May 2019

SPECIAL SECTION: FOOD ON THE COVER

Game Plan

Lessons learned on the field help Super Bowl champ Gary Brackett lead his winning franchise

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by Jill Abrahamsen

tacked Pickle CEO Gary Brackett attributes his success as a franchisor to his time playing football. As a Super Bowl-winning linebacker for the Indiana Colts, Brackett used the same skills on the field that he needs today to run his successful business: leadership, hard work, and discipline, just to name a few. “As a team captain, I was chief defensive operator. Now I am chief executive officer,” says Brackett. “There are a lot of similarities. I 46

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run my business like I ran the defense. It’s all about teamwork.” Knowing that professional football players have short careers, he always had a “plan B” and thought about his retirement early. “The idea of owning a sports bar always appealed to me,” Brackett says. While exploring his options, he came across the Stacked Pickle, a small sports bar chain in his area. Brackett loved the community feel and