Unshaken-LLC

Guided by Values. Anchored in Purpose.

The Weight of Ownership and the Power of Resilience

Small business ownership is one of the hardest and loneliest roads there is. Only other owners truly understand it. We never really clock out. We carry our businesses home in our minds and on our hearts. Every crisis, from a broken freezer to a missed payroll, or a bounced check costs us something personal. Sometimes it’s money. Sometimes it’s sleep. Sometimes it’s moments with family we’ll never get back.

When you own the business, everything is yours: The victories, the setbacks, the decisions, the consequences. There’s no one else to call. No one else to blame. I know that weight because I’ve carried it. In my first twenty months as a small business owner, I lost $18,000 and worked 91 hours a week. I questioned everything. My ability, my direction, and whether the dream was worth the pain. But it was in that season that I learned one of the most valuable truths of my life:

Resilience isn’t built in success. It’s built in survival.

Owning a business forces you to persevere when others would quit. It requires you to hold onto hope when the numbers, the schedule, and the stress all tell you to give up. It teaches you discipline, patience, and a kind of grit that only comes from falling and getting back up again and again.

Over the past 15 years, that experience has given me more than a business portfolio. It’s given me a calling.

I’ve had countless franchisees and small business owners from all kinds of industries reach out for advice and support. Some are thriving but overwhelmed. Others are drowning and can’t see a way forward. I know both feelings. And that’s exactly why I do what I do. I use my life-learned tools and hard-won lessons to help other business owners navigate their storms. Not just to survive them, but to grow through them. 

Because the truth is, resilience isn’t optional in entrepreneurship. It’s the prerequisite.
 
 

Leadership at Every Level — Navigating Culture, Power, and Purpose

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in leadership is that a title doesn’t make the leader. The ability to navigate people, purpose, and pressure does.

Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on Subway’s National Advisory Board alongside some of the largest franchisees in the United States, collaborating directly with the President, EVP, and CMO of one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands. That experience offered me a front-row seat to leadership at scale, where strategy meets people and every decision impacts thousands of stores, teams, and communities.

As President of Subway North America, I worked with thousands of franchisees from across two dynamic nations. I’ve also worked with franchisees across multiple brands in my career and at Subway I saw Michael’s leadership in action. His leadership is active, hands-on, resilient, and collaborative; built with a foundation of transparent, thoughtful communication. Not only is his leadership aimed at his own business, but at the Brand as a whole and to the community around him. From his rapid growth as a Subway operator to his respected contributions on the National Advisory Board, Michael’s ability to balance strategy, execution, and people leadership sets him apart.
 
— Doug Fry, Former President – North America, Subway Restaurants.
 

Working across both the franchise and corporate sides of such a globally recognized organization taught me invaluable lessons about influence and integrity. True leadership is the ability to align people and purpose within complexity. To lead upward, downward, and sideways with clarity and grace. I’ve seen firsthand how organizational culture can either propel progress or quietly hold it back. My experience navigating both ownership and corporate systems has equipped me to recognize when communication falters, when morale wavers, and when leaders need clarity more than direction.

And while I learned much of this through experience, I’ve also pursued mastery through education, completing Executive Coaching certification at Harvard University, where I deepened my understanding of leadership dynamics, organizational behavior, and the psychology of change.

That training strengthened what life had already taught me: that leadership is both art and discipline. It’s not just about managing outcomes; it’s about developing people.

My understanding of leadership also runs deep through my family. I grew up watching my mother lead a large, multi-site nonprofit serving those battling addiction and mental health challenges. I watched her navigate local and national politics, work through the justice system, and advocate for those whose voices often went unheard. Her grace under pressure, emotional intelligence, and strength of conviction shaped my understanding of what leadership really looks like when the stakes are human.

She taught me that leadership isn’t about control. It’s about influence.

And influence, when grounded in empathy and purpose, creates transformation.

That same truth drives my work today.

Building Beyond Survival — Growth, Culture, and the Unshaken Standard

Every business begins with belief. Faith that hard work, perseverance, and purpose can turn a dream into something lasting. But as growth comes, so do new challenges. I learned this firsthand. What began as a single Subway store and 90-hour work weeks eventually grew into 25 locations and a deeper responsibility: helping others do the same.

One franchisee I worked with came seeking clarity. Their business had momentum but lacked alignment. Teams were tired, culture was scattered, and growth felt heavier than hopeful. Together, my team and I helped them define their “why”, establish systems that supported their people, and design a growth plan that carried both their purpose and their culture forward.

That’s what we do. We help leaders and business owners move from reaction to intention, anchoring their growth in values like Grind Before Glory and Anchor to Your Purpose. Because when purpose becomes clear, culture strengthens, and growth follows, naturally and sustainably.

The result isn’t just expansion; it’s transformation. Not just a bigger business, but a healthier one—anchored, aligned, and Unshaken.

How can we help you grow Unshaken?
 
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