Donnie McMillan Jr. has established himself as a distinctive business leader with an approach that has propelled DaBella to significant growth across 22 states with 57 locations. “I’m actually more of an introvert,” he explains in his interview, offering insight into a leadership style that prioritizes systems and people development over personal visibility.
McMillan’s journey to founding DaBella began with responsibility to his team. When his previous employer closed, former colleagues asked him, “What are we going to do?” Initially, McMillan considered a different path, stating, “I’m gonna become a bartender.” However, recognizing the needs of his team, he took on the challenge of creating a new company.
“I started with 12 people that were remnants of the former company. They all needed a place to go,” McMillan explains. This sense of responsibility to others formed the foundation for DaBella’s creation in 2011, coinciding with the birth of his twins, David and Isabella, whose names would inspire the company’s identity.
Donne McMillan Jr. developed a leadership philosophy centered on empowering others. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t say the secret of the growth of the company is hiring and growing phenomenal people in the leadership to make the same look, act and walk the way it needs to,” he states, highlighting his focus on team development rather than personal prominence.
This approach was influenced by his study of leadership principles, particularly the work of John C. Maxwell. “About 20 plus years ago I got myself in trouble working for the other company. As a young manager, I was given a book by John C. Maxwell, the “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” McMillan shares. “I became a student of the philosophy of how to teach leadership and teamwork in very simple terms.”
These leadership principles helped McMillan develop a management style that leverages his strengths while building a strong organizational structure. Rather than positioning himself as the central figure, he focuses on creating systems and developing leaders throughout the organization.
The company’s core values—Lead, Care, Grow—reflect McMillan’s emphasis on people development. “We spend a lot of time on leadership development and teamwork,” he explains. “Roughly, you know, an average employee is getting about two hours a week in some sort of self-growth, teamwork, or leadership deal.”
As an introvert leading a large organization, McMillan has developed strategies to balance personal tendencies with leadership responsibilities. “I can’t handle people trying to surround me and talk to me. It drives me actually bonkers. So I try to hide,” he admits candidly. Yet he adds, “At the same time I love going to those things, because when people come up and it’s not me, it’s the team, it’s the company.”
This team-centered perspective defines McMillan’s leadership approach. “It’s only because the people who work here that decide to make this a home and their communities they come from and what they want to do in those communities,” he emphasizes. “It always cracks me up when people start going to talk about the leadership and the owner or founder…they’re not the ones carrying all the weight of the world on them. It’s the day-to-day people that are actually getting that done.”
The Qualified Remodeler profile captures McMillan’s leadership philosophy through DaBella’s motto: “We lead. We care. We grow.” These principles have guided the company’s expansion while allowing McMillan to lead effectively despite his preference for staying behind the scenes.
McMillan’s leadership emphasizes systems and processes that enable others to succeed. “The more systems we’ve had in place, the faster we’ve been able to grow,” he explains in the Qualified Remodeler profile. These systems create a framework where employees can thrive with appropriate guidance and support.
A distinguishing aspect of McMillan’s leadership is his measure of success. Rather than focusing primarily on financial metrics, he tracks “how many people make over a hundred thousand dollars a year,” seeing employees’ financial success as a key indicator of the company’s impact.
McMillan has built an organization where, as he puts it, “It doesn’t matter where you start. It matters where you finish.” This philosophy has driven DaBella’s growth while transforming the lives of employees who have grown with the company—including 5 of the original 12 who remain with DaBella today.
His management style reflects the importance of listening and valuing diverse viewpoints. “All my C-suite directors, and everybody knows that their voice matters,” McMillan states. “And if I’m not talking to you, that’s probably a problem. But for the most part that’s how strategy works.” This approach creates a leadership culture where open dialogue is encouraged and valued.
McMillan’s leadership demonstrates that effective management doesn’t always conform to traditional stereotypes. His thoughtful, people-focused approach has created a corporate culture that empowers others while building a successful enterprise. His commitment to developing leaders throughout the organization ensures that DaBella’s values and vision extend beyond any single individual—even its founder.
As McMillan continues to guide DaBella toward his goal of nationwide presence, his story provides valuable insights into how a distinctive leadership approach focused on people development, systems, and shared decision-making can build a thriving organization that changes lives.