Let people do what they do best. Micro managing will stagnate your growth. If you have the right people in place you need to give them the opportunity to do what they do best.
Michael Mohammed is the Chief Executive Officer and President at Chronic Tacos Enterprises, Inc., where he oversees the strategic vision of the fast casual Mexican restaurant brand.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Michael attended Saint Martin’s University in Washington State, where he earned a Bachelors of Business Administration and a Masters of Business Administration.
Michael and his three brothers first became affiliated with Chronic Tacos in 2010 when they helped finance the chain’s expansion into Canada. After seeing the potential that the brand had for growth, they decided to take over the entire franchise in 2012. Michael has been leading Chronic Tacos ever since and has brought a wealth of experience and an entrepreneurial spirit to his position at the company.
Michael and his family currently reside in Laguna Beach, CA, where he can take advantage of the outdoors, paddle boarding and mountain biking year round.
Where did the idea for Chronic Tacos come from?
Chronic Tacos was an opportunity. It was a California brand that was looking to expand. When I met with the founder Randy Wyner, I knew that there was an opportunity to expand this brand Nationally and internationally. I recognized something special about not only the food, but the brand itself. WE wanted to bring this taste of California lifestyle to every neighborhood.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I like to go to the gym first thing in the morning to get myself ready for the day. Once I arrive at the office I sit down with my assistant and prioritize the day and narrow down the top things we need to get done that day. After that I will spend about 30 mins going through emails and taking care of any simple things that need to be done. During the day I will have scheduled meetings, but in our office, it is very fluid, and we are very interactive discussing the various projects we have.
My job is to be there for my team and available to support and guide where we are going, so I like to make myself as available as possible. But to be the most productive I have to schedule specific blocks of time to accomplish the tasks I have set out for the day. They key for me is to prioritize tasks that are moving us towards our goal. If the task does not move us forward it falls off my list.
At the end of the day when the office is quiet is when I can get most of my work done and get through the rest of my emails.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Ideas come to life by the hard work of our team. My job is to provide vision, leadership and guidance. When you have the right people involved they will bring the ideas to life. Because we are so interactive in our office, creativity can come from anyone at any time.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The importance and value that this upcoming generation puts on life balance excites me. We live by the motto “Work hard and play hard”. That means enjoy all aspects of life, your friends, your family, the opportunities that life gives you. But we are committed to working hard. Having that balance makes it all worthwhile. We are more interested in what you accomplish, not just how many hours you work.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I am decisive.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient. Time goes by faster than you think so you need to live in the moment and enjoy it.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Our dogs don’t behave.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Always keep learning, whether it feeds you mind, your body or your soul.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Let people do what they do best. Micro managing will stagnate your growth. If you have the right people in place you need to give them the opportunity to do what they do best. If you find you need to micro manage them, they are the wrong person for the job.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
As entrepeurs we have a laundry list of failures, if you want to call them failures. And of course, if you learn from it then it is not a failure. But we all think back on what we could have done better and you either make that wishful thinking or you use that to grow. I try to keep looking forward.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Open a Chronic Tacos.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
They were a little more than $100, but the Apple Airpods are my favorite new purchase. I love listening to podcasts and books on tape and the Airpods make it so easy and convenient for me to listen anytime.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Evernote. Allows to quickly note ideas, take photos and a lot more. Easy to go back and search ideas
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Go Giver – by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It is a great parable about what is most important in business and how success really comes from giving.
What is your favorite quote?
“Say what you mean and do what you say”
“Greatness is a lot of small things done well.”
Key learnings:
- Make yourself as available as possible for your team to support and guide them.
- When you have the right people involved they will bring ideas to life.
- Don’t micro manage. If you have the right people in place you need to give them the opportunity to do what they do best.
Connect:
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Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.