Battling Adversity and Finding Strength: One Mom’s Path to Franchise Success

Meg:
Do you mean you set yourself up on payroll through the business? So you’ve got a W2 through the business or you’re talking about even before you started with Budget Blinds? That was the challenge as being female and no W2?

Amanda:
Both.

Meg:
Okay.

Amanda:
Because what happened was, and I’m so eternally grateful for following the process when I was a startup, I was a corporation. It was a C corp. And so I was an employee and I did pay myself and I did get a W2.

And then when my company was unsuccessful, I was able to collect unemployment and was able to use my salary from Olive-Harvey and all my years contributing into that workers fund.

And then that gave me and my family another six months to get me to the place where I was able to meet you.

And, you know, I’m sure we’ll get to that whole process, but like, that was the stop gap. So paying yourself and being really conscious of making sure that you can show that you have income coming in is like really important.

Meg:
There are three people I’m working with right now. I cannot wait already to take this recording and share it with them.

Because this is one of the big questions: “Okay, so I’m going to be self-employed. How do I get paid?” So you just walking through that is perfect. Amanda, thanks for taking us through that.

The process of then working with you and Mike, when we met, there were some other concepts that you were looking at already.

And I remember part of it was because of his background and his full-time job and some of the freedom that he has as a fireman in order to spend a couple of days a week on a particular business plan.

What was it, remind me as we were going through the process that Budget Blinds really started to take off as the priority, the number one spot for you.

Amanda:
Well, so when we went through the process with the water restoration, we didn’t end up getting approved for the funding to purchase that particular franchise, which was such a blessing.

You know, like everything works out exactly the way it was supposed to be because we—I definitely was drawn to that because of the money. You know, there’s a lot of money in that service.

But there’s also terrible hours and family life and like, just like the—I’m just, I’m so grateful that I went through that process because then when I met you and you sent me those options, I knew what to look for.

I had seen an FDD. I knew what the numbers should look like. I knew what, like, the franchise should be doing to support you.

So then when I started looking at what you had sent me—honestly, when I first saw Budget Blinds, I didn’t really give it the time of day because it wasn’t something I knew. It wasn’t the world I knew.

But then I went back to the numbers, and I was like, okay, this is like a really viable, profitable business that I can see is going to be really good for my life.

Like, I love the fact that I can run it. I didn’t want to work with kids. I didn’t want to be responsible for—I don’t know, I knew kind of what exactly I wanted to get out of it, and that helped.

Meg:
And I was so delighted when I did the territory check. It’s so hard to find Budget Blinds territory these days. And when it came back with that one that you have—Beverly is a beautiful area of Chicago.

Amanda:
Well, so it’s my neighborhood. I literally get to do my neighbors. It’s incredible.

Meg:
Yeah. My dad grew up there, by the way, so I have a little connection to Beverly as it is. So since you launched the business…

Amanda:
Okay, wait, so just in heart of that, like, the franchise territory concept.

So yes, there’s barely any Budget Blinds franchise new territories available. Right? Like, especially if you can think of, like, Chicago.

So how fortunate I was able to get a great territory in my own zip code. But not only that—all east of me and kind of like down is gray. And so I service a huge area of the South Side of Chicago and the southern tips of the city.

And it’s been pretty cool to not have that restraint.

Meg:
Yes. And it’s one thing to get a territory where you live. It’s another one to get a territory with demographics that you got.

And so people think, oh, Budget Blinds—it’s like, “budget.” But I have blinds. I just used Budget Blinds of Janesville to do my three properties up here in Wisconsin.

You can go budget if you want, but the options are amazing, and the technology that’s now being built in—so it’s really pivoted, I think, from kind of an old standard blinds company into a technology company that happens to do blinds.

Amanda:
Oh, yeah. I’ve been super impressed, you know, and like, people love them. It’s a great product.

I love working with the franchise, you know, because I’m new and I don’t have any kind of, like, conceptions of what they should be doing for me. So that’s been nice too—kind of just having like a fresh appreciation of: they want me to be successful, I want to be successful. So let’s just figure out how to be successful.

Meg:
Yeah. And the big piece of it—going back to being an entrepreneur—this is the biggest challenge that you ran into, is what most do, and that’s how to monetize it.

Because who wants to get into business just for the sake of spending money? Nobody does. You’ve got a great idea and you want to be able to monetize it.

Then once you decided—so let’s go back to Budget Blinds and deciding on that, getting your business launched and the training and support that they gave you—walk through your ramp-up period of time. And you had a couple of key things that also happened in the first six months.

Amanda:
So what was really pretty cool was I got an SBA loan, and I was able to get my SBA loan, like, by myself, I guess. Like, I don’t know how else to say that.

But it’s a pretty intensive process to do an SBA loan. And so I was pretty proud of myself that I didn’t have to outsource that and that I was able to put together all the different forms and documents that they needed to justify why I could do this.

Meg:
Yeah.

Amanda:
So that was like a really big confidence booster for me.

Once I was able to secure the funding and we moved forward with Budget Blinds—we, you know, I had already had an LLC, so this is like different. So now my company is an LLC and I do not pay myself as a W2 because it’s a pass-through.

So I just, you know, take owner’s draws. But I do still regularly pay myself every two weeks the same amount, as long as I, you know, can. Because I needed the money, you know, and I needed the stability of it.

And so I just—I cannot stress enough—I know there’s this concept that, you know, you shouldn’t pay yourself or take money out of your business. And I don’t know, I just—that…

Meg:
Doesn’t resonate with me, and I advise the opposite. And my own accountant, back when I got started with Great Clips, she was absolutely adamant that from day one I put myself on payroll, even if I was paying myself $50 a week.

Amanda:
Exactly.

Meg:
Generate, generate a history. And I’m kidding about the $50 a week—it was a real number. It needed to be justifiable when I did my tax return.

And then as I work with other people and they run into the same thought of, “Wait a minute, I’m borrowing money and now I’m going to pay myself with that money?” Like, yeah, you are. Because you need to set up a pay history and then show as your business is growing, that you’re paying yourself more, your distributions, you’re taking out more.

So good for you for starting, even if it’s small, but you’re doing it consistently, and that really is the right thing to do.

Amanda:
Yeah, that was a book, you know—Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, I think is his name. That was a really good book for me.

Meg:
I’m so glad you brought that up. I have it under my desk here. There are a couple of titles that I’ll—when I’m doing a Zoom meeting with people—I’ll hold up different titles. Profit First is an excellent book to have.

Okay, so Profit First, you’re paying yourself, you launched your business. I remember talking to you, how excited you were to be servicing—talking to other school moms—and about what it is that you were doing.

How long have you been operational by now, Amanda?

Amanda:
So we opened March 1, so it will be a year at the end of the month.

So I had done the training in Dallas. Yes, I went to Dallas for 10 days and I did the training, which was pretty intense, I’m not gonna lie. You know, like, that’s a lot of information coming at you.

I definitely had a lot of non-confidence about the installation process because I had been so dependent on Meg to do that. And so I don’t think I really—I could not learn everything. And so, like, it was very nice to have somebody that could take on that part of the business.

And so that really helped us get through our first year.

Meg:
Anything now I hadn’t realized we’re at a year already. In looking back, I guess one of the things that I’m wondering is, is there anything like a mulligan, anything that you would do over again differently now that you have a year under your belt?

Amanda:
I probably would have learned how to measure shutters better.

Meg:
Oh, there’s a story there.

Amanda:
A lot of money on shutters this year. But I definitely, like, kind of have the mentality, I guess, that everything happens for, you know, a learning experience.

And so everything I learned this year yes, it was an expensive year. But I did make money, you know, like, I did generate revenue to go through my business and my family. And I got myself out of a toxic living situation where I’m able to support myself.

And, you know, at the end of the day, this business is going to be mine that I walk away with as, like, the sole owner to take care of myself and my kids.

And, like, that is pretty incredible to be able to say after a year.

Meg:
I can just hear people listening to this, like, wait a minute so yes, Amanda was going through a situation at home where you and your husband were already contemplating and had spent a lot of time in therapy to figure out were you going to stay together or were you going to go your own way.

So, for anyone listening, yes, Amanda purposefully was going through all of this knowing that your marriage and four kids, got four kids. What are the, what’s the top end and youngest?

Amanda:
Eleven, nine, seven and five. So yeah, babies. Really. Especially a couple years ago when all this was kind of going on.

So yeah, it was really, really important to me to figure out this tumultuous relationship that I was living in because my kids needed that stability.

And so, you know, we figured it out. Anybody that works with a spouse or an ex-spouse—I mean, it’s beyond difficult, obviously. It is very difficult.

But I am grateful. I am so grateful that, you know, we were able to do it because it really put us in a good position to where, like, now, as we dissolve, you know, this relationship that we have into a new relationship, we’re in, like, such a better place mentally at least, you know, but like, also financially.

And like, he doesn’t have to sell the house right away, you know, or at all. And I don’t have to go back and get a job where I have to work 60 hours a week, you know.

And I’m just really grateful that even though this year has been beyond, like, anything—I didn’t blow up my life in a way that, like, led me to not, you know, be where I am today.

Meg:
I can tell you personally, I remember exactly what road I was on, where I was when you and I spoke and you told me everything that was going on.

And I remember—I’ve done this before—I remember thinking, Meg, be quiet and let Amanda emote and get it out.

And what I remember—it gives me chills right now—I was driving to my son’s house. So for anyone who has a major conversation while you’re driving somewhere, you’re like, man, do I pull over?

So I pulled over because I needed to—I needed to just listen and let you emote.

But I remember hearing that nugget in your voice of resolve that you’re gonna make it. You were going to take this thing and—yeah, Meg was your installer and yeah, that was a great source of trust that you knew who your installer was—and now you’re going to have to shift things up.

But I could hear that you were confident in yourself.

Amanda:
Well, I thank you because I, you know, still sometimes don’t hear that in myself. So I really appreciate that.

You know, to be honest, you are a huge inspiration in why I could be confident in myself. I know you have a very similar, you know, path of how you became an entrepreneur.

And that was at a time where, you know, that must have been really pretty scary to just be given a business and said, good luck.

Meg:
Yeah. Yes. And I hadn’t even thought about it that way. It’s such a distant memory now.

But yeah, you’re right—I did. At unit number three with Great Clips: “Goodbye, good riddance, good luck.”

And so what do you do when you’re a parent? And now—I think I told you this story—my son, after he graduated from college said, “Mom, I know this is stupid, but I thought you were just a single stay-at-home mom. I didn’t know that you had businesses. You were there when I got on the bus and you were there when I got off the bus.”

What kind of flexibility and freedom, Amanda, do you have in order to be a parent to those kids who are at such a critical—all of them, each of them is at such a critical age in their little lives?

Amanda:
Yeah, no, I mean, I pick up my five-year-old from school, you know, three days a week at 3:00. And that is huge.

Obviously, my other three can walk to their dad’s or they can walk to my house. And that was like my biggest intention in life was to find a place where they could, you know, kind of keep some semblance in their routine.

And so having that flexibility to be there when they come home, even if I’m still working, was really important to me.

And so, like, I figured out, you know, how to do my appointments all in one day and, you know, how to stack my installations and, you know, what days I want to do paperwork and what days I want to go have coffee with my girlfriend and not do anything.

You know, it’s fantastic. Like, I just—I can’t explain how much more I feel like myself than that girl or woman you talked to a year ago.

Meg:
Amazing. Well, you’ve got obviously a lot of chops. When did the entrepreneurial bug first hit you?

Were you young, little? Was it part of your DNA—comes from your parents or what? Where did it come from?

Amanda:
I, you know, honestly, no. I can say that.

My brothers definitely—like, my brothers actually all became entrepreneurs, or two of them at least—before I did, on, like, several ventures together. They kind of, like, built up, you know.

And so I saw that. But no, my parents, nobody really in my family—we didn’t really have that example, you know, to really see.

And so I think honestly, it was seeing my Olive-Harvey College students with this drive of, you know, “I can do this. I can make money. I have a good idea. I can make it on my own terms.”

It was just, like, really inspirational. And I was like, I want to do that. I don’t want to—I don’t want to do this anymore where someone’s just yelling at me and it’s—I don’t know.

Meg:
What I’m so excited about in talking to you is that people also think that you must have been a success story already. There must have been some handout. There must have been some genetic code that entitled you to success.

And the bottom line here is, no. Amanda, you didn’t. You are self-made. You’re resolute.

There’s nothing like being a single mom to make you really resolute. You’re a mama bear and you’re going to protect your kids.

And you’ve done such a great job of well, in all the storytelling that you and I have had while working together of really overcoming some of the mental obstacles, the emotional obstacles, and but not letting them be obstacles.

You’re just kind of like, you know what, this is going on, but I’m punching through the wall. So it wasn’t handed to you.

You really are, you’re just that scrappy little South Side girl who’s gonna figure it out.

Amanda:
Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been complimented so nicely.

I absolutely love the South Side. I really do. I live a block away from the Dan Ryan Woods. I have great friends. We all drive minivans.

And it’s a real community. And my team that I have put together is also part of the community.

And so you know I have a new installer that I was able to bring on as transitioned off this month. So this month has been, you know, a learning experience as well as I transition off that and, like, working with someone new.

And it’s actually been great because I go on the installs now as opposed to not you know, I’d never been asked to or able to go on install.

Meg:
Yeah.

Amanda:
And so that, you know, it’s been great because I need to know how to do that.

Like, even if I don’t have to hold the drill, per say, like, I need to know how to do everything in my business.

Last year, my word was “freedom.” So thank you very much. And this year, it’s “accountability.”

You know, like, this is my business and I need to be accountable for everything.

Meg:
And it’s interesting that you say need to know how to do everything. I think observing, well, for example, I’ve never cut hair a day in my life.

I’ve cleaned my own home, so when I was part of a residential cleaning company, okay, I could relate to that. Who hasn’t picked up a toilet brush? I guess not everybody has.

But I’d never picked up a pair of scissors before to cut somebody’s hair.

But to immerse myself, immerse yourself in observing what someone else does enables you, and me as well, to really more closely monitor revenue coming in and accurately billing that, estimating for those jobs.

Gosh, you just can’t underestimate accuracy with that.

I’m going to guess then with your shutter side of the business, you will have much more improved ability to estimate those costs now that you’re seeing more on the installation side.

Amanda:
Yeah, for sure. And I mean, just this whole process has kind of been like figuring out your vendors and the products and what works.

And you know I think that has been really like, I have a lot I’m going to be a lot more discerning this year on who I sell and, like, who I sell to. Right?

Like, I have a woman that is going to help qualify leads. Right now, I don’t have a very good, you know, sales kind of funnel going on.

I just, if they’re a warm intro, I go and we do, like, a consult and all this. And it’s fine. It’s working fine.

But I know there’s, like, a way more efficient way to do this. There’s a way more efficient way to, like, pull information out of people before I go there.

If they want to get, you know, faux woods go to Home Depot. Like, that’s cool.

Like, I can now be at a place where, you know, having a little discernment in the jobs I think is going to be really fun moving forward.

Meg:
It’s such a powerful moment as a business owner to realize you can fire your clients.

You don’t have to work with everyone. Some people you’re just not going to get along with they’re too demanding, whatever it might be. Fill in the blank.

There’s a real confidence builder to be able to say, I know myself and I know my business well enough that I’m going to walk away from this one.

This one isn’t going to be profitable enough, or this one is going to be way too big a job and we’re not going to succeed and get a five-star rating out of it.

So good for you for pivoting into No, “No” is a full sentence, according to my mother.

You don’t have to say it to somebody else, but you can say it in your head. Just go, “No, this just isn’t right.”

And as a business owner, that’s a really powerful tool to controlling then how you groom and grow your business because you can’t be everything to everyone.

Meg:
Yeah. And I think I definitely was you know, every new business is. And that’s okay because that’s how we cut our teeth.

You know, like we, it wasn’t just shutters that we messed up. Let me be very clear. It was, you know, everything.

And so it but and that’s how you learn. And that is the cost of doing business.

And I feel like I do have that mindset where I’m not going to beat myself up if the job you know, if I didn’t make any money on the job because all my profit went to the redo.

Well, you know, it is what it is. Like I learned something. I’m hopefully not going to do it again. But I’m not going to be like upset because of that.

I don’t know, I just that has been helpful, that mindset.

Meg:
Absolutely. Good for you.

This is just so motivational for me to revisit with you all of these decision points and to hear your own resilience, Amanda.

With everything that has transpired in the last 12 months the things that I didn’t know going into it, the things that you revealed to me as we were working together and beyond this is one of the reasons why I try to stay close to everyone I’ve ever placed.

Because sometimes you need to have that you need to be able to call Meg and have me sit at the side of the road and, yeah, just emote as you’re getting through it.

Because as it is right now, you are in such an amazing place as a mom, to be, when you and I first spoke, this is what you wanted to be an engaged and present mom.

Amanda:
Yeah.

Meg:
Like this will come totally full circle, Amanda.

Amanda:
And I’m able to, like, be that. Right. Like I’m not so upset with what is going on or, like, ruminating or in my head or, you know, thinking.

Just everything, you know it’s all been just one big growing experience, but not just in business, but obviously in, like, my personal life.

And, you know, there were a couple I can remember some pretty specific days where I wanted to quit. You know, I wanted to quit. I was not, it was hard, you know.

And getting “no” told to you over and over and over I had never sold anything before. I didn’t know anything about window treatment.

We had a beautiful home that had zero window treatments on it because it just was an expense that we never justified. We didn’t really you know, there was a point where we had black garbage bags, like, being rolled up and down my kids’ windows.

You know, like, window treatments were not something that I was familiar with. But I’m very glad that, you know you just, you just gotta keep up. You just gotta keep going. You, like, literally just have to keep going.

Meg:
Yes. And the truth of the matter is it’s better when you’re in a franchise because you have other people you can call and say, “Holy smokes, this just happened. Have you ever had a..”

Fill in the blank. There are other people who could say, “Oh, it’s okay, Amanda. Yep, that happened. Didn’t lose a business over it. Didn’t end up closing down.”

But it does, it shuts down your emotions in such a powerful way. Like, I can’t keep going if it’s going to continue like this.

But what choice do you have? And so you made the choice to get up the next day or get up that same day. 

Amanda:
Do another appointment. right. Like, just keep doing. And that was actually super helpful because I had a ROM they’re called, you know, regional operations manager through Budget Blinds that was new too.

We had actually gone through the Dallas training together. So I met a really great woman from Philadelphia in my training who, you know, has been a great mentor kind of relationship.

Tony was wonderful to have to have someone, like, connected to the franchise to just reach out to as we kind of navigated, you know, the process together.

And then the community of franchisees, I mean, there’s like a Facebook page that I have gone on several times to ask questions.

I just shadowed different franchisees in Illinois to do a big shutter job because we’re going to start selling a new shutter manufacturer from Houston, which is awesome because, you know, it’s American and they’re a really good company.

So, yeah. So just, like, the opportunities, you know, I’m going to Vegas on Monday. So I’m just so excited for that. My first, you know, convention or whatever.

And, yeah, I just, I’m really excited.

Meg:
Well, if I could reach through my computer and give you a great big hug.

You’ve just been such a delight to work with from the beginning. And the story, you know it’s all in the storytelling.

The devil is in the details. And success isn’t overnight. And success isn’t assigned at birth.

But man, are you one hero for me to be able to say that I worked with you and that look at you now.

So if you get an award at the conference, you’ll have to let me know. I can’t…

Amanda:
I’m not getting an award. I did not, like, nothing like that.

I mean, other than, like, “Good job to not quit.” Like, that’s the award I’m gonna get is, you know because that conversation came up. “What am I gonna do? Do I have to sell the franchise?”

You know, there was a lot of uncertainty around that.

Meg:
Well, here you are. And I’m going to put a note in my calendar for next March 1st so that I can check in with you but hopefully we’ll check in before that.

Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today and telling all these juicy details about stick-to-itiveness.

And I won’t say a “fake it till you make it,” but there’s an element of that for each one of us.

But you’re absolutely a delight to work with. And thank you for coming on the podcast.

Amanda:
Oh my gosh, Meg, thank you so much.

I just, your podcast has been a huge help to me and to the community, and I think your knowledge in the franchise space everybody asks me, “How did you pick Budget Blinds?”

And I always say, “Because this amazing franchise consultant, you know, gave me the opportunity.” So thank you.

Meg:
Yeah. And if you ever want to send any of them my way, I’m happy to talk to anybody.

Just like with you the ins and outs and the reality of it. It’s not the right fit for everybody.

But yeah, I would be happy to talk to them if particularly if they’re friends and neighbors of yours because they have that confidence in you to make the right introduction.

Amanda:
Thanks, Meg.

Meg:
Thank you.