Name: Sidney Warren
Profession: Entrepreneur / Motivational Speaker / Business Developer
Age: Seasoned
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio Sydney L. Warren is the founder of The Warren Group, LLC a consulting company which works with clients to develop advertising and marketing initiatives to foster process improvement directly contributing to revenue growth. The company is at the forefront of delivering an entirely new form of Franchise Business Intelligence (FBI). The Warren Group also leverages advanced operations expertise to implement and execute top-level strategies to generate effective and efficient franchise operating methods and procedures designed to eliminate problems and improve products and service delivery quality.
A proven, focused and experienced entrepreneur with a track record in managing and growing global brands, Warren has experience building and leading efficient and profitable business operations in branded concepts. He has successfully developed innovative and creative solutions to problems for many organizations ranging from TCBY and the NFL to Mrs. Fields, Quiznos, Pretzel Mania, Longhorn Steakhouse and TGI Fridays.
At age 14, when most high school freshman are still trying to find themselves or spellbound by the carefree moments of youth, young Sidney Warren was enthralled by McNeil Lehrer on PBS. “I was intently watching all the business channels and this was before the VCRs so you had to be home to watch it at 5:30,” Warren tells BE Modern Man, Teaching himself how to read the Wall Street Journal, the stock pages, and stock results set the tone for building financial acumen at an early age. He read business classics like Art of the Deal by Donald Trump and Tony Schwartz and Art of War by Sun Tzu to understand how to maneuver and create/maintain a vision. “It was more about me planning at a young age for what my life was going to look like,” says Warren. This new and intriguing information opened his eyes to see what high finance looked like.
Knowledge is truly power when one applies what he has learned. As a youngster Warren operated the age-old lawn mowing business where he sought businesses that needed their lawns cut. He gathered friends in his neighborhood and organized everyone involved to cut the business’ grass then distributed the pay amongst everyone. This was his foray into a grass-roots marketing effort.
Warren, a strong believer in building partnerships, started his first franchise with partner Chuck Baker. They were the youngest African-Americans to ever own an airport franchise: TCBY & Mrs. Field’s Cookies at Greater Cincinnati International Airport. “Keeping in mind that Cincinnati at the time was a Delta hub running about 22 million people through it, [Chuck] and I quit our jobs and went out on faith at a very early age and maintained that business for 17 years.” Warren tells BE Modern Man. A risk taker, Warren grew the business further into a mall location and
got a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals as a subcontractor with Aramark to sell pretzels in the stadium. “Another gutsy situation because at the time there were no African-Americans in that space and that space is very, very competitive.” From the NFL to MLB, Warren worked his sport connection strategically, landing a business partnership with the Cincinnati Reds Stadium.Warren is the epitome of a self-made mogul. He exhibits strength in understanding the importance of adaptability and optimism. “I found myself in these non-traditional areas and creating opportunities within those confines,” Warren tells BE Modern Man. He was able to successfully maintain a small business in a space occupied by huge Fortune 500 companies in food and beverage.
His most current successful business is the Warren Group, LLC a management consulting and business developing agency that prides itself on holding the client’s hand through the entire process of building their business. Warren explains, “I literally sit there and go through every piece of it with you and give you homework, tell you what you need to do, have weekly meetings, and do a weekly call in order to get that stuff done. When it’s time to open the business, I’m right there with you to make sure it happens.” Warren designs the FBI—Franchise Business Intelligence. “It is understanding what the clientele can offer and deciding if their acumen matches the vision they have.” Warren
goes on to say it isn’t his responsibility to tell the client what his or her vision should be, but it’s his responsibility to help set up the business properly and execute the vision to the fullest. His company also offers franchising assistance, legal structuring, and extensive marketing and advertising plans.Warren and his team find their clients at a number of Chamber of Commerce meetings and business/social gatherings. They are also found and contacted via LinkedIn by young inquisitive entrepreneurs looking to launch start-ups. Warren Group, LLC also works with existing companies, helping them expand or taking small aspects they do well growing that sector nationally.
Warren’s company is growing exponentially, despite the challenge of securing funding to maintain his business and those that he helps create. “The challenge is identifying the right funders to do the work that you are trying to get done and understanding what their motivation is as well.” He tells BE Modern Man.
Community involvement is one of his biggest passions and he is currently working on a project that will benefit many people in his community. “I love it, I love it, I love it! I am actually working with some folks in Cincinnati trying to get a grocery store in a food desert in Cincinnati. If it works out correctly, many thousands of folks will be able to get fresh food at a reasonable price in their local community.” Warren also stressed good deeds should not be done for a plaque. It should be done out of the kindness of one’s heart and the genuine longing to help others.
His biggest motivation is seeing dreams come to fruition. “I like to see goals met, achieved, and the next goal set.” He even highlights his greatest achievement as seeing his young employees grow personally and in the realm of entrepreneurship and start their own business.
Sidney Warren defines a modern man as a “forward thinker and forward dreamer…he is bright-eyed to opportunity and committed.” He uses a unique word to encapsulate his identity: ‘semicolon’—connecting the pieces to life’s jigsaw puzzle.
In the next five years, he wants to grow his business to all new heights and motivate the next few generations of entrepreneurs. Beyond his business endeavors, being a great husband and father to his family is always top prioroty. Always in the mood for an escape, Warren jokingly says “if there’s room to go to Mars and it’s kind of groovy, I’m all for it. I’ll give it shot.”
The BE Modern Man team honors Sidney Warren on all of his successes and work he has done (and continues to do) to uplift the next generation of entrepreneurs.
It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @blackenterprise and join the BE Modern Man conversation using #BEModernMan.
–written by Fatima Bangura