Blaze Pizza COO Talks Leadership, Strategy

As Blaze Pizza takes off like wild fire, FOX Business Network’s Liz Claman talks to the company’s President and COO Jim Mizes about the ingredients to success.

Claman: Jim, first off , we just want to ask you… What business leader would you say you admire the very most?

Mizes: Well, I admire Howard Schultz. I think he’s done just an incredible job building a great company with tremendous people; a great scale and innovation that continues to make a difference in the communities that they’re a part of.

Claman: Well he has opened so many Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) -- and you’re opening one Blaze Pizza every five days. So, right off the bat, we ask you what are the two most important things you need to focus on to be a successful leader?

Mizes: Well, I think you have to be very clear and articulate the vision for the brand and what we’re trying to do. And then, hire great people and get out of their way.

Claman: There are a lot of people looking to get hired right now. What is a top characteristic that you look for when hiring people, whether they’re in the C-Suite or whether they are just pizza makers?

Mizes: They have to be great decision makers. They have to have a backbone to make the tough call.  And they really need to develop people in the process because our success is so dependent upon the people that work in the organization.

Claman: Jim, thank you so much.  Jim Mizes of Blaze Pizza!