THE WYLIE NEWS Reprinted from Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Edition • C&S Media Publications Connect the dots Young entrepreneur Matt Morton builds on his life experiences to open his own business By Brooke Vincent “During my initial phone interview with Matt, I could tell intern@wylienews.com he was going to be one of our impressive, standout cam- pus reps. He completed all tasks thoroughly and on time. Flipping over a page of scratch paper, Matt Mor- Above other employee reps, Matt was always coming up ton, owner of the Jimmy John’s located off of FM 544, with new and exciting ideas that would ultimately help im- sketches out a couple of randomly placed dots. prove the nationwide program as a whole.” “Have you ever heard the Steve Job’s speech?” Mor- After the school year ended, Morton headed home to con- ton said. “It was a great speech he gave at a commence- tinue his job as a lifeguard. Morton not only had the job since ment ceremony I think at Stanford. He said that there’s age 16, but was inspired to continue by a family tragedy. a lot of stuff in life that he didn’t know would help him “One of the reasons I always lifeguarded is because later. He was making dots. He said that all of these ac- when I was 18 my cousin drowned at the age of four,” Mor- tivities and jobs we do create points along the way. He ton said. “A lot of good programs and things have devel- never knew he would be able to connect them going oped from the tragedy such as Collin’s Hope, but I always backwards, but if you don’t make them going forwards, wanted to continue as a life guard. So I began my job as a you would never be able to build and learn from them.” lifeguard with a community pool when I came home. Af- Only at the age of 25, Morton has achieved in connect- ter one summer I climbed the ranks and became a regional ing his own twisting line of dots. He created his plan and manager for four pools after the next school year.” followed with timed execution, which led him to his suc- Morton says so far he has had two epiphany moments, cess in opening his own business, a dream he has held and one happened while at the pool. It began when an Brooke Vincent/C&S Media Texas close since childhood. employee of Morton’s locked her keys in her car. Owner Matt Morton mans the reg- “I have always had a passion for working and making “[The locksmith] was supposed to be there in about 20 ister with general manager Josh Ja- my own money,” Morton said. “I never really asked my minutes, but an hour and fifteen minutes later he showed worski during the lunch rush. parents for money. I liked to just have it on my own. When up and it was not a very pleasant guy,” Morton said. “Then I was 14, I was a referee for soccer in McKinney. When I he charged $80. I watched him do it and I was like ‘Wow I back when it’s done,” Morton said. got a little older I became a lifeguard. Working to get better could do that. It wouldn’t cost me any money at all. I could After time spent with Sewell, Morton developed and acquire new skills has always been important to me.” set up a website, hand out some cards like what I did with a well-rounded sense of customer service and what it Morton was in the first class to go to McKinney Boyd Koofers.’ Then I connected those dots. I looked online and meant to establish a business that is not only success- High School. His class of students transferred in as juniors saw the kit was $60 on Amazon.” ful, but also esteemed by customers. He decided it was and built their school from the ground up. Boyd was where Aggieland Auto Unlock was soon underway. Morton time to leave the car salesman role, and finally realize the Morton truly began to create his dots. Anything from start- handed out cards, claimed a spot on a flyer from the book- dream of owning his own business. ing up blood drives, to organizing dances to playing on the store and was in business the coming school year. “I made some money there and saved it all. I just football team, Morton was involved in every way. “I learned about customer service,” Morton said. “Because wanted something new. I wanted to start a business,” “Whenever we went from McKinney High to Boyd, what happens when you get called at 2:30 in the morning Morton said. “I remembered, I was given a sandwich by we really had nothing,” Morton said. “We had no danc- and you’re at the library studying or you’re sleeping. It’s a Jimmy John’s sampler walking out of the library after es, no money in the accounts, we really had nothing. At your business at stake and your reputation.” one of my entrepreneurial meetings. Their community McKinney High I was just one of the mix, but when I While weaving his way through classes, balancing involvement was appealing to me. Years later I have one got to Boyd I started being involved in student council. grades and maintaining his growing business, Morton was of my own.” I wanted to see my actions make a difference. I started able to establish a large program still run by students, the Creating a feasibility study, interviewing with Jimmy a lot of clubs, but my grades suffered a little from my Texas A&M Entrepreneurship Society. He also volun- John’s and continuing to reflect on his messy swirl of participation in various things. They were just average, teered with One Army: Texas Aggie Men United, Colin’s dots, everything clicked for Morton when he was ap- but the extracurricular activities are really what got me Hope, Still Creek Fundraising Events, One Army Gladi- proved to open his own store. in to Texas A&M.” ators and others philanthropic organizations. Finally, in “Choosing to go into business with Jimmy John’s was After graduating from high school, Morton attended May of 2012 Morton graduated and headed out into the my second big epiphany in life,” Morton said. “When Texas A&M University in College Station to major in workforce. I saw the numbers and saw how it worked, I wanted to Business Administration Management. “I was getting out of college and I wanted to start my throw everything on the line for this. I am religious, and “I’ll tell you I always knew that I wanted to start my own business, but I didn’t have the money to start,” Morton I would say that a lot of this is meant to be.” own business,” Morton said. “I never knew what I wanted said. “I went and interviewed with a ton of companies after I With his own business, Morton has instilled every it to be. When I was a kid I did lemonade stands. I did my sold my unlock business and moved back to Dallas.” philosophy he has learned and made some of his own. own yard businesses. I just wanted to start something. I Landing a job with Sewell Automotive, Morton be- He takes pride in measuring everything, helping custom- chose business because I really thought I would be able to came a car salesman, an unusual dot leading to his own ers to crack a smile and providing his managers and em- learn more about what I need to do in the future. A lot of business. ployees with their own dots. people want to start their own business and be their own “I have a college degree to go do car sales,” Morton “I want to have some sort of positive influence on boss, but they don’t think that it’s really possible.” said. “This one guy was like ‘Oh your parents must be my customers day. That’s just my life and my business,” One prominent dot Morton scrawled out was when he so proud of you,’ you know sarcastically, but honestly I Morton said. “I want people to walk out the door feel- came across a flyer for Koofers.com. Koofers is a website learned more about business there than I have anywhere ing good. Hopefully we’ve helped their day a little bit. where students can rate professors, share notes, create flash else. You have to learn how to work with people of all Customers for life are everything. The customer for life cards, practice exams and look for internships and jobs. ages. You have to treat the customers in all the same way.” is a lot more valuable than a one-time customer, but you “I never liked working for others too much, not in a rude Sewell had previously given a speech at A&M in a num- have to earn it.” way, but I like making my own decisions,” Morton said. ber of classes about customer service and their 100 years in For the future, Morton just wants to go with where life “I became a campus representative and marketer at Col- business, which left a positive impression with Morton. The takes him. He hopes to open up more stores and support lege Station for Koofers. I hung up door hangers, talked to “Customer for Life” philosophy was planted in Morton’s a family or even move up in the Jimmy John’s corporate people about the website and put up flyers in classrooms.” mind during one of these speeches and it stuck. world. Morton learned essential entrepreneurial steps to take “Sewell was completely based all on the customers “I’m blessed, but anyone could do what I’m doing,” when growing a business while working with the company. for life. They under promise and then over deliver so that Morton said. “You just have to want it and if you want “Matt was one of the best campus representatives out the customer is blown away. For example, if you want it, you can do it. So when I have a happy family and live of 150 plus people I have ever hired and was a pleasure to your car worked on at Sewell all you have to do is call a good life, I just want to have a successful business and work with,” Co-founder of Koofers Michael Rihani said. them. They’ll come over pick your car up and bring it provide a future for my managers and employees.”
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