More Than a Sandwich

How Chick-fil-A Operators Are Integrating Faith and Business Through C12

In today’s business environment, leaders are expected to be strategists, mentors, visionaries, and executors, all while managing the personal pressures that never seem to clock out. For those in the fast-paced world of food service, the weight of responsibility can be overwhelming. And when faith feels compartmentalized, confined to Sundays or personal time, the disconnect becomes even more pronounced. 

But for a growing group of Chick-fil-A operators and key players involved in C12 Business Forums here in South Carolina and Georgia, that narrative is changing. 

The team at C12 Georgia and South Carolina recently interviewed several of these leaders, exploring how their participation in C12 helped them integrate faith, leadership, and personal wellness into a cohesive, Kingdom-driven life. What emerged was a powerful testimony of transformation—from fragmentation to focus, from hustle to stewardship, and from burnout to purpose. 

The Leadership Gap No One Talks About 

One commonality among leaders was a growing sense of disconnect in their professional lives before joining C12. 

“I came to work in the restaurant business after some time in corporate American financial services,” one operator shared. “One of the things in the transition that challenged me was I had gone from leading a small team of just a couple people to, in the food service industry, literally a hundred people. And that can be challenging.” 

C12 became more than just a peer group—it became a leadership development engine. 

“C12 gives me the tools I need to help lead not only those hundred people but the seven to eight core leaders that I have that are working directly with those people and how to do that in a way that develops them and keeps them focused on our mission.” 

That mission? “To show care and glorify God.” 

This alignment of strategy and soul echoes one of C12’s core tools, the 5-Point Alignment Matrix, designed to help Christian business leaders unify their vision, culture, operations, financials, and team development under a Christ-centered mission. 

Breaking the Compartmentalization Trap 

“I grew up a preacher's kid,” one operator said. “And I kind of realized I'm kind of in a very similar role to what my dad was. I don't preach every Sunday in front of my team or my guests, but it's like a flock that God has blessed me with.” 

That reframing of leadership, from a secular to a sacred calling, is at the heart of C12’s Business as a Ministry (BaaM) philosophy. These leaders no longer see a division between their faith and their function. 

“In our restaurant industry… understanding there's a bigger purpose of why we do what we do” has reframed everything, one leader explained. “Leading people's hard and everybody's different… love and serve people uniquely, and I think that goes to the very way that God uniquely leads us.” 

• With that shift comes a new focus on stewardship: “If we can focus on the stewardship of their lives, how we care for them, the engagement that we have with them, then we're doing the Lord's purpose and he can take them to whatever dream that he wants to do next.” 
  

The Cost of Disconnection—and the Gift of Accountability 

Leadership can be lonely. One leader recalled walking into their first C12 Key Player Forum unsure if they belonged. “I remember walking in and thinking I don't know if I belong here. These guys probably got it all figured out… can I have a voice here?” 

But the experience was transformational. “I just remember them being very welcoming and I found a place at the table. Eight years now has been absolutely incredible—changed my life.” 

C12’s peer advisory model ensures that no leader has to navigate the pressures of business or faith alone. “It's real easy just to get information or read a book or see a graph and go, yeah, that's a good idea. But if you don't actually do it, then what good is it? At C12, they will hold you accountable to, hey, you said you were going to use that. You said you were going to do 

this—did you?” 

This isn’t surface-level engagement. Leaders go deep, discussing faith, family, fitness, finances, and fun. 



“One of the first things we do each month is to review our balance wheel,” said one operator. “It breaks out your life into key areas and you grade yourself every month with a group. And you talk about your highs and lows… all those things are important for us to steward well.” 

Spiritually Grounded Leaders Build Spiritually Grounded Teams

The ripple effects of this accountability are evident. As one participant noted, “For the better part of a year that I've been in C12, I have been a more confident leader. I have been a more spiritually grounded leader. And then personally, I have been more spiritually accountable to myself, to my husband, to my family.” 

When faith is no longer compartmentalized, it shapes every corner of leadership—professional and personal. 

“It’s valuable to my wife at home and to our business and certainly the team members that we shepherd,” said another. 



This integration is not accidental—it’s designed, reinforced, and lived out through the rhythms of the C12 Forum. “To be able to be in there and share and be vulnerable, it has allowed me to foster and grow relationships with people that I probably would never have met even though they live in the same city that I live in.” 

Finding Focus in the Mundane 

For businesses like Chick-fil-A, where operations are often high-speed and high-pressure, it’s easy for the routine to turn into a grind. 

“How is what we're doing day in and day out that can be really mundane and get almost stale—how are we staying connected to that greater purpose?” asked one leader. Their answer: dedicate time each month to think, pray, and plan intentionally. “The beautiful thing about C12 is you've got time that day to listen to the Lord, to take those ideas, which are potential energy, and to move from potential energy to create movement in your business.” 

A Platform With Eternal Purpose 

When asked about the impact of C12, one leader summed it up this way: “I can't give you an exact ROI on C12, but taking myself out of the business and dedicating an entire day to be reminded of what's truly most important—and then being called to actually apply that to what I do every day—is crucial.” 

That recalibration isn’t just for personal clarity—it translates directly to how their teams are led, how guests are served, and how communities are impacted. 

“This is more than just a restaurant. This is more than just a sandwich. This is more than just one guest,” one said. “We really are connecting to a bigger purpose of care and of creating environments for people where they are welcome and comfortable. And hopefully that leads them to ultimately see the Kingdom through us.” 

At C12 Georgia and South Carolina, we believe leadership is not meant to be lived in silos. These stories from Chick-fil-A operators remind us what’s possible when faith permeates business—not as a veneer, but as a foundation. 

For leaders who are tired of fragmentation and looking to align their business, life, and faith, a C12 Business Forum may be exactly the right next step. 

To watch the full interview, visit Faith, Business, and Impact: Chick-fil-A Operators on Their C12 Experience. 



If you’re ready to explore a peer group where leadership is sharpened and purpose is reclaimed, connect with us here.