The Muzzillo File
Name: Greg Muzzillo
Title: Founder
Company: Proforma
Born: Garrett, Indiana, outside of Fort Wayne. My father worked for a meat company back when there were little delis on every corner, before big grocery stores came in, and he would go from delicatessen to delicatessen selling them lunchmeat for Peter Eckrich. We moved from town to town in Indiana, and we eventually landed in Cleveland when I was in fifth grade.
Education: I went to St. Ignatius High School, which I give a world of credit to for just the Jesuit discipline and the critical thinking that I learned. I went to college, graduated in 1977, and studied accounting with a minor in psychology. Then I got a good job with Deloitte & Touche.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
When I was 3 or 4 years old, my mother told me, I went door to door trying to sell the neighbors empty packets of seeds for the pictures on them. One of the persons called my mother and told on me, so that was the end of that racket. I learned not to let your mother find out what you’re doing. But what I really learned from that and jobs like snow shoveling was that I just loved being an independent business owner. I can remember when a guy opened the door to pay me, and he had this big wad of cash in his hand. I thought, ‘Man, I want to be like that guy. I want to have that much cash in my hand.’
What is the best business advice you ever received?
The best business advice I ever received was from the late Alan Schonberg, who started Management Recruiters International. When I visited him, I said, ‘Alan, I’m thinking about franchising my business.’ I thought I wanted to get advice from the expert, right? He said, ‘Greg, don’t ever sell dirt.’ What did he mean by that? What he meant was don’t ever sell a territory. If you sell a territory to somebody, most people operate until they get into a comfort zone and then they’re not going to work another marginal hour for another marginal dollar income. At some point the opportunity cost of what you could be selling is so mind-boggling larger than what this one person with limited dreams might be accomplishing.
Who do you admire in business?
Fred DeLuca. He’s a guy I became great friends with, is the only investor in Proforma today and probably the man I admire most who’s alive. He’s the co-founder and CEO of Subway. What he taught me the most was how to take what might seem complicated and make it simple. He said, ‘Greg, Greg, Greg. Put it on one sheet of paper.’
What is your definition of business success?
Business success is nothing without success in those other phases of your life, your marriage, your family, your being a wonderful citizen of this world. Just going home at night and having no friends because you cheated people is no way to get there.
