How Going From Owner to Employee Made This Entrepreneur a Better LeaderRik Nonelle founded Window Genie, grew it for 22 years and then sold it -- but stayed on as president.
ByNina Zipkin•
This story appears in theMarch 2018issue of狗万官方.Subscribe »
Rik Nonelle is used to being theboss. In 1994, he foundedWindow Geniein Cincinnati, and spent more than two decadesgrowingit, with 120 franchisees across 30 states. But in 2016, Nonelle changed paths: He sold the company to the Dwyer Group, a Waco, Tex.-based corporation that owns 17 franchise brands, includingMolly MaidandMr. Rooter, and oversees 2,800 franchise owners across nine countries. But Nonelle wasn't just after a payday. He stayed on as the president, working out of the same Cincinnati office he occupied before the sale. And while he may not be top dog on the org chart anymore, he believes the sale helped him be a betterleader-- and helped every franchisee he has brought in.
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