30 Heroes for 30 Years: Jimmy Weeks, Internet Strategy Labs
Jimmy Weeks loves to help franchise brands grow. While he founded Internet Strategy Labs in 2001, it wasn’t until 2007 that he really got started helping franchise companies build websites and understand their web traffic patterns. But Jimmy’s passion for serving others didn’t originate with the development of his computer skills…
While a junior in high school, Jimmy scored so high on the ASVAB that he could have had any enlisted job he wanted. Jimmy was leaning towards being a Load Master and traveling the world. But his recruiter talked him into working in Medical Administration. Jimmy admits that the theory was that he would be able to attend college at night, and meet a lot of interesting young ladies in the medical field.
The plan worked. Jimmy ended up earning a bachelors degree in Healthcare management from the Southern Illinois University, and eventually left the service as a Staff Sergeant. Jimmy stayed in the medical field after leaving the Air Force, but went back to school again part time to get some training in graphic design and web communication. His interest in the internet had been sparked during his time in the Air Force as they were using an early version of the world wide web to send prescriptions around the military community.
Jimmy credits his personal and professional growth to his time in the Air Force. As young as 25 years old, Jimmy was overseeing a large team of experienced airmen and civil service employees. “It was a challenging thing to do a performance report on someone that was older and more experienced. There were some learning moments, but the military gave me a lot of training in how to manage people regardless of their experience level,” said Jimmy.
In addition to running his growing company, Jimmy serves on the VetFran committee and assists with much of the website development. He feels that the VetFran committee is elite within the IFA and franchising world, and plans to continue to find ways to help VetFran optimize our outreach.
#30Heroesfor30Years