 83. so i'm working this thing open to. close eight in the morning i didn't even. know you could work from eight in the. morning until two in the morning if you. have to if you ask the national labor. relations board they'll tell you no no. way you gotta sue somebody for that. right yeah osha would have some issues.

that's right so but the first week i did. it it was really hard and i was freaking. out but the second week. man i'm like whoa i can do this and by. the third week theo so i am starting to. know my customers who they are. what they like if they're chubby or like. me and give them a little extra mayo if. they were skinny like you i took a. little off i used to use the ends of the. meats that weren't so pretty but they. were still salami and ham i'd sell those. after one o'clock in the morning because. nobody knew what they're eating anyway. so i figured out how to utilize the. waste and i really started getting into. into into running the sandwich shop.

after i after i after everybody quit i. just i survived i just made it happen. then i learned i could work open to. close and then i started keeping. remember my dad said keep your bank. balance every day pay for everything cod. and i'm watching this bank balance go up. and i'm watching it go up every day and. i finished the semester in may and i. started the semester with 1300 bucks and. had 18 000 bucks in the bank and i'm. like man i'm a millionaire yeah and so i. totally started paying attention to this. checkbook and so the end of the first.

year i did 156 000 in sales and made 40. grand profit i split it with my dad okay. 48.52 right and then the second year i. did 180 000 and made 55 000 i split it. with my dad and i saved all my cash i. got paid 200 bucks a week that's what my. pay was and i saved all the money less. the tax so i bought my dad out in may of. 1985 for the 25 grand plus 10 interest. so i had exactly 30 000 bucks and i took. it out of the bank in cash to go pay him. off and own it he's like dude compound. interest i'm like what's compound.

interest he's like dude you owe me. another 1300 bucks. give me a break so we got to 20 grand. the first year 25 grand year two the. original investment bank then i owned it. myself then i worked another year and. then i moved then i replaced myself i. moved to macomb illinois western. illinois university opened my second. store 86 i moved to university of. illinois my third store 87 i moved to. michigan state lansing michigan and so. that's that's that's what i did okay so. at that point then you're on the go i'm. on the go you're on the go and.

go back to the question where the guy. calls and says you're an [ __ ] were. you an [ __ ] i'm gonna sometimes i i. started out as just being like fun and. everything was fun yeah and then once. you get into business man it's the. adjustment sometimes is really tough. yeah and i have to think with another. side of my brain and i have to be a. business person sometimes. and it goes totally against the whatever. the fun side of things yeah were you an. [ __ ] what made the guy say that. here's what i learned here was the deal. no because i'm just not an [ __ ] as an. individual i'm i love people and i love. life but what i didn't i didn't know. what a boss had to do i took the easiest.

shifts for myself i took the easiest. jobs for myself i sliced the easiest. meats myself i cleaned the easiest. toilets myself and gave everybody else. all the tough [ __ ] to do and so and then. what i learned is that the boss takes. the toughest shifts the tardis jobs sets. his people up to succeed when they fail. it's the boss's fault typically it's not. the individual's fault because people. really want to do a good job all they. need to know is why and you just and if. you catch them doing it right and the. more often you catch people doing things. right and say man i really appreciate.

the time you took to clean that bathroom. that way there was not one hair left. anywhere in that bathroom you took the. time to do it you're a rock star and if. you are as a boss take the time to thank. somebody for that effort they will say. thank you sir and they will do it again. and i had to learn that my guys quit i. just didn't know how to be a boss right. then i learned how to be a boss man and. then i read a couple of books on one. minute manager and leadership and the. one manager and i learned that yeah i. had to lead by example that people do. what i do not what i say and so.

again it was out of fear or survival i. mean i had to do it and i learned to do. it then once i realized i could do it. i'm like man i can do this i mean i've. never been successful with anything in. my life and i was killing it so it was. cool man now were you like when you have. the success so outside of work in which. i don't know how there's any time what. what was your social life like like did. you start dating in college when there's. more women in college was did you did. you get a girlfriend did you. you know like what what were you doing. kind of for fun during that time yes i. use a freaking fun town bro yeah. charleston is a fun town but i was.

working you know at first i was having a. lot of fun and then and then i was. working and then i was really in the in. the restaurant 24 7 365. you know that's. why how we made 40 grand on 150 000. sales when your labor is 8 and i'm. getting paid 82 cents an hour it's. really easy to make that to have that so. i was really in the store but yeah i. dated a little bit and i had a couple of. girlfriends and and and then and i had. you know a bit of a social life but. nothing nothing that where i could. really i always any time the sandwich.

shop called anytime they needed anything. i was there i was there because i had. worked so hard to get it where i got it. that i you know i had a kind of a social. life but not a not not not not a college. social life but it was fine yeah it was. it was great you know it was it was it. was whatever it was fine what about like. your first kiss let's just go could we. ask everybody this oh my god do you. remember mine i think i i think and mine. is the question we'll saw i put mine out. there too. is mine uh. this girl i lost my virginity behind a. bowling alley everybody knows that but.

um. my first one was this girl she had kind. of like a chipped tooth a little bit. named chrissy. and she had her mom used to cut her hair. like one of the singers from leonard. skinner like she would literally put a. picture up of. i don't even know who it was maybe. i don't even know who and then she would. have her sit next to it and cut her hair. just like it so she literally had it. she had her hair looking just like one. of them and uh some people just kind of. we were we were the same age in the. neighborhood we were both kind of shy. and. uh they locked us in a room together one.

time and. and we had to kiss you know and so we. did you know but. yeah my first girlfriend was peggy i. remember my first girlfriend was peggy i. forget her last name but i remember that. really really good from college yeah. cool check or no yeah the time was you. know was it was what it was you know for. me it was awkward but it was what it was. where'd you guys meet at do you remember. uh. yeah we met at the bars oh yeah yeah. what were good bars that were uh i i. they used to have a comedy club no did.

they have a comedy club there we had. rocks we had mothers we had ikes. and we had uh chinks. uh where we'd go there and do these. slammer shots where you'd get half. whiskey half seven up and they'd slam it. and you go to chinks and hit one of. those yeah and uh oh god i would what. marty's marty's we had marty's i don't. the comedy club in charleston i don't. god i don't remember a comedy club in. charleston i mean i really socializing. wasn't a huge top of mine for me right.

it's just interesting to be that young. and to be that. like even when i when i think of college. hour if i think of just meeting someone. now who's 21 22 years old and they're. that focused on business it and maybe. it's just because of the times now that. would seem very. obtuse it would seem very unique. was it that unique at the time or did a. lot of young men that were just out of. high school when they started small. businesses. dude i i i don't think that i was. thinking about it the way you were.

thinking about it man i was surviving. right buddy i was surviving i was paying. my rent i was getting the money to the. bank i was getting the sandwiches. delivered i was figuring out how to. deliver figuring out how to how to buy. an ad how to how to make an. advertisement how to maximize my my. dollars and the advertising spend i'd. save up my money and you know i said. well if i'm gonna put an ad in the. newspaper i need to have a headline and. if i have a headline it'll grab their. attention and so i would make up these. poems and so i would have a headline. remember everyone the headline was party.

and said you plan it you love it you. can't wait till it starts it's dance and. romance then time to depart but alas you. just met a cutie that says your beauty. if that is your fate it's never too late. to impress that new love with the jimmy. john sub jimmy johns we deliver so it's. a party all that fill in the middle and. then jimmy john's we deliver and then. and then and then i you know and you. just made these up right yeah and when i. did i did i did no no zits no pits no. dale bread no grease no fries great subs. instead and i put these ads in the paper. but i had to think about this [ __ ] right.

and i and i and i wanted it to be. somewhat. adorable or somewhat like it was worth. it if you were going to read it you. could just smile and and they all look. the same so i had to figure out because. i had to save up my money and buy an ad. so i was surviving i wasn't really sort. of like in a scene man i was like. surviving and figuring out how to. survive yeah the ads it's very charming. it's charming the ads are very charming. you're a very charming guy have you. always had that have you just has it. always been a gift i think there's. something that's nice especially when. you're in high school to be able to. laugh but also engage with the teachers.

there's a level of. of. of uh intelligence that's behind it but. there's a level of charm that makes it. more um palpable for everyone a lot of. times. um. did you have you always thought that. that's a gift that you had being. charming dude i don't i don't know that. i really ever thought i was gifted i. mean i was i was a fat kid and i was i. was raised in a crazy household we went. through two bankruptcies. my dad was you know we ran out of milk. dude we drank powdered milk and i mean. we had love and and we made it and my.

dad ended up being a successful guy but. my childhood like i didn't have a. foundation i i never really thought. about you know that i was a charming. anything i just. just was you know i really never really. it was never in my head i just was doing. what i was doing so i wasn't thinking. about it you right you weren't thinking. about it but you had some of you had. survival instincts that were helping you. hell yes was one of do you think just. being a charming guy well dude i mean if. it helped me out you know i mean i can. talk to people if it helped me out i'll. take it right i can i can cook i can.

have a subject and i can smile and i can. tell it like it is i don't care yeah now. what about the. like the striving to be good in business. do you feel like you were trying to like. impress your dad what do you think in in. the end sure yeah for sure i wanted my. dad's approval more than anything in the. world are you kidding me when i think. about that man. oh are you kidding me to have your dad. approved oh man you know there's nothing. like it and uh you know my dad was hard. he he was a really tough tough tough. tough guy why is that man well i mean.

yeah even me just thinking about it man. it kind of makes me a little bit. emotional but like yeah like there's. times where you do well in your life and. you think man uh is your dad still alive. no he passed uh 4 16. 2016. yeah it said and it's like man. yeah you're like man my dad would be. proud you know there's something there's. some innate thing and it's for me i. start to feel in the back of my like. shoulders your dad's still alive you. know my dad was 8 70 when i was born. when he when i was born he was an old. man okay but so he passed away in uh 86.

but. yeah there's sometimes a moment where. it's like man yeah there's still this. weird connective tissue almost where i. feel like if i'm making proud that he. can feel it even though he's not here. which is really. i think that's what makes it the feeling. so unique yeah. yeah it's uh it's a it's a it's a deep. feeling it's and it's deep seated. especially if you had a connection with. your father yeah and i had an amazing. connection with him and uh and he was a. great man and and uh do you think he was. proud of you i think inside he was i. think inside he was like like i think to.

to other people he was very proud of me. but but to me he was hard on me. and um. uh and it just was the way it was you. know it just was the way it was and and. my dad was old-fashioned and and he was. very macho and he was very gregarious. and outgoing and and he probably thought. a lot of those things that you asked me. he was charming and he was witty and but. he believed you know with me i'm just. like i get like okay you know but it's i. you know but my father totally believed. he was like he walked into the room he's. like yo i'm in the room and i walk in.

the room like hey man. nice to see it theo you know whatever. just a little bit different what are. some fun things that did you did your. family through like a party every year. was it like a thing that your dad like. like what was uh fourth of july man. fourth of july we have a we have a camp. in northern wisconsin yeah you told me. uh uh bishop gun performed there yeah. bishop gunn played two years in a row. there and what a band is bishop gone oh. my god you guys get your asses back. together man work it out get it together. travis no good man unbelievable dude. they're so good so yeah but might we.

would do a fourth of july and my dad was. in charge of the fireworks and man my i. remember the first year my dad in charge. of the fireworks he got a couple of. styrofoam uh surfboards and he and he. put all like the the the what are those. balls that go up in the air those where. they shoot the balls up they go two and. it shoots a ball oh why don't you shoot. up like ten of them yeah it's not enough. rocket yeah not that well he had bottle. rockets and and and these other things. where you can hold the ball in there yes. and the ball would go up and then it'll. blow up and he wired and he wired all.

this stuff together and i remember the. first year he did it he had these two. surfboards and he lit them both and and. he spent like two days before taping the. wicks together and making doing that my. dad was an engineer just doing all this. [ __ ] and he lit them both and pushed him. and took them all both of them just blew. up and then. there was a total dodge show and then he. figured out those cannons as and then. and then they would get those tubes you. know with the three-inch mortars and. they figured out where to go get them. i'm sure they were buying them illegally. in indiana or wherever i don't know why. i'm saying indeed. i remember something about indiana.

illegal [ __ ] in indiana vote and we will. say that it's okay to say that all right. so anyway but that was my dad's deal the. fourth of july party was great and uh. and i remember my dad would take us to. his company christmas party and it was. the only thing fancy you know we it. would be fancy and we'd go to a company. christmas party and it sounds like in. hindsight like it sounds like maybe when. you you were young and i'm not i'm not. trying to get in your life or anything. here i'm definitely fascinated but i'm. curious about stuff like. you know familiar relationships and how. that kind of plays into how we behave.

and stuff yeah um. because i wondered a lot about it in my. own life and i still figure that out a. lot i feel like i had a lot of childhood. trauma so i'm still kind of figuring out. out sometimes but it sounds like you. know you're. that you were almost most like your. father in a lot of ways even though when. you were kid it seemed like your. brothers probably were you know i i. think that my brain was a lot like my. father but my father had a natural. confidence uh that he just you know uh. uh we were just talking about bobby. kidrock you know bobby walks into a room. and he just he just he just owns it.

right yeah and and and and um my father. was very much like that and that bravado. kind of just bravado and just just owned. it you know and he can and i i just. don't have. whatever i have i've earned and i've and. i've earned and i and i pay and i and it. just doesn't come naturally you know. what i mean i've earned it i work on it. i because there's a lot of insecurities. being a fat kid being a poor kid or you. know going through what we went through. there's a lot that comes with it and i. think it comes with you forever and you. get it and then i think that i fought. the business so much and the business. went from you know being the little.

sandwich maker guy into this giant. behemoth three billion dollar company. and and so i i went from you know making. people smile and here's your sandwich. and thank you sir can i sell you some. chips to to you know the evolution was. it you know at the end of the at the end. it was it was you know all i can. remember is litigation you know it's. just one lawsuit after another right. you're freaking fast you must speed uh. no mister we don't speed well you but. you say freaky fast i know but we only. deliver you it's a five minute drive.

time during peak traffic and our and our. computer system won't take an order out. of our delivery area we don't speed it's. j we design the the delivery system that. way well you but you you. you but people speed and you know it was. so hard to convince you know that. because we we got sued often for crashes. and [ __ ] right now oh really absolutely. well you're freaking fast but then the. people that we were freaky fast not. because we were freaky fast because we i. made the delivery area small and i made. the delivery area small so we could be. really have really good service and i.

wanted to be the really good service guy. instead of the great sandwich guy you. know and so i focused more on the. service than i did the speed but it was. but at the end you know the it just. changed a lot right and that's why i. just you know i just it was uncle it was. time for me to be out of it so but it. changed a lot you know it was really. romantic at the beginning you know there. were long nights but big problems i. could solve and then it got to you know. problems that i couldn't solve then it. just became a behemoth it was a big big. company when i sold and we're vertically. integrated right we supplied all the.

food to all the stores and oh wow so. kind of like that ray crock model kind. of kind of yeah yeah i think didn't they. yeah they ended up supplying supplying. all the stores a lot yes applying all. their majority of the products we. supplied so yeah um now what point did. you start to study other business you. know was there a point where that were. you like we started to become okay i'm. not a sandwich maker. i am a businessman like does that kind. of start to happen at some point yeah. for sure no for the first time is i'm. learning how to make sandwiches then i. learned how to be a boss and i learned.

how to do math and i learned how to be. an accountant then i realized you know i. got to sell these things and i figured. out how to deliver and then i figured. out you know how to uh how to print a. menu and then i figured out then i had. to write a menu and then then i had to. get the menus printed and then i said. you know what i'm going to take these. menus i'm going to print them on a. sticky card and people can tear them off. and stick them you know on their dorm. desk and so i had the i had my menus. they were sticky menus and they were all. over the campuses and people loved. stickers so i made my menus into. stickers and i saw my my stuff all over. the place right i mean i had dorm rooms.

decorated with my jimmy john's menus and. i figured out how to do that then i. figured out you know how to do an ad and. i placed an ad and didn't work and then. i started doing these big headlines so i. figured out how to place an ad and then. i figured out how to buy an ad so then. then i went through that then i went. then i had to find real estate then i. had to figure out what is good real. estate and what works and what doesn't. work and then i had to figure out what a. lease is and you figure out what a good. lease is by getting burned on a couple. of bad leases then you figure out what a. good lease is and then you get good. locations then you get good leases and. then and then you gotta and and then.

from there you know then i had to figure. out franchising i had 10 stores over 10. years and i i wrote the opening and. closing procedures and i did that during. those 10 years so all of those 10 stores. could be operated the same way and my. customers had the same experience. whether i was there or not i compensated. my manager with a piece of the action. wow every time right every so that we. we're all copacetic all symbiotic. everybody's happy so you had to figure. all that out and then as that grew then. i then when i and when i started. franchising theo in 93 i joined this. organization called young presidents.

organization and they said as a founder. you gotta give up your power or give up. and hire put a professional in to run. your company cause you're an. entrepreneur so i took that advice and i. hired some professionals from a large. restaurant company to run my franchise. company and dumb me stayed running the. company stores so in 93 i hired two. execs and we started franchising the. jimmy john's mind so i had to learn that. i had to i just save up the money to do. it and then i had to learn what a. franchise contract is what a.

fdd is which is a federal disclosure. document that the feds make you create i. had to learn what that was then when i. had to write one then i had to write a. bad one to write a good one so i figured. out how to write a good fdd you know and. then and then and then to figure out. what a good franchise he was and so from. 93 to 2003 we opened we had 176 jimmy. john's franchise stores and had 23. company stores and and this is a. relevant part of this story my 23 stores. at that time were making me about 4. million bucks a year just those 23.

stores profit and i had no debt i didn't. have debt because i didn't know how to. get debt and my sales were going. straight up in my 23 company stores my. 176 franchise stores sales were going. down and had 76 of them failing so 93 to. 2003 i was in denial i was taking the. franchise fees it was intoxicating yeah. how much did you get now how much do you. get on the franchise 25 grand of pop oh. yeah that was intoxicating money yeah. and finally james james north was my. president he came to me and he said. jimmy because we've got to stop selling. franchises man why he's just because we.

got nothing these things we got we got. half the stores or failed and why was it. what's that what was the number one. cause of why the stores were failing. well we we so we we stopped selling. franchises but why. the answer the question is they weren't. following systems and procedures and. they didn't put our process on a. pedestal because the company the people. that i hired from this other company. didn't have such systems and procedures. that we had at jimmy john's jimmy john's. is the most consistent chain that i mean. jimmy john's sba loan was the highest.

performing lowest failure rate sba loan. in the country because we were did you. have you had consistent experiences at. jimmy john's i have that's the re that's. the reason for it so they weren't. following our program we were so we. fired all those guys and james and. myself literally went on the road in. 2003 i had freddie was. was uh two years old lucy was three he's. your children my children and here i'm. going to go on the road again now after. i'm on the road 20 years i'm going to go. back on the road again and turn around. 76 sub shops that were failing so he and.

i did we went on the road it was a. 12-month plan we ended up on the road. for 18 months so we turned around 70 of. 76 stores ourselves with our own hands. and from that point forward when we got. back 2004-ish late 2004 i said i'm going. to tell every single person that wants. to open to jimmy john's that this is a. lifestyle this is nights this is. weekends this is no weddings no funerals. you can't get the sniffles you can't. have hurt feelings this is a brand that. if you buy into this it's like having.

children man it's it's it and i so i. told people the truth about it because i. didn't want to do that again i was done. i didn't i didn't have another one of. those in me and when you say another one. of those what do you mean like being on. the road for 18 months 24 7. did that. ruin your marriage you think no no way. no [ __ ] no i was i was i got divorced. back in 93 so i was i was with my. current wife okay and uh no it didn't. ruin my marriage but uh it made me. because that's a lot man i mean when you. say it it reminded me of stand-up comedy. like so many of my friends funerals i've. missed so many of our friends weddings. i've missed yeah and you you know it.

adjusts your friendship when you don't. make somebody's wedding man it adjusts. your friendship with him a little bit. you know and it's kind of weird because. sometimes you get to the end of some of. the line and you have this career that's. nice but. you've definitely. uh there were a lot of stair steps that. you missed along the way a lot of social. ones and emotional ones with other. people for sure for sure but after we. got back from that and we did that road. trip and when we turned the stores. around literally you want to open jimmy. john's we told you the truth we i was. making enough money remember i said my. 23 stories okay so before you're just. kind of handing them out yeah a little.

bit yeah but not anymore so now what do. you have to change in the documentation. on y'all's end to assure that people. will run it a certain way is there. anything legally that you have to change. no but what i did is i had a. conversation like we're having theo this. is i'm jimmy your theo. we're gonna have a conversation about. real stuff and i i would sit down just. like this and say look it's nights it's. weekends it's it's not forgiving it's. not flexible there are no days off do. you really want to do this okay if you. do it we'll give you one store great you.

we train you we made a really hard way. to come to champaign illinois train for. three weeks and do a two-week internship. somewhere else and a city like their. store is going to be made it really hard. for them to do you know what i mean and. then they did that and then they opened. up and we helped them and then if they. were really good at it we and they. wanted to do another one we let them and. if they hated it we'd get them out. really quick and so and so we teamed up. with people that really wanted to do it. you know i was in the selling business i. was hustling so and then i realized well. i'm hustling but i'm hustling. [ __ ] you know and so i quit you know.

i started just telling it like it is and. i remember i was in this beautiful. situation because i didn't have debt i. had i was making the dough for my. company-owned stores so i said if i'm. gonna have this growth vehicle it's. gonna be solid as a rock amen and that's. what i wanted man and you owe that to mr. northcutt a lot i mean oh for sure. absolutely that j that was that was his. idea to do that and uh and jane he's. he's brand president right now working. for inspired brands was it har oh wow. yeah was it hard for him to stop to like. get your attention no because it wasn't. no when he talked i listened and when i.

talked he listened the greatest partner. in the world he's a one he's one of the. greatest guys i've ever met i mean he's. trustee to my children i mean he's he's. a world-class man meadowman met him in. uh in in cold bay alaska in 1999 he was. a high school kid and i just met him i. said come on to america and and uh i'll. teach you to be the greatest sandwich. maker in the world he said tell me about. your sandwich up i said it's great we're. open from 10 to 2. he says [ __ ] i'm just. i'm just out of college i'll come where. he opened to ten to two he says i'll. come so he comes all the way from new. zealand to join me he says i didn't know.

you meant ten to two a.m he said i. thought it was 2 p.m he's like oh [ __ ]. i'm here. anyway that's a true story so he's still. there and running up oh that's hilarious. yeah it's funny today's episode is. brought to you by better help betterhelp. will assess your needs and match you. with your own licensed professional. therapist you can start communicating in. under 24 hours it's not a crisis line. it's not self-help it is professional. counseling done securely online. you know i remember a couple of uh.

probably about a year a year and a half. ago i pulled off the side of the road. i said i need some dang help i was in my. car and i couldn't get any help so i. said i need better help. and i got on the phone. the next scene on facetiming. with a licensed therapist right there on. the side of the road people honking. people calling me the f word people. calling me dirty names creep [ __ ]. but i was getting help man. betterhelp was committed to facilitating. great therapeutic matches that make it. easy and free to change counselors if. you need.

visit betterhelp.com. t-h-e-o that's b-e-t-t-e-r-h-e-l-p. and join the over half a million people. taking charge of their mental health. with the help of an experienced. professional special offer for this past. weekend listeners get 10 off your first. month at betterhelp.com. theo. look if you wanna. if you want to put that you know an. athlete is something that's active. something that's moving something that. is uh creating beauty. something that is making things um.

that is in motion. and what i'm talking about is athletic. greens. they basically took an athlete. and put it into greens baby. one of the ways i've taken ownership. over my health is with athletic greens. you take it in the morning it's easy you. mix it in it's a great mix you mix it. right in the water boom i throw an ice. cube in there. for that temperature of comfort. you get that temperature at the same. spot you needed at today's program is.

brought to you by athletic greens the. most comprehensive daily nutritional. beverage it has everything in it. 75 vitamins and minerals do you know how. long it would take you. to take 75 vitamins. it could literally take you an hour and. a half. they have whole food source ingredients. multivitamin multimineral probiotic. green superfood blend and more they all. work together to fill the nutritional. gaps in your diet increase energy and. focus and aid in digestion. yep go to athleticgreens.com.

and get a free one-year supply of. vitamin d and five free travel packs. when you use. athleticgreens.com. theo join health experts athletes and. health conscious go-getters around the. world. again simply visit athleticgreens.com. t-h-e-o and get your free year supply of. vitamin d and five free travel packs. today athletic greens.com theo. um we have a question right here that.

came in from a young man. theo vaughn hello from england um before. i get onto my question for jimmy john mr. jimmy john i'd like to say to you thank. you for. you know your consistent rare light. shining through the dark times. um. making these you know these uncertain. times a little bit easier to deal with a. little bit less of a struggle on a daily. basis so thank you for the from the. bottom of my heart for that. and to you mr jimmy john um. when i was over in boston working over.

there i got a taste for that uh freaky. fast freaky fresh hitter um the vo. and i was wondering when you you plan on. bringing your sandwiches over to england. at all um mainly because at the moment. all we've got is subway oh which sucks. yeah and i made love to a girl near a. subway one school. show. today. jimmy john's freaky fast freaky fresh. international. is it a possibility. um. thanks guys gang gang gang brother and.

thanks for the nice words man merry. christmas to you man i love you and uh. thanks for being a a part of this. podcast um send me your address and i'll. fedex you some sandwiches anytime you. want i'll tell you what i'll do it for. you once a month you just send you can. get my my email address from theo and. i'll hook you up i'll fedex them with. ice packs and you'll get them fresh in. england i don't own it anymore buddy. yeah we'll send you some though that's. that's very sweet of you that'd be great. hey look man it's a christmas gift for. you from jimmy john himself man. you know i t you guys group does good.

though man they set me up with a. lifetime membership oh really yep i i i. i've been a long time jimmy johnny i'm a. turkey time guy and so i would get the. turkey time and i would just talk about. it on snapchat or on a instagram story. and then yeah one day they wrote me back. and i remember i took the card to the. guy here and the guy was like dang i. don't even know i've ever even seen one. of these he was like all stoked you know. dude i thought i was the only one that. gave those out so good my guys were my. guys were doing the right thing i don't. think they're giving them to everybody. though so no they're not it was nice.

that they uh that they did it though you. still got it. i still got it yeah yeah sweet i've. just we just shot a sketch this morning. with brett favre jr actually and we were. doing uh. we treated we uh gave the card to my. buddy to go treat everybody to lunch oh. nice i came over here um. okay so let's get into a little bit more. of like so you got you have the business. what. what changed for you when you became. were you guys rich when you were a kid. no i told you we were poor twice so but. we were bankrupt in 72 and 76 and i left.

home in 82 and then my father i would. say he started he got out of debt in 76. and i when i was in high school my. father had a cadillac. so i don't know what your definition of. rich is or what your definition of spicy. is but he had a cadillac you know and. then when i left home and and he became. way more successful after after i left. home you know what business did he get. into so my father was a book salesman. and then he was a plastic molder my. father invented the process of molding.

molten plastic around metal it was. called insert molding it was a. technology that he he was the he really. created the technology and essentially. what it did is anytime you could take. metal out of a part and and make the. majority of the part plastic and just. make the metal on metal contact metal. and the right you could remove cost out. of a part so it you know it was a great. technology and so so the first time he. just didn't do his books right and in 76. he developed a a cb antenna and to make. a cbn cb and a lot of cb intentions you.

had to. coil copper wire around a magnet and and. and it was your antenna base well my dad. molded it and by molding it he could. make him very consistent make made him. perform better and his top salesman top. accountant top engineer uh split stole. the design and went and opened up a. competing business and bankrupted him. and that was in 76. and that's how he. got bankrupt the second time they they. and and the government and the courts. were so slow that by the time he got to. the courts and got in suing him the. antenna technology had passed him well.

the the cb business had been flying and. yeah basically and so but anyway he. learned and uh you know had a little. humility and and uh and worked his ass. off and and that's that must have been. heartbreaking though you have your. family going you know you're working so. hard on something you're inventing. you're creating something yeah it's like. a baby it's like your thing yeah yeah. and then somebody burns you like that. somebody burns you but welcome to the. club right business man it's also. business it's life it's life but from. that my father created a product called. the k40cb antenna that guaranteed it was.

guaranteed to transmit further and. receive clearer than any other antenna. and he sold them uh over the telephone. to independent dealers and uh and that. became that became a successful business. and so yeah dad dad ended up doing well. but i was gone i i mean like i told you. i was raised we didn't we didn't have. stuff we had a lot of love but not stuff. i think my younger brother and sister. had a little. a little cushier time than my older. brother and i. um do you think your dad felt achieved. by the time he passed away in his life. my dad was very achieved right do you.

think he felt it though i understand. that he was yeah i would say. was he content. you know as content as any man can be. because contentment you know contentment. is fleeting. it's temporary right perfection's a. journey not a destination right so you. know i would say at moments he felt but. my dad was pretty proud of himself um he. just was naturally uh but to be able to. fill that i bet to be able to be it yeah. and then actually kind of stuff it with. the right cotton you know. by the end of the line i bet that.

probably felt pretty cool yeah i would. yeah yeah my my dad was proud of himself. and and and he should be yeah he rocked. it i mean he set the foundation for me. to do what i did and i would listen to. him when i was a kid he was working all. the time he's on the phone all the time. and and and doing his books after he. after he didn't do his books right and. you know i learned to do my books. because i knew i had to know my books. and i know one of the kids said you know. what do you got to do to be successful. you got to have a better product than. everybody else you got to know your cost. and you got to outwork the competition. and if you can do those three things you. can be successful but you've got to be.

willing to do it you can't just google. it you got to do it you got to get in. there and be uncomfortable when most. people don't want to be uncomfortable. right right that's how you did it so i. don't know where i'm going with that no. it's a good point look i mean i remember. walking out of uh you know joe rogan's. studio and being like man that guy has. it made you know and. and um. and then i remember thinking well how. could i do that and i started doing some. podcasting in my kitchen you know and. just kind of built it in and built a. camera and i would get one of my. you know bought a camera and got a you.

know just a thing on my desk and then my. computer would record also. stay up edit it put in the music and. then one day some people started. listening you know putting it out there. putting the product out there and then a. guy called me from this place called. grey block pizza it's a small pizza. place in in la and bend oregon they have. a branch and. they were our charter sponsor for years. and they still are and really that's. where the term get that hitter came from. which is uh now one of our main. merchandise. pieces but um. and he's still right now you're your guy. yep he's still my guy this uh this guy.

thomas and he. said you know what man i believe in he. goes what you need to get you need to. get a studio you know you just. and he goes i'll give you a thousand. dollars a month and i said well man i. you know if you give me a thousand. dollars i'm gonna keep that thousand. dollars yeah i'm not spending on a. studio man you know i'm saying i'm gonna. take that thousand dollars i'm gonna go. retire right now like that's where my. brain was. and he goes no man you can't see it he. goes you can't see it but if you get to. here you're going to be fine when you. get there he goes you've just never been. there you know you just nev and it. wasn't a big jump but it was yeah.

getting a place and then we bought a. studio man the first studio we released. was uh take away this little enclave and. it was as big as this room and. man we had some amazing guests came in. there dustin poirier came in jordan. peterson who's one of the premier like. uh speakers and and orders and and. brains of our time um bert christopher. thompson just we had amazing guests in. this little bitty space you know and uh. was it in band oregon no this was in uh. in l.a in l.a this was in l.a yeah but.

yeah we moved from our kitchen over to. another place and then now we have two. studios now we have two podcasts and it. it's definitely. it's a lot more work now. you know you don't get to just sit there. and be the fun guy sometimes you know. you don't get to be the. you know some friends of mine have been. in sitcoms and they say once you get in. the sitcom and it's about you you don't. get to be the guy telling the jokes. you're the guy in the middle that. everybody around you is telling the. jokes and sometimes i think summer. business starts to get get to be like. that you don't get to be as much the.

the goof anymore 100 of the time because. you got to be. the glue a lot of the times you know or. try to be both you got to be both and. it's different things at different times. right sometimes you need to love. sometimes you need to motivate and. sometimes you need to correct and. sometimes you need to celebrate and it's. a it's it's a balancing act man it's. spinning plates and i think we have a. very similar story i think a very. similar story just different medium i. was doing sandwiches you're doing what. you're doing with your intellect and. your comedy yeah and uh. you know yeah.

it's a thing of self-serving it's like. how do i put out something that's good. how meticulous am i. were there times where you were too. meticulous because i find that in myself. sometimes i'm too. on top of people about things and it. almost just. it like debilitates me sometimes with. the folk where my focus is sure that. overall it hurts things you know 100 use. you know was i was i ever too meticulous. i was very much pennywise and pound. foolish so when the business got to be. you know approaching three billion. dollars in sales almost 3 000 stores.

1900 in the pipeline i mean this thing. was a we were opening 30 stores a month. selling 45 new deals a month i mean it. it was a monster i wouldn't even go to. sleep if i was doing that it was i. couldn't it was crazy it was driving me. nuts and when i actually talked to james. north today who's the current brand. president um and uh as i talked to him. today he's a real strategic big thinker. and i'm an operator like okay shit's bad. okay let's go get more drivers let's. bake better bread let's clean this door. better you know let's uh let's let's.

make the lights brighter you know i'm a. real sort of a pragmatic. operator and james was a real strategic. thinker so i was focusing so much on on. little stuff that i was missing sight of. the big stuff you follow me and so that. for me at the time that i mean how i got. it as big as i got it i have no idea i. got so lucky and selling it and you know. and and doing the final deal in october. of 19 you know before covet and. everything i got lucky but but i was not.

ab i got way caught up in the minutia. wait the lawsuits were personal for the. for for big companies lawsuits aren't. personal for me it was another attack on. me another attack on me like the shark. another attack on jimmy another attack. on jimmy that's not me i'm not that's. not me with the shark oh yeah that's jim. no it's not me right you know but the. attack the attack yeah that's you. killing these drivers whatever that's. not me man it's like we just have a a. advertising plan like that's right wow. so so so so i just so when i when you. take things personally yeah.

personally if you work real hard you. started from the grass roots it's all. personal to you it is personal it's. extremely personal man yeah so i'm just. getting over that now and i'm actually. when the when the sale first went down. it was weird man you know because you. got sold for what 150. what do you guys sell for. dollars 150 billion i was going to say. 150 no you know what that's insane. amount isn't it. i'd love to tell you but i'm sure you. can't tell but it's confidence so you. guys now when you sell then let's go to. this when you sell what does that mean.

you sell what are you still a chairman. are you still do they are you still. questions are you still doing. sometimes man so let me let me tell you. how it works so you said like jimmy when. did you start to think about getting in. under other businesses you asked me that. earlier in 2007 i sold 28 of the. business and so i had a chunk of dough. and i didn't know how to invest so i. bought farm ground and i bought gold. okay and let me tell you how naive i was. my brilliant jewish partners there are. awesome guys michael lazarus he says he.

says oh you bought gold what gold fund. did you buy i said what's a gold fund he. says you took physical possession of. gold i said yeah man i bought 400 ounce. bars and he said he said you just buy a. fun i didn't know what a gold fund was. so but i understood farming you know you. buy the sea so so i started thinking. about other businesses and you know at. that time i i sold 28 of it and then in. 2006 then i gave my employees seven. percent of the company. and i still own 65 in 2016 i sold 30. points of my 65 points to a company.

called work capital and they own uh you. know they they they have like thirty. thousand wrestling they own ant dan's. they own carvel uh they have a com. offshoot inspire brands who we merged. with they have arby's buffalo wild wings. sonic and jimmy johnson now just bought. dunkin donuts right oh wow so so i sold. so i sold 30 points to them in 2016. and. then 35 i merged my final 35. with inspire brands and so now i'm uh. i'm a large shareholder of inspire.

brands and so that's how it works and. that's how it works for me it's not how. everybody does it it's how i did it and. and that that way just worked for me. are you pleased with how you did it. looking back yeah are you kidding me i. think i mean that come on i mean are you. kidding me well but but when you're. perfection when you are someone who's to. the minutiae are there things that are. there things you would have done any. differently looking back um. because look man i'll be slaying in a. [ __ ] gold coffin. complaining about something i got rid of. the gold bars by the way.

yeah i sold them at the right time too. oh thank god man yeah that's a tricky. business but uh um. you know are there things that i wished. i did different gosh yes you know i i. wish i i wouldn't have uh there's a lot. of things i wish i would have done. different but you know that that's the. beauty of life and that's that's the. beauty of age and wisdom and and and. with with wisdom and with experience. comes some peace and and in my brain i. got a side of my brain that's been able. to grow now that that wasn't growing. because of the noise the noise was so.

intense and and and the noise was just. so intense i mean my resting heart rate. when i wake up in the morning i was. under 60 and i weighed 275 pounds you. know and it was like a hundred you know. so it's it's uh the noise is gone and. the piece is here and and and my. family's here and you know life is good. and my timing i got lucky with my timing. theo give me a break yeah get out of. here i got lucky okay i'll take it right. i'll take it take it yeah sometimes you. put 100 bucks on red when you spin the. wheel and you hit red i'll take the. hunter take the [ __ ] red yeah so.

there you go yeah that's a good point. yeah sometimes there's even this weird. like thing about taking like luck you. know it's like it feels like it wasn't. like yours but yeah it's like you got to. take that man that's life it is like. because it could just as easily go the. other way and it does yeah and it most. often does absolutely it most often does. let's take a question right here from a. young fella right here come on jimmy. john one question. what do you get. at jimmy john's. [ __ ] mind-blowing oh you like subway. better. right on so i love a turkey time with.

onions and oil and vinegar added to it i. love a turkey tom that way but if you. get it that way you got to eat it. immediately you can't wait my go-to. sandwich is the new east coast hoagie so. you got to get the new number seven east. coast spicy hoagie that is my favorite. one right now good for sure i think it's. the best sandwich that we've ever we've. ever done i like the frenchie a lot but. inspired brands got rid of it did you. have the little frenchie nope i never. had oh nope i never had it never had. i've always gotten the turkey time. except for the last couple times i went. i got a club um italians yeah italian.

nightclub yeah number nine so but i um. i've been a turkey time guy my whole. life man i'm a real. i kind of stick with what works for me. you know uh so you're 40. yeah i'm 40. now you know now that i re i'm just. sitting here thinking jimmy john's just. part of your whole life oh yeah 100. jimmy john's only of it was half of my. life i i have a hard time with the. obvious i just realized. you were grew up with it dude it's crazy. so if i'm touring or i'm in a different. city and wherever i get the first thing. on my way into town i will see if they.

have a jimmy john i'll just have them. bring one right to the hotel so when i. get there i have a jimmy john's man it's. one thing that i do feel about jimmy. john's is. it is as reliable. a food. that exists out there i every time it's. going to be the same and it always gets. there fast man it's just there it's like. it really is it's just there the other. [ __ ] i don't know what's going to happen. people somebody might get shot on the. way deliver i have no idea but with. jimmy john's it's straight up now i had. i actually got i had got a i hooked up.

with jared from subway's sister a long. time ago in the french quarter this is a. long time ago so i've had some some. unique interactions with some you know. with some sandwich experiences over my. life but um. and then i used to talk about quiznos a. lot of times. now quiznos went under right yeah. and here's why i think and this just is. a straight mail you know. quiz knows i would go into quiznos right. and you get the toasted sandwiches. toasted right which i like it's cool you. know. but the problem with quiznos was there. was just men in there eating them so. when you have a toasted sandwich and.

you're like bringing it up to your mouth. and it has like this kind of like. this big open mouth kind of vibe and. you're just sitting there there's other. men in there just looking at each other. it had this extremely homoerotic vibe. for me at quiznos. and i wouldn't bro and i think i really. believe that it hit a lot of them in. that way and it. it just it kind of made it too tough for. me to go get quiznos. and sometimes that it would burn my. mouth it would like kind of chat me up a. little bit and it just felt kind of. homoerotic eating those in there because.

it was only men in there i think they. only really cater to men i i have no. idea i never this first time i ever. heard this oh this is a big theory out. there but a lot of women won't go get a. toasted sandwich it just. you know that's a good toasted sandwich. it's pot belly it's not dainty enough i. like potbelly they don't toast them too. hard right i like that but um. but anyway those are some sandwich. experiences that i've had but did you uh. was there another sandwich place you. really enjoyed over the years or another. business that you watched grow over the. years yeah i think that uh let's what.

what businesses i i think preta manche. does a great job i'm familiar with them. they're london-based mcdonald's owned. them and then they opened some stores in. new york they do a really good job with. sandwiches i think portillo's hot dogs. did a great job i love to go throughout. chicago right yeah yeah yeah so my. friend dick portillo he sold about the. same time just about a year before i did. so another another great guy i love. portillos a lot. what else do i respect a lot um i really. respect chick-fil-a how can you not. respect chick-fil-a i mean what they do.

i mean my pleasure's getting a little. old but i respect it and that's what. they do and it's what they say i guess. freaky fast could be getting pretty old. do but um i think chick-fil-a has. incredible respect i think mcdonald's. new quarter pounder with cheese with the. fresh burger i think it's an incredible. product i've had that yet yeah they're. using a fresh meat patty now really it's. really a big difference it's big time. yeah you ought to try it how can you not. respect in and out i mean it's kind of a. grilled cheese sandwich flavored with. vegetables and a little bit of meat. patty but it's still pretty damn good. and the price is really really really.

good yeah um what else do i really. respect a lot was there a good brand. that came through that didn't make it. that you were like man what happened. here because this thing was. that didn't make it kfc i do not i i. don't i'm a popeyes guy you know but i. love popeye's new chicken sandwich. their chicken is just if they made a. heroin i would buy it that's so good. popeyes is good if popeye's made a. heroin. dude i don't think america would exist. anymore. but yeah there there's just something. about their did you ever meet that guy.

uh what was that al copeland yeah yeah. and his son really what was that like. because i'll tell you this so. growing up in that area he put the big. christmas lights up by the edge of the. lake and people would get pissed because. they had to drive their car by him and. then like people were like i'm getting. old i can't see the end of the bridge. what i'm trying so there was always he. was always this like flamboyant like uh. bigger than larger than life he was like. that was like my dad. but go ahead. yeah he was just like that he was like. larger than life like the big christmas. lights and we're doing this and we got a.

you know you felt like he had a cigar in. his hand even if he didn't have it in. his hand you know he was just larger. than life he was he was i used to watch. his offshore power boat racing remember. he did that to the cigarette boats he. would take hot girls back and forth from. our town over to new orleans and then. bring them back like a month later. a month later but i love that stuff so. much and i ended up creating a or being. part of an offshore powerboat with the. jimmy john's offshore part and we won. the world championship that way. and i that was all inspired by that dude. al copeland i thought it was so cool i.

thought it was the coolest thing in the. world man it was uh yeah he was a hero. remember his sunglasses and his gold. chains oh yeah big black hair oh yeah he. was killing it he i ca i don't know if. he was italian i don't know what he was. copeland i'm not sure he wanted to be. italian yeah he wanted to be for sure. yeah he was a he was the legend around. our town around our area growing up. because he was just he bought this big. place right when he got off the causeway. bridge in new orleans. and they had he put all of his boats in.

his truck everything was big he put just. it was in these big glass windows you. could just see when you drove by for no. real reason but just to be like hey this. is what i you know here's what's going. on here's my [ __ ] yeah yeah yeah um. did you um. were there some what are some other big. entrepreneurial type guys i'm sure you. that's one thing that's probably. happened that maybe you didn't even. expect is like you probably got to cross. paths with some amazing entrepreneurs. over the years you know what i have and. you know i can't do a shout out to. somebody so it's 1987 and my father knew. this guy named jamie coulter who's a.

pizza hut operator out of wichita and my. dad asked him he and he met him and my. dad was in this ypo group i told you. about and my dad asked jamie to visit. with me and talk me out of these dumb. little sandwich shops that i had i had. three of them at the time or four of. them at the time so i met jamie coulter. and jamie had 25 pizza at stores i met. him and at the time he made twice as. much money at his pizza huts than the. chain average and we're talking together. and he called my dad and he said. big jim he says i'm sorry he said your. son believes in what he's doing here and.

i'm going to champion him and support. him because he believes in it and he can. do it so jamie coulter ended up building. those 25 pizzas to 125 sold them created. lone star steakhouse created sullivans. and then bought del frisco's and jamie's. been my been been my mentor since 1987. and he's now i just turned 80 years old. and he is a young 80 and he is he has. coached me my entire life he's taught me. he's taught me how to how to tie a tie. how to how to drink wine how to how to.

how to talk to people how he he's taught. me about life he he he's been a he was a. he he was with me so jamie i love you. brother and uh he's an awesome awesome. dude and uh he and i are partners in a. new brand uh that uh that's called seven. brew out of northwest arkansas so we. have nine little drive-through uh coffee. shops and uh and so he's my partner in. that so that's that's a new venture that. we're doing so jamie coulter and then i. have met so many of the of the great. entrepreneurs um in america i mean i. don't you know dick portillo from.

portillo's hot dogs and um. uh i mean i've i've i've met the coke. family and i i met uh uh. uh henry kravis from you know the kkr. and george roberts and from those guys. and. james colter from tpg and and so many i. mean. it's endless how many entrepreneurs and. then i and then i was fortunate enough. to to be nominated the horatio algeria. association you guys won it right i won. it two years ago and just in that and. that alone i mean it was it's me it's. the ceo or the the.

warren buffett's right-hand guy it's uh. roger penske's there peyton manning you. know it was just crazy company oprah. winfrey you know it's like whatever how. did a sandwich guy get here like you. know are you a magician a magician they. have maybe find it hard to talk to some. of those people in certain circles or is. it not really. yeah what do you find do you find. because like what are you gonna i don't. know what i would even say to you let me. tell you something yeah they are so. refreshed by refresh. people that don't have an agenda i'm not. i'm not i'm i'm not beholden to anybody. i don't have any debt i don't owe.

anybody anything i have everything i own. is mine and and i and i'm always help. when i can be helpful i'm not virtuous. but i'm just a just just jimmy and so. when i talk to somebody i think when you. talk to them real i think their guard. goes down and then i think they kind of. want to peel off and like hang with you. and say you know hey what's up hanging. out what's up you know what are you. doing what's new and i they they are. very endearing to me when i meet. high-level people um. they they're i seem to be able to just. talk to them and i talk just like this.

yeah and i don't think that most people. talk just straight up like this right. and and i find that it's really really. easy to the the more you are you the. more they can be them and and you they. realize you don't have an agenda and. they just shine yeah yeah and i think. that's with any human being not not. wherever they agree i think all human. beings react to authenticity and. genuineness and real man and that's all. people want it's a fair shake yeah. yeah there's something new about uh i. think especially in this day in this age. about vulnerability and how that.

is becoming like a. commodity you know or just being able to. relate you know or hey i think. vulnerability just saying look this is. kind of where i'm at this is like some. of my things that are going on this is. something i can relate to you this is. some way i think it's why podcasting has. done so well because there's just more. of a conversation. um like there were some like i like part. of me for a long time wish that bernie. sanders and donald trump would have been. on the same ticket. because i felt like they were such.

opposites but it would be great to see. such opposites on the have to work. together that is fascinating to then. make a move forward right how about that. and i've always thought that maybe why. does the vice president just get to be. the same like let's pick the. let's give an antithesis so that there's. some real. vitriol between the two heads before. they really make some choices but um. boy that is amazing that you what what a. way to think that would have been a. fascinating team and you know what i. think bernie and president trump might. have really done a great job together i.

agree too because i think trump had an. inability to kind of just he just he was. just a you know he's a great business. guy but his i think he's just his. his way of kind of speaking to the. everyday person i don't know i don't. know and i don't want to get into that. but um but talking to people that are. when you're authentic people dig it dude. people people dig when you're real and. they know if you're real you're not real. they know yeah right people tell do if. you really care people know you care and. if you care people will talk to you and. they'll respond as long as they're in a. place of of being real too and you know.

and i think that the people that are. more present and living in are those are. the people you want to talk to any with. those that are so caught up in this. world of of electronics and all that as. much as they are the new you the word. you told me it's the new fossil fuel. yeah tech is the new fossil fuel tech is. the new that's that that's my gem that i. got from theo today that is incredible. so you know but i think when people are. are living real they're they they. respond to real and i think that. everybody at different times in their. life has different you know they're at. different stages of their life yeah you. have to be not only you have to be in.

in front of something that's going to. affect you but you have to be open to. there's only that's the funny thing 100. people can tell me the same thing but. it's that one moment where it just gets. through whatever the chasms are the way. they're lined up and where it really. hits. um how did you meet your second wife how. that how did that come up leslie you. said her name was yeah leslie so i was. at mccormick place and there was a and. my buddies have a beef jerky company. called jack links beef jerky and it's. from up in northern wisconsin where our. camp is where bishop gunn played right. into minong wisconsin so they were at.

mccormick place and i had bulls tickets. i was live in downtown chicago and. michael jordan was playing this is back. in the back back in the late 90s last. time the best dude. every single game dude i was there. really yes it went home home in chicago. yes for sure and you you was your you. weren't your brand wasn't doing good. then no you weren't yo [ __ ] i had uh. well i had like 17 or 18 stories late. 90s i was i had all those deposits oh i. thought i was making money out of my. company stores i was i've been i've had. i've been rich for a long time i thought.

it was later than that i thought i. didn't know that your business aligned. uh your some of your early success. aligned with uh when the bulls were. still playing oh yeah well remember i. had my company stores and even though. the franchise stores i had 76 failing. stores i was still getting paid right. because they had to pay me a royalty. right i said look we're going to run out. of fuel we need to stop this truck and. we need to refuel it yeah so there were. two separate entities so my company. stores always made money but so anyway. i'm at mccormick place to at a at a. grocery store show and the link boys. have their beef jerky booth and they're.

hustling jerky. at their grocery store show and so and i. said and i had four bulls tickets so i. always kept two and sold two and it paid. for my tickets right so my buddy jay. says he's listen he said we're going to. bulls game he says i got this girl. that's working at wells blue bunny ice. cream booth right there around the. corner i want to take her to the bulls. game he said you know can i said okay. let's go check it out so we walk over. there and this red-headed girl is there. and and with this blond-headed girl that. jay was gonna take and and they were. friends and i said would you like to go. to the bulls game she says yeah but you.

know just friends i said for sure a. hundred percent just plans so we all. four go to the bulls game that night we. went to yeah i'm not starting at lovers. yeah that's right. we went to the bulls game and at the. united center they sold these these bob. chins my ties and you could get an extra. floater in there on the top for an extra. buck so by the second one i was. irresistible and i got the hand on my. knee and so yeah that was i was just. irresistible. that's funny [ __ ] man sorry i got the.

hand on my knee and we went to. gallagher's on the corner of racine and. uh. racine and alt geld in chicago to. gallagher's and we went to the bar after. the bulls game and walking back to my. house we totally made out and uh and. then she came back the next weekend for. the restaurant show which and and and. she was doing the wells blue bunny ice. cream booth at the at the restaurant. show up and were you at the did you have. a booth at the restaurant show or no no. no no not yet so i go so i i took her i. took her out friday night and i said.

listen it's ten o'clock i need you to. take you back to your hotel because i. just can't do this i i you've got a a a. boyfriend and and i i just can't do this. and i'm take you back to your hotel so i. drove her back to her hotel. i called her at three o'clock in the. morning i said you up i can't sleep i. said i'm coming to get you so i came. together and that was that was and then. she moved to chicago a month later i. asked her to move in with me she's like. dude i'm not moving in with you and she. had a she had a a four-year-old son wow. and his name was spencer and she was 22. she had him as she was a freshman in. college and had a child.

so she got she got a job at the time how. did she go to you know uh she went to a. southwest missouri state oh you'll get a. four-year-old there and you got a. four-year-old there she got a. four-year-old there and i was lucky. enough to adopt him so he's my oldest. son oh it's cool but anyway it just all. worked out man we got engaged the. following valentine's just leslie and. we've been through it all we've been. through everything that a couple can go. through dude we've been through it we. earned it we love the [ __ ] out of each. other and and we're rolling you know we. got this thing so that's my story and my. love.

dude that's awesome man so if you uh. after uh let's go to this question real. quick and then i'll last one more and. we'll finish up what does this guy have. here thank you for calling brother. hey yo hey theo jimmy it's dave from. louisville i just wanted to hear you. guys thoughts on this tattoo i've had. for about 10 years now. shout out to jimmy jones on the sub hand. gang gang dude gang gang that rocks nice. work i guess that's a handy eats his. subs with that left-handed sub-eater i. hope that's the hand he eats the subway. yeah.

who knows what else he's doing man. uh that's beautiful man actually i feel. like they could have done the artwork a. little bit better if i'm really going to. be honest with them but at the same time. i totally respect it man right i'm buddy. um have you seen a lot of people or. these that have done some weird things. like that for you or not and i'm not. saying you're weird brother but are. there people that have really shown up. with some tattoos and buddy there i used. to do a convention in vegas every two. years and we'd have three four thousand. people at the in in vegas at a. convention and i and we i'd give away. prizes and. rolexes and recognize great performers.

and bring in rock stars kid rock would. come players zach brown come play bishop. gun and come play and and uh man i saw. some i saw some big jimmy john tattoos. and some crazy places and and i'm sure. that they're sorry that they put those. jj's where they put them because i saw. some [ __ ] dude yeah i've seen a lot i've. seen a lot anyway it is what it is. you've seen some stuff that's not on the. menu i've seen some stuff that's not on. the menu for sure um all right let's. take one more here and then i'll hit you. with a question and we'll finish up.

what's up theo what's up jimmy hey buddy. so my question for you is what's the. craziest customer experience that you've. ever had um i think mine would be when i. worked at jimmy john's in downtown. wilmington. um it was the first night me and my. manager you know working there till. three four in the morning we got those. bar drunk people coming in and one guy. ordered and he comes back up and he goes. hey man i think some uh naked guy just. came in through the back and went. upstairs. and i'm like are you serious he's like. yeah and uh so i go get my manager and.

next thing you know he goes upstairs and. he's bringing out some naked guy and i'm. like what is going on. subs are making people crazy. hey man free smells dog. right on um did you ever have any. wildness like that i'm sure you do right. there and uh anything that stands out. buddy there there has been so much. wildness that i have seen 36 years on. college campuses with sub sandwiches. buddy i've seen porn on the internet. done in jimmy john's bathrooms. and that which has been nicely emailed.

to me. uh. i have seen i have seen i have seen. stuff i've seen i mean i don't know. where to go with it it's it's. overwhelming uh i think it's just human. nature i don't think it's jimmy john's i. think that you mix alcohol in late night. and and people i think that people just. like like as they turn into raccoons and. they start doing you know they start. crawling around. yeah they're doing weird [ __ ] oh you'll. find your [ __ ] cousin in the. recycling bin dude if you like if. there's enough drugs and booze around.

yes sir um. what about uh. what about so in life you know you've. i feel like for me i noticed in my life. there's like a i found like an uh like i. in the past two years i've started to. make a little bit of money in my life. and i never had any money yeah and money. was always and i think in a lot of. people's lives. it's always it's a goal it's a motivator. it's a. and i don't know if it was my motivator. i think some type of a success was my. motivator and i've achieved some success. hell yeah but i felt like it's not as.

there really isn't it's not as joyous as. you would. it doesn't pay off really exactly like. you've kind of i for me it hasn't paid. off exactly like i felt like i felt like. it was like i thought it would yes it's. not what you thought it would be right. let me tell you so i'm 16 years i'm 56. you're 40 right yeah so here's here's. happiness is hard work brother and it's. it's hard to make it it's five times. harder to hold on to it that's number. one thing with money okay it's five.

times harder to hold on to it number two. money doesn't bring you happiness you. want to be happy you got to watch your. sugar you got to drink a lot of water. you got to exercise in the morning you. got to keep your house in order keep. your life in order and you want to and. and i have to hang around people that i. aspire to be like or want to be like. because it rubs off on me you got to. have a presence of discipline you got to. have a presence of balance and and you. got to have a little bit of fun and you. got to forgive yourself for being human. when you over season your steak which we. happen to do once in a while as human. beings and you can take that any way you.

want to take it and forgive yourself so. you can get back on the track of. happiness and happiness is hard work man. it is it is it is i'm a i'm a i'm. obviously a billionaire right and uh uh. but you know you can have you can have. 10 cars and and 10 boats and 10 houses. and you can you can you can eat yourself. three chocolate cakes and six big macs. and six jimmy john subs and you're gonna. feel like [ __ ] yeah okay and it's gonna. be horrible and you're gonna be a one. horrible rich [ __ ] okay and so.

really happiness is hard work so and. genuine genuine happiness i mean real. not baloney [ __ ] you know right. being party that's fine but real. contentment happiness man it's hard work. and it takes work every single day to do. that and when you do it you know when. you do it every day or have a presence. of it and then you have better weeks and. then you have better months and you have. better quarters and then you have better. years you know i wish i would have known. this 10 years ago i'm learning this now. since i don't have all that the pressure. of jimmy john's so i'm learning this.

stuff now and this is for me. i don't know what's for you but this. this is the wine i like to drink i'm not. going to tell you what kind of wine you. like to drink but this is you know i had. a wine class one time i paid 200 he says. okay you're ready for the class. good wine is wine you like great class. over let's drink wow so i'm like thanks. man yeah thank you what's all that [ __ ]. they're doing the rest of you says. that's all [ __ ] they're making all. that stuff up because i felt so stupid. with wine right now i own a couple. wineries and we do very well but that's. beside the point so you know it's just.

whatever it is to you but for what i. found is you know i've been rich for a. long time and uh in my in my world uh. rich for a long time and and uh i made. my first million dollars in 93 and had. no debt you know so and having no debt. is huge huge i didn't know how to get it. i didn't know how to fill out the. paperwork well it's funny your dad said. that you know yeah yeah and those. bankruptcies scared me and i was poor. and i didn't ever want to be poor again. and uh. so i was a real saver and still i'm very. conservative i only invest in things. that i totally understand you know or a.

person that i totally understand i i. really tend to bet the jockey not the. horse. interesting man yeah so that's the list. people the list is if you want to uh if. you want to have. happiness in your life. i feel like you started off by making a. list. of the things you needed in your kitchen. and i feel like you kind of ended up by. giving us a list. of your experience of the things that we. need if we want to. you know have some sort of happiness you. know um is that your is that do you feel.

like that's where your. a lot of your motivation is spent now. kind of these days like finding uh just. feeling good finding some happiness 100. i think contentment theo i think that um. you know um. private planes are convenient but you. can be miserable in a private plane you. know all those all those perceived you. know kardashian amenities right or. whatever hollywood amenities all those. things are great but but to feel good. you got to feel good and and it's hard. work to feel good and so i'm filling in.

a lot of a lot of gaps that i that i. wasn't able to do because i was fighting. the battle for 36 years and i was just. overwhelmed at the end it was just so. big and so i was i was like drinking. through a fire hose and now you know. really being addressed my weight my. health and really every single day. through this thanks this this hunting. season and thanksgiving and christmas. and and really trying to balance myself. man. i've done a better job this year than. i've ever done in my life like this is. this is my the best life that i've ever. lived and i'm in a great direction and i.

think a year from now if we had a. podcast i think you'll see me 20 or 30. pounds lighter and and um and it's just. what i'm doing right now and it feels. good yeah it feels good to sleep good it. feels good man it feels really shitty. when i drink a bottle or two of tequila. which i did last week with uh with bobby. and uh and clint boyer we went hunting. deer in texas and we drank a lot of. tequila man and and man i paid the price. for three to three days i mean hangovers. at my age are a week now it's almost not. worth it yeah oh hang over your stock.

dip you know. you know. um so anyway yeah man i just see you. know a little peace and contentment and. relationships with my kids and and uh. just moved to franklin tennessee and in. june and i love it congratulations it's. like old america here it's uh the. neighbors we we we get to our house. we're at our house three days the. neighbors bring over a fire pit made out. of iron that a local guy welded and and. eight adirondacks chairs and a stack of. wood and set it up and brought a cooler. beer and said welcome to the. neighborhood lit a fire i mean this.

where i live i live in america man this. is america where people love each other. and help each other and look after each. other and that's how i felt coming here. to nashville and and franklin and it's. just it is it's an awesome place and uh. yeah i'm gonna bring my whole um bring. everything down here and so yeah where. can we we're definitely dipping our toe. in it for sure and seeing what that. feels like we wanted to kind of make. this like a have a different option you. know we had a mortician come on from uh. kentucky and he was like one of our best. guests ever really oh he said look bro. he said if you kill somebody man kill.

him in like kind of a rural area because. a lot of times it goes straight from the. policeman to the mortician so. there's not a lot of interior detective. work so if you can trick that first. policeman into thinking oh this is a. natural cause dude it's straight to the. mortician and then it's straight to the. ovens bro. you know. that guy's making a different kind of. bread but. you know uh but anyway so just some of. the things we had a female trucker on. that was a really amazing episode we're. just trying to get back into just like. people that are hard working people that.

uh. you know just capturing. a strong bit of a sense of america. that's still left you know absolutely. absolutely you believe that. entrepreneurial spirit and the the. american dream is still alive you know. what i do i think it is still alive i. think that um i think that there were. some unintended consequences of some. decisions that were made by some people. that didn't run businesses but made. business decisions and i i believe. everybody deserves happiness right but i. think happiness is hard work right so. when for example the minimum wage you.

raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks okay. and then you and then you throw covet on. top of it every small mom-and-pop. business in america is done and so they. wanted to make sure that the small guy. could make a living wage at 15 bucks an. hour their hearts were in the right. place beautiful thank you you know so. such virtuous thinking but look who's. got all the money now jeff bezos got all. the money and everyone and then every. time one of these little mom-and-pop. shops is selling on amazon as soon as it. reaches a certain level amazon just. knocks it off and then there's something. the mom and shop pop shop is gone so it.

was the minimum wage really a good thing. well the it was a good idea but the. function wait till you see what happens. after kova theo so there there's some. there's some there's some you know i. think the entrepreneur spirit is alive. and i think that um that that it's going. to be there always you know as long as. everything is fair we're playing with. the same set of rules and elections are. fair and it's real and and that. everybody you know. has to play with the same set of rules. as soon as there's two sets of rules. that's when there's going to be problems.

so we need to get back to you know we. need to you know fences make good. neighbors we need we need to have the. same set of rules i think so so i. believe that um do you feel like someone. could that. what will happen to entrepreneurs after. we come out of covey do you think. there's going to be a good opportunity. for um people that want to start. something absolutely i think should be. huge opportunities. here theo the opportunity is also in the. trades man the electricians and plumbers. and construction workers and the real. and the pipe these guys the opportunity. in that stuff is going to be. astronomical it's because things no.

matter what things have got to get built. right so i think i think that the wage. in that stuff is going to be up up north. of 100 bucks an hour so i think that's. huge i think that that that. entrepreneurs that haven't got their ass. kicked really hard and and and and. aren't licking their wounds they're. going to be ready to go you know i'm. jumping back into this new coffee. business and i'm really excited about it. seven that's what it's called seven brew. seven brew. keep he said northwest arkansas they. just started yeah so if you guys want to. support a jimmy john brand or it's. inspire brands uh or is it just well.

inspired brands is jimmy john's seven. brew is myself and jamie coulter my. mentor and a couple buddies that's cool. man that is cool so yeah the. entrepreneurship's alive absolutely it's. alive look what you're doing look i'm. here dude i know look this is this is. amazing look it feels good oh it's so. funny all the the dream guests that. we've wanted over the years we've had. three of them and uh and they've all. happened now which is really interesting. wow that's interesting but you're right. though and no it's just good to hear. from you because i feel like you've been. through. it's just like you said you have to get. burned in a few leases to know if the. lease is good like you've been through.

the burn leases to be able to look at. the rest of us and say hey guys things. you know it just it hits us in the. spirit like you can still do this you. know you can so you can um. jimmy john thank you so much man this is. uh this has been awesome man and um i. appreciate you being here and have to go. do some fishing sometime or something. i'd love to do that it's really a. pleasure to be here and a real honor to. be here my kids think you're a rock star. and you are you're a real humble smart. witty uh guy and i appreciate your. interest and and having me here i i.

really do i did i've never done this. before so uh uh thank you very much. you bet man and well when bishop gun. gets back together we'll go to one of. their shows let's do it now i'm just. floating on the breeze and i feel i'm. falling like these leaves i must be. cornerstone. oh but when i reach that ground i'll. share this piece of mind i found i can. feel. [Music].

but it's gonna take. a little time. for me to set that parking brake. and let myself. i'll sit and tell you my story. [Music].

[Music]. and now i've been moving way too fast on. the runaway train with a heavy load of. my. pants. and these rails that i've been robbing. on there wants something that they're. damn they're gone. [Music].