Bringing Ideas to Life with Elise Wetzel ’87, ’92 MBA

[MUSIC PLAYING] HELEN KIM: Welcome to Northwestern intersections where we talk to alumni about how key experiences have propelled him in their life's work. I'm Helen Kim from the Northwestern Alumni Association. And in commemoration of Women's History Month, we're featuring alumni trailblazers to celebrate the achievements and aspirations of Northwestern women all around the world. You'll discover how these women are making an impact in their fields, advancing gender equity and social justice, and pushing the boundaries of the possible.

Today we have a Elise Wetzel, the co-founder of Blaze Pizza. Blaze is recognized as the pizza restaurant chain with the fastest growth in US history, competing against 75,000 other pizza restaurants. Blaze Pizza offers customizable artisanal pizzas with plenty of options for those with dietary restrictions and a strong commitment to sustainability. In this episode, Elise shares her experience as a successful entrepreneur who prioritizes team inclusively, adaptability, and branding. Let's take a listen.

We're celebrating Northwestern's Woman's Month, and we wanted to highlight all the great work and the life stories of our strong Northwestern women in the community. So thank you so much. And speaking of Northwestern, and this is a Northwestern Alumni Career Podcast, I would love to hear your Northwestern story of why did you choose Northwestern, and what was your experience like when you were in school?

ELISE WETZEL: I grew up in Maryland. And before moving to Evanston, Maryland was the only home I'd ever known. So I remember I lived in Willard my freshman year. And I didn't know a soul on campus when I arrived. But I quickly made friends. And I loved-- it was such a great group. We called ourselves Willardites. And I loved meeting people with really different backgrounds from anything I'd ever known before. It was so powerful. So fun.

Let's see. So I majored in undecided for a while. Eventually I decided to major in economics and minor in communications studies. It was a great four years. I really enjoyed my time at Northwestern. And when I graduated, I had an ecomm degree. But let's be real. I wasn't a brilliant economist. But I had a pretty good understanding of the fundamentals. And more importantly, I graduated as a better writer. I got really good at time management during my four years there.

So all those late nights, I spent a lot of them studying. I pulled a lot of all nighters at that Burger King. They should have made a booth in my honor because I spent a lot of late nights there writing papers and studying. And you know what? All of it, it just taught me how to think. And so I learned how to process information and put together a point of view and tell a story. And all of that, you know what, was a great foundation for me as I started a career.

HELEN KIM: And I know you returned to Northwestern again for your MBA. So tell us a little bit about that.

ELISE WETZEL: I'm going to back up. I think to understand that, I want to back up a little bit in the story and just tell you I went and got my MBA because I wanted to pivot in a career. When I graduated from Northwestern, I went to Boston. I had two girlfriends, we didn't know what we wanted to do. So we just picked a city to live in. And that was Boston. And my parents gave me 30 days to get a job and be self-sufficient or else I was going to have to return home.

So the pressure was really on. And so I found a spot working as a financial analyst in an office in downtown Boston. And I was creating reports. And I earned my rent. And it was all really good for a while. But once I got comfortable with my role there, I really found that I was uninspired. And I did not want to have a long term career in financial services doing this kind of role.

So I knew I had to make a change. I counsel a lot of young people about career choices that they're going to make. And I tell them, your first job's not going to be your last. And you can always call an audible. And that's what I did. So I really liked Boston. I liked the people I met. So I said I want to stay. But I came up with a new game plan. And I just started sending out resumes for jobs in management consulting because they were hiring a lot of young people, liberal arts majors.

And so that Northwestern degree opened the door. And I got an interview and I got a position at the small management consulting group. And I was so much happier. It really worked out.

So after a few years there, I did. I went on to get my MBA at Northwestern because I had more maturity there and more focus. I knew I wanted a career in brand management. So I ended up getting a position at Nestle, and that is how I ended up in Los Angeles. And also wonderfully it's how I met my husband Rick because we worked at Nestle together.

HELEN KIM: What would you say, of all the things that you learned on Northwestern, what is one soft skill or I guess another strength that you got to learn that was not related to your major and what you studied?

ELISE WETZEL: For me really it was writing and storytelling. And I didn't take a screenwriting class per se. But in any paper that you wrote, you needed to figure out exactly what you wanted to communicate and to do it in a compelling way. Because of that, I later went into a career in new product development. And to me, that's all about writing stories too. If you're going to come up with a whole new chocolate idea, why does this exist? For us, when we came up with a new pizza concept, why did there need to be a new one? What is its reason for being?

And I think all of that is born out of a skill and writing and storytelling and concept development.

HELEN KIM: Let's talk about pizzas. Let's talk about the history of Blaze Pizza. You are most well known for being one of the co-founders of Blaze Pizza, the other co-founder being your husband Rick. So tell us about the beginning. And how did it form? What was the inspiration behind it?

ELISE WETZEL: Sure. Pizzas are fun to talk about, aren't they?

HELEN KIM: Oh, definitely.

ELISE WETZEL: Who doesn't like pizzas? It's been great. It was about I'd say 10 years ago. I guess it was September of 2011. And Rick and I, we were looking to get some pizza for lunch. It was born out of that that we ended up spotting an opportunity because we were short on time that day and we didn't have time for a nice meal, waiter service, sit down, all of that. So we ended up forgetting the pizza and just headed to a Chipotle.

And it was literally as we were walking the line at that Chipotle building our bowls, putting everything we wanted in it, just the way we wanted, that we realized that you could do the same sort of ordering format with pizza. I would probably work that way. So that was honestly how inspiration struck. And I'll never forget us sitting there at that Chipotle looking at each other and saying, we're going to open up a restaurant, aren't we? It was like that.

But I mean, I will say, Rick and I had been looking for a new business idea for a while. We had been circling around the pizza category. It was really intriguing. It's fun to be in the pizza business. But there are over 75,000 pizza places in the US alone.

HELEN KIM: 75,000?

ELISE WETZEL: 75,000. So it's a little audacious to think that you can come up with a whole new way to enjoy pizza. And our friends, they thought we were crazy. But we felt that we had an opportunity there, this idea of pizza that could be of exceptional quality, that artisanal quality that you enjoy at a nice restaurant. But at lunchtime speed, the lunchtime price. And we knew that if it was thin crusted and cooked by fire, it could actually be a concept that worked.

So we jumped in. And 11 months later, it was August 2012. We opened up the very first Blaze Pizza in Irvine, California. Now didn't you tell me that you are from that area?

HELEN KIM: That's my hometown. And that's a month before I left for Northwestern. And I tried Blaze before I left. And it's such a genius idea. It's such a popular and loved restaurant. It's customizable pizza. So it's very personal to your taste. It only takes 180 seconds to cook. And you can see your pizza literally cooking in the oven from where you're standing. And like you said, it's also affordable for anybody to purchase a pizza during lunchtime or even dinnertime. It's incredible that you both came up with this idea, and trying to think about competing against 75,000 different pizza restaurants.

ELISE WETZEL: First off, so you were there when you were a senior in high school. That's a long time. And you were one of the originals. That's something. That's a badge of honor there. That's fun. But yeah. You know what? It is hard to imagine competing in such a crowded market. But that's where it's key to do things differently. We were a disruptor there.

I always say I liked the name Blaze because it had so many layers to it, so many different meanings. I mean there is the obvious, Blaze, the fire. And we cooked by fire. And to me, that was a really important point of difference. We could have cooked these in just these [INAUDIBLE] ovens, and it wouldn't have had nearly the magic or the flavor to it. So the fire is part of why we called it Blaze, to celebrate the fire.

But also Blaze means speedy fast, blazingly fast. And so, it was another thing we were offering that was very different. So we could have this amazing pizza at a great speed. And the last naming for Blaze, which didn't occur to me until we were a little later on the journey, but to blaze a new trail is to do something differently, to do something that no one's done before.

And for us, it was really that that was so empowering to our whole team. We love that we were challenging the status quo and doing things different in fast food. And that is what really fired us up each day.

HELEN KIM: I didn't even know there were so many meanings behind the word Blaze. And that really speaks to how much time and thought you put into the brand. I would say out of the many accomplishments that I want to commend Blaze Pizza for, its the brand itself. When you hear Blaze Pizza, people can just imagine while closing their eyes, they can see the orange logo, they can see the brick oven, they can see the long pizza peelers their pizzas are being cooked on.

And brand is one of the most important assets for a company. Right? It gives a company its voice, its identity. So what do you think led to the success of your brand?

ELISE WETZEL: Well, I think that it goes back to storytelling and knowing who the brand was for. We built this for a certain cohort that we wanted to speak to. And this was millennials and Gen Z. But it was more than just an age group. It was more of a mindset. And these were folks we wanted this for, were people who appreciated better for you food. And they just wanted to have more of a role in it. They wanted to co-create. And so understanding that, these are people who are independent thinkers and were individuals.

It was key. It's a big unlock to celebrate their individuality. And that's why the first restaurants that they have wall graphics that say things like, there's no wrong way to play, or unconventionally wise. We were all about that. I mean, Blaze is basically the same speed of service as fast food. But it has clean ingredients and that are fundamentally better for you. And it was a culture that tried to be very inclusive.

So it was everything from lots of different diets. I mean, we had gluten free, and vegan, and keto. But it was also we built a culture that really respects differences. And it welcomed these kinds of independent thinkers. So I think that was the unlock.

HELEN KIM: I know that you provide inclusivity for customers. But I also know that you provide that inclusive environment for your employees and team members as well. So what are some ways you've been able to provide that space?

ELISE WETZEL: Oh, gosh. It is. It's such an important part of culture. I think maybe because I was new to the restaurant game when we created Blaze, I was able to do some things that just seemed like common sense but we're so in the face of fast food status quo. I'll tell you a story. It was when we were opening that first restaurant in Irvine, the one that you ate at, and we had hired somebody out of fast food to help us open it and run it. And as we were getting ready, he asked me how I would like the team members to cover up their tattoos.

And I didn't understand the question. I said-- and he suggested that they could wear long sleeves, or there were special cloth sleeves like [INAUDIBLE] sleeves that they could put on if they were wearing short sleeves so that no one would see their tattoos. And I just looked at him and said, we're not going to do that. That's who people are. That's their way of expressing themselves. And why would we close that off for them?

So I mean, that's just a little indication. But then throughout, we've tried to do our part to let people express themselves. If it's OK with the health department, I used to say it's OK with me.

HELEN KIM: I love that it's a brand that people want to be affiliated with and be part of.

ELISE WETZEL: Right. Yeah. To me, that's the greatest honor as a brand marketer, as a marketer. When you say that you went there in high school, I once had a friend who told me her high schooler thought it was really cool to be seen in a Blaze if somebody walked by and they were spotted there. It was just really cool. And I thought, well, isn't that the ultimate in marketing to be spotted in a Blaze?

I mean, heck. We've had people tattoo the flame emblem on their arms. They're are just so proud to be associated with it. I mean that's brand magic. So it's been a great journey. Retail is detail. And we say there's 1,000 aisles to set. So it's everything from the music that we play, at the volume level we play it at, the way we talk to our guests. There are so many restaurants where there's so much signage that explains every little detail to them. And I just operated under the premise that people get it. They're intelligent.

And so we never talk down to our guests. And I think that was an important part of the tone as well.

HELEN KIM: I think that's what also makes people want to come back years after years.

ELISE WETZEL: Well, let's hope. It's been good. These days, Blaze has over 350 locations.

HELEN KIM: Wow.

ELISE WETZEL: And we're in six different countries. And we have one in Disney World. And it is arguably, I would say, it's the busiest pizza place on the planet. You know why it's so busy? It's so busy because it's such a good value. It's fast and it's fair prices. And so you can't get that good a meal for that fair price. Rick and I always say fast nickel versus slow dime. We'd rather earn a fast nickel over and over and over again. That's sort of the philosophy. Fair prices, great value.

HELEN KIM: That makes total sense. I love that.

ELISE WETZEL: Well, yeah. Everybody wins with something like that.

HELEN KIM: Yeah. For you as an incredible female entrepreneur, in your experience, what has been the best and the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur?

ELISE WETZEL: Wow. For sure, the best thing with being able to assemble a team from scratch. When you get to curate your own group, it's very powerful. So I know for me and for Rick, we found a lot of really talented people. The common thread was that they were feeling stagnant in their careers. They were all working in restaurant industry, often in big corporate environments, and they all felt underutilized, like they had another gear in them. So we brought onto Blaze, and I'll share it in this mission, that it just unlocked a whole new runway, gave them a lot of runway.

I remember this one woman that we hired. And she said it was like she had been in a coma and it was like being woken up from a coma when she switched from her former job to working at Blaze. So we were all part of a startup. But that's exciting because you're able to throw out a lot of the baggage that comes with larger companies. We've been in a place over time. You'll hear a lot of, well, that's the way we do it. Or we don't want to break what's not broken.

So we didn't have to fight any of that. And it just gave us a lot of freedom. So that's where the creativity came from. And that's also something that helped us move really quickly. I mean, opening a restaurant in that short period of time, and then we were moving so quickly that we were the fastest growing restaurant concept ever I believe. And it was just because we had such a committed team. We were making decisions smartly but not weighing ourselves down with too much bureaucracy.

The hardest thing about being an entrepreneur, well, there's a lot. For me, probably again, it's the people. And it's just this responsibility you feel to everyone who's invested their trust in you. I mean, you've got people working with you at your headquarters. And you've got every team member at the restaurant. You've got franchise partners. We were a franchise concept. And then you've got every guest. And everyone's counting on you to deliver a great experience and to do something great. The bar keeps getting raised. And you got to continually keep upping your game over time.

There were some late nights staring at the ceiling. But I just feel like if you keep honesty and integrity at the forefront, you can deliver.

HELEN KIM: I like how there's a lot of layers to how the people could be the best thing that you've experienced as a entrepreneur, but also one of the hardest things. And there is the pros and cons. But there's a lot of layers of complexity that comes into play for that. And you put a lot of thought behind working with people building a team who would become basically like your family because you work with them so much.

As a female leader, what is a leadership lesson that you learned or have heard from others that really spoke out to you and that really meant a lot to you?

ELISE WETZEL: I don't know that there's a lot of difference between female leaders and male leaders. I don't know if leadership is gender specific. I think it's more personality specific. But I will tell you one thing I know I practice it in my leadership, is listening. What did I say? Two ears, one mouth. And to me, that is a great mantra. Because a lot of times when you're presented with a challenge, you might not have the answer, but it's not about you having the answer. It's about you asking the right questions to get to that answer.

And when you dissect a problem that way, you get very thoughtful about what the underlying friction is. Then you're in a much better position to solve it, come up with a solution, creative way to get out of it. So I'd say that's probably a Northwestern skill that was taught way back when.

HELEN KIM: Having mentors in your life, or people to look up to, is so important in any life stages. Do you have any role models in your life, even people that you don't know that you look up to?

ELISE WETZEL: I was lucky enough to have parents who encouraged me and had big dreams for me. And people will sometimes say, oh you make your luck. And in some ways, I believe that because I think that doors are opened and you have to push your way through them. But I recognize that I was lucky and privileged to have parents and an education.

So I would say that they were mentors. And my mom definitely instilled in me a love of literature, and grammar, and storytelling, and all of that. She was an English teacher. A lot of that I carry with me. But let's say somebody I don't know. Oh my gosh. I love Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler, and want to have dinner with one or both of them. I'll make them pizzas.

But I mean, aren't they just-- I love them. They're just these uber cool moms. And they're making people laugh for a living. And that would be a dream maybe if I can do that.

HELEN KIM: Yes. The dynamic two. They seem like wonderful people.

ELISE WETZEL: I haven't met them, but-- [LAUGHS] Which is great.

[LAUGHTER]

HELEN KIM: Elise, I can't believe the interview is coming to an end because I feel like I can talk to you forever and ask you so many questions. But before we end, is there an advice that you would like to share with the Northwestern network?

ELISE WETZEL: It's a complicated world out there these days. It's more complex than I think it's ever been. So I guess if there is a piece of advice, I would say to our Northwestern community, it's that we have to develop inner compasses that guide us so that when we have choices to make, that we make good ones. When we're graduates of Northwestern, it's a privilege. We have gotten to experience and education and we will have opportunities that few others are ever going to enjoy.

So I guess my nugget that I would share is don't ever forget that there's real people out there that depend on all of us alumni and everyone to behave responsibly. So just make honesty and integrity the foundation of your life. And make sure you represent Northwestern properly. Right? So go be good alumni.

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HELEN KIM: Thank you for tuning into today's episode of Northwestern Intersections. For more information about our podcast, please visit northwestern.edu/intersections. Until next time, stay safe. And take care of yourself and your families.