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True Grit
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They also have a good sense of humor, a lifesaver when things get stressful. That humor goes back to their growing-up years—including plenty of stories about attending UNH as twins. "Darr was pretty popular," recalls Tom, who sometimes found himself trying to prove his identity to his brother's dates. Once, he even had to march a skeptical woman over to Darr's dorm room to make his point.


MoJo logo

Tom, an economics major, and Darr, a health management and policy major, also recall UNH as the start of their entrepreneurial efforts. They launched the university's debate team as well as a coupon company they marketed to students. "The ability to take chances is something I learned from my college experience," says Tom, noting that both he and Darr were involved with a number of unremarkable startups before they became successful. "We made a number of mistakes along the way," he says. Today, that willingness to take risks and keep going, together with the bond the brothers have built, is having a far-reaching impact.

When CBS News aired a segment about MoJo, the Aleys got calls from community leaders around the country asking for programs in their cities. But the Aleys are concentrating on growing carefully. "It has to be about more than just the bottom line," says Tom. "It's about how much you can do to support your employees." Along with the string of benefits they offer, the Aleys have launched a "Momtrepreneur" program to encourage stitchers to try out their own designs and ideas during "open sew" sessions. When one employee showed the Aleys the coin purse she'd created, they decided to feature it on the MoJo web site. Before long, the company received a $50,000 order, a percentage of which will go directly to the creator herself. "When we told her the news," says Darr, "she had tears in her eyes. And it was obvious that her young son, who was sitting next to her, was proud of his mom." Fine craftsmanship. A hard-working mother. An admiring child. Just like that, all the hope and all the potential of the Aleys' better-kind-of-business vision, came together—in a single "good mojo" moment.

Networking Second to None

Morreen Rukin Bayles '88 was a brand-new college graduate who'd spent more time in the classroom than on the job when she had to confront the guys in the kitchen—the tough-talking line cooks. Bayles had landed an assistant manager job at Houlihan's in Cherry Hill, N.J., the No. 2 restaurant in the popular national chain, but it had been rough going. She was the new kid in town, and some of the old-timers were making sure she knew it. Finally, she'd had enough. "One night," says Bayles, "in the middle of a hectic shift with a dining room full of customers, I called the kitchen staff, one by one, into my office, closed the door, and laid it on the line." Heart pounding and hands shaking, she delivered an ultimatum about teamwork and cooperation. "It was scary," she says. "But it worked." Bayles' honest, no-nonsense approach to management became one of her guiding principles. It also made the gruff line cooks cry—when she told them a few years later that she was moving on to a new job.


Morreen Rukin Bayles '88 Michael Branscom Photography

As her career developed, Bayles worked as a recruiter, a director of training, and finally the director of operational services for a number of big chains, including Red Lobster and Boston Chicken. She hired managers, oversaw training programs and orchestrated the installation of new computer systems and leadership development programs. Often responsible for more than 100 restaurants, she traveled constantly, once putting 47,000 miles on her car in a single year. By the time she had overseen the conversion of Boston Chicken to Boston Market, working ruthlessly long days for several years, Bayles was ready for a change.

The first thing she did after leaving her job in 1997 was to launch a serious networking effort. "I knew I wanted to focus on training and development and restaurant operations—I like the challenge of juggling 15 things at once," Bayles says. "But I wanted to do it for many different companies." She started by putting together a list of 50 names. "Then I called all those people," she says, "and told them about my business idea." One of those calls landed her a three-day consulting job that turned into 63 days. As soon as she finished one project, she started networking to find the next one. By the end of 1997, her networking had turned into a business, Creative Restaurant Solutions, which has grown into a consulting firm that works with a slew of national chains—Legal Sea Foods, Texas Roadhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee's, Seasons 52--as well as smaller independent operations.

Known for her leadership and management training programs, Bayles also offers exit surveys to her clients. "We call it 'getting the real scoop,'" she explains. "In a field with extremely high turnover, it's critical for our clients to know how they can improve retention." Over time, exit surveys have grown to be about 40 percent of the CRS business.

And then, in late 2008, the economy crashed. "I thought if one more call came in—another client needing to cancel due to the economy—I'd have to close my doors," she says. But she knew what she had to do. "The punching gloves went on," she says. "I hit the phones and began networking." By the end of 2009, business had started to turn around. "Last year," reports Bayles, "was our best ever."


Creative Restaurant Solutions

Networking did more than help her build—and then save—her business. At a Toastmasters meeting, Bayles met her future husband. "He was the membership director, and I thought he just wanted me to join the organization," she says. When a giant bouquet of flowers arrived the next day, she realized she might have met more than a new colleague.

Today she is happily married to her Toastmasters date, fellow entrepreneur Steve Bayles, a digital photographer. And her business is flourishing—she was recognized recently as one of Pennsylvania's top 50 women in business. But her family is best known locally for a joint entrepreneurial venture—Alex's Lemonade Stand, which they run every Tuesday night throughout the summer. The money they raise goes to a charity founded in memory of a local girl whose lemonade-stand business raised $1 million for cancer research before she died of the disease at the age of 8. The Bayles' stand—among the top out of 5,000 in the country—has raised $80,000 in six years. "It was my daughter who got us going with this," says Morreen of her 7-year-old, Sydnie. "She's focused, she knows how to give direction—especially to her parents! And she's a great networker, making friends easily with donors." Sounds like an entrepreneur in the making.



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