Man on the Move: Wyatt Batchelor is the 2023 Veteran Entrepreneurship MVP

Wyatt Batchelor is the 2023 Veteran Entrepreneurship MVP (Most Valuable Performer), awarded for outstanding, performance, leadership, and innovation by a military veteran.

Name: Wyatt Batchelor

Title: Managing partner

Company: MBN Brands

Units: 65 Jimmy John’s, 58 Burger King, 22 KFC

Age: 36

Family: Wife Brenna, sons Bear and Colton, daughter Leighton

Years in franchising: 4

Years in current position: 4 

Wyatt Batchelor is a man on the move. Following his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served three combat deployments in Afghanistan as a captain in the U.S. Army Special Operations Ranger Regiment. After that, armed with his West Point B.S. degree in economics, he moved into finance with Goldman Sachs. Following that, he took a position at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), where he was promoted to area franchise lead, overseeing 320 restaurants in addition to responsibilities for development, sales growth, and operations in his region.

He walked away from the RBI job to co-found MBN Brands, a partnership that toady includes eight food franchise brands and where Batchelor is managing partner. 

Building an organization or a business from the ground up is never easy. His military training and experience, he says, taught him that “successful organizations operate with strict procedures and intense training.” He’d also learned that it’s imperative to have the right partners. “I have fantastic partners. Everyone has diverse skill sets, and we are complementary. So far, there have been no real challenges we haven’t been able to overcome.”

His time in the military also taught him that absolute transparency is invaluable. “Bad news does not get better with time,” he says. And, as much as anything else, his military life gave him “the discipline and many of the principles I need.”

MVP QUESTIONS

Why do you think you were recognized with this award? I believe military veterans offer tremendous value in the QSR industry. This is a business that succeeds via standard operating procedures. In the military, successful organizations operate with strict procedures and intense training. I believe we have created that type of organization at MBN Brands, and I have the privilege of receiving this award because of that.

What core values do you think helped you win this award? Relentless work ethic, dedication to ongoing learning, humility, and Integrity.

How important is community involvement to you and your company? Very. During Covid, MBN Brands donated tens of thousands of dollars to professionals working on the front lines. We also have continual partnerships with local VFWs in our markets, and we routinely do “round up” campaigns to help support the veteran community.

What leadership qualities are most important to you and your company? Confidence, competence, compassion, humility, and integrity.

PERSONAL

Formative influences/events: Football, West Point, and service time with the U.S. Army Ranger Regiment.

Key accomplishments: My beautiful family, West Point graduate, U.S. Army special operations, and co-founding MBN Brands.

Next big goal: Double the size of MBN Brands.

Hardest lesson learned: People are the heart of any organization. You must treat them with respect and provide them with the tools and opportunities for growth.

Best advice you ever got: Don’t worry about tomorrow. Win today. The key to get through any challenging time. The people who don’t make it through U.S. Army Ranger School are the ones waiting for it to end. The successful ones are just waiting for breakfast. Focus on how you are going to show up and win every day.

Favorite book: The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh.

What’s your passion in business? Creating and managing successful teams.

MANAGEMENT

Business philosophy: How you do anything is how you do everything. Be meticulous about the details and the small stuff, and the big stuff takes care of itself.

Management method or style: Servant-style leadership. The best leaders I encountered in the military were the ones who were maniacally focused on training and advancing their subordinates. I believe what is good for the individual is great for the organization.

Greatest challenge: Creating culture.

COVID-19

What have been the biggest impacts of Covid-19 on your business? Learning how to be even more efficient in the business.

BOTTOM LINE

Annual revenue: $160 million (approx.).

2023 goals: Grow margin and total portfolio size.