Unpredicted Entrepreneur

"As a business owner, you have to be willing to invest in yourself. We have budget and line items for social media, marketing, office supplies, for our lawyers, and different things, but we don't necessarily have a budget for our clothes and how we show up. You might have logo-branded material, okay, great, but how are you going to differentiate yourself, and how is that going to make you stand out from your competitors?" Most new franchisees are prepared to budget for marketing, staff, and operations, but rarely do they think of personal presentation as part of the business strategy. This perspective reframes how your appearance is part of your brand equity. Franchisees often rely on the brand’s name or logo to build credibility, but Elisa’s insight says that’s not enough. What sets you apart isn’t just your signage or uniform; it’s how you present yourself as the face of your local business. This draws attention to something often overlooked: you are a walking representation of the brand. In a competitive market, every edge counts. Elisa’s message reminds us that standing out isn’t just about your business's features and benefits; it’s about how you show up. Confidence, professionalism, and consistency in your appearance can influence trust, loyalty, and even sales.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Using your wardrobe to be fun, authentic, and memorable ◈ Tips for building a wardrobe capsule that fits your lifestyle◈ Transitioning your wardrobe: from corporate employee to business owner

"As an emerging brand and a relatively new business (I started the company in 2021), it's been incredibly valuable to partner with franchisees who bring such diverse experience and expertise from their respective backgrounds. One of the things I love most is the collaboration. We work closely together, and I’ve learned so much from them. It’s also been fascinating to connect with people from all over the country, each with different life experiences. That diversity has enriched the journey."For clients who are creative, entrepreneurial, or eager to influence a brand’s growth, emerging franchise systems like this one can be especially appealing.They offer a unique advantage: the chance to help shape the brand’s future, not just follow a preset playbook. Unlike mature systems where everything is firmly established, newer brands foster a more collaborative environment. Franchisees are not just operators; they’re contributors whose ideas and experiences play an active role in how the business evolves.It’s the ideal fit for those who want the structure of a proven system but are also excited by the opportunity to build, innovate, and grow alongside a like-minded, engaged community.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ From stay-at-home mom to becoming a franchisor◈ The value of working with people you like, trust, and respect◈ The culture of an emerging franchise brand

“A lot of people go into franchising thinking there's the corporate structure of who you're franchising with, which is true and it's great, and franchising is a great model, but you still have this one problem you forget you have to deal with. It's called people. People are not easy. There's not a book that tells you exactly how to respond to every person, every day, every scenario. The biggest challenge I see is owners, franchisees, and entrepreneurs doing the same thing. I can do this. I'm a people expert. I can manage it all. I know how to do bookkeeping and finance and accounting and marketing and supply chain, and HR, and I'm great at all of it. The reality is you're not, and it's okay not to be.”Many people assume that franchising’s structure and support take most of the complexity off the table. But here’s the reality: even with a strong brand and proven systems, you’re still managing people—and that’s never simple.You don’t have to be great at everything. Franchise ownership isn’t about doing it all—it’s about knowing when to lean on others.Shifting from a “do-it-all” mindset to “build-the-right-team” can be the key to avoiding burnout, staying out of trouble, and setting yourself up for long-term success.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ The beauty of “fractional” HR expertise◈ What’s the difference between a contractor and a W-2 employee?◈ Why it makes sense to bring in HR before you have an issue

“We're so different. If you built us from the ground up right now, you couldn't make us any more different than we are. Yet, we make great business partners because we have a common goal. One of the things that I always try to coach people on, when I'm talking to them about leaving corporate America and considering owning a business, is their WHY. It seems kind of trite, but it is about the WHY. What are you trying to get to? What is your bigger goal, and what are your values? That's how we tried to approach deciding on a business when we worked with you. You gave us four wildly different opportunities to look at through FranNet, which I thought was pretty amazing. I was like, ‘man, you couldn't have made these any more different if you built 'em from the ground up.’ But then, we made our decision based on what aligns with our values and what aligns with where we are going. It wasn't only about what Greg's good at or what I'm good at, or what he's passionate about, or what I'm passionate about. It was more about what serves the bigger goal for us as a family and the legacy we want to build.If your WHY isn’t big enough, business ownership likely won’t happen for you. Passion and skill only take you so far—you need a reason that keeps you going when things get hard. Greg and Gayle chose their business not solely based on interests, but on what aligned with their values and the legacy they want to build. That clarity gave them direction and staying power. If you’re exploring franchise ownership, start with your WHY. Without it, you risk building someone else’s dream in your next job, instead of owning a business that fuels your life.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Working through the start-up phase when it’s slower than you’d like◈ There’s more to owning a business than simply replacing a paycheck◈ How important it is to have a strong WHY when considering business ownership

“Our investment is $59,500.00. That’s for a 10-year franchise agreement. It gives you the rights to market anywhere in the U.S. Our franchisees are allowed to have 200 protected businesses at any one time in our CRM system, so that way they're protected. No other franchisee can target those prospects. Two hundred prospects will take you a few months to work through. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it is a lot. The way we operate with clients is that we share in the savings 50/50. For every thousand dollars we save a client, they keep the first five hundred, then we invoice them five hundred. Our contracts provide an option for a business to engage with us for 36 months or 60 months. The key difference is with the 36 months, which is three-years of recurring revenue for a franchisee every month for the next 36 months, (I call it our base model contract), where we go in, we negotiate, we get the best prices because of our benchmark data, our back office, and our centralized system.We know at any point what a client should be paying for a particular service or good. Our second pricing option is 60 months. This is what I loved about P3 when I got involved. If you sign up a client, you want to keep that recurring revenue coming in for as long as you can. With our 60-month option, we monitor the invoices and contract compliance over that period, and we're still sharing in the savings 50/50. That doesn't change. Some clients prefer us to be in and out pretty quickly. They just want the savings and that's it. 85% of our clients opt for 60 months because, once they see what we do and the monitoring and what's involved in the heavy lifting, they're happy for us to continue to be involved with their business.We've got some clients who’ve signed up for another 60 months after the initial 60-month period expires. They see the value. So our model's based on lowering cost over a period of time.“This franchise model offers a rare blend of low startup investment and long-term recurring revenue. For just $59,500, franchisees gain nationwide marketing rights and exclusive access to 200 protected prospects, which gives them a focused, manageable pipeline with no overlap or internal competition.What truly sets this apart is the performance-based, recurring revenue model:Franchisees earn 50% of all verified client savings, creating a built-in incentive to deliver results.36 or 60-month contracts create a steady monthly income stream.85% of clients opt for the longer 60-month term, showing high satisfaction and trust in the ongoing value provided.Renewal beyond 60 months is common, compounding long-term earnings.The franchise provides centralized pricing intelligence and negotiation support, enabling franchisees to deliver expert-level value without needing deep industry knowledge.Unlike traditional franchises with inventory, leases, or large teams, this lean, service-based model scales with clients, not overhead. It’s ideal for those seeking a professional, executive model with strong income potential and meaningful client impact.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Scaling a consulting business vs. a brick-and-mortar business◈ How things out of your control can affect your business - like the weather◈ A service-based, low-cost, recurring-revenue business model

“I like to give everyone a checklist of the basics of marketing. I think you should have a one-liner. You should know how to talk about your business in a way that makes people shut up and listen. Everyone wears a sign that says, ‘Make me feel special.’ Rather than cramming your brand down someone's throat, talk about the problems that your company solves on behalf of your clients and make sure that they can understand the benefit of what it looks like to work with you. That leads to the next element, which is a really great website. If your website is clear, then people will understand what you do, and they’ll be interested in taking action. But a website has to be well optimized, and it has to have a clear call to action.“Amber helps demystify marketing and offers a clear, practical starting point. She breaks marketing down into manageable, foundational elements: knowing how to talk about your business, connecting emotionally with your audience, and having a website that converts. As the business owner, this shifts the focus from “promoting” your business to connecting, which can be more appealing for owners who want to build genuine trust and traction early on.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ The importance of a tailored marketing plan ◈ Understanding the difference between doing your marketing yourself, hiring it out, or a hybrid model◈ There’s always work to do when it comes to marketing, even with well-established brands

“We’re continuing to open up studios of our own. We just opened up a studio in Indianapolis that's ours. We're opening up a second one in Indianapolis this year. Courtney and Dustin, our first franchisees to sign on, opened their second studio the day after we opened our studio in Indianapolis. It was a great learning process and so much fun to go through this process shoulder to shoulder with them. We're constantly growing and modifying things to provide better support for our franchisees. This affects us too, because we're opening and operating studios along with our franchisees. We’re experimenting so that our franchisees don't have to, and implementing new programs and new marketing to understand how it's working. And then we can go to our franchisees and say, ‘Okay, cool, here's a new thing, and you should implement it for these reasons.’ It's important for us to have our team operating studios so we have firsthand knowledge as we go through these processes with our franchisees.“This shows a real alignment between franchisor and franchisee. When franchises actively run their own locations, they aren’t just selling a concept, they’re in the trenches with you. That means every strategy, update, or innovation they roll out has been tested on their own dime first. Opening studios side-by-side with franchisees creates real-time learning and support. It’s a collaborative, “we’re-in-this-together” environment. It also means the franchisor is constantly improving systems based on real experience, not theory.Because they’re operating their own units, they can experiment, refine, and then confidently share what works. This allows franchisees to focus on execution, not trial-and-error, so there’s faster innovation with less risk. We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ What it takes to support the emotional leap from employee to business owner ◈ Why owning a business is not a passive investment◈ Partnering with a franchise that has its feet on the street with its franchisees

“For almost two years, I had this constant back and forth of not feeling fulfilled. I didn't necessarily feel as happy as I once was growing my career in the corporate world. But then I had this other side of me thinking I had nothing to complain about. I had a fairly senior position. I was very well compensated. Then I'd say to myself, ‘Shut up, dummy. Tons of people would love to have your job.’ I was the primary breadwinner. I'm not right now, but I was the primary breadwinner for my wife and three daughters. And I would think to myself that I had nothing to complain about. Then I'd be happy again for a couple of days, and then I'd have a crummy day at work or something, and I'd go back to being unfulfilled and unhappy. This went on for a couple of years. I’m a man of faith and I kept having these signs. I felt like it was the big man upstairs telling me, ‘this is the time’, but it's just really, really hard to leave. There’s a saying about the golden handcuffs.“For those who know deep down they want more but feel stuck, franchising can be the bridge to both financial stability and personal fulfillment.Many high-achievers wrestle with feeling unfulfilled while knowing they “should” be grateful. There can be an emotional tug-of-war between security and purpose.Leaving a well-paying job is daunting, especially when supporting a family. There are real-life stakes many professionals face when considering entrepreneurship.The fear of walking away from financial stability is real, but so is the opportunity to regain control, purpose, and happiness through business ownership.For those who feel called to something bigger, this validates the idea that sometimes, the right moment to leap presents itself - you just have to listen.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Needs-based businesses tend to be recession-resilient◈ Fact - you don’t need industry experience when buying a franchise (most of the time)◈ The process and emotional toll of escaping the golden handcuffs 

“I think our biggest aha moment was when we were trying to figure out the right profile of candidates to join HOMEstretch. For us, it ultimately boiled down to the people themselves. Part of what we wanted to do at the outset was create a really dynamic culture where everybody believed in our mission of becoming the national leader in the home preparation space, and we got people in the door who truly wanted to create big businesses. I think that's what’s unique about HOMEstretch. It's a really good opportunity for somebody who wants to be an entrepreneur with the guardrails and the processes that we provide. Our business is a little bit different from some other opportunities. We're not asking our franchisees to spend a ton of money on marketing to kind of sit back and wait for the leads to come in. Our franchisees are going out to market, developing true relationships with real estate agents and referral sources, and building a moat around this business that will carry over for years. So getting the right people who wanted to roll up their sleeves and build a business that way and grow an empire was probably the biggest lesson we learned early. This really helped us hone in our candidate profile to get those types of people through the door.” Franchising is a two-way street—not only do candidates choose a business, but franchisors also seek the right franchisees. This franchise isn’t for passive owners; it’s for driven entrepreneurs who align with its mission, actively build relationships, and take charge of growth. The vetting process ensures that franchisees fit the culture and long-term vision, not just the business model. We guide our clients to find opportunities that not only meet their income and lifestyle goals but also align with their values and work style.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ An example of a successful partnership and why it works ◈ Focusing on solutions rather than the problems ◈ The difference in having a big marketing spend vs. community involvement to develop business  

“It is so long. But it was sure worth it. It's similar to taking a personality test where you’re trying to figure out what will work. Initially, I thought I would have to do something in insurance. That's what I have a background in. And then you said something to the effect that my new business may not be something I’ve done before. So, I thought ‘ok go big or go home! Let's see what the test questions and assessments will come up with.’” Many clients assume they should stay in their current industry when exploring business ownership, but that’s a common misconception. That’s why we use tools like our Entrepreneur Profile and take the time to build a business model with you. We dive deep into your goals, strengths, lifestyle preferences, and what you truly enjoy. Our matchmaking process is thorough—it takes time and commitment because investing in a business isn’t a decision to rush. The goal is to reach a clear yes or no. If it’s a no, it’s an informed decision. If it’s a yes, you can move forward with confidence, knowing you’ve done your due diligence.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ The importance of being flexible when you’re coming out of corporate America and starting your own business◈ How to properly plan for a transition from being an employee to becoming an entrepreneur◈ Transferrable skill sets can lead to new and exciting opportunities

“Talk to other business owners in your area to learn about permitting and their experiences. Understand your local fire code requirements and ADA regulations, as these vary by state. If you're in a hurricane-prone area like I am, you may need extra insurance coverage. I also planned for at least six extra months of operating capital. Get involved in local groups like the Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce to network with other business owners. Another valuable resource is the Small Business Development Center, which provides market research. They helped me understand the competition in areas like painting, blinds, and automotive services in Galveston. They have access to detailed sales data, giving great insight into the local market.” Starting a new business, even with a franchise, comes with challenges. The more groundwork you lay, the better prepared you’ll be for success. While franchisors and fellow franchisees offer valuable support, it’s also essential to get involved in your local community.Erich’s tips highlight the power of thorough research and community engagement. By networking with local business owners, understanding regulatory requirements, and utilizing resources like the Small Business Development Center, future entrepreneurs can gain market insights, reduce risk, and plan for success. These strategies emphasize a proactive, well-rounded approach to business ownership. Building a strong foundation through knowledge and networking is much more than just a good idea.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Mitigating risk by keeping your job IF you have flexibility◈ Why exceptional training trumps the need for industry experience◈ The importance of networking and community involvement when you’re opening a new business

“What I love to share is that high success in franchising only happens when you pick the right business. Do the self-introspection first. Do the modeling. Very few people have purchased a business before. They don't know all the different things they need to consider. We take them through 10 to 14 different criteria. We look at their skill sets and seek to understand the transferable skills they enjoy. What are the things they don't like to do? And then we look at multiple businesses. You shouldn't look at only one business, you should learn from several businesses simultaneously. The first step is creating a business model with the client’s criteria. Think back to when you were dating, when you were looking for that life partner, did you not have ideal specifications? There are ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves’. A franchise is a business marriage. You're signing on for five, ten years, or longer, so you want to make sure that the must-have criteria are there and a lot of the nice-to-have criteria are there - and what must not be there. This is where roles like what you do and what I do help. We shine the light in the dark corners of the room where the prospects aren't even thinking of looking. So, good, bad, or indifferent, they have to square off with it.” Finding the right franchise or business requires a structured, thoughtful approach. Rather than impulsively choosing a familiar brand, candidates should reflect on their transferable skills, preferences, and non-negotiables to ensure a strong long-term fit. After all, a franchise is a "business marriage" that demands alignment for lasting success.Partnering with an expert provides personalized guidance to uncover commonly overlooked factors in the decision-making process. By addressing these critical considerations, we empower candidates to make informed choices and set the foundation for long-term success.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ The importance of finding the “right” franchise◈ What sets top performers apart in franchising◈ A few things you shouldn’t do to be successful

“Every moment of my life, from being a practicing lawyer to coming here and working in a gas station where I was breaking down boxes, cleaning and stocking the shelves, I was never bummed out. I knew this was a learning opportunity for me. I learned about the community and building customer relationships. I also learned the details of working hard. Every moment presented to you in your life - get something out of it. Your many experiences will add up to help you become who you want to be and get to where you want to be. ” Attitude is key. Andy’s growth mindset shows that every experience, no matter how small, builds valuable skills. Aspiring business owners should embrace their journey, knowing that each step and skill learned contributes to long-term success.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Impacting your community through a business◈ Investing in your people and building teams ◈ Recognizing opportunities

“During that time, we didn't just build out Massage Envy. The free cash flow allowed us to make other real estate and private equity investments. I firmly believe that a business is a vehicle to help you generate other income-producing assets. Some people aim to simply replace working for the man by running their own business. I get that. The reality is you can do so much more when you build a business, and by diversifying and getting other income-producing assets with it as well.” Investing in the right business is about more than replacing a job - it’s an opportunity to build wealth and diversify your finances. Entrepreneurship holds transformative potential, turning a single venture into a lasting foundation for true financial independence.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Creating a list of specific financial goals◈ There is always some level of fear when venturing into a new franchise endeavor◈ Being a leader people want to work for

“After 25 years of working for some pretty big global corporations, you’re working for a business, but they're more like institutions than they are businesses. It sometimes feels like you're dealing with a lot of conceptual aspects of how this giant machine operates, and you're pretty far away from seeing the value it creates for individual consumers. In the case of a small business like this, it's all about the business and the value it creates for its customers. An example is when we recently installed a ramp for an elderly couple. The husband was blind and he couldn't get out on his front stoop. We installed a small platform and a ramp with rails on it. Now he can carefully go out and know that he always has something to hold onto. He feels safe getting out of his house.We frequently have people tell us that once we install a ramp, they can now do essential things like seeing their doctor - important tasks they've had to limit in their lives. We’ve now made those opportunities accessible to them again.” Many of our clients aspire to make an impact through their new business - serving their community and creating positive change. The way each person defines "impact" is unique, reflecting their personal values and goals. Our role is to understand what you're looking to achieve and to present you with options that align with your vision.This isn’t about scrolling through businesses that seem interesting or match your experience; it’s about finding the perfect fit. For example, Dave’s journey to small business ownership was a complete transformation from his corporate career. Finding the right opportunity often involves exploring, comparing, and refining your choices.When you work with us, you’ll gain insights about yourself, and we’ll use those insights to guide the process. Together, we’ll discover the right path forward.We cover many current and relevant topics. A few include:◈ Understanding your franchise agreement ◈ Making an impact through your business◈ How to scale your business