25+ years building businesses, selling to C-Suite executives, and learning — sometimes expensively — what franchise ownership really demands.
I spent over 25 years in business development — selling complex technology solutions to C-Level executives, building sales teams at startups, and finding creative solutions to hard business problems for organizations of every size. I was good at it. I was also, for a long time, someone else's employee.
Like a lot of people who reach that point in a career, I wanted something of my own. Business ownership has a pull that's hard to explain to people who haven't felt it. The franchise model seemed like a logical path — a proven system, an established brand, a support structure. The brochures are compelling.
I invested in two franchise models. I did what most buyers do: attended Discovery Days, made validation calls, reviewed the FDDs (though perhaps not thoroughly enough), and listened to the people who had every incentive to keep me excited and moving forward.
I exited both. I was fortunate — I got out without catastrophic financial damage. But the time cost was real, and the lessons were expensive.
What I found, sitting in Discovery Day rooms and talking to other prospective franchisees, was that most of them were smart, capable, motivated people who had never owned a business before. They didn't know what they didn't know. The franchise sales process — by design — doesn't fill those gaps. It fills them with enthusiasm.
I started this because I kept thinking: someone should have this conversation with people before they sign. Not a lawyer reviewing an FDD. Not a broker steering toward a commission. Not a franchisor rep whose job is to close. Someone who has actually been through it — the due diligence, the signing, the ramp-up, the daily reality, and the exit — with no financial stake in your decision.
That's what I offer. One focused session. One hour of prep before we meet. No agenda beyond making sure you have the complete picture.
The decision is always yours. My job is to make sure it's a fully informed one.
I am not a franchise attorney and this is not legal advice. I am not a CPA and this is not financial advice. I don't recommend alternative franchise opportunities — I'm not a broker and I don't receive any referral compensation from any franchisor or related party. I don't sell coaching packages. Your contact information is never shared or sold to anyone.
FranchiseInsight.net is funded by session fees. That's it. No sponsors. No conflicts.