CHOOSING THE RIGHT FRANCHISE
STARTS WITH TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS.

BUSINESS OWNERSHIP
AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Americans are a uniquely wonderful people. We are hard  working, creative, and independent. We strive to achieve the American Dream—professional success, a family, a house, and a better quality of life than our parents. A large part of the American Dream is being your own boss. In fact, over two-thirds of Americans believe that entrepreneurship and business ownership are fundamental parts of the American Dream. If you are reading this book, you are almost certainly part of that group. Yet only about 15 percent of us become business owners.

What accounts for the disparity between our dreams and realities? There are numerous factors that conspire to keep you tethered to working for others, eschewing your dreams.

First, while the majority of us want to be our own bosses, many of us lack the compelling idea for a business. In many cases, even if we do possess an exciting idea, we lack the business acumen and capability to create a turnkey system that can ensure success. There is good news. Franchising can provide you the brand, business model, and the support to facilitate success as a business owner.

The second reason we fail to follow our dreams is that we are afraid. Fear expands when we venture outside of our comfort zones. Fear can cause you to lose sight of what is important to you and what you want to achieve. Good news: Franchising provides a clear process to overcome your fears, launch a business, and realize your dreams.

That is what this book is about. On the following pages, you will be introduced to the world of franchising, and provided the tools to navigate the inevitable emotional challenges of starting a business.

The seminal truth in franchise selection is to follow the process. It sounds simple, but in truth it is hard. People can become enamored with a shiny, faddy new brand that makes no sense for them, and shun a great concept fit too quickly. Be patient. The process works!

If you join a franchise, you will experience a change. Change is difficult because people exaggerate the importance of what they have or are already doing. We become attached to things we have and that, once again, makes them more valuable to us.

Survey after survey shows that most careers are defined by low levels of satisfaction. When we accept less than is possible, we wallow in mediocrity. You can have a great career and a great life. You just need to choose great over middling or good enough. Change takes effort and has risk. Again, do not let good or okay mute your drive and catalyst to change. Do not let fear limit you.

You can break the pattern and live the life you have imagined. You can be your own boss. It starts with courage and an open mind. I help people do it every single day.

You deserve to be inspired, fulfilled, and full of passion. I am not talking about being satisfied or happy. You can go to a job, finish a project and feel happy or relieved. That is transitory. Harry Chapin, the great singer-songwriter, tells a story about his grandfather that elucidates this point. Relating the story from his grandfather, Chapin said,

“Harry, there are two kinds of tired: there’s good tired, and there’s bad tired. Ironically enough, bad tired can be a day that you won. But you won other people’s battles; you lived other people’s days, other people’s agendas, other people’s dreams. And when it’s all over, there was very little you in there. And when you hit the hay at night, somehow you toss and turn; you don’t settle easy.”

He said, “Good tired, ironically enough, can be a day that you lost. But you don’t even have to tell yourself because you knew you fought your battles, you chased your dreams, you lived your days, and when you hit the hay at night, you settle easy—you sleep the sleep of the just, and you can say ‘take me away.’” He said, “Harry, all my life I’ve wanted to be a painter and I’ve painted; God, I would’ve loved to be more successful, but I painted and I painted and I’m good tired and they can take me away.”

When I launched my consulting business, I did not do a lot of winning. In fact, for the first time in my professional career, I was getting my butt kicked every single day. I had a lot to learn and was drinking from a fire hose.

But I felt invigorated and deeply motivated. Every night I was satisfied. Every morning I was excited. I fought to learn more. I fought to grow. I fought to succeed. I was in the battle.

I was the man in the arena Teddy Roosevelt was speaking about. “It is not the critic who counts. … The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly … who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

That was me! I was in the battle! Win or lose, I loved it!

For the first time in my life, success was on my terms, and I reached the level of contentment and happiness I always wanted!

I learned my “why” and found my passion.

Now I want to help you find yours. I want to help you get your mojo back. I want to help you live your best life.