We had the good fortune of connecting with CHRIS MCCARTHA and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi CHRIS, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
My relentless work ethic is probably the habit that has helped me become successful.
What should our readers know about your business?
I own, operate and manage a portfolio of businesses. My most famous brand probably would be my laundromats. We operate the Family Place Laundry brand in metro Atlanta. What sets us apart from others in this space is our customer service and our small business solution services as well as consulting services for others wishing to enter into the commericial laundry ownership space. . We have the capacity to provide linen services and other support services for those in the STR space. For our residential customers we offer Wash,Dry, & Fold as well as pickup and delivery services. We also provide support services for spas, restaurants, beauty salons and more. I am most excited about being able to impact the communities we serve ina more meaningful way. When I worked in corporate America I felt that I wasn’t impactful enough. Now through my brick and mortar centers I am able to partner with library and bring in a pop up library. We can provide books and other resources that normally you would have to get from the library. How did I get to where I am today business-wise. In short I worked my butt off and prayed without ceasing when I wasnt working my butt off. My military background prepared me to be able to handle any challenge put before me. Being a field engineer and a technical manager gave me a certain skillset to be able to resolve problems as quick as possible. Was it easy? Of course not! Nothing worth having is ever easy. Being a black person in business always has its own unique challenges. We kind of get it from all angles, customers not initially trusting that you know what you are to doing to vendors not giving you fair prices we deal with it all. I overcame these challenges by being informed and networking with others in the industry and discussing best practices and resources. Lessons I learned along the way; hard work and consistency always pay off. Count your wins no matter how big or small. Take time to celebrate and acknowledge your accomplishments that is fuel to keep you moving forward. Always treat others the way you want to be treated. What do I want the world to know. I am just an ordinary guy doing extraordinary things. I came from humble beginnings, a public school education, military before college, corporate job before entreprenuership and still managed to retire from corporate America before I turned 50 and now Im able to manage a portfolio of businesses and use all of my talents and not just one of them. I am thankful to be able to grow and push myself beyond my wildest dreams. Dont work so hard you forget to live. Dont work so hard you forget to laugh. Dont work so hard you forget love. You can do or be whatever you want. Remember you can start wherever you are there is no such thing as a perfect time Just Do It.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well if I had friends visiting the area then they would know im a motorsports guy and I like to drive fast and have fun. We would probably visit Atlanta Motorsports Park and get a few laps in. If we wanted to get a little off road action we would pull out the dirtbikes and atv’s and head to Durhamtown. The Porsche Experience Center is nice we could catch a few laps and have a nice meal there. In the summer time we would definitely have to take the boat and jet skis out on the lake. Atlanta is known for its great music scene and restaurants, so we would definitely check out one of the many venues the amphitheatres when the weather is nice or one of the sports venues. My friends are all sports people catching a Braves,Falcons or Hawks game would be a must. WIth all that action I would definitely have some wind down time scheduled at IWI Fresh. The cigar aficionado in us would have to check out Fellaship. Atlanta is very dynamic citywith many choices and we would definitely have agreat time and take in all the city had to offer for that week.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout my wife, she is the glue behind the scenes making sure we stick to the plan. She is the Wonder Woman to this Super Man. Shoutout to my kids for telling me point blank to leave corporate America. Shout out to my mom for instilling a superior work ethic and unwavering faith. Shout out my mother-in-love,and my cousins that helped us build these businesses. Special Shoutout to my peak performance coach, Coach Edwards. Shoutout to my mentors from afar Dr. George Fraser (Power Networking), Dr. Claud Anderson (Powernomics), Dennis Kimbro ( What Makes the Great, Great).
Website: www.familyplacelaundry.com
Instagram: familyplacelaundry