How Greg Parker Built A $1B Empire From One Gas Station

From Small-Town Gas Station to Billion-Dollar Empire | Greg Parker on The World's Most Interesting Podcast Greg Parker built Parker's Kitchen from a single store off I-95 into one of the most successful convenience store chains in America. In this conversation with Brady Knowlton, Greg shares how he: - Worked 3.5 years without a single day off - Turned mistakes into lessons that made him best in class - Grew Parker's into nearly 2,000 employees and $30M+ in philanthropy - Became the #1 most profitable convenience store operator in the U.S. - Built a culture where customers and employees rally behind giving back This episode dives deep into entrepreneurship, perseverance, leadership, data-driven decision making, and why doing the right thing in business pays off in ways you can't imagine. #entrepreneurlife #entrepreneur #inspiration Timestamps 00:00 - Intro: The Impact of Giving Back 00:49 - Welcoming Greg Parker, the Mastermind Behind Parker's Kitchen 01:34 - Greg Parker's Humble Beginnings 02:15 - Working 3.5 Years Without a Single Day Off 03:15 - The Two Things That Motivated Greg: Fear and Insecurity 03:43 - The Truth About Work-Life Balance for Entrepreneurs 04:23 - Learning from a "Million Mistakes" 07:21 - The Lonely and Exhausting Life of a New Entrepreneur 08:22 - Why Big Oil's Cross-Training Strategy is Flawed 09:24 - What He Really Thought of Top Executives 10:18 - The "Game Changer": Finding Accountability with Peer Groups 14:33 - Why Greg Parker Doesn't "Embrace Failure" 15:22 - How Seeing "Rich Boy" Fraternity Brothers Fueled His Ambition 16:59 - Using Data to Become the Best in the Industry 19:01 - The Moment Greg Discovered Parker's Was #1 in the U.S. 21:09 - Parker's Three Tips to Improve Any Business 21:27 - Tip #1: It's All About Your Team 22:28 - Tip #2: Create a "Scorecard for Success" 26:03 - Tip #3: Be an Innovator and a Disruptor 27:26 - How a Horrible Hospital Visit Led to a Business Breakthrough 30:51 - The Surprising #1 Reason People Want to Work at Parker's FIND BRADY ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://x.com/vivamusverum TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradys_most_interesting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradysmostinteresting/ FIND PARKER'S KITCHEN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theparkerskitchen/ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@theparkerskitchen