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BIGGER THAN ME PODCAST
160. Stephen Yeung: McDonald's Business Owner on Hiring, Scaling, & Workplace Culture
Ever wondered how to effectively manage young staff in today's challenging job market? Join us as Stephen Yeung, a seasoned entrepreneur operating five McDonald's locations, shares his insights on fostering a positive workplace culture, bridging generational gaps, and maintaining a productive and respectful environment.
Stephen Yeung is a McDonald's owner-operator known for balancing work, community involvement, and employee care. Transitioning from managing gas stations to five McDonald's locations, he fosters a positive workplace culture and supports new hires with continuous communication. Recognized for exceptional customer service, Stephen is committed to making impactful decisions, benefiting the community through initiatives like McHappy Day, Ronald McDonald House and local fundraising.
Welcome back to another episode of the Bigger Than Me podcast. Here is your host, aaron P.
Aaron Pete:Running and scaling a business is not easy. Today I'm sitting down with a person who's started gas station businesses, run them successfully and is now running five different McDonald's locations. We talk about hiring young staff, how to support them in their development in a time of inflation and challenging job markets. We talk about workplace culture and supporting and understanding the staff and, ultimately, how to create a stronger community through your business. My guest today is Stephen Young. Stephen, I've been looking forward to this for some time now. Would you mind briefly introducing yourself?
Stephen Yeung :So my name is Stephen Yang and I am a McDonald's owner operator, but before that I have been a business owner for some time also. So I would say altogether I have been a business owner probably close to 20 years and the last 14 years has been with McDonald's. So right now I'm a five restaurants operator in Vesavalli. I couldn't say I am only coming from one city with all my restaurants because they all scatter, they're all along the highway. There's one location in Hope, two in Chilliwack and two in Abbotsford, but the commonality is they're very close to the highway. There's one location in Hope, two in Chilliwack and two in Applesford, but the commonality is they're very close to the highway.
Aaron Pete:The part that I'd like to start with that really stood out to me is right now we're in a time where it feels like we're underestimating the youth. We're kind of saying that they're not as driven. I don't know if you've heard, but there's across Canada there's a decline in productivity, and you bring a different lens to this. What are your thoughts on the youth of today?
Stephen Yeung :I think obviously they're different I cannot say they're the same the day that when I grew up and the way that my parents, education teacher talk to me or the way that they try to influence us is very different than nowadays. In the past, I mean I don't know. I mean probably you will never see the days that they try to influence us is very different than nowadays. In the past, I mean I don't know. I mean probably you will never see the days that I mean people still holding a whip, like go do things. I mean my culture, where I was born and raised. Obviously not in Canada. I was born in Hong Kong. I moved to Canada when I was 14 years old, so a very different culture background to factor in into these whole conversations and considerations. But it's very different nowadays.
Stephen Yeung :I mean the way that we communicate with our youth, the way that we want to influence them, we want to start a conversation, is very different than how it used to be. So, as a result, I don't see the way. I don't see, actually I don't want to say the positivities are lower nowadays with the youth. I would say it's the way that we manage them. As for the way that we open the conversations right, is it supposed? I mean, in the past people used to be way more directive, aaron, do this. Nowadays, when we want to get someone to do something for us, then we sit for understanding, we sit for the buy-in. We use a very different tone, aaron. I would like you to do this for me right now, and this is the reason. If you don't do this, then well, someone come in next. They might sleep on the floor. So you have to do these couple of things Put a red floor signs up, make sure that like safe working environment, then you mop the area, then you put the mop away, so that everyone in the workplace will be safe and the customer will be safe.
Stephen Yeung :And with a safe environment, the way and obviously, well, I mean the tone of voice nowadays, I mean needs to be more respectful than ever, Because we're in an era that we basically talk way more about our emotionals and health and all those good things, and it's important that we be nice to people by the end of the day. So that's why the tone of voice, the way that we talk about things, it's just a different way of communications. If you ask me if the productivity is actually lower, I would say no. But if you say that the way that we're managing not just teens or youth or even in all generations, even we manage someone with a Gen Z or millennial or any background, it's just a different way of operating. So I wouldn't say the productivity is dropped, I would just comment's just a different way of operating. So I wouldn't say the positivity is dropped, I would just comment it as a different way of operating and it requires more skill sets.
Aaron Pete:I'm not crazy. Right, though, that the rhetoric around our youth is pretty negative, that people think that they don't want a job right now, they're not willing to work for money. The mindset that at least we're hearing in the culture is pretty negative.
Stephen Yeung :Well, I mean I would disagree about that because I strongly believe that. Well, I mean, right now, when we look at the youth or the younger generations that we raise, we've exposed them with more things Many times. One thing I always keep saying is and actually, since you talk about that, I also challenge myself a lot. I mean how can I be able to communicate with the youth? Because eventually I always believe they're smarter than me in a different way. One good example is this year I tried to. I have set a challenge with my daughter.
Stephen Yeung :Basically is well, I mean I told my daughter, I mean I will use I'm a window person all these years, but all the new generations they like Apple for some very strange reason. I don't understand why they like iPhone. I hate my iPhone. I'm still using it, but I lock it up a launch. I told my daughter how about I also use an Apple iOS platform, like an apple pro or whatever that is? So I've been torturing myself and training myself how to use the apple device since the beginning of this year. It's been it's been six months. I have to say I I still like feel very unfamiliar with what's going on with the, with the, with the, with the ios device, with the apple device. But what I'm trying to say is but when we look at our younger generations, when they use all these new technologies, new tools, they have no issues. It seems like I'm the one that have difficulties to adopt to what they can do. Then they can adopt to what I can do Because eventually, one day I mean I pass, I'm in the midway of my 40s. I don't want to tell anyone my age, but I think, slowly and slowly, I probably have 20 years left in my career, like as what I'm doing right now. But when I look at my daughter, she's 15 years old, turning, and she probably another 50 years in the workforce or to build her career or influence other people as a career. So when I look at that, then it seems like, well, I mean, their influence on people will be bigger than my influence on people, if you look at this down the road. So that's why I think it's more about how to bridge that gap.
Stephen Yeung :When we look at the whole communications or when we actually try to pass our knowledge to the younger folks, how do we take that approach? I will not say they are not as good as who we are or what we are doing. It's just a matter of how we approach. As for like once again, I mean many times, I think, when we're working with the youth, I think one of the biggest challenges is how to get the engagement, because eventually, if we use the very old school mechanism, just basically go once again.
Stephen Yeung :Just use my first example with you Aaron mopped the floor. Okay, I can mop the floor. What do you want me to do after, right? Or what do you want me to like the important? Because the engagement, the buy-in, is not there. So once you explain, right? Or what do you want me to like the important? Because the engagement, the buy-in, is not there. So, once you explain, if you do it for you, it's not only good for yourself, it's also good for the folks that are surrounding you. It's a public safety matters. It will actually help everyone be able to have a safe environment when they using the space. So once people get that buy-in, then I think people will tend to do it rather than people command someone to do it.
Stephen Yeung :Once again, it's the communications and I think, even as a management, as a person that has been operating a business more than 20 years, I can also comfortably to say and confident to say, my style has been changed gradually from a very command, a directive style. Now it's to more people and person personal style. When I say personal, it's not personal attack, but it's more approaching people in a more personal way so that I know, because I understand you, like your background, your difference, your diversity or whatever backgrounds you have then I come with you with a more customized approach. Is what I'm trying to say and it's important because everyone is more different than ever, because we have that self-recognition now that we are all different. So when we communicate we need to respect that as a factor and then we use to make sure that, because we all understand we are different, we approach each other in a very different approach, if that makes sense.
Aaron Pete:And I've always heard throughout my life that you get a job at McDonald's and you kind of get those skills. Then that opens so many doors and it sounds like from your perspective that hasn't changed. But I'm wondering what would you say to a person who's like I need to hire young people for this work? How do I keep them engaged? How do I meet them where they're at?
Stephen Yeung :I think that one thing I always find it very important is, if you want to actually employ someone into your organizations especially youth, doesn't matter youth or any age group basically to understand that process or that person. It's not after that person clock in the first hour or after they have the first issue arise. The seek of understanding timing should start as soon as that application shows up in your website that you use, or once that person first drop off the resume. That conversation, that understanding need to start so that you know a little bit better about that person. Start so that you know a little bit better about that person. And then down the road, when you do orientations, when you do your in our organizations we have seven days review, 14 days and 30 days review. We check on the new high employees so that we can get the feedback we can understand a bit more. Okay, what is something that you feel very happy? Get the feedback we can understand a bit more. Okay, what is something that you feel very happy you're very engaged, so that we can make you broaden in those areas. But what are some of the things that you feel challenges? Either we use a little bit more training to offset the negative feelings, or we have conversations to explain some counseling, to make sure that. Well, why mopping that floor is important? Right, I think it has to be.
Stephen Yeung :That process needs to start at the very, very beginning, because many, many times when people draw the conclusions about a relationship is not working, it's after so many events, it's a compound of all the bad events and then people form their conclusions. One of the mechanisms that we find very useful is to minimize this impact is the constant communications. So before things happen, you talk about it. Some conversations might not be the most happiest one. I would say Some of the conversations might not be even comfortable one.
Stephen Yeung :I would say some of the conversations might not be even comfortable because we are actually trying to identify each other's boundaries. But I think through these conversations it's like exercise, it's like testing each other's boundaries, and once we find harmony that each other want, then I think that will be the spot on how we avoid those negative outcome, because many, many times people don't talk about the process, they talk about the outcome. So I would say, yeah, focus on the process and focus on the very beginning so that you understand that person a little bit more. Or, when that person drop off the resume, have a conversations. You might get a really good feel that if that person actually is good for your organizations or not. Or have a coffee or just have a very informal conversations. Maybe the other person after they talk to the employer they might figure out that this might not for me and then you can avoid some of the misunderstanding down the road.
Aaron Pete:You're in a circumstance where it's you but you have a scaling issue when you have different restaurants, it's not always you who's going to be in those meetings. How do you make sure those conversations, those counseling opportunities, that support doesn't become a tick box where people are like you're good, you're good, you're good, we're not going to worry about it? How do you make sure that it's meaningful, the way you're describing?
Stephen Yeung :Yeah, yeah, one thing that we actually really focusing on is we do it very differently in the past couple of years, especially after pandemic. One thing we find out after pandemic is people are way more focusing on their work-life balance is one, and the other thing is their mental health and obviously, well, I mean, as the society evolves, we will be focusing more on the DEI aspect and that also becomes something that we always focus on and being conscious. So one thing that we have been doing very different is very traditionally right in a restaurant or in a business, then I would say especially restaurants or the business that I have been involved in. I mean, we do not spend too many times to look at those things that I talk about. So in the past, especially four years, we actually separate certain people out. Obviously, we have the potentials and we will ask them. Actually we actually have a title for them that the market people lead, but they will constantly go in and doing check-ins and observe what's going on, holding focus group or one-on-one meetings, so that they have an outside perspective. Because one thing we find out is, let's say, if we find a people managers, we have people managers in our restaurants too. They look after all the stuff like orientations and all those stuff, but many times because they're working in the restaurant. So when a crew actually have the concerns, they always have the, they always have the.
Stephen Yeung :I don't want to use the term bias, maybe too negative. They have to perspective that well, because that is my supervisor by the end of the day, well, what would they might be part of the problem because they are the supervisor. So that's why we have some external SMR capability. They don't involve in operations at all, they just come in. They're basically like the everybody friend, if you say it that way. So they'll come in. They don't talk about ops, but they will sit down, they'll. They didn't talk about ops, but they, they, they. They will sit down, they'll do some one-on-ones. They will, they'll, they, they, they, they. More focusing on your personal well-beings than than than you, than than your work performance, because work performance, the, the restaurant managers, or, or or or.
Stephen Yeung :The management team in inside restaurants should, should, handling that, but, but anything outside of that, we have the market people lead. Create a different message. If you really feel that you don't think these matters can be addressed with the management team in the restaurants, feel free to reach out to the market people lead, because every team member that joins our organizations will have at least two one-on-ones with the market people leads so that they build that relationships. So if anything happens they know where to go. So that's something that as we scale right I mean right now we have one and a half market need doing that. We have about 400 employees yeah, so far it's working really well. When people have issues that they think, well, I mean I cannot adjust it, through the restaurant's manager's channel I can reach out to the market people because when market people are reporting anything, they will come back to me, right. So then I know, okay, I mean, does it make sense or doesn't make sense, or what strategy we need to use to resolve the matters?
Aaron Pete:Compensation is becoming a growing topic, with inflation, interest rates, cost of living challenges that people are facing. I'm wondering from your perspective is this something you start to hear from your employees more and more about? How do you kind of address that as a business owner of a McDonald's?
Stephen Yeung :Cost of living? Good questions, it depends. I mean, who are you talking to in our organizations? Because when you look at our full-time employees and our part-time employees mix, I mean, obviously, as always, part-time youth will be a bigger group than our full-timers. So when you look at the part-timers, the cost of living aspect really doesn't impact them much because most of them are still in school, they are still living with their parents, so the cost of living is really not hitting them. But when you actually look at the other part, which is the full-timers, then yes, I mean those conversations always come up.
Stephen Yeung :But one thing that we always um telling our people, uh, I mean we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, we. You want to. Actually, if you want to have more income, then well, I mean, drive through the promotions. Yeah, because eventually the last couple of years, minimum pay basically keep increasing. So it, I mean, obviously, looking after the cost of living is a very important aspect, but I think one of the side effect is, because of the minimum pay increase, it does wash off some of the perks in the organizations. We are not as flexible like how we want to be, because everyone is getting the same wage and same pay.
Stephen Yeung :But on the other hand, right, I mean one thing we keep encouraging our people are okay. I mean, especially with McDonald's. We have a very systematic training system and a development roadmap. So let's say, well, I mean, if you become a manager, I mean well, I mean even a supervisor or even an operation manager there are people actually making as an operation manager. There are people basically making more than six digits per year. So I mean one thing when that conversation happens, obviously it depends on the skill set too. Some people might not have the skill set, then yeah, then can leverage the growth opportunity to compensate the inflations and all that stuff.
Aaron Pete:One thing on the cost of living and minimum wage part is I've heard it said from business owners that one of the challenges they face is they try and pay above minimum wage but as it's chipped away at that person who might be making $5 over minimum wage or $10 over, they're starting to lose that kind of position that they have within the organizations that they've earned through hard work and determination as a consequence of minimum wage starting to catch up with where they were. How do you grapple with that?
Stephen Yeung :Yep, I mean we call that compressions in our industry and I think it is happening unfortunately because as the wage actually keep compounding each year, because eventually I think the government does have a schedule every year in June and the wage increase will be according to the increase of the cost of living. So unfortunately that is happening. And one thing that we're actually focusing more to compensate that is well, I mean in my organizations I haven't compressed the seniority scale, so anyone actually work from one to 10 years, they have a scale of based on the seniority. Then, yes, I mean we use that to continue that scale. We haven't changed it. But as for the position-wise, yes, I mean it is shifting away. But one thing that we always emphasize in our work relationships or our workplaces Well, eventually, I mean well, I mean we look at the EVP or IVP.
Stephen Yeung :Now the wage puts what else we offer. I mean we also Sorry, what do the acronyms mean? Evp is Employment Value Prepositions, okay, so recently we changed to IDP. That means that it's individual. Now, so we're not just looking at like a big embellish, we just look at individual. So it depends on what employees actually need. We're just including different person into the package so that we can offer a little bit more than what another person can get, for example, bus passes, or if someone works late then they cannot have a bus. Then we have employees that we actually compensate them with an Uber ride. It's included.
Stephen Yeung :It all depends too, like even some of the employees depends on their availability full-time or whatnot. We cover 100% of their dental and medical benefits, even for benefits just talk about that. In the past we do not cover our managers 100%, but recently we started covering our managers 100%. So, moving aside from the wage, actually there is also more just to look at, more than just the wage what else can we offer? A flexible work schedule, things that, like I mean, and some other jobs cannot like, like a nine to five jobs cannot provide. Like, we provide that. But yeah, I mean, but I mean to answer your question yes, that compression does happen.
Aaron Pete:Okay, the other piece I want to talk to you about is workplace culture, because I think you're doing something really cool. If people go see what you're doing on LinkedIn and the stories you're sharing, it's really inspiring, because it seems like we kind of just get into the same old routines and people stop thinking about how can I do this differently, how can I show my appreciation? Would you mind sharing some of the anecdotes that you've posted on LinkedIn?
Stephen Yeung :Yeah, yeah, yeah, we do many different things. I think it's important that many times what the employees want more than a middle-aged person want when we look at the IVP and all those stuff. So basically I mean we try different things. So basically I mean we try different things. I mean at one time I think the one that really eye-catching for you is a concert ticket and basically the singer or the band I don't even know who that is and then we put it into our workplace communications and then basically we asked the crew and I mean, do you know who that person is? And everyone's like yeah, we want the concert tickets, so let's go get it. So at the end we capture 50 attentions less than two hours and then basically that's the commitment If we get 50 attentions less than two hours, then we'll go buy the concert ticket at the end. We really got them. And then we purchased I think we purchased five sets of concert tickets and we have crew basically do a draw and then they can go to the concert.
Stephen Yeung :But over the year we do many different things. We try to explore different options. This year we have Canucks tickets for management team and for crew to go to the games, and this year we actually might go to Chiliwack Chief and see if we can explore the same opportunities. Yeah, we do different things, but even as for the restaurants, because of the diversity of everyone, we hold different things too. We have cultural week, we do potluck and all that, so people can share a little bit about what they do at home, just other than work. We also have like clothing, like casual clothing days, so to know that well, I mean, what do you dress like when you're out of work?
Stephen Yeung :Yeah, we try different things, I mean, and one of the things that we want to make sure is we try to understand everyone a little bit more outside of work when they come to work.
Stephen Yeung :Obviously, all the time the conversation is very work-driven, but we also want to make sure that there are moments that people can share. Okay, outside of work, who actually I am? When we talk about how to bridge the gap for better communications, little events like this might seem to be very tiny or not important, but when people be able to have conversations to understand each other a little bit more, then we also believe that sometimes that just help each other get a bit closer. So when the moment get difficult at work. Maybe there's a rush, maybe we down a person today because that person was not feeling well and we know that person hasn't been feeling well for a long time. So everyone get a little bit more understanding to accept, okay, that person have a health conditions, then because some of the casual conversations they have, then let's work a little bit harder today for that person that cannot be here.
Aaron Pete:Now I have a personal belief and it dovetails nicely to the work you do that one person can make a difference and that sometimes we'll make comments like oh, they're just a McDonald's employee, oh, they're just a front level retail person. And we underestimate a person, even though you don't know the next 10 years of that person's life, where they're going to end up, what they're going to go do. I worked at Dairy Queen one point in my life. Now I'm in a completely different circumstance, and so these are the building blocks of a person and that we have to admire, like I notice when we get good service from a McDonald's employee when the food's done properly.
Aaron Pete:When they ask they double check your order, they let you know what's going on. Like you notice those little moments and they can be either really good or really bad and we underestimate those moments and those people sometimes. When did you start to realize how important it is to recognize the individual?
Stephen Yeung :There are a couple of things about our team philosophy right Like. One thing that I always ensure that everyone understand, especially the upper management in our team is obviously anyone can be able to. Especially the upper management in our team is obviously anyone can be able to promote to upper management. They must be the high performer. They all have their specialties. They can probably understand the system really good. They can do things really fast. They can achieve their goal really really quickly. But at the same time, sometimes the buying spot with upper management is because I know how to get there really quick. They are not sure if the people that don't have the same capability or don't have the same specialties, how do they be able to do things or follow the same pace? That's why I always refer our team as a big marathon team.
Stephen Yeung :We run a big marathon, this marathon. Basically I don't know how long it's going to be for the distance, but we know the team size probably is about 400 people. So the team marathon goal is to make sure that everyone wins together. So let's say we have 400 people in the team. If only 399 people pass the finish line, we still lose the marathon. So we need to make sure that all 400 people pass the marathon so many times.
Stephen Yeung :I remind everyone in our team make sure that we understand our pace, make sure that we understand when we look at the things that we want to introduce, the things that we want our people to do for us, based on a couple of things. One is will they understand the reason? Back to the first point, sitting for the communications. The second thing is are we able to carry every single person to that finish line that we want to get into? Because, once again, I mean, leaving anyone behind doesn't mean we're winning. Leaving someone behind that means that, well, I mean we might get the short-term success that we want, but it's because we left a bunch of people behind. Then later on, when you look back, we might have to go back and help those people get to the finish line again.
Stephen Yeung :So are we actually winning? We are not winning because we go forward, we move back, then we push or pull and move things going again. So that are not winning. Because we go forward, we move back, then we push or pull and move things going again. So that's not winning in my definitions. So that's why, many times, the way that I calibrate my team is the moment that I push, but there are actually more moments that I have to pull, like pull everyone a little bit slower so that we can get the whole team past the finish line. Can?
Aaron Pete:you tell us about the process? You started with one McDonald's. Now you're up to five, yes, with a vision of, I am sure, growing further. Can you tell us about taking on the one, turning it into five? How that all came about?
Stephen Yeung :Taking on the one basically is like a baby learn how to walk, basically. I mean, the funny things I always don't mind to share is I haven't failed too much face-to-face interview in my life. I only failed one in my life actually, which is when I was 15 years old. I applied to McDonald's and they say no to me. They're like, no, we're not hiring you, so you go somewhere else.
Stephen Yeung :So it turns out at the end I actually go work in another franchise model, which is Petro Canada, and then I actually stay there as a part-time and at the end they offered me training to be an operator as a Petro-Canada franchisees. They paid for all the training and all that at that moment, which is nice for them to doing that. And then once I grow to I think it's 11 locations with Petro-Canada, that's the time that I think, well, I want to do something else. And then I go back to McDonald's and apply as a franchisee. So when I apply as a franchisee and being accepted, obviously I received the training. But when it comes to like the day-to-day, like really hands-on things, I got exposures, but not like a seasoned veteran.
Aaron Pete:Right, Sorry, really briefly. How did you choose?
Stephen Yeung :McDonald's. How do I choose McDonald's? Because I like the business model. I like the business model that I can focus on one spot and when I observe the business model, I can see when an operator being very involved in the business, it will reward the operator in a positive way.
Aaron Pete:Did you look at any other opportunities? Subway?
Stephen Yeung :Wendy's? I did. But I did my market quest. I sit in a dining room. I observe the business model. At the end I choose McDonald's because I witnessed it. I saw an operator with my own eyes. He's working really hard, he's working with the crew and then he knows the regular guests by name. He pours them a coffee and then put in a cup and then he's a refill and it is inspiring when you see a business owner be able to have that connection with their guests. It's something special. It's not something that I can see in my other market crest. When I try to look at other business models. It's not something I can witness. So that's why it's very, very powerful. So that's why when I become a being accepted as a McDonald's operator, then obviously I mean I start with one locations.
Stephen Yeung :So for those years, basically, I used those moments to learn to understand the business more and I think the good thing is it trains me really, really hands-on and it trained me in a way that I can be a grease monkey. I can take a screwdriver, fix things in the restaurants. I can just do it like that. So when I grow from one to two, then that is where some of the changes need to start. I start to actually telling my team I need to be more self-disciplined now. I cannot be someone like how I used to be and don't expect me can be the same way, because I need to delegate. I need to empower people more. I need to be more hands-off so that you guys can learn what I know, because environment change. I can be always there in one place, but I cannot be always there in two places. So when we actually grow to two, then well, I mean I start to train myself that mentality. I also tell my visions to my team. Okay, this is the new Stephen, now it's the Stephen 2.0. So let's try that. So as we actually grow from two and then last year we turned to four and this year become five, it's the same philosophy.
Stephen Yeung :Basically, as the business evolves, I also need to be evolving and I cannot be the same person that be everywhere at the same time. So that's why my conversations right now with my team is more about how to scale, how to make sure that we can operate with lots of self-discipline. If you're the decisions maker, then make sure that you are the decisions maker. If you're the actioner with that role, then you're the actioner, respect the boundaries, because many of us right now actually, especially in my management team, they used to be the actionable people. They used to just go into the restaurants, take a screwdriver or walk into a process. They can fix it right away because they have the knowledge, they have the skills.
Stephen Yeung :But as we scale back, how do we influence our people? Once again, going back to our very, very first point how to talk to people, communicate, influence. We find that. That's why, with the proper approach, with the proper understanding, with the proper mechanism, when you approach people, no matter their youth, elders or what age group, what generations we're referring to, if we find a proper way to let them know that well, this is our goal, this is our visions. Use the proper way to communicate, use the proper way to coach, train, provide feedback, the successful rate is actually pretty high. You will be amazed, like I mean. People are not as hopeless as some people describe how they can be, because, bottom line is, the whole process is just about seeking for understanding between two person or with a group of people, right, yeah?
Aaron Pete:One area I'm just thinking about like do you feel successful? Are you able to process? I like I work in my First Nation community. I've been able to apply for grants that allow somebody to have a job that pays their bills, that helps reduce any of the financial stress, that gives them a quality of life and that's incredibly rewarding. And you're doing that at scale with different locations. Are you able to process that and take that in?
Stephen Yeung :I would not call me successful or not successful. I see it as very. I can go back to my. Many times people surrounding me ask me what is your ambitions Like ultimately? What do you want? Many, many times I say it and I have folks in my organizations actually managing my finance and they hate when I say it, but I always say well, I mean, we just don't look at the P&L right. There are things more than a P&L. There are decisions that we made just more than a P&L Profits and losses for people who don't know.
Stephen Yeung :Yeah, that's right. There are times that when we look at things, I mean what's the impact to the community, what's the impact to that group, what's the impact to that person? Right, if it's just based on the dollar value or figures, then many times I challenge back to my controllers in my team. I mean we actually we're not rich, we are the poor one, we're the one that we like poor in the whole process there. Because we're so poor that we just look at money, because there are things just more than money. Because many times one thing I talk to my upper management is at times I use very blunt examples. This is one of the very, very brutal ones.
Stephen Yeung :I always say eventually, you and manager A, we eventually cross paths because of these job relationships. I say it many times I don't know who's going to teach each other. You might leave me, I might leave you. It won't last forever that relationships, because you might find something really, really good in your career. You need to move on to grow personally. But even for myself, I might retire or sometimes I might. I will even say I just dropped that outside the doorway by heart attack. So I teach you immediately but by saying that, right, I always want to make sure, when we have that relationships, you learn one or two things really good from these organizations Maybe not from me, but from the team, from one of your supervisor, maybe not from me, but from the team, from one of your supervisors and then when you leave the team, you'll be able to tell somebody that well, I used to work for Stephen, I learned this. I think well, it's something that I can use as a skill to carry on for the rest of my life.
Stephen Yeung :Or they will probably say something like I learned this thing from Stephen. Then that's something that I should not do. I will never do this in my life as a life lesson, because indeed I have met real person like that in different business who have McDonald's experience. They come out and basically say I used to work at McDonald's, I learned good work ethic. That good ethic actually carried me for the rest of my career and I am who I am right now. I have come across with people like that, so I hope my success will be based on that. When people actually come out from this whole encounter, they will come out with a very positive experience or experience that they can tell other people. I learned this from this person and it's a lifelong skill that I can carry on. That is how I measure the success. Yeah, that is how I measure the success.
Aaron Pete:Yeah, I've heard that from Mayor Victor Smith, who says anybody who's worked at the Hope McDonald's for a year is somebody you can absolutely hire and depend on, and I think that's such an amazing legacy. Would you mind talking to us first about the altruism of the McDonald's operations that you have? What's that community impact that you look for?
Stephen Yeung :that community impact that you look for Many times. I think when I say community impact, I would actually say more about partnerships with the community. The way that we operate in the community is obviously where we reach out. I mean, we see things that we are passionate on. We are very passionate on, for example, like I mean school activities we don't mind like sponsoring, like different things we are passionate about, like helping different like groups. Recently we have a relationship with Salvation Army. We donate certain things to them. We reach out, but at the same time, we also want to make sure that when the word spread out, it's like what you say.
Stephen Yeung :People are not afraid to ask us if there's anything. Fall through the gaps. We have things that happen very last minute. We used to have people just call Stephen, we missed certain deadline, we need coffee, we need some pastry, like tomorrow. Can you make that happen? And obviously, well, we will always say yes. I think it's both ways right. We reach out, but we also want to make sure that don't be afraid to reach out to us, because they know that we will not say no if it's under a reasonable request.
Aaron Pete:Can we talk about McDonald's generally, because they have Ronald McDonald House.
Stephen Yeung :Yes, that's right.
Aaron Pete:What's your perspective on the work that McDonald's is doing broadly?
Stephen Yeung :Yeah, I mean, if my number is correct. I mean we serve more than 1,300 families in BC last year in the house. I just actually looked at the annual report yesterday for the BC house and there are people who stay in the house more than 300 days in a year for treatment purposes because it's very close to the children's hospital. So many times when people like serving especially, they live a little bit more away from the children's hospital because getting a hotel in Vancouver is very expensive. Getting a hotel in Vancouver is very expensive. So if they actually go to the house, they can be, the family can stay in the house in a more affordable rate and then they can do the treatment in the hospital. So when I look at it, their family actually stayed more than 300 days. I was like, oh, that is a lot and that's a long time. I do feel sorry for the kids have to get sick for that long, but at the same time, well, I mean we do a lot with the house. I mean I'll give some example. We have adopted a room program in the house. So each year we sponsor a month to the room to support the cost of that room and in this market we have two rooms adopted right now so far.
Stephen Yeung :Mchappy Day is also a very big thing that we always do. The restaurant in Chilliwack, indeed, is the number six fundraiser restaurants in Canada this year. Wow. So, yeah, mchappy Day. But once again, I mean it's not just a Stephen effort, it's a team effort and it's also a community effort. I, I, I can strongly especially the past McHappy Day I can strongly feel that there's a big connection between the community and the restaurants and the house, because otherwise, I mean, we couldn't fundraising that much.
Stephen Yeung :But at the same time, well, I mean, there is one charity I think is very special because it always help people in their hard time especially. We go to hear different testimonies. Sometimes you hear when a six-year-old have to go for a cancer treatment and sometimes it just happens immediately they're being airlifted to the hospital, they have to find a place to stay and all that. The host usually step in at that moment to help that family. So that's why there's one charity that I think, if people don't have a chance to actually look at the detail, maybe like, go to their website and there are lots of good information there and you understand way more, I mean, what the house is. Just not a name. It's more than midi eyes on that yeah.
Aaron Pete:You're a person where I just love your philosophy. I love the approach that you're taking, but it's even more shocking when you find out about your background and all the things that have brought you here today. Would you mind taking us back to the beginning and starting your entrepreneurial journey? Oh, okay.
Stephen Yeung :So actually my entrepreneur journey, I would say actually I would also include the entrepreneur influence, because my family, my father, never received lots of educations. I'm very proud of my father. He's a very good role model, I mean as a business person, as a family person and all that. He's a really good role model. So he never received lots of educations and so he learned carpentry, painting finishes and all that from his employer. And then he opened his own business with the blessing, and then he opened his own business and then his own furniture shop. So I remember when I was a kid we always hang out in the shop. Saturday, sunday, when we're not going to school, we hang out in the shop because someone need to keep the shop open, so there's nothing to do. We take a sandpaper, we're sanding the woods, we do different things in the shop, like when we were even. We're sanding the woods, we do different things in the shop, like when we were even as a kid. So I remember I built my first furniture when I was 12 years old and then someone basically said oh, you should do your father's business and all that. I'm like, oh, maybe, anyway. So we closed the shops. We moved to Canada. So when I moved to Canada I was about 14. And same thing we opened a shop and adopting using the same business model in a different country and adopting to Canada is a formula of failure. Just so you know. My father admit that too, so he don't mind I say that, but we operate a not very successful business at that moment. So we try to save money. Me, my brother, my elder brother, we used to be after school. We also helped deliver furniture when we have to do a delivery because we couldn't afford to hire other people to do delivery. So there are times that we have to move solid wood furniture up, couples like two three-story house. So yeah, they were heavy. Yeah, they're not IKEA weight, they are solid wood furniture, they're solid filled, so we carry them and all that. Imagine my brother actually is a very successful person too. He has a very successful career, he's an engineer, he's the VP of a global company. But imagine you have two guys actually doing not bad now, but you look back those two guys also doing financial delivery. So that's how it influenced me when I actually the whole entrepreneur mindset. So that's why, when I think about, well, I mean, that's why I like the challenge as an entrepreneur, but I learn from the good, from my parents, and I also learn the things that if I have my business in the future, that's something that I might do it very differently so. So that's why that I might do very differently. So that's why I continued my schooling when all this happened.
Stephen Yeung :And when I get to, yeah, I talk a little bit. Then I apply to McDonald's McDonald's don't hire me. They apply to Petrocan they hire me. And then it meant to be a part-time anyway, and it's just basically a job that I just want some spare money, okay. And then, yeah, okay, I mean, yeah, it's good enough, uh, to pay off the car insurance, some expenses I can go with my girlfriend, which is my wife right now and, uh, just some casual money, like never meant to be important or anything.
Stephen Yeung :And I continued my schooling while I'm working at Petrocan, but opportunities lock on the door. So when Petrocan actually asked me Stephen, do you want to become a business owner? We can provide you training, we can provide you all the things that you need. We'll even pay you during your training, which I say is pretty amazing. And so I start the journey.
Stephen Yeung :So I dropped school, I didn't finish my university, and my mom. Indeed, I think some time ago she still bugged me about Stephen, are you going to finish it? I'm like, yeah, maybe we need to find time to do it, but not right now. But yeah, and so I dropped school and then I finished the training with Petrocan. They offered me my first opportunity. So from one gas station I grow to 11. Before I say okay, I mean I want to do something else. So I sold all 11 Petrocan consolidated to one McDonald's. So from one McDonald's to one to one McDonald's. So from one McDonald's we grow to five McDonald's now. So pretty happy about the whole journey.
Stephen Yeung :And but when I talk about the whole entrepreneur influence right, I think is my parents experience actually taught me you need to evolve in your business model. You cannot always keep doing the same thing over and over, because even if they believe or he believe, the things that he done in the past is the perfect way of doing things, it might not be working after so many years because maybe it's not my father change, it's maybe because the environment change, and it's proven right now that environment changed faster than ever. So we need to adopt. The other thing that actually influenced me a lot is the whole scale, how you scale your business when you actually as a one-person business, when you scale up to three, five hundred now I have four hundreds, so how do we scale to make sure that things are still working? I think those are the things that when you ask what is that entrepreneur, then experience or journey that that's where it's all coming from.
Aaron Pete:I love that. I really love your whole mindset around it and your passion and the growth that you've experienced. The gratitude and admiration you have for your parents and the role they played is super important. We're going to do a quick fire round of a few questions so we'll get your thoughts on this. Does hard work pay off?
Stephen Yeung :Is it a yes or no thing? Or I can use one word to answer you.
Aaron Pete:You can use as many words as you like.
Stephen Yeung :Smart hard work.
Aaron Pete:Smart hard work, smart hard work. Favorite TV show the Office. The favorite meal you have at McDonald's.
Stephen Yeung :McChicken meal after my first dental checkup in Hong Kong. It was a luxury back then. There's only one McDonald's in Hong Kong and that's the treat that my father gave to me because he know that I was suffering in pain.
Aaron Pete:Can one person make a difference? No, steven, this has been an honor. How can people keep up with the work you're doing at McDonald's?
Stephen Yeung :Slow myself down, yeah, I mean, if that's the question, right? Yeah, yeah, if people can keep up, I need to slow myself down, right, so that everyone can move to the finish line, right?
Aaron Pete:yeah, amazing. Is there any way people can follow you? Linkedin twitter, are you?
Stephen Yeung :on my linkedin. Yeah and uh, they can find me there and um, yeah, that that's probably one of the the thing that I talk a lot about my business. I don't use social media too much anymore, but LinkedIn is one way that I can keep connected with the business world. I love it.
Aaron Pete:I love it too. It's such an honor to follow your work and reminds us that we can approach things differently and start to try new things, and I think that's really admirable. Okay, thank you, perfect Thanks for having me here,
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