How Sport Clips Haircuts Came to Define Their Values
At Sport Clips Haircuts, three simple rules sum up what it means to have the Heart of a Champion.
- Do what’s right
- Do your best
- Treat others the way they want to be treated
These principles sum up how Sport Clips communicates with its team leaders, how team leaders are expected to interact with their team, and how team members are expected to interact with clients. They are the foundation that has helped to shape the brand’s team culture.
The three rules are an adaptation from legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz’s “Do Right” rules. Holtz spent 33 years bringing groups of college athletes together and molding them into championship football teams. He is credited with turning fledgling football programs around and is the only college football coach to lead six different programs to bowl games.
Known for his high standards and straightforwardness, Holtz’s practical approach to coaching is applicable beyond the field, in both life and business. In addition to his football teams, Holtz taught this value system to his own children, and brought it to organizations and audiences as a motivational speaker. In these simple rules, Holtz says, is the formula to help anyone reach their true potential.
Early on Gordon Logan, founder and CEO of Sport Clips Haircuts, understood the importance of defining an organization’s value system. “Values are a guidepost to always keep in mind when making difficult decisions, when doing the right thing may not be the easiest choice,” he explains.
Holtz’s message resonated with Logan, who found alignment with the coach’s insight. He says, “We were using Coach Lou Holtz’s ‘Do Right’ videos in our local training even before we started Sport Clips, since his values were and are consistent with ours. His book, ‘Winning Every Day’ is great, we even keep copies of it in our reference library for our team members.”
Soon after Sport Clips was started, Logan wrote to the coach, asking for permission to use his materials in the company’s training. Logan recalls, “Coach Holtz wrote back and graciously gave us permission to do so. His encouraging letter meant a lot to us: We had it framed and it’s still hanging in the conference room to this day.”
Over the years, Holtz has been generous with his support for Sport Clips. “When we opened our first store in Columbia, SC, he was the head coach at University of South Carolina; we asked if he could give us an autographed jersey or helmet. He responded that he would do better than that, he would be our first client,” recalls Logan.
“He came out to the store one morning right before our grand opening. He even took the time to speak with the local TV station that was there. We told him there was no charge and he said, ‘The way I work is that if I don’t pay, I don’t come back.’ So, he paid!”
Holtz also has provided words of wisdom for team leaders. “Coach Holtz spoke to our Huddle in 2003, when we celebrated 100 stores, and again in 2008. He is a great storyteller, he captures a room’s attention,” says Logan.
Defining Sport Clips’ value system with an adaptation of Holtz’s rules captures the essence of how the brand operates. Logan explains, “These three values combined with three key questions – Can I trust you? Are you committed to excellence? Do you care about me? – are a great guide to life and how to run a business, how to be a good person and a good coach. Trust, caring and striving to be the best are qualities everyone can relate to. They are so natural and logical, they are easy to remember and implement.”
Logan concludes, “Great companies have a clearly stated set of values, and these have served us well over the years. Good values enable us to hire and retain the quality people we need to deliver our championship client experience and help us create a positive environment where everyone is valued and developed, so they can reach their potential.”
Staying true to these values has helped position the Sport Clips as a leader in the haircare industry, as well as in franchising. Sport Clips is committed to our team leaders’ success by providing comprehensive training and support programs. If you have a Heart of a Champion and want to learn more about joining the Sport Clips team, schedule a conversation here.
It is an honor and privilege to work for Sport Clips, a leader in the haircare industry. Every day we are guided by these three simple rules and every team member has the Heart of a Champion. If you are looking to start a business, you should seriously consider a Sport Clips franchise. #itsgoodtobeanowner #companyculture #peoplefirst #franchising
