151: David Ragosa and Carlo Ruggiero - Franchising One Cone at a Time

David Ragosa and Carlo Ruggiero are reinventing the way Americans eat one of the most iconic foods in the world. They are the founders of Kono Pizza, or pizza in a cone. Kono Pizza is setting up franchises in the country, building it one cone at a time.

"For me, there are few factors: faith, patience, passion, and a ton of perseverance." - Carlo Ruggiero of Kono Pizza on building a culture

Kono Pizza - It's About Delivery

David and Carlo's product is revolutionary. It took the necessary preparations to come up with the basics for the development of the product. But the journey actually started when they finally had to figure out how to deliver.

The process of figuring out the best way to go about this entailed letting go of tools that no longer worked. They had to consider the way customers saw their product. Part of being an entrepreneur is being able to not go down the same road and fall into a cliff out of pride or an initial vision.

"We did fail, we made mistakes in the beginning. We cannot merely say that in a good way. Obviously that's the only way you learn." - Carlo Ruggiero of Kono Pizza

Franchising is a Privilege

David and Carlo consider becoming a franchisee of Kono Pizza to be a privilege, not just a sell. They award franchises, and obtaining one means becoming part of the family.

This sense of community places importance on the obtaining of the franchise, encouraging everyone to share the same vision for quality pizza.

Final Four

1. What have you done to stand out in business and in life?

“Working super hard."

2. What advice would you give to someone to stand out in business and in life?

“You have to outwork everybody."

3. Best advice you’ve ever received.

“Be patient.”

4. How do you want to be remembered?

“That I left the place better than when I started.” - David Ragosa

“Leaving a legacy not just about the money but about doing the right thing all the time.” - Carlo Ruggiero

To hear more from Kono Pizza's David and Carlo, download and listen to the show!

Learn more from Jon Vroman:

Website - Kono USA

Franchise - Kono USA Franchise

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Jesse Cole is a passionate and engaging business leader sharing other leaders messages, tips and fresh ideas on Business Done Differently. Subscribe to hear more front runners doing it differently and remember to leave him a rating and review on iTunes.

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