Congratulations to our Employee of the Month, Austin James! Austin officially joined the Buzz Franchise Brands family in 2018 as a franchisee support specialist, although he was no stranger to the company. Austin was a summer intern with Buzz Franchise Brands between semesters at James Madison University (Go Dukes!), where he proved he had strong work ethic and a curiosity for learning, while also being a great culture fit within our company.

When Austin joined Buzz as a full-time employee in 2018, he played an integral role in supporting the onboarding, launch, and development of franchisees across brands, as well as managing the internal technical support systems. He mastered his role in no time, proving to both his corporate colleagues and franchisees alike that he had a natural knack for providing guidance and helping others feel heard and supported. This quickly led to his promotion to director of franchise development in 2020, where he shifted his focus to cultivating relationships with prospective franchisees and navigating them through the franchise development process.

Austin’s Noteworthy Excellence

Austin dove right into his new role as director of franchise development, fostering connections with potential franchise candidates and franchise consultants alike. In the past few months specifically, Austin has been on fire growing our franchise system across brands! He is not only passionate about helping people find the perfect business opportunity for their future, but believes in the brands he represents, and loves making that connection to help Buzz Franchise Brands and franchise candidates each find their perfect match.

Although he has stayed quite busy helping grow each of our brands, Austin has also taken on the role of Sanity Control Committee team member this year. The Sanity Control Committee plans fun monthly company outings to help the team get to know each other better, especially for those departments that don’t work together on a day-to-day basis. Austin’s willingness to empower and serve his fellow coworkers doesn’t go unnoticed. Here's what one of Austin’s coworkers had to say about working with him.

"From college intern to full-time franchise sales executive, Austin has done it all at Buzz Franchise Brands. His drive and enthusiasm for the franchising business and our family of brands continues to bring him success. I expect only good things to come for Austin, and he is well deserving of Employee of the Month!"

Get to Know Austin Better

Here are a few insights from Austin’s life to help you get to know him better.

What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?

I would love to operate a franchise of my own someday. 
What’s the ideal dream job for you?

I am doing it! Being able to help people realize their dreams through business ownership is very rewarding and I love every minute of it. 
What are your favorite hobbies? 

In my spare time, I enjoy getting my hands dirty and working on home improvement projects. I also love being outdoors and enjoy spending time out on the water and in the mountains.

We are so grateful to have Austin not only as part of the franchise development force, but as part of the Buzz family. Cheers to the growth to come!