en·tre·pre·neur änn-trə-p(r)ə-'nər\noun
1. One who manages and assumes the risks of a business 2. Building a business on the passion of serving others
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By Jill Abrahamsen ntrepreneurs are a different breed. They are out-of-the-box
thinkers who are innovative and, generally speaking, quite extraordinary. In the case of Shine CEO and founder, Chris Fisher, you might say he’s extraordinarily extraordinary. Not only did Fisher launch Shine, a window-cleaning franchise, when he was in his early-20s, but he uses his business—and has dedicated his life— to support orphaned children in Uganda. Incidentally, he and his wife have three adopted children, and have another three of their own. Far from ordinary. Right out of college, back in 1998, Fisher started Golden Eagle Window Cleaning, named after the basketball team he played for at Cornerstone University. He invested in a truck and some squeegees and started cleaning windows. As the business grew, Fisher added holiday-decorating services as a way to retain employees through the off-season. Fisher changed the company name to Shine, which was better suited for both services and also represented Fisher’s passion for serving others or “shining a light.” By 2011, the business was ready for franchising and two of his long-time employees became his first franchisees. With everything going well, Fisher and his family hit a roadblock. His wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recovered, but the experience changed 24
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the family’s outlook. Fisher set off to do mission work in Uganda—bringing along his large family—and handed his CEO position over to a trusted friend. “I put Matthew DeYoung in charge. We both had faced adversity and shared the same faith and culture. The most important thing in our business was carrying on that culture of service,” says Fisher. More than two years later, Fisher came back to Shine as a franchisee, opening a new location and re-familiarizing himself with the business. He took back the CEO reigns a few years later. Today, his goal is to create opportunities for individuals to become leaders. “Our employees and franchisees are young. We want to set them up for success,” he says. Now very involved in the business, Fisher is looking to partner with franchisees who share his values. “It’s all about service. It sounds simple, but we’re looking for nice and friendly people who put the customer first.” For more information, visit https://www.shine-windowcleaning.com
