Wendy’s Leaders are Changing Lives

From the moment you hear Aaron Giddings speak, it’s easy to understand what makes him one of The Briad Group’s top performing Wendy’s® District Managers (DM) year after year. He’s charismatic, warm and cheerful. He has wisdom well beyond his years. Within minutes of speaking to him, you feel like you’ve been lifelong friends.

But there is more to Aaron’s story that shows how he used hard work to change his own life and become the kind of leader that helps others do the same. We spoke with Aaron about what being a leader at Wendy’s, and throughout his life, means to him:

Overcoming the Odds

I was born and bred in Philly and currently serve as the DM of eight Wendy’s restaurants in inner Philadelphia and I’ll be the first to tell you: it’s not easy. But it has afforded me some of my proudest moments, and while it can be challenging in many different ways, I get so much joy from interacting with my customers and crew because I truly relate to them. You see, I grew up in an environment that was ‘tough’, but it bred character and I feel like I can tackle nearly any challenge.

Let me tell you a little bit about my story. I was born in North Philly into a close-knit family. I have four brothers and two sisters, and my parents served together in the Marine Corps. When I was young, my father had an accident that left him blind in one eye and it forced my family to leave the Corps, and unfortunately, also everything they had. Some of my first memories are of living in a house without insulation, with few walls and a rodent problem to boot. When we needed better living conditions, we went to a local homeless shelter, which eventually became our temporary home. While I don’t wish this on anyone, it created an unbreakable bond. My family eventually saved enough money to rent a house in North Philly, and while we stood in free food lines multiple days a week, my dad was always there, reminding us that hard work would keep us out of trouble and lead to a better life.

I began my career with the Wendy’s brand when I was 16 years old, putting my dad’s advice to work. I would spend 40 hours or more a week at the restaurant to help my parents pay the rent. I was eventually promoted to Shift Supervisor at the age of 18, Assistant Manager at 19, General Manager at 23, and a Training Restaurant Manager at 24. By age 27, I was promoted to District Manager, a position I’ve held for the last four years.

Working at Wendy’s has offered me so much: personal and professional growth, the ability to help my family and more. I’m now a father to three boys, and I was the first in my family to have a new car with a monthly payment and the first to buy a house. It makes me feel tremendously proud and also so lucky that even while times were tough, I had the guidance and love from my parents to keep me directional and goal-oriented.

My career at Wendy’s helped me to overcome poverty and it changed the course of my future, and more importantly, my family’s future. And the best part is paying it forward: the last five years I’ve been able to send my parents on a cruise, something I could never have imagined. Here are a few of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the last few years.

Working for My People

If you talk to those around me, it’s no secret that I love promoting people. Growing up in the inner city, it’s hard to think about things as simple as saving for college or taking your kids to Disney, but as part of my job, I’m able to help people achieve not only goals, but dreams. And that is what it’s all about.

We all have challenging times, and I’ve found that during those challenging times is when it’s most important to support people. Those times you’re falling down? That’s when I’m there to pull you up by your bootstraps. And in my final year as a GM, I was able to promote 13 people in ten months – promoting those you believe in who show up every day, especially on the hard days, to do their job and do it well brings me immense joy and pride.

Celebrating Every Success

Personally speaking, it isn’t just about promoting people; it’s equally important that I inspire them. When someone’s at a low point, I’ll bring in pizza or donuts and we’ll talk. Typically when we mess up, we know what we did, so hammering the negative home doesn’t help. I make it a point to be there and listen and help guide my team members so they don’t repeat a mistake. I like to create competitions that cater to the team’s strengths to remind them that I have their back. And for that, I credit my dad. Growing up we would slip up, and after having a tough conversation, my dad would always move on quickly after he set us straight. We’re not alone in making mistakes and I’m here to help those who may need a little extra support.

Being Relentless

Another trait I credit to my parents is the idea of being firm but fair. I set high expectations for my team, just like my parents set for me.  

While our restaurants rank consistently among our organization’s highest in both sales and customer satisfaction scores, it’ s never about laying down the law. Instead, I think teams find it more useful to discuss and address a problem, and typically it’s something small we can easily fix.

Being a Leader, Not a Boss

Lastly, the days of ‘do it because I said so’ are definitely over. My philosophy is to work for the people who work for you. Be relentless. Celebrate every success, even the smallest ones. And be a leader, not a boss.

As a manager of people, I believe the most important customers are my employees. If we treat everyone right on this side of the counter, it spreads.  

I share my story in the hope that it may help someone else.

That’s why we work, to change people’s lives.

And if you ask me, it’s Wendy’s people – everyone from the bottom to the top – that guide and inspire their restaurant teams every day and can change more lives than anybody else out there.