Ever wondered about the faces behind ‘The Leather Doctor’?
We thought it would be a great idea to begin introducing The Leather Doctor Franchisees to you all – not only so you are more familiar with who it is that may be coming to service your leather repair, but also to gain an insight into why they became Leather Doctors and what they love about their jobs.
The first instalment is with Brett and Angela Archer.
The Archers own the Geelong and Werribee Leather Doctor territories.
Here’s what they said when we asked them a few quick questions:
1. What made you decide to become a Leather Doctor?
What we like about The Leather Doctor, is that they are a tried and truly successful international brand. We believe, like us, they have strong values and have fostered an open and honest culture with franchisees, suppliers and customers alike. We were looking for a business that would assist our family in achieving our goals. A business that has all the aforementioned attributes and one that is also interested in growing and adding value. It also come down to timing, as we were looking to take a leap of faith. There is also the timing of The Leather Doctor expanding into our home town of Geelong and being in a financial position to consider this. It was also time for me (Brett) to move on from the corporate sector and for Angela to leave her long and successful career in the Airforce. Since coming on to manage the Geelong territory, we have also invested in the Werribee territory.
2. What do you love about your work?
Every day is different. We also love the fact that we are able to bring a smile to our customer’s faces when we breathe life back into something that was almost out of breath.
3. What’s the toughest repair job you’ve completed as a Leather Doctor?
There are two that come to mind…
1- A chesterfield that had been very badly damaged by a dog. The customer was unable to afford to re-upholster it, so Angela developed a “Patch cover” that looked great.
2 – An aniline sofa with rolled arms, where someone had pushed them in and damaged the structure. As they were rounded we were unable to do the normal arm repair so we skinned the chair, build a rib cage out of MDF to cover the damaged area and then replaced the leather.
Both jobs required a creative approach, and whilst they were challenging, we loved seeing the end result!
4. Tell us an interesting fact about yourself?
Angela loves projects and making things like costumes and crochet – which works well with the creative side of this job.
I (Brett) am a music buff and have a guitar collection – at the moment, the collection is made up of about 12 guitars.
5. Describe your ideal weekend?
Angela – Sleep in, relax on the couch, catch up with friends.
Brett – early to the gym, get on the motor bike and ride to a motor sport event somewhere or head off to somewhere and throw in a line.