Lauren McAuslin is the franchise Owner Operator of two McDonald’s branches in New Plymouth and an Owner Manager Programme alumni.
This Kiwi Business Story is based on a podcast from 1 December 2022, and all figures quoted are from that time. You can enjoy the complete podcast here.
Tell us about yourself?
(Lauren is the youngest McDonald’s franchise owner in New Zealand.)
It’s a funny one, and being on the Owner Manager Programme (OMP) was an interesting stage of my journey because I'm probably at the point now where I need to focus on some things in my life other than work. That’s been a primary focus for ages.
So this year has been about finding some hobbies and things to do outside work. It has been challenging, but fun. I learnt to ski over winter – that was entertaining for everyone that was watching me. I also got a mountain bike for summer, so I'll get into a bit of that.
Work can be pretty consuming, especially the first few years of taking on a business or opening a business – it's very much been my priority. So now it’s about learning to do the juggle. As much as OMP’s about the business, I found it was really useful from a personal life aspect as well.
How did you hear about The Icehouse?
I've had a few friends do [The Icehouse] programmes over the years. Normally I try and do one or two short courses a year, but with Covid, I hadn't done anything for the past couple, so I thought, ‘Now is as good a time as any’.
The business had gone from small-to-medium – which was really manageable for me at the skill level that I was at – to then being that one step bigger and really starting to push my boundaries of what I knew at that time. So I thought the timing was right to do something to upskill and just push myself a little bit further.
How was your OMP experience?
In hindsight, I probably wish I'd done it five years ago, when I was making the transition from Blenheim to New Plymouth! However, it was really interesting this time around and at this point in my life, as I start to have that focus from being work, work, work to trying to balance life.
We had a real mixture [of cohorts] – one who was in a brand-new business, two of us who are at the same point that I’m at, and then two that were at the other end of it looking how to exit successfully.
So it was really interesting seeing the different timing to people's journeys, and how to do that successfully and take those learnings. That’s probably one of the strengths of The Icehouse – getting to see other people's journeys and learn from what they're doing… and also coming away realising everyone's having the same issues I'm having.
Is there anything that really stuck out or something you have implemented into the business?
I found the resilience content fascinating. I also found the different leadership styles and team management profiles really interesting. It’s great to touch back on those. And even some of the stuff about learning styles and go, ‘Actually I know that, so why am I beating my head against a wall trying to do things differently?’
What is the benefit of being a young business owner? And is there any advice you have for young business owners?
I'm glad I did do it young – you've got so many less responsibilities in life. The juggle with, say, having young children and trying to put 100% into a business must be immense.
So I'd say, ‘While you're young, go for it’. It’s good to just not know what you don't know, and you're a little less fearless when you're younger, and you've got nothing to lose. It can be a really positive thing for people if they have the support, and the get-up-and-go to do it. But know there will be a lot of sacrifices and just be willing to make them.
What excites you about the future?
What I can do with people. One of my biggest goals is that I'd really like to have a staff member become a franchisee. I think that would be very cool. The others are to just continue to develop people – give them opportunities.
I love watching the really quiet, young person, whether they're a school kid or finished school, come in, and they're quite anxious, not very outgoing. Six months later, they're really coming out of their shell. Then 12 months later, you're starting them on the management programme. Seeing that growth and development is awesome.