I’ve always loved sailing. In my twenties, I spent several months traveling the world as part of a working boat crew. Every year, I help a family member move his boat from winter to summer dock. And almost every summer, our extended family gathers in Maine for quality time on the water.
Sailing can be incredibly peaceful, and when you get out on the open water, you may see amazing things–like a pod of whales cruising with their calves–that most people only get to see in nature documentaries on Netflix. But sailing can also be challenging, especially when a storm blows up.
That’s pretty much where our world is right now: in the middle of a huge storm. It seems to be battering every part of society. The economy is in turmoil, health systems are overwhelmed, and millions of people are either grappling with a dangerous illness or hunkered down trying to avoid it.
In the middle of all this, though, I have inner peace. Call it the calm in the middle of the storm. A lot of that peace comes from knowing that I’m not a passive passenger in the boat. Because I’m a franchise owner, not an employee, my hand is on the wheel. I can’t do anything about the storm itself. I have to lean on faith that it will eventually subside and that we’ll all come out of this stronger for the experience. But when it comes to the economic side of things, I have much less worry than I would if I were working for a corporation.
Empowered to Act
Because I own my own businesses, I get to make the decisions. Do I have to shut down temporarily because of government orders to be “safer at home”? Yes. But because I’ve been captaining the boat, I’ve had the freedom to prepare for crisis in my own way and am entering this period of uncertainty on my own terms. I’m not wondering whether I’ll be furloughed or have to take a pay cut, or whether my job will even exist when things return to normal. I get to decide how to prepare for reopening.
In short, I’m empowered to act. I have the option to draw on my decades of executive experience to do what I know works best in a crisis. I don’t have to sit around waiting for someone else’s decision, or wonder if the higher-ups have prepared for this moment or know what they’re doing. And if I make a mistake, I have the freedom to learn from it and change my course as quickly as I can adjust the sails.
Supported by Collaboration
I also have peace because franchise ownership has given me a huge network of collaborators. My fellow franchise owners are experienced and supportive. They are literally just a phone call away.
When I bought my first franchise, I quickly started connecting with other owners. I like to learn from other people–I always tell my team, “I don’t know what I don’t know.” So I sent emails and made phone calls, asked questions, learned from others’ experiences. As I became the experienced one, other franchise owners in the network began calling me for input. We developed a generous give-and-take.
That kind of network is valuable when things are running smoothly day-to-day. But in a crisis like we’re experiencing now, it’s priceless. I’m independent and empowered, but I’m not alone.
I hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy in the midst of this upheaval. And I hope you’ll see me as a resource–someone who can help you think through how to pilot your ship through the current storm. If you need to bounce ideas off someone, ask some questions, or just bend a listening ear, grab some time on my calendar. I’m just a phone call away.
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