From 31-Year Franchisee to Executive Coach: Kevin Harrison's Uncommon Reinvention
Kevin Harrison, founder of Uncommon Influence, spent three decades as a Chick-fil-A franchisee before walking away to build an executive coaching firm from scratch. Recognized by the Virginia General Assembly for people development, Kevin now coaches leaders across hospitality and beyond on how to grow capacity, reinvent themselves, and have life-changing influence on the people around them.
Key Insights You'll Learn:
31-year Chick-fil-A run ending when the vision stopped inspiring him
iPad drive-through system: early pioneer growing throughput from 100 to 300+ cars per hour
Leader intern program attracting recent grads through structured rotations and experiences
Marathon wellness program inside Chick-fil-A sending dozens of employees to Disney race
Origin of Uncommon Influence: ninth-grade teacher mailing life goals back 11 years later
Five D's framework for overwhelmed leaders: do, delete, defer, delegate, decide
Camino de Santiago reinvention experience: 95-mile trek sold out through 2026
Coaching principle: you cannot want growth more than your client wants it
Distinguishing statements from questions as tools for lasting change
AI as thought partner, not thought leader, for high-performing executives
Kevin's Key Mentors:
Roger Flinchum (Ninth Grade English Teacher): Mailed back life goals 11 years later; sparked the Uncommon Influence vision
Chick-fil-A Company President: Planted the question "How good do you want to be?" at a critical moment
Kevin's Wife: Named the moment his vision no longer inspired him and gave him permission to leave
Kevin's Personal Coach: Facilitates annual and biannual strategic retreats; challenges his thinking regularly
Mitch and Stacey Hartman (Scrimp Shack Founders): Trusted Kevin with scaling their brand after retirement
Don't miss this conversation about what it looks like to rebuild at the top of your game and why the leaders who truly change are the ones who want it most.