Dynamo franchisee Eva Nichol has ambition and energy to spare as the owner and operator of not just one but two Soul Origin outlets at Erina Fair.

“The two stores came as a package,” Eva laughs, “so I was running both from the start!”

At 23 she has been a franchisee for just a year but she’s a long term Soul Origin devotee. And starting work as a team member at one of the Erina stores back in 2018 has led her down the path of business ownership.

Eva was promoted to a managing role during Covid, and then found herself handling all the business operations for the franchisee.

“I learned a lot and made quite a few mistakes,” Eva admits. 

It was a time for her to get a taste of business ownership, and prove she could achieve goals: fulfilling team requirements, achieving good sales growth, maintaining positive customer count, achieving growing sales.

That experience cemented her desire to become a business owner; so she got a loan, saved, and worked two other jobs on the side. 

A fresh team structure has proved a success for this Soul Origin franchisee

“It was crazy. From 2021 to 2024 it was all work and no fun. But I believe anything is possible if you put your mind to it; mindset is everything.”

When the opportunity came to buy her franchisee’s two-store business last year, Eva jumped at it.

“Once I bought it, I stepped up even more. I took extra pride in how the stores looked, in the daily operations, and the quality of service and food, because every dollar counts,” she says.

As the store manager, Eva had seen the importance of a good team to a business.

As the owner, Eva was keen to develop the team further. She changed the team structures and dynamics, giving staff both more leeway, and greater responsibilities.

“This was an opportunity to advance my team’s skills. I have an employee who has worked with me for seven years, and has stepped up and is now my store manager,” Eva explains.

Eva has created a pyramid staffing structure, providing a clear career path for employees who want to pursue it.

“I enjoy working with my team, I have a really strong relationship with them and I enjoy uplifting them and maintaining and building their skills,” she says.

While Eva relies on and trusts her team, she is a firm believer in being on site to run the business; she is in store seven days a week.

“The best way is to be in the business and hands-on, so I am very much involved.”

Supportive groups play a key role in business success

Eva constantly analyses weekly sales, seeking growth and positive opportunities for improvement – even one per cent improvements.

Coffee is a growing and important part of the mix, and Eva believes Soul Origin’s offer of breakfast, salads, coffee and catering stands out from dine-in cafes and coffee shops, offering plenty of potential.

When she refurbishes her sites early next year with Soul Origin’s bolder, coffee-centric new look, Eva expects that revenue share to rise.

Right now Eva and her team are working at boosting sales overall, and expanding the customer base. 

Eva’s operational focus is driving success, creating space for her ambition to add more Soul Origin sites to the business.

“I’ll give myself another six months, then I’ll be ready to enter a new phase,” she says.

“Soul Origin has been really good to me. I started at 16 and the head office has seen me grow up. The brand is really supportive. 

“We have skilled coaches for all areas of the business, and they want to see you grow, they are looking out for you. The right support makes a difference,” she says.

In that spirit of support Eva is now helping other Soul Origin franchisees, in New South Wales and interstate, achieve their goals. She recognises that a collaborative, supportive group is crucial to success. And that’s something Eva values in her own business.

“I treat everyone like family, and they stay and they develop their skills. I invest time and knowledge in building my team,” she says. “You are nothing without your team.”