b'ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSETDave Johnson uses entrepreneurial acumen toThe secret sauceturn Chicken N Pickle into the next big thing. The secret to Johnsons success: Know your client. Know your market. Know yourself.BY SARA DIEDRICHJohnsons journey began right out of college specializing in real estate transac- WORDS OF WISDOM Launching a successful business venture demands ations at Arthur Andersen, one of the worlds largest independent tax firms. It was strong concept, adequate funding and a whole lot ofhere Johnson met his mentor, Al Hagemann, who imparted the most valuableFROM DAVE JOHNSONgrit. But more important, it requires an entrepreneurlesson: Above all else, know your client. with unyielding moxie to pull it offthats where DaveHe told me, Clients dont want to be dazzled with your tax knowledge, theyBuy Low, Sell HighJohnson, B.S.B.A. 78, steps in. want to know that you understand their business, Johnson recalled. Al was aEverybody says it and is flippant about it, but its Meet Johnson, the OG of entrepreneurship in thebusiness guy first and a tax guy second. You must first establish rapport withthe most important advice in business.Kansas City area. your clients. They are far more apt to take your tax advice, if they first trust thatEmbrace the OPMsHes been a fixture on the KC business scene sinceyou understand their business. My two favorite OPMs are Other Peoples Money and the late 1980s, first as chairman of Maxus Proper- Our business school is first class, andOver the years, JohnsonOther Peoples Mistakes. We often deal with other ties and more recently as the visionary founder andhasbuiltuponthatpeoples money in business, but we can also learn principal of the wildly popular Chicken N Pickle, awe as alumni need to do whateverlesson, always strivingfrom other peoples mistakes. Id much rather learn family entertainment center inspired by Johnsonswe can to empower its leaders andto remain alert to oppor- from other peoples mistakes than mine.love for chicken and his knack for spotting the nextmake it possible so anyone whotunities, open to sugges- Perseverance Pays Offbig thing: pickleball.wants to go, can go to the Universitytions and mindful of ego.Never give up. If someone has told me no three or Part bloodhound and part tycoon, Johnson hasof Missouri. Thats very important. I get up every day andfour times, thats just a maybe to me. I think most developed a sixth sense for business opportunities.remind myself that thepeople in business give up too soon. They stop after In 2015, when he was introduced to pickleball, heDave Johnson most dangerous thingthe first no. I might even go back in six months and quickly recognized the sports potential to build ain business is when youask again.business around its energy and genuine camaraderie.begin to believe your own BS, he said. You need to have a healthy level of skepti- Value Long-Term RelationshipsThis was years before pickleball swept the nation incism all the time and surround yourself with people who will be honest with you. Be aware of people who keep showing up with new 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnsons advice to young people entering the business world is simple: Befriends. If someone is changing friends all the time, Dave is such a visionary, and hes fearless, said Kellipatient and wait. Landing a dream job out of the gate isnt as important asthat can tell you something about them. Ive been Alldredge, president of Chicken N Pickle. He will takegetting out of the gate.working with the same people for 30 to 40 years. a risk and not be afraid to fail. Thats how he managesIn your 20s and 30s, everyone is in a hurry to get to the top, he said. Slow downI like to see someone who has a little bit of history.Chicken N Pickle. We are growing a company fear- and practice patience. Youll get to where you want to be. Just get after it, evenCautious Commitmentlessly. if it isnt something you love. Every job Ive ever had has taught me somethingIts easy to get into deals, but it can be very hard Since the first Chicken N Pickle opened in northvaluable.to get out of them. If I think something is excitingKansas City in 2016, 10 more locations have sprungProud to be a Tiger whether its an investment, a business or whatever up across the country, including locations in Kansas, Ill first put a little bit of money into it and watch it Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona. Currently, three moreThere are few things Johnson takes more pride in than being a Mizzou alum.for six months. I like to put a toehold in things and are under construction in Las Vegas, Nevada; Allen,As a member of the Trulaske Deans Advisory Board, he has generously hostedlet it play out.Dave Johnson, Texas; and Thornton, Colorado; with three new loca- fundraisers for the college at his Chicken N Pickle locations and home. JohnsonControl What You Cantions soon to be announced. In August 2023, Kansas City Chiefs quarterbackis also a longtime supporter of Mizzou Athletics. Never guarantee anything that you dont control. Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce announced a $10 million investmentI am very fortunate to have gone to a business school that gave me the skills andI remember personally guaranteeing some debt in the businessproof that Johnsons believers extend far beyond the boardroom. capabilities to compete with anyone in the United States, Johnson said. Ourthat became a problem in my 20s because I was in His entrepreneurial prowess hasnt gone unnoticed. In 2022, the north Kansasbusiness school is first class, and we as alumni need to do whatever we can toa hurry to close a real estate deal. Thats why I dont City-based restaurant was named the Small Business of the Year by the Greaterempower its leaders and make it possible so anyone who wants to go, can go toguarantee the debt of any company when Im not in Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, marking the third time Chicken N Pickle wasthe University of Missouri. Thats very important.charge of the checkbook.named a top 10 business, first in 2020 and again in 2021. It also took home theSharing the wealthErnst & Young Entrepreneur Award in 2018 and the Marion and John Kreamer Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2023 from the University of Missouri-KansasAny given day finds Johnson immersed in his office, hunkered down at his City Henry W. Bloch School of Management.computer, surrounded by towering stacks of papers, books and reports. His workspace resembles a mad scientists lab, with bookcases lining the walls, brim-ming with documents. Now in is late 60s, the accomplished Johnson frequently fields the question, Why are you still doing this? His answer is straightforward: to share the wealth.My greatest joy is creating wealth for others, he said. Ive had a good run; now Im hoping that other businesses will create wealth for others on the journey with me.20 | TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS TRULASKE MAGAZINE 2024| 21'