I’ve mentioned many times that, before becoming a franchisee, I spent more than 20 years as a corporate executive. By many people’s definition, I achieved success in that arena. I advanced steadily through the corporate ranks to lead departments with dozens and even hundreds of employees. I earned an excellent income and had good benefits. My family enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle and traveled the world. So why did I leave it all and choose franchising?
Empowerment.
As a corporate executive, I always answered to someone. Even if I had climbed all the way to CEO, I would still have answered to the board – who in turn answered to the shareholders. That meant someone always had the option to second-guess my decisions or to dictate what I should do. My department was never really mine.
I also had little control over my schedule. My family had to move, sometimes to other countries, every 2-3 years for the next executive assignment. If the company wanted me to travel, I traveled, regardless of whether the timing was convenient. I worked long hours and got limited time with my wife Lauri and our two young children.
How I Went from Employee to Empowered
All that changed when Lauri and I chose franchising. Although I ran my franchises as a side hustle for a few years while they were launching, it wasn’t the heavy burden you might expect. My day job involved helping to lead a small company. I could keep fairly regular hours and didn’t have to travel often. Compared to the work of leading a high-profile department at a Fortune 50 company, it was straightforward – especially once I hired a great franchise manager to help.
And once I transitioned to full-time franchise ownership about 5 years ago, well, it wasn’t even full time. As an executive franchise owner and area developer, I was able to earn a comfortable income while putting in around 10 hours of work each week. The load was so light that I actually started looking for something else to do. That’s when I started my consulting business – and chose the name The Empowered Franchisee.
Empowerment (noun): The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life.
Oxford English DictionaryI didn’t hit on the name right away. But I knew the idea I wanted to convey. I thought back over what franchising had done for me and my family. As a franchisee, I had more time with my wife and kids. I could work when and where I wanted. No one second-guessed my decisions or told me how much money I could earn. For the first time in my career, I felt…empowered. And I wanted to give others the opportunity to feel the same way.
What Empowerment Means to Me
For me, empowerment is about freedom to make every decision according to my own knowledge and priorities and to be my fullest, strongest self. I don’t regret my years as a corporate executive or resent anything about them. I learned a lot about business, about leadership, and about the person I did and didn’t want to be. But if I had stayed in the corporate world, I never would have been able to use what I learned for the full benefit of myself and my family.
The decision to choose franchising was a decision to choose myself and my family over a company. As an executive franchisee, I can still provide for our future while also ensuring that I’m actually around to enjoy that future. I have more time to exercise and to eat well. Because I have more opportunity to pursue my hobbies, like woodworking and sailing, I’m happier and more satisfied with life. Franchising and consulting also keep me more engaged, so I stay sharp mentally and feel more purposeful.
No matter which way I look at my life, I can see that it’s better because of franchising.
What Empowerment Is Not
Before I close, I want to offer a caution. When you choose franchising, you choose empowerment – but that does not mean you choose isolation. In our culture, we often equate business ownership with lone-wolf entrepreneurship. Franchising is a better model, where you have freedom to make your own decisions but also support to be successful.
I also encourage all my married candidates to remember: it’s nearly impossible for you to be truly empowered if your spouse is not. Marriage is a joint endeavor, and franchising should be, too. Even if your spouse will not be involved in the business itself, they need to be on board with the decision. Franchisors typically want to meet married couples together and ensure that they’re in agreement. You’ll need to be able to lean on your spouse for support – mentally, logistically, and possibly financially – during the franchise launch period. And if your spouse is business-savvy and interested in franchising, you might be even more successful running your business together (especially if their skills balance yours).
Do you want more empowerment in your life? Lauri and I can help. Book a call with one of us today to talk through whether it makes sense for us to work together. We like nothing better than to help others achieve the empowerment that’s changed our own lives.
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