Author: Kivo Daily Staff

James and Sarah Cammilleri are the owners and CEOs of JSC Management Group, which owns and operates approximately 60 Burger King locations in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. James entered the business world at a young age working in his uncle’s restaurants, and later, with his father at the family Burger King franchise.

In the past seven years, James and Sarah expanded the JSC Management Group Burger King franchise ownership from two restaurants to 60 (and growing!). James attributes his business success to God, doing the right thing, and good planning!

James and Sarah are committed to giving back and serving others through their ministry in Haiti, Elevating Christian Ministries (ECM). Currently, ECM feeds 30,000 children per day in over 145 school programs. ECM focuses on facilitating sustainable development in Haitian communities through local business development and leadership training.

In 2021, James and Sarah’s goal for ECM is to walk through every open door available to them with the intention of continuing to serve and bless others.

https://www.elevating.org/

How has your industry been impacted regarding COVID-19?

We are fortunate as our business is already set up with drive-through, delivery, and takeout services.  While the full-service restaurants are suffering, we are picking up more business.  This will alter the service industry going forward. Many businesses have had to be creative in abiding by COVID guidelines.

We were concerned that COVID-19 would negatively impact our ministry, Elevating Christian Ministries (ECM), as travel to Haiti enables us to continue to make progress. Fortunately, we are currently planning for many future trips to compensate for that!

What keeps you motivated during this time at home?

I do work from home, but I still need to travel frequently to manage our Burger King franchise.

How do you maintain a solid work-life balance?

My wife Sarah makes me slow down and keeps me in check.  If I had it my way, I would work 24 hours a day, because I do not really consider it work.  My work is my passion and what I love to do! Our ministry through ECM helps me slow down, also.  When I focus on serving others, my mind is less concentrated on work.

Suggestions of good ways others can cope during this time.

The full-service restaurants are getting destroyed, but our business is thriving.  It is a hard question to answer because it is so industry-specific.  I would suggest evaluating the abundance of opportunities which capitalize on the demands created from the pandemic.

What does your typical day look like now versus prior to social isolation?

My typical business day has not changed significantly.  However, I have been affected by not being able to travel to Haiti for our ministry.  Though COVID-19 has not impacted Haiti as heavily as most countries, they are still experiencing lockdowns.

How does working remotely change how businesses can support their customers?

We do not have more people working remotely as it is not feasible in our business.  Nothing has changed for us except for adhering to COVID-19 rules and regulations.

What are some things outside of finding work that you are doing now to stay busy?

I have two children.  I love to fish, and my wife and I enjoy golfing.  Outside of work, my main focus is the ministry, teaching about leadership, and inspiring others to become leaders.

Do you think a work and life balance is important and how difficult is it in these circumstances?

I would definitely say we are working more right now.  In the first few months of COVID we were not working as hard, but now it has been busy and back to normal for us.

From Brentwood, Tennessee, Jaime Westenbarger is the Director of Sales for Bluebird Roofing in Nashville. As an experienced entrepreneur, he has been involved in the sales industry his entire career.

To learn more about Jaime Westenbarger, please visit his website.

• What does your Business specialize in?

Bluebird Roofing is a roofing contractor covering all of the middle Tennessee area.  The company is going on its 11^th year in business.  We are a GAF Master Elite Contractor which puts us in the top 3% of roofers in the country.  We handle new roofs and replacement roofs.  We concentrate a lot on insurance work and storm damage recovery.

• Why do customers love your organization and how do you ensure that they become customers for life?

The biggest thing that we do is we work as hard for our customers as we would for ourselves.  We make sure the yard is impeccable.  We make sure everything is clean when we are done.  We try to disrupt their lives as little as possible.  Our work is a dirty job inherently, and we take that into account and try to make it as clean and as seamless for our customers as possible.  We work on a lot of homes in really nice neighborhoods that have pools and patios.  We use a lot of different systems to make we sure all of that has been taken care of properly and take the extra time to make sure that all of that is perfected.  It takes us to another level and customers refer us and rave about us because we have protected their trees, their plans, their patios, make sure screens on the windows do not get damaged, and that debris did not get inside their pool filter or end up in their driveway causing a flat tire.

We also have a really good communication system with our clients.  Our customers are always in the loop on what is going on.  That goes a long way too.  Contractors are sometimes thought of as someone who may rip you off or not do what they were supposed to do.  If there are a few weeks between when they agreed to have us do the roof and when we actually get in there to do it, we make sure that we are in consistent conversation and communication with our customers, so they are the loop and understand what is going on.  We never want them to feel like they have been forgotten.  We keep in touch via text and phone calls.  We are actually rolling out a brand-new system this year where we will actually email the customers with video updates of where they are at in the process and have an idea of the timeline and what to expect at each step.  We want to make it a little bit less of a murky process for them.

• What separates your business from the competition?

We take a lot of pride in being a technology-forward company.  A lot of times when someone thinks of roofing or construction in general, they think of a dirty pickup truck and a guy with an old tape measure.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I feel like we have taken our company to a different level of professionalism.  All of our people are uniformed.  We use drones.  We use iPad pros.  Being so technology forward has been great during COVID because we were already nearly touchless if we wanted to be, and now we can do an entire roof from start to finish, including assessment and inspection, with zero physical contact with the client.  Our ability to move and adjust to a changing climate makes us pretty unique in the industry.

It used to be that you climbed up on the roof to takes some pictures to show the customer the damage.  We are at a point now where we can literally do a drone video and show the entire video to the customer.  They can watch the drone as it is flying and see the video in real-time.  There are a lot of things we can do to engage the customer through technology, but also to protect them from COVID.

• What is the one major key to your company’s success?

The key to our success is really putting the customer first.  It really is our culture here at Bluebird Roofing.  If you are helping people get what they want, you will eventually get what you want, and I think that is a driving motivation in our company.  We help our customers in what are sometimes the worst situations of their lives.  We did a lot of work after the tornado here in Nashville in March of this year.  We met people literally within 24 hours of one of the most terrifying things that have happened to them if they happened to be at home when that tornado came through.  We are able to turn things around and help them navigate through the process of filing their claim – something they may have never done before – and at the end of it their home is put back together with the way it is supposed to be and maybe even prettier than it was before.  Being part of that is a really rewarding experience.  We get paid to do that, but I think as a company our attitude has always been about getting that customer where they need to be.  If that is always our motivation, then I believe we will continue to grow.  I think that it really comes through when you are being genuine with someone and you really want to help them, and it is not just about how many dollars you can get them to spend on something.

• What tips can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?

You really should do something that you love.  In the last few years, it seems like people have been focused on ideas like making money through an Amazon dropship store, but if you do not like selling t-shirts or gadgets, then I do not know if that will be all that rewarding long term for you.

Money is great, but at the end of the day if you are not doing something you genuinely enjoy and that you think you can do better than someone else, then you are probably just adding noise to the conversation.  You are not really bettering other’s lives and may not even be bettering your own.  If you are not going to do it differently or not going to do it better, then you should probably do something else.

• What advice would you give an entrepreneur when they are facing a challenge?

If you really enjoy your work, then it is challenging, but it is not the end of the world when you face difficulties.  You are still trying to figure out the challenges and that is the greatest time to innovate.

COVID has crushed a lot of small businesses around the country.  Some unfortunately are in an industry where there may not have been anything they could have done about it, but the flip side is the ones that are surviving are becoming innovative.  They are creating apps to make ordering takeout easier.  They are setting up structures outside so you can still “dine there” in a safe manner.

For example, we started to push this contactless appointment.  We literally can do everything that needs to be done to your roof and you can be safely inside your home.  Companies that thrive in challenging situations can do so because they see the opportunity, not to make more money, but to better the situation and possibly handle it differently than everyone else.  If you have that mindset, even in the challenging times, you can come out on the better end of the situation and you may even come out better than you were before. You have been forced to be creative and to come up with a new way of doing something.

• Considering how fast the world changes, how do you stay on top of the market?

Using technology in a smart way is really important, though it is easy to get bogged down if you do not have a way to filter out unnecessary information.  Twenty years ago, if a new book came out you would have to dedicate time to sit down and read it.  I “read” multiple books each month by playing them through my stereo while I am driving around in my car.  As I travel from job site to job site, I can listen to the newest book on marketing, customer service, or roof construction.  I think that is amazing that we live in a time when we can utilize those technologies.  The key is to use my time to learn how to better myself and the company.

• What is your motivation in your position?

I really get excited about innovating and taking what seems like a mundane product that we all need, like roofs and shelter, and figure out a way to make it more interesting. I like figuring out how to integrate new technologies and systems to make our company stand out and be different than everyone else’s.  In the process of doing that, we are able help hundreds, if not thousands, of customers each year to better their situation as well.

I recently had the chance to talk recently to a retired older gentleman who is living on a fixed income.  A friend of his referred us to him.  His roof was in very bad shape.  He had roof damage from a storm, but he did not realize his insurance could help him because his roof was so old.  He thought he would have to come up with $7,000 to $8,000 that he did not have to repair his roof, but we helped him through the process, and he was able to get a new roof with just the cost of his insurance deductible. It did not seem possible to him, but we were able to help him and now he will not have to worry about that again.

• What makes a great leader?

You have to be able to understand what truly motivates your people because not everyone is motivated by the same things.

• Why are customers the foundation of your business?

Without our customers and our raving fans giving us five-star reviews and referring us to their friends and family, we would not be even one-tenth of the company that we are.

• How can technology make the world a better place?

Technology has a phenomenal opportunity to make the world a better place as long as it solves problems and is not a distraction.

• Tell our readers something motivating given the hardships of the past year.

This has certainly been one of our most challenging years, but amazing innovation comes from tragedy, economic issues, and pandemics. If ever there was a time to come up with the newest and greatest products, services, businesses, and technology, you are staring at it.

• How do you like to start your day?

I try to get all of the stuff that I do not want to do done first, so I am not dragging it through the rest of the day. Then I am pretty energized to move on with the rest of my day because those tougher tasks are already done.

• How do you handle rejection and setbacks?

Rejection and setback in business to me just get us that much closer to the next customer who we can help, so I don’t really dwell on it. I look at it that we may not be right for everybody.  We are never going to be the cheapest roofing company because we don’t use cheap materials or cheap labor, so if somebody says no, I understand, and I move on to the next person who will appreciate the value that we bring.

• How do you pick your employees?

A lot of things can be taught, but we hire for attitude, personality, and the overall chemistry of our team because we want to find positive people with an optimistic outlook on the world and who want to help people.

• How do you handle the competitive business environment?

I surround myself with great people who are trusted to do the jobs that they were hired to do. I am also consistently looking to make us even better than we are.

Dr. Chambless Johnston from Johnson City, Tennessee, is the founder and CEO of East Tennessee Recovery where he treats people with addiction issues using integrative care.  Dr. Johnston was born in Nashville and grew up in Tennessee.  He went to East Tennessee State University (ETSU) for his undergraduate degree with a major in Biology and a minor in History.  He went to the American University at the Caribbean School of Medicine on St. Maarten, a beautiful island in the Caribbean, and graduated in 2002.  He did his internal medicine residency at East Tennessee State University and then began practicing internal medicine in 2006.  In his work as a hospitalist, he encountered many patients that had addiction issues and he really wanted to provide more options for them.

Chambless Johnston created East Tennessee Recovery to get away from the cookie-cutter approach to addiction treatment that often resulted in patient relapse.  The practice provides a more comprehensive, individualized treatment because addiction is a lifelong disease that needs continued treatment.  East Tennessee Recovery’s integrative model is changing the industry.  Patients are treated for their addiction needs, mental health needs, and primary care needs like diabetes, high blood pressure, and COPD.

East Tennessee Recovery uses an individualized plan that treats the whole person.  Patients tend to stay longer, instead of relapsing and going from place to place.  When Dr. Johnston first got started, he was focused on clinical care for patients, but now as East Tennessee Recovery has grown, he is more involved in the planning, direction, and coordination of the day-to-day operations.

How did you get started in this business?

I thought my calling was to become a doctor, but now that my work has become helping people with lifestyle changes, I am the happiest that I have ever been.  Doing this kind of work inspires me.  While I was working in the hospital, I really saw the need to help people with addiction issues and I felt like it was not done at the most effective level.  We started out by opening a small clinic.  Because of how hard we have worked and our success with patients, we have grown to four facilities in two states.  I have a goal of adding 11 more in the upcoming year and having 15 clinics for our patients.

At East Tennessee Recovery, we evaluate the whole patient.  We talk with the patient, and it is a give-and-take relationship.  We encourage them to stay clean and become a better person while in our program and in that way, we can change our community.

Most doctors that handle addiction treatment have a psychiatry background, but since we treat the whole patient, not just the addiction issues, we do not limit the doctors we hire to those with psychiatry backgrounds and hire the best doctors that we know.

A lot of these patients cannot afford treatment.  When I was working in the hospital, I saw that most of the addiction treatment was done on a self-pay basis.  They were often treated as if their addiction was a moral failing, rather than a true chronic brain disease like we know it is now.  We have been able to now convince some of the insurance companies in Tennessee and Virginia to understand that if we take care of this now, it will save a lot more money in the long run.  East Tennessee Recovery was the first facility to take insurance as an office-based opioid treatment center (OBOT) in Tennessee and Virginia.  We have been leading the way on that.

How do you make a profit?

I learned this early on in my medical career.   We want to do everything for free.  We want to see our patients for free, but if you cannot make enough money to pay your bills as a business or a practice, you can’t take care of the patients.  Our success comes through the services we provide our patients.  We have a very effective and efficient system to treat patients with addiction.  We have doctors managing these patients.  We have case management for resources.  We have individual counseling and group therapy for the mental health aspect.  We also provide primary care which sets us apart from other clinics.  We have contracts with insurance companies to pay for our services.  It is very hard and very difficult, but we continue to grow with the insurance companies, and we want to work effectively with them to provide the best care for these patients.  As we increase our value as a company and increase the value of how we take care of our patients, it increases our reimbursement with the insurance companies.

How long did it take for you to become profitable and was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you deal with that? 

It took almost two years to become profitable.  When we first started, we had self-pay, but ultimately, I chose to work with insurance companies.  I definitely believed in what we were doing and the system we had developed.  We started with a good base of patients and learned what we needed to do.  We learned how to become profitable over time.  We continue to refine our system and how we take care of our patients by adding more services to help them.

I do remember one day that I came in and looked at our profit and loss statement and saw how much I needed to pay to our staff and the little amount that we had in the bank, and that was a day I had some doubts.  But I have always been a very positive person and I try not to let doubts creep in.  I walked out to the mailbox and said a prayer asking for help as I went.  I literally pulled out a check from one of the insurance companies that provided just what I needed to make payroll.

How did you obtain your first customer?

My first customer was a patient who had gone to the hospital and had some difficulties with some other issues related to their addiction.  I think one of the nurses that I knew gave the patient our card and said, “You might want to call this guy.”  The patient contemplated going in for treatment and called that Friday at 7:30 at night.  We gave him our time and we talked to him.  I remember the patient saying, “If you didn’t come here tonight, I don’t know if I would have made it.  I might have died.”  That patient is still with us and doing great.

Our best marketing is done by our patients.  You can see their recoveries.  I take good care of them, and they refer others to us like crazy.  You have to listen to them and find out their needs.  We are still small and different from others because we take the time to listen.  When you listen to your patients, they tell you what you need to do to help them.  That is what I’ve always done, and I think that is our best marketing strategy.  We do social media, but I think our best marketing is what we do for our patients.

What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?

I had to let a personal friend go from the business.  As much as I hated it, for us as a company, we had to do it to grow.  I always want to give people a chance.  We give our patients chances.  We continue to give new employees a chance.  The hard part is when you know it’s not working out and you can’t let it linger on and you have to let that person know you are sorry it didn’t work out and they just weren’t ready for the position.  You can still be positive about it.  I feel like it is a disservice to them as well our business if we don’t let them know.  Growing for the last few years in our business, I have learned as a business owner the skill of knowing when it is time.  We want to give people a way to improve their lives, but if it is just not working out, you just have to let them know.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

It was very satisfying how much we were able to help our first patient and that continues to inspire me to keep building this practice.  It’s also so satisfying to me to see our patients that are thriving now.  I tell many people that our patients are our heroes.  Ultimately the care we give them defines who I am.  It’s very satisfying to see a patient six to eight months later that has completely regained their life back.  I often wish I could take a picture on the first day in treatment and then a picture of their future in six months from then and what they are going to look like.  It is very life-changing.  There are many satisfying moments but seeing that patient on the first day and then that smile on their face when they quit using drugs and they have regained their life, gotten their kids back, they have a job, and they have enough money in their pocket to buy gifts for their kids at Christmas- that is really satisfying.

What are you most excited about in the future of your business?

I really want to expand.  My goal is to get as many people as possible with addiction issues to access treatment.  That is why I started this.  Working with the insurance companies so they can help these patients get their addiction treatment paid for has been huge.  I want to be in many states.  I want to rapidly expand while still giving this same level of care.  Starting in 2021 we already have two to three other places lined up that we most likely are going to move into.  We are meeting and making connections with a lot of people in other states, and I think we will be able to help show them a way to give more people access to the kind of care that we provide.  Furthermore, I think it is also important to note that we are working with other facilities related to addiction treatment. The goal in doing so is to educate people and communities about addiction treatment and work collaboratively for a continuum of care. That overarching structure of care is a very exciting prospect in the future of my facility. 

Are you willing to mentor someone looking to get into your field? If so, how should they contact you?

We are mentors for people.  One of the really cool things we did when we first started East Tennessee Recovery is we reached out to the East Tennessee State University Social Work program.  We needed good counselors and social workers to work with us to help these patients get more resources.

We started with their intern program in east Tennessee and southwest Virginia to teach interns about what we do and to help them expand their knowledge about the counseling and social work opportunities in the area.  Tulane also sends us people.  Milligan College and King University also want to send us interns.  We were one of the first in East Tennessee to take on internal medicine residents and training them in addiction treatment.

We also teach our patients to mentor other patients that come in.  We encourage them to come to groups and find somebody and be a mentor to them.