Favor's Fearless Leaders: Zach Nienow

I love Harley Davidsons and taking long rides when I can find the time. On one ride back to Austin, Texas from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I was stuck in a thunderstorm from McAllister, Oklahoma all the way to Austin. 400 miles of absolute delight.

As a parent of two boys under 4, I feel like I’m failing and learning every day!

Professionally speaking, it’s almost any decision made without using data or examples to find the core issue we’re trying to solve. This doesn’t mean that we should move slowly, it just means that we should be thoughtful in how we’re burning our calories.

Gut decisions using assumptions can lead to spending a lot of energy that frequently solves only a symptom of a problem. Getting to the core of an issue using data maximizes the output of your efforts.

Time quickly becomes one of the most valuable resources in our lives. You can’t put a price on it. Favor allows its users to spend more time with their families, getting the most out of life while we handle dinner and the groceries (and the occasional late-night diaper run).

When you combine that with our people-first, Texan culture, our incredible selection, and our “every delivery matters” mindset, [using] Favor is a no-brainer.

Embracing a culture of two-way accountability and controlling what you can control.

One of our company values is “Own Your Sh*t.” To really live up to that value, you have to look at every situation and find the aspect of it you can control or change. Sometimes, the only thing you can control is how you react, but even that is important.

As a leader, it’s important that I’m leading from the front with this mindset. If one of our team members misses the mark, the first question I ask is, “How can I set this person up for success moving forward?” Our successes and failures are owned by every single person on the team.

I think my answer to the earlier question about failure says it all.?

Data and examples help you be far more objective in your decision making. If you start there, you can have much more effective conversations about the problem, the cause, and the potential solutions.

Communication is key. Favor is a very complex business that has to move and flex with real-time changes in customer demand and behavior.

Any potential idea or solution can impact multiple teams and it needs to be thought out from multiple perspectives. To help streamline this process, Favor has set up operating groups focused on three key areas: Service and quality, growth, and revenue and partnerships. To keep cross-functional teams aware and involved, these three groups present their roadmap and projects monthly, giving leaders across the company the opportunity to give insight, ask questions, and ensure everyone is rowing in the same direction.

Because Favor is regional and focused on Texas, it allows us to understand our customers, Runners [(that’s what we call our delivery drivers)], and [restaurants and stores] on a much more intimate level. We’re learning what “great service” means in Texas, we’re learning what messaging really resonates with our audiences, and we can take the time to ensure that Favor as a company can align itself with what matters to our home state.

Supporting local brands while helping national brands make a bigger splash in Texas is helping us capture more and more market share.

Sushi in the summer and pho in the winter.