For Devin and Mikaylah Pokorney, owners of three Nautical Bowls locations, the goal has always been to make business ownership their full-time pursuit. After building their Savage and Mankato locations from scratch, the duo decided to take their personal business plan for success and expand into Blaine. Over the last 3 years, the Pokorney’s have established what it looks like to run successful Nautical Bowls without working behind the counter through delegation, detailed systems and team empowerment.
As Devin and Mikaylah’s store count grew from one to two, they quickly realized that it’s not just double the work, it’s double the work AND you cannot be everywhere to put out every fire. This forced them to adapt their leadership style to remove themselves from behind-the-counter work, and instead leverage their team and growing leaders within those teams to run the stores for them. With this approach, the Pokorney’s acquired their third location in Blaine, “This is the only long-term way to grow and be successful as an entrepreneur. As we’ve now grown to 3 businesses, the amount of work to keep up with day-to-day needs, scaling and long-term sales growth requires us to focus on things that serve the business.” To ensure all bases are covered at each of their locations, Devin and Mikaylah walk through the below thought exercise a few times a year to help re-purpose their time and efforts:
- “Brain dump every single thing that you as an owner do on a day-to-day basis. It could be as simple as replacing the printer paper. What is everything you do in a day/week?”
- “Create two “categories” on a piece of paper. On one side, write down all the things from that list that grow the business (contact local schools for events, etc.). On the other side, write down everything that is day-to-day (scheduling, payroll).”
- “Delegate every single thing on the day-to-day side of that lis As an owner (especially of multi-unit) you need to have a team of leaders you can trust who can run your store for you.”
The Pokorney’s are heavily focused on events and catering in 2024 for each of their stores. This past January, there was a weekend where the duo had 7 different events at the same timebetween the 3 locations. Devin and Mikaylah explain how this volume is possible through the use of detailed processes and well-trained employees, “We have day-to-day systems and checklists, checks before and after events (openers/closers making sure everything is ready or correctly put back) as well as shift leads at both the store and event who are primarily responsible for making it all happen with us.”
For those looking to make the shift to remove themselves from the line and delegate day-to-day tasks, the Pokorney’s provide insight into the challenges and benefits that come with this style of leadership:
Challenges:
Know Your Numbers:
“It’s one thing to say you never want to work the line, but it’s another to be able to afford it and have it align with your store and personal financial goals. When we only had one location, my (Devin) time was best served by being in the store, which also minimized a ton of payroll. It took us almost two years and two stores to get there, but now, like a snowball, it’s getting easier and better every day.”
It Will Not Always Be Smooth Sailing:
“Even though you remove yourself from the line, you will still get the last-minute call in for sickness or have that big event you need to go help out at. Do not expect it to always be smooth sailing, but establish good systems to minimize it.”
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone:
“Growing your team to be capable of representing you, your business and your guests will push you outside of your comfort zone. You will have to give up control. Instead of just being able to do everything yourself, you will need systems. Instead of taking over an event, your team will need to run it for you. This can be very difficult, and a lot of trial and error.”
Benefits:
Focus On Growth: “Ultimately, your job as a business owner/leader is to grow and enhance the business. If you’re scooping bowls, you’re not doing that.”
Flexibility: “Need to have a meeting with an athletic director? Need to make an emergency supply run? Want to spend the day with your kids? These situations will become easier.”
Team Growth Opportunities:
“Your team should want to work hard and grow! If you work 40 hours/week, that’s a lot of time, opportunity and money they are not earning. Plus, having scale (managers, shift leads, etc.) allows them to shoot for growth and promotion in your company.”
The Pokorney’s experience highlights their ability to embrace uncertainty, continuously evaluate and evolve their systems and build a strong, capable team. Prioritizing efficiency and scalability by asking yourself “How can I make this work better and with less of my involvement?” is critical for long-term growth. Knowing your numbers, setting clear goals and diligently executing action plans are fundamental to achieving personal and professional success. Devin and Mikaylah emphasize that at the end of the day, it’s all about hard work, “Work harder than you’ve ever worked -entrepreneurship isn’t passive income and turnkey: it’s an absolute demand of your best and the hardest you’ve ever worked. It gets easier over time, not at first.”
