My Story (Marty Greenbaum’s Story)

As I look back on my career I have come to realize that it has been one filled with helping others achieve their goals as I conquered mine. As a top franchise consultant and member of The Perfect Franchise, I am proud to bring my experience and professionalism to one of the most dynamic organizations in franchising. As a business owner the majority of my career, I have been fortunate to grow two successful marketing agencies and helped hundreds of business owners in achieving their dreams. As a senior franchise consultant and Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), I am able to leverage over 30 years of business and franchise experience to assist my clients in making intelligent, fact-based solutions to help them reach their lifestyle and financial goals. At this point in my career, I am blessed to be in the position to have a positive impact on others and help them create security for themselves and their family. With that being said, the path that I took to get here was not an easy one but it was extremely worthwhile. I firmly believe that life and destiny will lead you down a path but you have a choice to be intentional and choose your path. I have made many hard choices in my life, and the sum of those choices lead me to security, happiness, and fulfillment. I wish that for everyone. Now here’s my story…

In the Greenbaum family, becoming an entrepreneur was the career path of choice for generations. I was exposed to entrepreneurship at an early age, experiencing the work ethic of my grandfather who built a large specialty printing outfit in downtown Chicago. He started off as an employee, eventually bought out the owner, and scaled the business to serve accounts to include General Mills. My father, a decorated Marine that fought in the Korean War, followed in his fathers footsteps and launched a number of successful businesses. He helped people get retrained for automation in factories, owned home service franchises, was a partner in a motorcycle shop, and launched the business opportunity concept which became the predecessor of PostNet International Franchising. It was great to have a front row seat to the courage and determination it takes to thrive in business. He was fearless, talented, and amazing with people, skills I’ve worked my whole career to emulate.

My first taste of being an entrepreneur was at age 12 when I started a very lucrative snow shoveling business. I grew my business to have over a dozen clients and I would pray for snow throughout the winter. Lucky for me, there were a few blizzards that hit Chicagoland hard and I recall making $300 in one day. My first real job was working in a “chicken & rib joint” as a cook when I was 16. The free food was great, but I’ll never forget the smell of grease in my clothes when I got home. The job I hated the most in my youth was being the trench digger, helping my brother Rick (the installer), in the Rainsoft Water Conditioning franchise our father owned. Looking back, I realize that the hard jobs taught me more than the easy ones. One thing I learned early on was “grit”, never to give up, especially when it’s hard.

Fast forward to my college experience at UNLV, when the “Running Rebels” were in their heyday. At the time, UNLV was the second best hotel college in the country and working for hotels around the world was incredibly enticing. I earned a bachelors in Hotel Administration from UNLV, worked at the Golden Nugget for 3 months, and quit the hotel industry forever. While I was finishing my college career, my father and his close buddy launched a business opportunity developing independent postal and business centers. It didn’t take me long to join my father and three brothers in what became PostNet International, a highly successful global franchise. 

Over the eight years I was involved in over 500 store openings, serving the company as Director of Operations and then as Director of Marketing. This experience laid the foundation for my career in franchising and gave me a tremendous amount of perspective regarding what it takes to open and operate a business. I also experienced the emotional side of business ownership supporting hundreds of new business owners through the launch process. And as much as this experience has helped me understand the emotions that people new to business ownership experience, it also enables me to understand what a great franchisor has to do and be to provide real “value” to its franchisees.

In 1991, I got the Greenbaum entrepreneurial itch and decided it was time to venture out on my own. As I transitioned from operations to marketing in the family franchise business, I found my true passion – marketing. I left my cushy position and decided to do something I’ve never done before. I had no training, no support, and little knowledge for what it took to succeed. I was young, talented, full of ambition, and launched a strategic marketing and creative agency I named Creative Dynamics. I started my owner-operator business in a 400 sq. ft. office, no employees, and an unwaivering work ethic. Over the years I grew Creative Dynamics into a reputable marketing agency serving Las Vegas resorts, healthcare groups, real estate, game developers, and franchise brands. At a time before social media, I knew that the fastest way to build the Creative Dynamics brand was to become active in my community. After four years serving the American Heart Association (AHA), I was elected Chairman of the Board by my peers. I also was the youngest member to serve on the Business Council of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. I can’t tell you how great it felt to leave the family business and become a success on my own. I never asked for money, never asked for help, overcame the challenges of business ownership and became a better person for it. 

In 1999, the world was experiencing the internet revolution and I was in the middle of it. So much so that I decided to sell my agency and focus my attention on a start-up in the emerging tech industry. It was a risky move, but at the time there were so many people making it big with start-ups. After six months the deal fell apart and I was left with no company, little direction, but a ton of contacts. One of my contacts happened to own the largest radiology group in Las Vegas and was in the process of implementing the latest in cancer detection technologies, the P.E.T. (positron emission tomography) scan through a partnership with a company called Health Imaging Inc. I was introduced to Health Imaging Inc. based in New York and joined them in late 1999, as National Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, developing joint ventures with leading radiology groups to open diagnostic centers that featured P.E.T. scans. It was my responsibility to work with our radiology partners and help them educate local referring physicians of the capabilities of this new technology. I was also instrumental in expanding our reach into radiopharmaceuticals, securing large supply contracts, building our brand, and growing corporate revenues. Unfortunately, the promises the CEO made to me never materialized and I found it impossible to work for someone I no longer trusted.  

It was 2003 and I was attending the International Franchise Expo in Washington, DC at the request of my two brothers that were there to promote PostNet and meet prospective franchisees. The International Franchise Expo is the biggest expos of the year in franchising and truly is an international event. I was walking the show floor, amazed by all the different concepts and the thousands of people looking for that perfect business. There’s an excitement to the event when you get so many like-minded people together in one place for one purpose. While at the show, I was introduced to one of the VP’s of a multi-brand franchisor in the service space and they became my first client and Greenbaum Marketing was born. 

I had gone full circle and was back in the agency business and the franchise business at the same time. It just seemed to make sense and it gave me renewed purpose. Just like any newly launched business we started out slow, made mistakes, learned, and got better. I built a top-notch team, created processes, innovated, and had my sights on being the very best that I can be. To build the Greenbaum Marketing brand I went right to work networking at just about events in franchising, was a speaker, contributed to industry publications, and co-founded franchisor educational seminars. Over the next 15 years, Greenbaum grew an esteemed client base to include many of the most recognized brands in franchising (i.e. Ben & Jerrys, Smoothie King, Hertz, REMAX, Fast Signs, Mienike, Maaco, Famous Dave’s BBQ, Fast Signs, Batteries Plus Bulbs, Molly Maid, Teriyaki Madness, Oxi Fresh, and more). The company was recognized as a premier marketing agency and web developer in franchising, winning top industry awards and helping franchise brands achieve their unit and system growth goals. After years on the road, missing way too much family time I was ready to hang up my marketing hat and start a new adventure. I looking to simplify my life, do away with the travel, and find a new purpose. 

I had run into an old friend of mine in franchising who was selling for a hamburger concept brand that became a franchise consultant. He was excited about his new role and loved the fact that he represented hundreds of brands and not just one. He shared how it made him feel to help someone change the course of their life for the better. He explained how a big part of his role was to coach clients through fear so they can build something greater than themselves while creating security for their family. Best of all, he didn’t have to travel, worked from his home office, and loved the lifestyle he created. 

In October of 2018, I found that thing I want to do for the rest of my life, franchise consulting. Although I had a ton of business and franchise experience, I grossly under-estimated what I was getting myself into on many levels. The amount of learning that I had to do to become a top franchise consultant was much more than I bargained for at this stage in my career. Fortunately it pales in comparison to the level of satisfaction I get in helping people make one of the most important decisions of their life. I have worked with hundreds of clients, most of which are new to franchising and business ownership. They are intelligent, skilled, capable, and willing to set aside their fears to find a better (faster) way to get ahead. They are open to learning, investigating and evaluating the ability of franchising as a means of goal attainment, wealth building, and ultimately family security. They are tired of helping others make money and desire to finally put their goals first. They can’t afford to make a mistake and understand it’s going to require time, money, and effort. I take my role as their franchise consultant seriously and work in their best interests as I help them identify the opportunities that make the most sense for them. My franchise matchmaking and consulting process is ethical, rigorous, thorough, and effective. I love the positive effect I have on people’s lives and can’t think of a more rewarding career. I am truly blessed.

In joining The Perfect Franchise, I am exactly where I was meant to be. Leveraging the expertise of many of the top consultants in franchising, I continue to expand my franchising knowledge, learn brand competencies, monitor industry trends, and serve my clients with the highest possible level of professionalism. 

When I’m not hanging out in my cool office (mancave) making connections, I enjoy the company of my wife of 20+ years and four teenage sons. I try to get out every day to take my golden doodle (Holly) for a walk and get my steps in. We do a good bit of traveling as a family and I also love to play basketball, pickleball, hike, and ride my bike. I consider myself a bit of a “motorhead” owning several classic cars to include a 32 Ford Pickup, 61 Pontiac Star Chief, and a “bad ass” 65 Plymouth Fury. Best of all, I am doing what I love, being with the ones I love, and exactly where I want to be.