Smashing Burgers and Treating People Right with Carl Bachmann

What’s the secret to running a successful business according to one leader? It’s the “golden rule” – treat others the way you want to be treated.

This is the motto Carl Bachmann, President of Smashburger, a popular fast food chain that operates in 35 U.S. states and spans across eight countries, lives by.

On this week’s episode of the Start With a Win podcast, Bachmann joins RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos to share how he leads his company by honoring his employees.

Bachmann holds tremendous responsibility in his role with Smashburger, but he knows that teamwork is essential for success.

“I don’t dictate how we move as an organization. I build a great team around me and I value their opinions,” he says.

Bachmann explains that a leader needs to be the best at guiding others, and that they would not be great leaders if they came up with every idea for an organization’s growth themselves.

“When a leader thinks they’re the smartest guy in the room, they’re clearly in the wrong room,” he quips.

Bachmann believes in empowering his employees to take risks and make their own decisions. The employees, after all, are the essential keys within a company that connect the consumer with the leadership. This is why he operates Smashburger’s corporate team with an “inverted pyramid” style structure, where the ideas, opinions and concerns of employees come before that of higher leadership.

He also stresses the value in conscious business growth, reminding listeners that business isn’t just about gaining new customers – it’s also about being hyper-focused on existing customers and their experiences with the product. Balance is struck when classic staples (in this case, burgers!) are met with new, evolving and innovative ideas.

Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more of Bachmann’s insights about curating a productive work environment and ensuring customer satisfaction.

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