92: From Obstacles to Opportunities, with Tinsley Family Business CEO and President, George Tinsley Sr.

Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brain is joined by special guest Dr. George Tinsley Sr. who is a Hall of Famer, an entrepreneur, an author, podcast host, speaker, and a franchisee. Tinsley is CEO of PenGeo, Inc., Tinsley Group, Inc. and Tinsley Family Concessions — collectively Tampa Bay's 3rd largest Black-owned enterprise, and one of the fastest growing independent restaurant conglomerates in the nation. As someone who has managed to turn every obstacle into opportunity in life and in business, you’re bound to learn valuable takeaways to apply in your own franchise journey. 

On today’s podcast, Tinsley talks about the ups and downs of building his franchise empire and how his ability to always stay open to opportunities, coupled with undaunting resilience, allowed him to persevere in even the hardest times. 

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an experienced business owner looking for the next opportunity, this episode is for you. Tune in and learn more about  Dr. George Tinsley’s inspiring franchise story!

What we talk about:

• Dr. George’s background growing up and how he got into entrepreneurship and franchising
• The challenges that Dr. George went through that motivated him to keep going and rise above
• How his athletic background had set the place work for success
• The transition from being in the education and coaching field to business
• How he started and worked in the training school of KFC
• Progressing from one opportunity to the next
• His transition from being in the corporate team to being a franchisee
• The ups and downs of starting and building different locations and keep going
• Always aggressively thinking about the next step
• Getting into the airport spaces business
• Going for what you want but not going in blind

What we mention:

• KFC
• TGI Fridays
• Obstacles To Opportunities, YouTube video with Dr. George Tinsley 
• The Determined Entrepreneur, book by Dr. George Tinsley Sr.