You started your business with a clear vision. Maybe it was in your garage, your kitchen, or a small storefront where you knew every customer by name. Your team was tight-knit, communication flowed naturally, and everyone understood what you stood for.
But now you're growing. More employees, more complexity, more moving pieces. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering: How do I grow my business without losing what made it special in the first place?
At Patrick Accounting, we've watched countless business owners wrestle with this exact challenge. That's why we're excited to share the story of one of our clients who's figured out how to grow intentionally while keeping their culture intact.
Meet Alex Brandwein, founder of Brandwein's Bagels in Chapel Hill, NC—a business owner who traded investment banking for bagel-making and built something extraordinary in the process.
From Wall Street to Main Street: The Bagel Shop That Put People First
Alex Brandwein's entrepreneurial journey isn't your typical story. After attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison and eight years in investment banking, this New York native was pursuing his MBA at UNC Chapel Hill when he made a bold decision: open a bagel shop in the middle of a global pandemic.
In August 2020, Brandwein's Bagels opened its doors with a simple mission: "We're all about trying to make people's day a little bit better."
Despite the challenging timing, the shop did more than just survive. It thrived. Within two years, the business had tripled in size and was ready for its next phase of growth. But with that growth came a realization that many business owners face: the structure that worked for a startup was no longer sustainable.
"I was becoming a bottleneck," Alex admits. "We needed structure, and we needed help building it."
That's when Alex partnered with Whirks, to transform his hiring practices and build systems that could support his expanding team without compromising the culture he'd worked so hard to create.
The Challenge Every Growing Business Faces: Growing Without Losing Your Soul
Business growth is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. You want more customers, more profit, more impact. But you also want to preserve what made your business special in the first place.
Alex calls this the challenge of maintaining your company's "soul." And he's not alone in this struggle.
Every successful business owner eventually faces the same dilemma: How do you grow from a small, tight-knit team where everyone "gets it" to a larger organization where your values need to be intentionally communicated and systematically reinforced?
For Alex, the answer wasn't to slow down growth. It was to build better systems.
Why "We Care" Became More Than a Slogan
From day one, Brandwein's Bagels has been built on one foundational value: we care. But as Alex quickly learned, having good intentions isn't enough when you're managing a growing team.
"Your impact and the culture that we're trying to build is important," Alex explains. "Everyone should feel like they're a part of it."
This philosophy drives everything at Brandwein's—from how they handle a two-hour shift worker to how they promote someone into leadership. But the key was turning this value from a feeling into a framework.
Here's what "we care" looks like in action at Brandwein's:
- Every employee, regardless of hours worked, deserves respect and opportunity.
- Department leaders have full autonomy to take care of their teams.
- Personal development matters as much as job performance.
- Customer conflicts become teaching moments, not just problems to solve.
Building Structure That Supports (Not Suffocates) Your Team and Culture
One of the biggest fears business owners have about adding structure is that it will make their company feel corporate and impersonal. Alex faced this same concern.
The solution? Build structure around your values, not despite them.
Alex's leadership team now meets weekly to cover two essential areas:
- Personal check-ins: How's everyone doing, really?
- Team updates: What's happening across departments?
These aren't your typical corporate meetings. They're intimate conversations that keep a seven-day-a-week operation feeling connected and aligned.
Each department leader is empowered to care for their team in meaningful ways, whether that's ordering pizza after a long shift, surprising staff with smoothies, or simply taking time for one-on-one conversations.
"In my mind, they have full autonomy to do what's right to take care of their teams," says Alex.
Learning to Hire With Heart and a Values-Based Process
Like most entrepreneurs, Alex initially hired based on instinct. He personally screened every applicant, trusting his gut to identify people who would fit the culture.
But as growth accelerated, this approach hit its limits.
"I was still doing all the initial interviews," Alex reflects. "We needed to build systems to support delegation."
Working with the Whirks team, Alex began what he calls "objectifying the hiring process." Essentially, this means translating his gut instincts into a clear, values-based framework that his leadership team could use.
Much like our approach at Patrick Accounting and Whirks—where we look for people who are hungry, humble, and smart—Brandwein's now focuses on defining what "we care" looks like in practice.
Instead of just hoping new hires will "get it," they now have:
- Clear interview questions that reveal values alignment
- Specific examples of what caring behavior looks like
- A structured evaluation process that multiple team members can use
Creating Growth Paths That Develop Great People (Even If They Eventually Leave)
Many business owners think employee development is only valuable if people stay forever.
Alex takes a different approach. Brandwein's is committed to helping employees grow professionally and personally, whether they stay for six months or six years.
Many of his team members are in their first job ever, which Alex sees as both a responsibility and an opportunity.
"If we want to keep great people, we have to create opportunities that align with their life goals," Alex shares.
Team members at Brandwein's can:
- Explore different departments (front of house, baking, catering)
- Train for leadership roles
- Participate in cross-functional learning
- Develop crucial soft skills like empathy, teamwork, and customer service
The result? Even when employees eventually move on, they leave as ambassadors for the business and often refer other great people to Brandwein’s.
What Conflict Resolution Teaches Your Team About Life
In any customer-facing business, conflicts are inevitable. But Alex sees them as growth moments, not just problems to solve.
"Instead of reacting defensively, we teach our team to say: 'We see you. We hear your frustration. Let's make it right,'" Alex explains.
This approach strengthens customer relationships and empowers employees to build confidence and resilience. These are skills that serve them far beyond the bagel shop.
Think about it: When you teach someone to handle conflict with empathy and ownership, you're not just training them for their current role. You're preparing them for life.
The Meeting Framework That Keeps Everyone Connected
Running a business seven days a week makes it easy for teams to become disconnected. Alex solved this with a simple but powerful twice-a-month meeting structure for each department.
In these departmental meetings, they sit in a circle, communicate what’s going on, and ask for feedback. “How do we keep the soul of what made us great?”
The key is keeping these meetings personal and authentic, not just operational. When leaders take time to genuinely care about their team members as people, everything else flows more naturally.
Why Communication Is Your ‘Secret Sauce’ for Building Culture
When we asked Alex about his "secret sauce" for building culture, his answer was immediate:
"It's never bad to have a conversation. Take the time to be transparent, vulnerable, and really listen—whether it's a team member or a customer."
This belief in authentic communication is the heartbeat of Brandwein's leadership style. And it's a big reason why the business continues to thrive.
Authentic communication means:
- Being honest about challenges, not just celebrating wins
- Asking for feedback and actually using it
- Admitting when you don't have all the answers
- Creating space for difficult conversations before they become bigger problems
Building Your Own Values-Driven Culture
What makes Brandwein's Bagels special isn't just the authentic New York-style bagels (though they're pretty great). It's the people-first mindset that Alex has nurtured from day one.
Here are the key takeaways every business owner can apply:
- Codify your culture. Don't just hire by instinct; define and document your values.
- Meet regularly and meaningfully. Weekly check-ins foster transparency and team cohesion.
- Empower your leaders. Autonomy plus trust equals scalable leadership.
- Celebrate the intangibles. Traits like empathy and care are just as important as technical skills.
- Support growth at every level. From first jobs to future managers, create a path for everyone.
At Whirks, we've seen firsthand how the right systems can help businesses grow without losing their soul. Whether it's building stronger hiring and HR systems or implementing better financial processes with our sister company, Patrick Accounting, our goal is to simplify your business complexities so you can focus on what matters most: building something meaningful.
Alex puts it perfectly: "How we treat one another matters." When you build your business around that principle and create systems to support it, you don't just grow a company. You build something that makes people's lives better.
And isn't that what business should really be about?
Patrick Accounting | Whirks help small business owners simplify their financial and people complexities so they can focus on building thriving businesses. To learn more about how we can support your growth, schedule some time to talk with us.
Listen to Alex’s full story and get more insights to help your small business thrive by subscribing to the One Step Better business podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Photo by John Michael Simpson, Chapel Hill Magazine
