Jim Treliving

Decisions: Making The Right Ones, Righting The Wrong Ones

- Excerpt -

On a cold, wintry night, a young RCMP officer named Jim Treliving made the “smallest big decision” of his life: he went to Boston Pizza for dinner. Simply choosing pizza that evening became one of his most pivotal decisions, though the impact wouldn’t be felt for some time. A few years later, Jim left the police force to open his own Boston Pizza in Penticton, BC. To get the money together for a franchise, he did everything from selling boats and major appliances to stampede wrestling. (His stage name was “Hangman.”) More importantly, he honed vital entrepreneurial muscles developing a business philosophy that helped build Boston Pizza into a global chain with more than $1 billion in annual sales, recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for over 18 years. Now, in his first book, Jim reveals the secrets of his success, taking you behind the scenes at critical points in the building of his businesses. Covering crucial decisions- from what to do with your life to how to source capital, find partners, handle change and inspire growth – Jim sets out the tools for making effective choices and explains why every decision requires action. He also discusses how to bounce back from not-so- good decisions, explaining how to refocus and recalibrate, just as he had to do when he realized Boston Pizza’s expansion into Asia was off-brand. Pulling back from Asian opportunities was a tough decision at the time, but the move became vital to guiding successful BP expansions later on.  Always candid, Jim shares his insights on some very public choices, ones you may have seen him make on The Big Decision or Dragons’ Den.