Meet Mary Krikorian

We recently connected with Mary Krikorian and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
My husband, Serge, and I met in college back in the 80’s and we both knew that we wanted to own our own business someday. We both attended graduate school with the thought in mind to educate ourselves to be able to run our own business. He got his masters in business administration and I got my law license. In 1993 we purchased a carryout and delivery pizza restaurant, not because we wanted to own a restaurant but because it was the only business we could afford to buy. We found our passion in the food industry and took that small business to the top 1% in the nation in independent pizza operations.

In 2000, we opened a dine-in restaurant and failed spectacularly with it and came back out of it two years later to go back into carryout and delivery only.

While watching one of our sons play baseball, one of the moms in the stands asked me to cater a lunch for her and even though we had never catered before, I agreed to do it. Our catering business exploded to the point that we shut down the pizza restaurant and focused solely on catering. That was in 2003. Twenty years later we own one of the largest catering companies in Arkansas with over 60 employees and encompassing a space of 10,000 square feet.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As I said earlier, I completed law school and obtained my law license. Before getting in the restaurant industry, I clerked for a judge for a couple of years. The law, however, was not my passion. Food and hospitality are my passion. When I realized that I was spending all of my lunch hours helping my husband in the restaurant while still dressed in my suit and heels, I decided to make a break from the law and become a full time hospitality worker. I have never looked back and never regretted my decision. I tell people that I now get to spend time with people on their best day instead of their worst day.

The success of our business is not something that my husband or I take credit for. Yes, we steer the ship but it is our staff that are the true allstars. They are on the front lines serving our clients and their guests. Several years ago we embarked on a journey to turn our organization into a “Heart Led Company”, meaning that we now recognize our staff as what they truly are, our most valuable asset. We started a Culture Club that actively promotes personal relationships and friendships among our staff because studies show that if you have two close friends at work, you are 96% more likely to be happy in your life, not just your work life, but your life. Our Culture Club hosts weekly lunches for any staff that want to attend. These lunches include Kindness Komments, kind words our staff write to each other, as well as MIVE Bucks (MIVE stands for Make it Vibrant Everyday). The MIVE Bucks are redeemable for everything from snacks and drinks to a half day of paid vacation. We play games, we have educational opportunities, we host bi-annual company picnics, and other parties and activities throughout the year.

We believe that a happy staff translates to happy clients and their guests and it’s working. We only lost three staff members during COVID and our staff actively recruit their family and friends to come work for us because they believe we are a good place to work. In a time when many food service companies are having a very hard time finding quality staff, we have been very fortunate to not have that problem.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First and foremost, learning about Heart Leadership and how to implement it in our organization has been life-changing. Heart Leadership has changed the atmosphere of our company from good to great. Our staff have taken ownership of our business as well as each other. It is an ongoing process that requires active attention to make sure that we stay the course.

Second, I think it is important to find a mentor, someone who has knowledge in your field who can help you navigate when you encounter rough waters. The mentor doesn’t have to have all the answers, they just need to listen and give advice based on their life and business experiences.

Third, surround yourself with an amazing team. No matter how good you are at your job, you will fail if your team cannot perform.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I have read two books that have changed me and my way of thinking forever.

The first is The Heart Led Leader by Tommy Spaulding. I have had the priviledge of hearing Tommy Spaulding speak at two Heart Leadership conferences I have attended. Mr. Spaulding talks about the fact that you have the ability to influence approximately 80,000 people over the course of your lifetime for the good or for the bad. He poses the question that if at the time of your death, you pass through a stadium filled with those 80,000 that you have influenced, will they cheer you or boo you. I want those 80,000 people to cheer for me and how I influenced their lives. “People won’t remember how you led them. They will remember the influence you had on their lives.” Tommy Spaulding.

The second book that inflenced my thinking is Chess Not Checkers by Mark Miller. In this book, Mr. Miller talks about when starting out in business, staff are all essentially checkers. All checkers move in the same direction and are easily interchangeable with one another. A chess piece, however, has different moves from other chess pieces. In order to be successful in business, you need chess pieces who specialize in their jobs and who can create teams that focus on specific issues. If all of the chess pieces work together, they can plot and strategize to create a successful in business.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Kayleigh Ross Photography, Lori Sparkman Photography, Chelsea Duff Photography, Devin Colin Alanis

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your