Leading a people-first franchise

March 11, 2025 | 1 P.M. ET

Join the live podcast to hear Mike McFall share his lessons on leading one of the fastest growing coffee franchises in the U.S., including how he prioritizes building a people-first culture, empowering franchisees and fostering innovation.

Meet our speaker

Mike McFall, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BIGGBY COFFEE

Born and raised in Michigan, Mike began his journey with BIGGBY COFFEE as a minimum-wage barista at the original store in East Lansing in 1996. Over the span of 23 years, with business partner Bob Fish, he’s helped create one of the great specialty coffee brands in America with 250+ stores across the Midwest. The company is in high-growth mode, selling tens of thousands of cups of coffee each day, and Mike is proud to say that BIGGBY COFFEE is a healthy, awesome, thriving organization.

Mike is also the author of Grind, a book focused on early-stage businesses and how to establish positive cash flow. Mike’s business philosophy is this: Be brave. Be humble. Be aware. Be yourself. Be aggressive and conquer the world.

Frequently asked questions

Will this live podcast be recorded and available later?

Yes! We'll send out the recording to everyone who registers. However, we encourage you to join the live recording experience if possible. You don't want to miss out!

Who is this podcast for?

This podcast is for anyone who is interested in learning from innovative HR leaders and connecting with other people and culture professionals.

Are there any benefits to joining live?

Joining the live recording session will give you the opportunity to connect with like-minded people leaders in real-time. Our podcasts typically have around 200 live attendees, and we offer learning prompts throughout the session to help you engage in the chat. Plus, live webinar participants get to participate in our raffle drawing!

Is this session valid for SHRM and HRCI credit?

Yes! This episode will be valid for 1 PDC toward SHRM and HRCI recertification credit.

Recertification credit

This webinar is approved for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification, as well as 1 HR (General) recertification credit hour toward aPHP^TM, aPHRi^TM, PHP^®, PHRca^®, SPHR^®, GPHR^®, PHRi^TM and SPHRi^TM recertification through the HR Certification Institute. Program codes are provided at the end of the webcast.

Watch our last episode

Interested in hearing more about HR’s role in driving growth? In this recorded podcast, Mark Hickman, Chief Human Resources Officer at FirstBank, and Jerrold Hill, Vice President and Head of HR at Fiserv, talk about their leadership journeys and people-first strategies.