So when Randall Blackford found himself living in New Zealand, with his Kiwi wife and their two sons after a Covid-19-related decision, it seemed a good opportunity to give back to the business sector using skills he had picked up over several decades.
Mr Blackford had 20 years’ experience with Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell and Budweiser in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. While a regional director for Pizza Hut in the Middle East and Africa, he set a Guinness World Record for the highest-altitude pizza delivery on land.
When Covid-19 hit, many people made some "big calls" and he and his family were no different. Early in the pandemic, he and his wife decided they wanted to give their sons, then aged 10 and 12, the most normal experience they could.
They moved to Auckland in June 2020 and Mr Blackford continued to work remotely for a while in a business which was "pretty badly affected" by the pandemic.
Keen to give something back, Mr Blackford was introduced, through a mutual friend, to Business Mentors New Zealand, which was founded 30 years ago to match experienced business professionals with small business owners. Over the years, it has provided business support for more than 80,000 existing small business owners and not-for-profit executives.
He was matched with Bruce Craig, who established plant-based fast food business Lord of the Fries. While Mr Blackford had a wealth of experience with fast food, he did not know much about plant-based. The pair had a coffee "and it kind of clicked", Mr Blackford recalled.
Prior to entering the hospitality sector, Mr Craig had a career as an architect and he was a passionate vegan. Not knowing much about the plant-based market, or the business, Mr Blackford suggested they talk to some customers and get their feedback.
They spent a day outside a Lord of the Fries outlet in Auckland’s CBD and learned much from some "super friendly" and interested customers.
During lockdowns, when the business could not operate, revenue dropped to "zero" yet there was still rent to pay and other costs. Subsequently, there had been staffing shortages — including at its Queenstown site — and, for a business which was all about customer service, it was hard to "keep the energy up" when that connection was lost with customers.
When Mr Blackford came on board earlier this year, it was a time when Mr Craig was starting to see "the light at the end of the tunnel" and it was about making sure the business bounced back with a vengeance.
Chatting with customers was a great idea — "you think you know what you know" — and while it was initially a little nerve-racking, it ended up being a very affirming exercise.
Owning a business could be quite an isolating feeling at times and it was important to have others to talk to who had knowledge and could act as a sounding board while casting their eye over it, Mr Craig said.
Mr Blackford also got a huge amount out of the mentor programme. As well as learning about plant-based food, which he found very interesting, the biggest thing was he had "made a good friend", he said.
After experiencing staff issues in Queenstown, Lord of the Fries was reopening in the resort on December 5; anecdotally, foot traffic in the town was getting back to where it was in 2019 and people were excited for a big summer, Mr Craig said.
More staff would be needed and he was hoping there would be some backpackers and English language students available for work.
Ownership was a mix of company owned and franchise owned and new outlets were continuing to be opened throughout the country.
