Happy New Year from all of us here at Scott Family McDonald’s!
We hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and relaxation. As we step into this exciting New Year, we’re filled with anticipation for the opportunities and adventures ahead. This year promises to be full of new beginnings, growth, and inspiring moments—and we’re thrilled to share them with you!
In this first newsletter of 2025, we’ve got some exciting updates, insights, and stories to kick off the year right. So, grab your favorite cup of coffee, settle in, and let’s dive into what’s new!
Nothing brings us greater joy than celebrating our people! We have already had a very busy first few weeks in January! Retirements, strategic planning, graduations… January has been boomin! We can’t wait to see what’s in store in the months to come.
As always, we want to highlight YOU and the GREAT THINGS you are doing. Please reach out to Lindsay or I on what you would like to see in upcoming issues of your newsletter!
Here’s to a year of progress, connection, and making every moment count!
Cheers to 2025!
Cindy Frantz
Recruitment/Community Relations
Adrianna, Shift Leader at Merily Way recently got her certification to become a personal trainer! We asked her about her journey and what lead her down this healthy path.
Where did you go to school and what is your current title?
I got my certification through The National Academy of Sports Medicine or NASM for short in 2024! My title can be interchangable between Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach.
What made you decide to become a personal trainer?
I decided to become a personal trainer while I was still on my own journey to get healthy. I tried many diets and workouts in the past that never really stuck, so when I finally educated myself properly, it was smooth sailing from there on out. Now, I just wait to be that aid in other’s journey.
What is your favorite part about training and some of your favorite workouts to do?
My favorite part of training is being a part of someone’s journey to learning to love the gym. I just love seeing people get excited about exercise! My favorite style of training is functional training. This style is important for maintaining different body mechanics needed to perform every day tasks – so I feel that every person can benefit from it no matter what your goals are!
Personal Development
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara is a book about the importance of hospitality and how to create extraordinary experiences for people. Guidara’s book offers lessons for hospitality professionals and others who want to improve their customer service.
In the service industry, hospitality is all about making people feel cared for, but when you add “unreasonable” to the mix, it takes things to a whole new level. Unreasonable hospitality is all about providing your customers with a unique, tailor-made service that makes them feel not just cared for but like real VIPs. What a perfect book for the type of business we are in! Here at Scott Family McDonald’s, we take hospitality seriously! If you need a boost of how to be hospitable in your store, read this book. It takes an interesting and fresh approach to what our leadership team is constantly drilling into your head!
Beginners Mind
Think about the last time you learned something new – a new skill, a hobby, a musical instrument, or started a new relationship. That feeling of wonder and possibility helps us get through the awkward early stages when the moves do not yet come naturally. Eventually, with practice, we gain competence and expertise, and the skill or hobby or relationship seems to flow effortlessly.
Sometimes when we have done something for a while, it may begin to seem repetitive and stale. It is no longer challenging or interesting. We have lost the “beginner’s mind.” We can regain the beginner’s mind through mindful practice. Enter a relaxed state, free of distractions, and try to approach the skill or hobby or relationship as if for the first time. Try to let go of any expectations. Approach it with curiosity, without judgment – neither good nor bad.
Of course, you won’t lose the skill you have developed – the mind remembers what you had already learned. You may, however, gain insight and learn creative new approaches that will refresh your enjoyment and expertise.
To learn more, or to find mental health resources, please visit the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services website at www.tcbmds.org/resilience.
BRAD REED is the Associate Director and Chief of Community Engagement for the Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services
Wellness Challenge
We are working on a new wellness challenge for 2025, so be prepared! In the meantime, here is a simple challenge you can try:
7-Day Wellness Challenge:
Day 1: Hydrate – Drink at least 8 cups (64 oz) of water throughout the day.
Day 2: Move – Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity (walk, jog, stretch, yoga).
Day 3: Eat Mindfully – Focus on eating without distractions. Take time to enjoy your food and listen to your hunger cues.
Day 4: Rest – Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. Set a calming pre-bedtime routine (like reading or listening to soothing music).
Day 5: Gratitude – Write down 3 things you’re grateful for today.
Day 6: Breathe – Practice deep breathing or meditate for 10-15 minutes to reduce stress.
Day 7: Connect – Spend quality time with loved ones or call a friend to catch up.
By the end of the week, you’ll have created positive habits that support both physical and mental wellness!
Happy Retirement, Martin!
“I started my career at McDonald’s on East Main St in Springfield Ohio May 15, 1982, under the leadership of some great people.
Michael Nicholas the 1st Asst. and Barb Gould the General Manager explained that I could work my way up the ladder to success with the company and to start could be certified as a shift manager in 6-9 months if I studied & worked hard. Gary McCord was our Salary Trainee and was a great support person who understood being new to the company himself. (Mike hired me so I could paint murals on the lobby windows for Christmas as I had done in high school).
So, I got to work immediately, studied the material of the Basic Operations Course & in less than 6 months was certified as an hourly Shift manager by Ms. Jan Fields, Operations Consultant who later went on to become (the best) President of McDonald’s USA.
The East Main location was crazy with 100’s of high school students across the county cruising the strip and hanging out in our parking lots. So crazy it was that Springfield PD had to patrol the strip due to the volume of people & cars. We had policemen & women stationed on our lot every Friday & Saturday evening. We also had awesome sales & some very interesting experiences there.
Over the next few years, with some awesome mentors, I continued my studies & worked on perfecting Systems and Routines through Intermediate & Advanced Operations Courses, Operation Consulting courses, moving through the ranks of Hourly Manager 2 years, Salary Manager 2 years, General Manager 3 years, Special Venues Manager 1 year to Operations Consultant / Area Supervisor in the Dayton/ Springfield area market for 5 years under the solid leadership of Donna Friedenmaker the Operations Manager for Dayton Profit Center 5.
By this time, I had completed 33 Credit hours towards a business degree and had attended Hamburger University in Oak Brook Illinois in 1989 & 1996 for weeks long classes in Advanced Operations & Operations Consulting among other studies. The best part of H. U. was meeting lots of folks & forming friendships with people from all over the world including Egypt, Finland, The Netherlands, France to name but a few.
I was privileged to help roll out new products and venues. For those of you old enough to remember items such as The McDLT (keeping the Hot side Hot & the Cool side Cool), The Arch Deluxe, The McLean Deluxe, deep fried McPizza, Shrimp Salads, Shaker Salads, Full size & Personal size Pizzas, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Fettuccini Alfredo, Lasagna with Garlic Bread.
We also offered Fried Chicken, Cole Slaw & Mashed Potatoes in a Pilot Project for “McDelivery”- a Home Delivery service which I had the opportunity to oversee in the early 90’s. We had a call center to take orders, 3 locations to deliver from & 6 Vans that traversed Springfield & Clark County delivering our products to customer homes & businesses. We also delivered Hot Cake breakfast entrees to elementary schools to support the free breakfast program for students and drive delivery sales. Sadly, Van lease & insurance costs forced the project to close after a couple years.
Wanting to strike out on my own, I left the McDonald’s Corporation in 2000 to start a business venture with my sister Theresa that we ran for 10 years. The Financial Crisis of 2007 & 2008 cut our small business sales by half in 2007 and after 7 years of steady growth, the largest employer in Springfield laid its entire workforce off for over18 months and we were forced to close our doors in 2010.
I returned to McDonald’s Corp. in 2008 for 5 years as a General Manager and then in 2012, I took a position with Owner / Operators of Hamilton Organization who owned 7 McDonald’s restaurants located in Ohio & Indiana. Chuck, Phyliss & Jeremy Hamilton ran a great family focused business and were well known in all the communities they did business in.
Their Big Gun was the Eaton, Ohio location, one of the highest volume locations I have led, generating over $4 million in sales annually. My Area Supervisor was Randy Blaich who also served as a Deputy of the Preble County Sheriff Dept. and ran a tight ship but with high energy and a operation focused on ensuring his people were knowledgeable and had fun in the workplace.
After a quick stint in the insurance industry, I then joined the Scott Family McDonald’s Organization as a General Manager in 2015. My initial interview was at the Troy location with Ken Roosa, Director of Operations, and awesome leader & very funny guy, who I had known for 20 years from my days with McOpCo, the operating arm of the McDonald’s Corporation.
This was an amazing organization with 15 locations then and now boasts 25 locations in both Ohio & Kentucky. Founded by Benny Scott Sr. who passed the torch to his son Benny Scott Jr. & his amazing wife Stacy.
Benny Jr, Stacy and Team SFM continue to set the PACE for Operations, People standards, food safety, Energy levels & fun through creative learnings and activities celebrating People & Successes all throughout the year.
The Leadership Team of Cledith, Freda, Ella, Beth, Denise & Jo strives to put People first which bears out in their business results. There are too many others to list that make SFM one of the best work experiences & organizations I have had the opportunity to be associated with.
It’s been a great ride, and I am so proud and happy to have spent close to 10 years with these amazing people at SFM and all the people I have met and worked with throughout the last 43 years.
My 40ish years with McDonald’s have allowed me to travel all over the United States to attend at least 20 conventions in cool places like Nashville, Chicago, Las Vegas & Orlando and to meet people from all over the world. In 1995, I was able to take eleven weeks off, thanks to a Sabbatical Program offered for every 10 years of service and I toured 6 countries in Europe which was at the top of my bucket list.
It’s just been an awesome time, and I wish the whole the “Mickey D” family the best!”
SFM South Crew
Trainer of the Quarter!
Dylan Clark
Rubi Myers
Connor MaDonald
Skylar Sebastian
Laylah Fryman
Abigail Bretz
Allie Gross
Natasha Angel
Jenna Little
Breanna Gilliam
SMX Graduates!
SFM North 2024
Outstanding Contributor Managers!
Swing Managers: Nikki Hahn & Hannah Hughes
2nd Assistant: Kandi Ross
1st Assistant: Terah Rogers
General Manager: Zach Luckenbill
People Manager: April Kissinger
Kitchen Manager: Emma Thornhill
Guest Services Manager: Deb Westfall
Spanish Under the Arches Graduate!
Angela Johnson from Pilot
A.J. Sims, crew member at Bellefontaine South is a self – published author! A.J. has been writing since he was 12 years old – and he gives many thanks to his dad for this habit. “My Dad had a rule: before I could tell him about my awesome dreams, I had to write them down”. That simple rule is what sparked his love for literature. He gains his inspiration from many things – a mix of vivid dreams, personal struggles, and the people he’s connected with along the way. His life experiences have greatly shaped his writing, as he is able to build his characters based on personal struggles with ADHD, anxiety and depression, thus making his characters in his books more relatable to those reading.
As a storyteller, A.J. is also inspired by many great authors such as H.G. Wells, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett. He states “Their imaginative worlds have fueled my creativity and passion for crafting universes of my own”.
A.J. is also an illustrator, and is responsible for designing the cover for both of his books – A Warrior’s Code I and A Warrior’s Code II.
He is currently working on a new project – a book called The Graduates – which he hopes to release in the next year or two. If you’d like to read this thrilling series, you can find A.J.’s books on Amazon!
Superbowl Appetizers
With the big game coming up, we all have not only the commercials to look forward to, but also ALL OF THE FOOD that we plan (and know) we are going to eat. This doesn’t mean we have to throw our diet or healthy eating out the window! Check out these healthy versions of yummy appetizers you can make for the Superbowl!
Veggie Platter with Hummus
You can’t go wrong with this classic. Stock up on carrots, celery, cucumber, and bell peppers and serve with hummus!
Sweet Potato Nachos
Slice sweet potatoes into thin rounds, toss with olive oil, and bake them until crispy. You’ve essentially made nachos, but healthier.
Turkey or Veggie Meatballs
Meatballs are always a crowd-favorite because they’re filling, protein-packed, and ridiculously easy to eat.
Deviled Eggs
Eggs are basically the unsung hero of budget-friendly foods. Whip up a batch of deviled eggs (skip the heavy mayo and use Greek yogurt instead). Add toppings like smoked salmon, capers, paprika, or chives to switch things up.
Cauliflower Wings
Cauliflower is the ultimate versatile vegetable, and it can easily be transformed into a healthier version of everyone’s favorite game-day snack: buffalo wings.
Baked Zucchini Fries
Who says fries have to be made from potatoes? Zucchini fries are a delicious and healthier alternative that won’t break the bank.
Quinoa Pizza Bites
Quinoa is a nutrient-packed grain that can be used in so many creative ways – including these mini pizza bites!
Are you Ready to Further your Education?
Archways to Opportunities gives you all of the resources you need to begin or continue your college education!
Archways To Opportunity
McDonald’s and its independent franchisees are committed to helping employees further their education and achieve their dreams.
To help individuals who work at a company-owned or independently franchised restaurant, we created Archways to Opportunity, a comprehensive education strategy with multiple programs that give people an opportunity to grow and learn – no matter where they are on their journey.
How do I earn my High School Diploma?
You can graduate from high school by taking classes online – whenever and wherever it’s convenient for you – through Career Online High School. And, you may be able to apply credits from high school courses you’ve already completed.
How do I choose an affordable path to college?
If you are ready to get started working toward your college degree, Archways to Opportunity® offers programs to help make your goals a reality – in a way that fits your lifestyle.
Our programs can help you explore educational opportunities while getting financial support to make your educational journey easier.
How do I figure out the right path for me?
Figuring out the next step in your education and career journey may feel like a lot. Bright Horizons EdAssist Solutions has Success Coaches who are available to help you identify your education needs, review your career goals and develop a plan for the future. Your coach will continue to support you throughout your experience to ensure that you successfully achieve your goals and complete your program.
How do I improve my English?
We want you to feel confident in all that you do. If you are bilingual, this includes being comfortable talking in English. Whether you are speaking to customers or staff, your voice should be heard. English Under the Arches® can help.
With the support of English Under the Arches, you can improve your English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
How do I earn my degree for free through CTU?
The Commitment Grant, along with maximizing Archways to Opportunity tuition assistance, covers 100% of eligible students’ online tuition, including eBooks and student fees, at CTU helping you to pursue your educational goals without the need for student loans.
Eligible students may utilize the Commitment Grant towards any Associate or Bachelor’s degree program offered at CTU.
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