Episode 131 | How MOD Pizza Made Culture Their #1 Competitive Advantage
with MOD Pizza CEO Scott Svenson
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It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving, and if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking about one thing right now…
Pizza.
Ok, maybe I’m the only one.
Before the holiday, I saw an incredible campaign by the folks at MOD Pizza. It’s their Spreading MODness initiative, a bold, anthemic vision statement in which they declare, “This is not a pizza place. This is a people place.”
In the campaign it’s quickly apparent that this brand is more than a pizza company, they’re a platform for greater good.
And while these aspirational campaigns can sometimes come off a little cheesy (pizza joke!), this one just works. The reason? Because MOD has been proving they’re the real deal since day one.
This week, we revisit an interview with MOD Pizza co-founder and CEO Scott Svenson. Scott and his wife and co-founder Ally see MOD as more than just a pizza chain, and a company as more than just a money-making enterprise. They call this approach “enlightened capitalism.”
Of course it doesn’t hurt that their pizza happens to also be amazing. MOD is a pioneer in the fast-casual pizza concept, and they’ve been the fastest growing restaurant chain in the U.S. for the past four years.
Key Takeaways
- Scott explains the importance of believing that human beings are inherently good, and how expectations often shape outcomes.
- Why even though pizza is all that MOD sells, but it’s actually not the most important thing in MOD’s business.
- Why when setting up guidelines for your team members, its all about creating “wide boulevards and high curbs.”
- Why Scott and his wife Ally founded MOD Pizza under the banner of “enlightened capitalism.”
- The surprising way that money can buy happiness (hint: it’s not how you think).
Recommended Reading
- Mindset, Carol Dweck
Links
- ModPizza.com
- @MODPizza on Twitter, @MODPizza on Instagram
- Scott on LinkedIn
- Email Scott at [email protected]
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