Five decades ago, Peter Cancro was your average 14-year-old wrapping sandwiches after school at his local eatery, Mike's Subs. Today, he's the billionaire CEO of Jersey Mike's Subs — but he still gets his hands dirty every now and then. At age 17, the New Jersey native had worked at Mike's Subs for a few years when he discovered the owner was looking to sell. He still slices deli meats and gets face-time with employees "every time I'm in a store," he said at the conference. The ability to be personable is a green-flag trait that good bosses tend to share, workplace culture expert Bonnie Low-Kramen told CNBC Make It last year.

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Persons: Peter Cancro, Cancro, Peter, Rod Smith, Bonnie Low, Kramen, It's Organizations: Subs, Blackstone, Jersey, Conference, Bloomberg, CNBC, Workers, Gallup Locations: Jersey, U.S, New York, Jersey Shore, New Jersey