The story goes that years ago, among a crowd, a person approached Gandhi and handed him a piece of paper and pencil, begging the great man to write him a transcendental message that could change his life. Thus, the mass leader scribbled something and returned the paper to the little man, who was perplexed when he read what was written there: "I am the message."
Today more than ever, the world needs consistency. In the midst of epidemics, conflicts and a mass culture of fakeness, from fake news to influencers who only influence themselves, Gandhi's message becomes more relevant than ever.
“I am the message”, for me, does not mean anything other than that each one of us is the message of what we are, what we live for and what we would be willing to die for. And this, in my industry, that of franchising, alludes to what it is and we must value as "quality", which is nothing more than consistency; consistency in the products and services that we produce and market, consistency in the purchasing and consumption experience of these, but also something that we tend to underestimate: consistency in the messages that we give to our collaborators and in the messages that they transmit to the ecosystem of which we are part.
That is, if I am a successful franchisor, do I pay minimum wage to my employees but buy works of art for hundreds of thousands of euros? Do I say that I want to create a brand that revolutionizes a category, but I hire expansion directors who are only looking to find suckers to reach their quota for the month? I advertise that I am a leader and a visionary, but when a stranger sends me a message saying that he wants to exchange ideas with me, I do not respond? I want to make this world a better place for its inhabitants, but I walk around as if I have discovered fire or the cure for cancer?
Yes, I think Gandhi hit the nail on the head and taught a lot with a little. If each one of us were faithful to who we are and to the legacy we want to leave, some would love us and others would not, at least we would be authentic, at least we would be our own message. Herculean task, by the way.
We are experts in the development and internationalization of franchises, as well as in mergers and acquisitions of business chains.
