Grasping the secrets of prosperity from independence after leaving the company to become a convenience store owner of 20 stores

Days spent only seeking results

I joined a supermarket in Ehime Prefecture at the age of 20 and became a store manager at 22, continuing to rise smoothly under the company's policy. The supermarket I worked for continued to grow to become the largest in the area, following the policy of a capable president who stated, "As long as my place is profitable, that's fine. I can't expect anything from employees. If they can't be used, just let them go and hire new ones."
However, even though I was promoted under the company's policy and recognized at work, every day was filled with intense competition, demanding results and blaming others. I got married at work and by the age of 30, I was entrusted with multiple stores, but my heart was weary and I was fed up.

A shocking statement

One day, a former colleague who had left the supermarket introduced me to a book from Happy Science. When I started reading the book titled "The Law of the Sun" open_in_new, a shock ran through my body.
"This world was created by the thoughts of the Buddha and gods," "Humans are the children of the Buddha," "Humans are born in this world for the purpose of soul training" -- and the final blow was, "The essence of love is, first of all, to give."
Although I was influenced by the company's policy, in the face of these strong words, I felt ashamed of my way of life and work. Thinking, "This is a book that must be read by as many people as possible," I had my wife read it as well, and we both joined Happy Science together open_in_new.

My mission is this!

The more I learned about the teachings of love and the work and management theories that extend from them, such as "thinking from the customer's perspective" at Happy Science, the more the mistakes in my way of life became apparent. For the past ten years, I had lived under the policy that as long as profits were up, I had treated older colleagues harshly with the words, "Age doesn't matter in work" as a young store manager. I wanted to change my heart.
Wondering how I could manage a business that makes people happy, I participated in the "Life Planning Setting" training at Happy Science's training facility (Seiga open_in_new). I reflected on my mission and created a plan for its realization, embedding my wish to "become a company manager based on the teachings of love and make many people happy this time" in the plan. I left the training facility with a passionate thought that "if I have a mission, a path must surely open up."
However, returning to daily life, it was the same flow of work again. The company was suffering from self-centeredness, and by that time, it was clear to everyone that bankruptcy was imminent due to the recession. Thinking, "To break the situation, management loved by customers is necessary," I began to convey the management theories of Happy Science to my colleagues at work, starting a mission to change their way of thinking, even at the risk of being fired. This ultimately led to my dismissal along with my wife, as it angered the president.

Never give up. Keep challenging.

Although I was prepared for it, what awaited me, burdened with a small child and a mortgage, were days of sales, marketing, and newspaper delivery. My wife also went out to work to help with the household finances. Even during those days, the strong desire to become a manager who makes people happy based on love, which I had drawn in training, could not be suppressed. After enduring for three years, a turning point finally arrived.
While delivering newspapers, I noticed an advertisement for convenience store owners. With over 20 years of retail experience and a passion that I was most suited for this, I somehow gained permission to become a convenience store owner and opened the first store in N City.
(Finally, I can realize my thoughts!)
I decided to practice various management theories based on the concept of the Four Right Paths open_in_new (Love, Knowledge, Reflection, Development) taught by Happy Science, which many business owners across the country learn.

What moves people's hearts

However, reality is not so sweet. Most of the staff at the convenience store are part-time workers. At the beginning of the opening, the staff's motivation was low, and there were sudden gaps in shifts, forcing my wife and me to work continuously for 24 hours, leading to exhaustion. The atmosphere of the store gradually became awkward.
There were conflicts over the inability to get the staff to perform at the required level, but I took it positively as a chance to train myself and thought about "what can be done" and "how it can be done."
(I will never give up. Now is the time to be persistent!)
I referred to President Okawa's books and passionately conveyed the teachings of love in customer service, taking time with each individual. When I sincerely expressed my desire to "make customers happy" over and over again, the staff began to believe in my words and started to put in their efforts.
Of course, management cannot be done with "love" alone. Knowledge of products, ordering, displaying, and overall operations are also important management resources. Additionally, I positioned the teachings of "reflection" as "verification" and repeatedly improved the number, timing, and timing of orders, which are vital for convenience stores, aiming for "development" to steadily increase sales while pursuing the management of the Four Right Paths open_in_new.
"Let's create a convenience store that has a line!"
I can't count how many times I called out. After three months, the staff began to come up with ideas and started to propose improvements one after another, beginning to smile and become lively. The atmosphere of the store completely changed, and sales doubled compared to before. What made me happiest was that seeing this achievement, the head office began to send in proposals for new store openings one after another. The staff continued to grow steadily, leading to an increase in customers, and the sales of new stores also steadily increased, leading to the establishment of the company during the opening of the seventh store. Before I knew it, four years had passed, and our company had grown to manage 20 convenience stores in Shikoku.

Wishing for the happiness of customers

Looking back, the life plan I made during the most difficult time in my life was being executed ahead of schedule. I'm glad I made the shift in thinking to give love. I'm glad I continued to challenge myself. I think so.
The painful experiences were, in fact, a problem set given to teach me the importance of "living as a person who gives love" and that "the secret to business prosperity in management ultimately lies in making customers happy."
My dream is to nurture many staff who can think, "The happiness of customers is my happiness," increase new stores, and eventually expand overseas. I will continue to challenge myself toward the next dream.