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Our inspiration series continues this week with Doug Stritzel of Pickleman’s. Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow Pickleman’s on Twitter.

Singular focus is a big part of success in business. Setting your goal and working relentlessly towards making that goal a reality is what separates the good from the great. Setting yourself apart as a destination sandwich place in Columbia is a difficult thing. Doug Stritzel was the COO at Jimmy John’s when he left to start Pickleman’s on Old 63 in Columbia in 2005. A year later,  he opened a second location downtown with his eyes set on the goal of franchising Pickleman’s. Now, in 2012 Pickleman’s has 13 locations in Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.

To grow that much in such a short period of time is a testament to Doug’s focus, and it’s something that we try to emulate. With as busy as all of us are, we know how difficult it is keeping focus on our overall goals. We commend Doug for his focus, and of course, for his sandwiches. They really are amazing.