HI THERE! I’M ALLEN ARNN

This site is a glimpse into my life and things that are important to me - passions, principles, experiences, skills, learnings and thoughts.

Oh... and that pen in the photo should be a fountain pen.

MY PURPOSE AND PASSIONS

My purpose is to enable people and organizations to create (and deliver!) excellence.

Let's root out efficiency-killing chaos wherever it's found.

Let's equip and empower the right team to bring results.

Let's put processes in place so operations runs like clockwork.

Let's balance the P&L and start putting profit first.

Let's bust the silos and get to work... together.

Let's learn everything we can from any and everyone around us.

Let's write without grammatical errors :)

I'm a builder. I connect the dots between a wide range of experiences and thinking to find solutions. (LOOK AT FORTE STUFF - my elevator speech - renew that speech)

Contact

MY EXPERIENCE

Roles & Responsibilities

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS SERVICES - NOTHING BUNDT CAKES

Sept 2010 - Jan 2020

My niche in the last 9 years with the awesome Nothing Bundt Cakes brand - building from 17 to 296 locations - was around communications, right people/right fit, empowering culture, defining strategy and engineering the processes, systems and other components to make operations run like clockwork.

I am often called the "glue" or the "hub" where the activity of multiple departments comes together - whether that be around people processes, goal setting/accountability, culture development, or cross-functional project management and communications.

DIRECTOR OF MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT - MOSAIC CHURCH OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS

September 2007 - August 2010

Mosaic is a church beautifully diverse in every way - ethnically, financially, politically. To walk, work and worship together every week regardless of differences was truly amazing.

I was blessed to take the children's ministry to new heights where volunteers were plentiful, programming was engaging for the kids and the physical space was energetic and inviting.

ALLEN ARNN VIDEO PRODUCTIONS

August 2006 - September 2010

In this freelance venture, I produced entertaining, impactful training videos around marketing and operations. I also produced conference video pieces highlighting and honoring company’s best franchisees. What a great treat to hear their stories and edit their leadership stories down to powerful nuggets.

In a favorite project of all time, I was contracted to envision, create and project managed set of short films to bring a franchise company’s core values to life.

Corporate video does not have to be boring!

PROGRAM OPERATIONS MANAGER - LEGACY CHURCH

May 2001 - June 2006

I was thrilled to lead the technical production team for weekend worship services. We created SOPs and brought direction and focus to the tech team to produce excellence every Sunday.

We made videos and short films to tell the church's compelling stories and keep our mission white hot for everyone in the organization.

In addition, I provided leadership for the all-important "small groups" department of the church and was humbled and blessed to lead the entire organization in providing Hurricane Katrina relief.

SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION ENGINEER - TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

June 1997 - April 2001

Whaaaat? Yes I was also an electrical engineer. I have a varied past, but I think it all works together to make me the conscientious, technically-skilled, learning, caring leader I've become.

I managed technicians, developed processes and oversaw quality.

EDUCATION

My Formal Studies

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

I was a Razorback and got a degree.

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

I obtained my graduate degree around semiconductor fabrication technology. Most days I was in the lab forming the process for making encapsulated ball grid array multi-chip modules. Yes... that's a mouthful. But they were cool.

EDUCATION

My Alt Studies

THE ADVANTAGE | THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS

Patrick Lencioni
At Nothing Bundt Cakes, we answered Pat's 6 Crucial Questions. Ready to do that and bring organizational health anywhere I work!

MULTIPLIERS

Liz Wiseman
I strive to live out the work of Liz Wiseman in my management. You get so much more done as a team when you lead as a multiplier instead of an accidental diminisher.

TRACTION/EOS | ALAN MULALLY | THE HEATH BROTHERS | HORST SCHULZE | MARSHALL GOLDSMITH | CHRIS MCCHESNEY | BRENÉ BROWN | RADICAL CANDOR | THE BIBLE

I take notes on books and conferences like nobody's business. Then, I bring relevant, action-oriented learnings back to my work.

MY SKILLS

Tricks of the Trade

LEADERSHIP

Servant leadership is the only leadership

ENGINEERING SYSTEMS/PROCESSES

Like clockwork!

OPERATIONAL PLANNING

Fail to plan...plan to fail

BUSINESS ANALYSIS

Analyze, but don't paralyze

TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT

The way of the future! Smarter not harder.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Bullets before cannonballs (Jim Collins)

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Innovate, simplify, document.

PEOPLE EQUIPPING & EMPOWERMENT

People can do more than they think.

CULTURE

Not a plaque on the wall!

COMMUNICATIONS

The core of health. Eat a Heath bar.

GUEST SERVICE

Wow the team & they'll wow the guests.

MANAGEMENT

People are integrated. Care personally and challenge directly.

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."