25+ years in business development. VP of Franchise Development for an emerging brand. Two franchise investments and exits. Now the unbiased voice you're missing in the process.
I spent over 25 years in business development — selling complex technology solutions to C-Level executives, building sales teams, and finding creative solutions to hard business problems for organizations of every size. I understood sales cycles, decision-making under pressure, and what it takes to close a deal and then deliver on the promise.
Like a lot of people who reach a certain point in a corporate 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, built-in support. 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 — at least the parts that were highlighted for me — and listened to people who had every incentive to keep me excited and moving forward.
I exited both. I was fortunate to get out without catastrophic financial damage. But the time cost was real, and the lessons were expensive.
What I found sitting in those Discovery Day rooms was that most prospective buyers — smart, capable, motivated people — had never owned a business before. They didn't know what they didn't know. The franchise sales process doesn't fill those gaps. It fills them with enthusiasm.
About four years ago I launched FranchiseInsight.net with a simple idea: be the one person in the franchise buying process with no financial stake in the outcome. I had some genuinely valuable conversations with people navigating one of the most significant financial and personal decisions of their lives. I loved every minute of it.
Then an opportunity came along that I couldn't turn down — and that required me to step back.
I joined AcuSpray as VP of Franchise Development. AcuSpray is an emerging drone application technology company bringing precision agriculture to market — a genuinely innovative concept with a complex investment profile. We're talking carrier trailers, two drone platforms, mapping software, and specialized technical training. Not a plug-and-play franchise.
One of the things I was most committed to in that role was setting realistic expectations. Early mornings. Weekends. Scheduling operations around weather windows you can't control. We told every prospect directly: this is tough work. We wanted people who were ready to grind their way to success — not people who'd been sold a dream. No reason to sugar coat it.
I had over 200 conversations with prospective franchisees in that role. And I learned something I already knew from FranchiseInsight: the most valuable thing you can give someone evaluating a franchise investment is an honest, complete picture of what it actually demands — before they sign.
I recognized immediately that running FranchiseInsight while recruiting franchisees for AcuSpray was a conflict I wasn't willing to have. You can't be the unbiased voice for franchise buyers while simultaneously selling franchises for a living. So I stepped back from FranchiseInsight and focused fully on that role.
I recently left AcuSpray and want to wish the entire leadership team nothing but success. They're building something real in a market that needs it.
Stepping away from AcuSpray brought me back to what I'd been thinking about the whole time — the people who sat across from me over the past four years and shared their business goals, their family situations, their hopes and honest fears about what franchise ownership could mean for their futures.
Those conversations mattered. And the need for them hasn't gone away.
I now sit in a unique position: I've evaluated franchise investments as a buyer navigating the process, and I've evaluated them as a franchisor recruiting and qualifying candidates from the other side of the table. That dual perspective is what I bring to every session.
The decision to invest in a franchise affects your financial future, your family's daily life, and how you spend the next decade. It deserves at least one conversation with someone who has been through it — from both sides — and has no financial stake in what you decide.
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 receive zero 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 alone. That's it. No sponsors. No conflicts.