OctoClean Vice President Greg Stowe doesn’t just teach franchise owners how to clean. He teaches franchisees the importance of principles he learned in the military: discipline, leadership and commitment. In an interview with Greg, we learn how his experience in the U.S. Armed Forces has influenced his role as a trainer and mentor.
When were you enlisted?
I joined the Navy in the summer of my junior year and entered active duty on July 13th, 1993, two weeks after I graduated high school.
How has your experience in the military benefited your role at OctoClean?
The military teaches honor, responsibility and commitment. In the role that I hold at OctoClean, everything that I do comes from those three values. I strive to honor the relationships with our franchisees and customers, as well as my coworkers and the industry as a whole.
Responsibility has always been something I am hyper-aware of. I realized that if a franchisee does not know something I am responsible for that and it is my duty to make sure they are as knowledgable about or industry as possible.
Last is commitment. If I say I will do something, I will give it everything I have to make sure it is done and done correctly. I believe the one trait that sets veterans apart is our “failure is not an option” mentality. I know for me that is what has made me successful doing what I do.
Why do you think an OctoClean franchise is an ideal business opportunity for a veteran?
OctoClean is the ideal business opportunity for veterans because so many of the traits that we learn while being on active duty translate to owning your own business. In the military, we are taught that we must tackle every problem head-on and that there is no such thing as “that’s not my job”. We are taught integrity, to do what is right at all times especially when no one is watching. We are trained to work as a team and to utilize our team members that have specialized skill sets to complete our mission.
These ingrained traits translate very well to OctoClean franchise ownership. By tackling every problem that a customer has with service veterans create lasting relationships with their customers and go above and beyond cleaners to true partners.
As an Octoclean franchise owner, long nights and hard work are part of the job. It would be easy to take short cuts, but the integrity that veterans have prevents us from doing so. At OctoClean having a great relationship with the corporate support team is required. This is very simple for veterans to understand because they have always worked with teams and know that it takes a team to complete the mission.
As a thank you to those who have served our country, qualified veterans and active military receive a special offer with no money down. Schedule a meeting to learn more about OctoClean and whether it is the right business opportunity for you.