
64. The Intensity Required to Make It to the Top with Sarah Jane Cobb
From Waves Business Coaching by Jacob Karnes
February 24, 2026 · 41 min
About this episode
Sarah Jane Cobb shares her relentless journey to becoming a Chick-fil-A operator, emphasizing the importance of intensity and persistence in achieving one's goals.
Sarah Jane Cobb's path to becoming a Chick-fil-A operator wasn't linear—it was relentless. Starting as a 15-year-old team member working for gas money and a social life, Sarah went on to study broadcast journalism at the University of Tennessee, where she built a successful news career alongside her husband David. After moving to Memphis to be closer to David's family during his father's ALS diagnosis, Sarah made the unexpected decision to leave journalism at 26 and return to Chick-fil-A. She spent a year and a half working for an operator, then two and a half years in the Leadership Development Program before planting herself in Springfield, Tennessee with her husband to build results and apply for restaurants. Today, she operates the Chick-fil-A in Glasgow, Kentucky—a dream she didn't even know she had at 15. Sarah's story is a masterclass in intensity, persistence, and doing whatever it takes to earn the next opportunity, even when "whatever it takes" meant working for free to gain experience. Her advice? Be intense. Be relentless. Make people wonder if you're crazy. Nobody gets anywhere great by being mediocre. Get Jacob’s Book for Free…
People in this episode
Host: Jacob Karnes
Guest: Sarah Jane Cobb
Topics covered
- career development
- persistence
- leadership
- Chick-fil-A
- personal growth
- intensity
Keywords
- Chick-fil-A
- career path
- intensity
- persistence
- leadership development
- personal growth
- broadcast journalism
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Chick-fil-A, University of Tennessee
Places: Memphis, Tennessee, Glasgow, Kentucky
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