Lessons Learned: Secrets to Franchise Success from an Industry Insider

Free Agent Podcast with Meg Schmitz – Guest: Brandon Johnson, Director of Franchise Development at Frandevco

Meg:
Hello everyone, and welcome to or welcome back to my podcast. It’s called the Free Agent. My name is Meg Schmitz.

The discussion here is all about free agency and taking control over your financial future. The mission of my show is to share inspiring conversations with real people who took the leap into self employment, business ownership, franchising and freedom.

From corporate refugees and executives tired of the desk job, to entrepreneurs and investors looking to share camaraderie and inspiration through their own business journey—my podcast aims a spotlight on real people who stepped into the unknown, took control over their destiny, and became their own boss.

Today I’m doing something a little bit different. If you know me, you know that I like to do something a little bit different.

My guest today is Brandon Johnson, and Brandon is a franchise developer. He has worked with a number of different brands over the years and he’s got an interesting story to tell about how he got into franchising as a wise young man.

But he’s represented some really interesting brands that many of you have asked me about. And so they’re common vernacular. People think about these brands all the time.

And since Brandon has the background and experience in helping them grow, now moving on to some new brands that we may or may not talk about, I wanted Brandon to talk specifically about major brands, brand development, worldwide development, working with people from different cultures and ethnicities, and decision trajectories, and some commonalities that we are finding as we are working together on a couple of brands right now and seeing different traits emerge in the decision tree towards yes, I want to own a franchise or no, I don’t.

So, Brandon, welcome to my podcast. Thanks for making time for me.

Brandon
Awesome, Meg, thanks for having me today.

Meg
One of the funner things, learning about you and your background is the navigational directions that you have gone with your career. You started in franchising, I believe, right out of college.

Tell us about what, what was attractive about franchising that early in your career?

Brandon
Yeah, great question, Meg. You know, it’s funny, I feel like I listen to a lot of podcasts and all that. People always talk about how they just kind of fell into franchising. It’s never that anything that they wanted to do ultimately.

But I feel like it’s kind of different for me because I mean, I always grew up going to different restaurants and things of that, the McDonald’s, the Subways. And I always admire franchising and business ownership and it’s super, you know, fast forward to today. I’m just super appreciative and super humble that I get to work in a franchise environment on a day to day basis.

So kind of going back to answer your original question—coming out of college, I was a business major. I don’t know if you can tell from my background too. I am a lacrosse player. So born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I feel like it’s a rite of passage to play lacrosse.

So I played lacrosse in college, business major. And I always worked at restaurants, going through my high school days into college, whether it was Olive Garden and some other mom and pop businesses.

But upon graduating, I got introduced to franchising right away because my two best friends, their father was a developer for a pretty well-known franchise—Subway Restaurants—and they were actually hiring for a business consultant role.

So with my background, you know, he asked his two sons, who are actually twins—my two twin best friends, Mike and John—and he said, do you have anybody that’s in the restaurant business that’s looking for, you know, a job? And they kind of passed my information on.

And I’ve known this gentleman—his name’s John Filipiak, Mr. John, as I called him back then—for my whole entire life. So it was really cool to kind of see what he does on a day to day basis and really happy and humbled to start my career with such a well-known brand as Subway.

Meg
So question that pops into mind right away—as a young man going to college, taking business classes, so many come out with the entrepreneurial spirit and I’m talking to some young men right now who are asking me, well, isn’t franchising cheating?

So that’s sort of the cowardly way into business. And I completely disagree with that. But these are younger. I’m 61, so I’ve been in franchising for a long time. You’re much younger.

Did you ever confront that sentiment that entrepreneurship is somehow more noble and franchising is somehow cheating?

Brandon
That’s a good question. I would never say it’s really cheating. I think it’s just a proven concept that has been built out for years and years, and they’ve just really honed their skills with everything—the branding, with the proper systems, processes.

And obviously it was so successful that they could duplicate it to a national scale. So I wouldn’t say it’s cheating. I almost feel like it’s kind of winning the game if you can franchise your business and grow to that extent.

Meg
And so you were there at Subway during some pretty epic times. Talk about your involvement not only with the international expansion and reaching that magic number—40,000 units—but also then some of the promotions that were going on at the same time.

Brandon
Yeah, it was super fun. So again, I got to start my career at age 22 with Subway Restaurants, and that is right in the thick of it. I think it was 2009 or 2010, and that’s when the $5 footlong was just exploding.

So we were continuing to grow during that time period. Saw a lot of good national partnerships involved too.

And probably one of the neatest things, too, is during my time with Subway is when they surpassed McDonald’s to be the largest franchisor in the entire world. So I think they surpassed 40,000 locations. And that was definitely something that we all celebrated from the development office level.

Meg
Brandon, when you were with Subway, what was your role in franchise development? Were you part of the culling process to identify the best type of owners to come in?

Brandon
Yeah, good question. So what I worked for was considered a development agent office. So a DA office. That’s how Subway is kind of broken down.

So in the terms of franchising, think of master unit agreements that we would have within each geographic region, so my office was headed up by a gentleman named Larry Feldman, and he oversaw the states of Maryland, Virginia, D.C. and Delaware.

So he was actually the largest DA agent in the entire chain of Subway. So think of 40,000 locations—we had the largest territory with 2,000 locations.

And I was a business consultant. So two separate divisions in our office—one was development, one was operations. I headed up the operations and I oversaw 40 locations.

At the bright face of a 23-year-old freshly out of college, going into these business locations, working with the franchisees, helping them grow sales, grow profits, local store marketing.

And at the end of the day, my development side of the business too also relied on us as business consultants to see who’s going to be growing internally within the business.

So it was up to us to fill out what we called an RFAF—request for additional franchise—and check off a lot of boxes to say if this was a qualified candidate that we would want to grow to a second, third, sometimes a tenth location.

Meg
And so to me, this is just so instrumental. I, as a franchisee with Great Clips, you learn operationally the do’s and don’ts. With your first one, it’s like having a baby and you go to the second one and you do it a bit better.

As an operations guy for a period of time, did you move over to franchise development with Subway, or was that subsequent because you were with a couple of other major brands as well?

Brandon
Yeah, this was further on down the road. So I was in operations for over, let’s say, 13 years, Meg, and up until recently is when I switched over to the development side of franchising.

Meg
Okay, all right. So you were first with Subway—pretty epic. Then you moved to another epic brand, Chick-fil-A.

And then from there you went to Mako, completely getting out of food and into automotive. Sexy, sexy businesses.

What attracted you to these different brands?

Brandon
Yeah, that’s a good question. So I would have probably stayed with Subway my entire career if I kind of would have, you know, changed up my career path a little bit different.

I’ve had a lot of good mentors within that Subway business that not only were business consultants, but also owned Subway restaurants on the side too.

Meg
Okay.

Brandon
My good mentors I still talk to on a regular basis today followed that suit. I think he had two locations and then also was a business consultant.

So I tried that path. It didn’t really work out for me. I guess the existing owner didn’t want to sell me the location, so I wanted to see what else was out there.

Because, you know, the entire seven years of my professional career was kind of geared around Subway. So I got caught up to the big leagues and I went over to Chick-fil-A Restaurants where I was an operating partner.

And as an operating partner, I worked right underneath the owner operator and I guess if you want to call it in their business model is the franchisee, even though it wasn’t necessarily a franchise.

Meg
Well, you know as well as anybody, Chick-fil-A comes to town, everybody—it’s like, oh my God. It’s like when Krispy Kreme was opening, the line around the block.

Was Chick-fil-A everything that people think of on the outside looking in?

Brandon
I can honestly say it was. You know, I always wanted to see, take a look behind the curtain, take a look at the operations manual, you know, because we were kind of pulling from that same pool of employees with Subway.

But I mean, as anybody that’s listening can adhere to—you know, when you visit a Chick-fil-A, you hear the customer service, the food quality is amazing, the atmosphere, it’s everything, right? And it’s all very intentional with what they do.

And I can honestly say this, Meg—I think Chick-fil-A is the most well-oiled machine of a restaurant that I have ever come in contact with.

Meg
And so you saw the difference between the franchise model with Chick-fil-A, Subway, etc. Can you briefly describe for the listener why the Chick-fil-A model is different?

Brandon
Yeah, that’s a good question. So I think they’re very intentional with everything they do—to the point where hiring is very big for them.

So I was in charge of all the recruiting and staffing at my single location. So I didn’t work in multiple—I had one single location and we had 60 employees at that location, Meg.

So underneath me there was about five different managers and then frontline workers, back of the house operators. And even just the recruiting and staffing—so it’s a three-part interview process just to have a preliminary starting job at Chick-fil-A on the register.

So it’s a three-part interview process: 

Meg
Wow. 

Make it through me, the first interviewer, then a manager, and then you get to interview with the actual owner operator. So they’re very diligent on who they bring into their restaurant as far as an employee goes.

And then everything else too—I mean, from the back of the house, everybody’s smiling. It’s very uniformic in a team culture and atmosphere that everybody’s in it for the common goal to win.

And it doesn’t mean win as far as just sales. You know, there’s a lot more than just that. And I can kind of go into detail a little bit later about—you know, what I mean by that too.

Meg
So from my standpoint, as I’m talking to my candidates and they say, “Oh, I want to own a Chick-fil-A.” It’s a different owner model than most other franchises.

I would say 99% of franchise models do not follow what Chick-fil-A does. Can you explain that hybrid approach and how it works?

Brandon
I can, yeah. So it’s not a franchise..

Meg
or why it works?

Brandon
Yeah, yeah. So—and because I actually went through the process myself.

So for the owner operator role at Chick-fil-A, what they do is—they’re very, again, they do their due diligence on everybody.

So every single year—this is dating back when I went through the candidacy—I think there was 30,000 applications to be an owner operator. And now I think it’s up to 60,000.

And they select around anywhere from 60 to about 70 new operators per year. So it’s less than a 1% chance of being selected.

And at the same time, I think there’s a stat out there that says it’s more difficult to own a Chick-fil-A location than getting into Harvard Law School.

Meg
Well, it is confusing for the individual who wants to own a franchise to understand what the difference is. But we can go into more detail another time on that. You then moved from food, which is a real grind, and it tends to not be as profitable. Then you moved over to automotive. What prompted you to leave? What prompted you to go, frankly, to that brand? What was the attraction?

Brandon
Yeah, good question. So with Chick-fil-A, I just feel like my time was up in the restaurant business. You know, I wasn’t going to continue my path into restaurant ownership with Chick-fil-A, so I wanted to see what else was out there. And I actually got recruited to MAACO—America’s Body Shop. So have a lot of great stories for that one too. I was an operations coach with MAACO Corporation and got recruited to do that role, and I had a very large territory. It spanned across a few different states. So my territory was New Jersey all the way down to Southern Virginia. I got to go into those businesses like I did in my Subway career, and got to help coach franchisees on growing sales, growing profits, operational standards, and also growth with development and having them be awarded an additional location if they chose to do so.

Meg
And so how long were you with MAACO before you decided that was not as good a fit as your next opportunity?

Brandon
Yeah, I was with them for about four years up until the point when the whole entire country shut down with COVID. And during that time period, I kind of had to work from home. And during that time, my wife actually was pregnant with our first son. So after she gave birth, she said, “Hey, I think you need to kind of work a little bit closer to home because I need some help out here,” and you know—happy wife, happy life. So definitely wanted to make sure that happened and reached out to a few different past colleagues of mine who I had worked with. And one of them was a gentleman named Johnson Morell, who was with a company called Frandevco at that time.

Meg
So you have had some interesting twists and turns, but they’ve all been really instrumental. I think, knowing what I know about franchise ownership, for you to be that long on the operations side and then flip over to the development side—recruiting, well, you’re not directly recruiting, but you’re talking to referrals, people that I refer, other franchise consultants are sending over to you. What do you enjoy about this side of the fence rather than the operations side?

Brandon
No, that’s awesome. I think about this all the time. I feel like with us on the development side, we’re selling the American dream, right, of franchise ownership, entrepreneurship. And I absolutely love this side. I really do. So I know kind of what it looks like afterward, after the franchise is awarded and after all the promises are met in the franchise agreement and when it becomes very real for the owners, right? When they’re kind of getting their hands dirty, doing this on the day to day, I know how to kind of pick them up when they fall on that side of the operations. But the development side is just amazing where it’s almost kind of like where you get to do the recruiting and staffing and interviewing different people, vetting them to see if they’re a good fit. And there’s nothing that brings me more joy, Meg, than seeing somebody just smiling from ear to ear because you’re getting them out of the grind, the rat race of corporate America, and then they get to do something that they’re actually more passionate about and they get to be their own business owner. I think it’s truly amazing.

Meg
And this is exactly why I do my job. As you know, I’ve got my three-three letter words: Joy, Fun, and Yes are what govern my day every day. And if it’s not joy, fun, and yes, then it’s no. But then the other ones—and you and I have talked about this—your wife, your life, and your money. And so every candidate probably has a spouse or significant other person who is in the thick of this decision, and what is it going to do to your lifestyle and what kind of investment is it going to require? Is it going to get you the return on the investment? So as you and I have worked with candidates, we’re always paying attention to your wife, your life, and your money in every conversation. How do you make sure that the spouse gets involved?

Brandon
That’s a good question. So what I like to do is, you know, if I’m taking that first Zoom call and I only see one of the individuals on the call, I always like to kind of reschedule it because this is a big decision for the family. So I don’t ever like to just be, you know, the husband on the call or the wife or whatever—whoever is going to be that business partner. I like it to be a joint venture. So I want them to be present on all the calls, to not miss anything that’s said in the process. I’m very process-oriented—this is just how my operations mind works—so I like to always have those two individuals on those calls as we continue to go through the process.

Meg
Yeah, you and I are very much aligned on this. The process, process, process is what helps us determine much more quickly—are they the right fit? Are they following the steps in a timely fashion? You’re more strict about this than I am. I need to see and hear the spouse at some point because we know that they’re not going to make the ultimate decision in a vacuum.

But the benefits, of course, of having you and the experience that you had—this is one of the reasons why I like working with you—is that you know the operations side and you know the joy on this end. The front end of making the two sides meet and match up is such a great experience to see then them being successful.

Do you get to go to the conferences for any of the brands that you represent to see the outcome of your placements?

Brandon
I do.

Meg
Oh, nice.

Brandon
I was actually at one of the brands about two months ago. One of the brands I support is called Taste Buds Kitchen, and I got to go to their conference because it was located in my home state of Maryland. So, Meg, it was the greatest thing to seeing the franchisees that we awarded this year that were present at the conference for the first time.

So high-fiving them, giving them hugs, seeing kind of where they were at and also taking that group picture too, as the first class that I kind of brought on board with those brands.

Meg
Nice. I don’t get that benefit to see them in action unless it’s in their location. But for them to get recognition at a national conference and know that you helped. I helped.

It truly is the American dream. And I was just laughing to myself a little bit. I’ve interviewed recently a few people—I’m working with some people right now who’ve come to the United States from another country, or one gentleman is in Canada, he started in Zimbabwe, he’s moved all around the world.

And it is the American dream for him to be able to lean into franchising at this point. Have you noticed, as I do, and want to talk about some of the differences in the cultures that come to the United States and their—I was going to say process—but their thinking about how they make a decision about a franchise?

Brandon
I have. Yeah. And you know what’s funny? I have something that can relate to this directly because—going back to my Subway days—I was there during the start of my career. And last week, I got to present at a career day at a high school that one of my friends is an assistant principal at.

So that was cool—kind of telling the next generation of high school students all about franchising and what that entails.

But after I left there, I just happened to stop by a Subway restaurant location that I used to support, and I asked if the owner was there because I saw a new remodel. I remembered the owner from, you know, 10-plus years ago. And they mentioned a name that I hadn’t heard in a long time.

And I asked if he was present. They said, “He’s in the back.” And I said, “No way. Would you mind if I talk to him?” So out walks this gentleman—Vijay Patel. And, you know, I saw him, recognized him, we came over, we embraced, we gave each other a big handshake and hug.

And Meg—here, this is the American dream played out. So when I started with Subway with him, he was just a manager at a location. His brother owned the location. I said, “How’s everything going in life? You’re the owner here now?” He said, “Yeah.” So he went from Subway store manager to now owning eight locations—six in Maryland and then two in Connecticut.

Meg
Wow.

Brandon
I mean, that’s it right there for you. Played out in real life.

Meg
When you were working with him—and obviously by then, he had gone through the vetting process and had taken a job as a foreigner—I am assuming he wasn’t born in the United States.

Brandon
Correct. Yeah, he was born in India.

Meg
Okay, so why do Americans get in their way in their own head? Why do we get so caught up about the decision when there are other foreigners coming into our country who thank God they are business-oriented, entrepreneurial, they look at these business opportunities and grab the bull by the horn.

Do you have any opinion about why Americans sometimes are so slow to act when some of our counterparts from around the world come to the United States and grab the bull by the horns?

Brandon
Yeah, I think, Meg, you and I kind of experience this a lot. And it’s the term that we use in our industry often it’s the analysis paralysis. Where they just want to kind of beat everything to death and they want to dissect it.

It’s almost that engineer mindset where it’s like, Let me pick apart these flaws within this franchise business model, instead of thinking more outside the box. Hey, this obviously was a good business model that was franchised because you could duplicate everything. It was a rinse and repeat, copy and paste.

Like, put your faith into the systems, the processes, the CEO and founder—and follow that playbook and you should have the same end result as everyone else.

Meg
Yes. I don’t understand why we have to tinker and twist and modify. But that’s, in a way, the way that Americans are wired up.

But that’s also something that you and I have run into with other cultures who are raised to negotiate. And in franchising, we’ve got the Franchise Disclosure Document, franchise agreement—it’s standardized, it’s procedural.

So let’s talk a little bit about that element of it. What can and can’t—or what do you think should be discussed as being modifiable in the FDD or the franchise agreement, and what really should stay standard and uniform?

Brandon
Yeah, that’s a good question. So I know it’s always the decision that comes down to the franchisor on what they want to approve and what they want to disapprove in negotiations.

But I mean, it’s not a franchise agreement where it can just be redlined left and right. It’s not real estate that we’re buying or anything like that.

What this is, is a pretty ironclad agreement.

I think sometimes what’s up for negotiation—not all times—but would be a ROFR: Right of First Refusal.

You know, if somebody wants to grow within a system in a development territory, if they’re looking for additional territories, they want the right in order to be waived or be asked, “Hey Meg, we’re looking to bring another candidate on board. They’re right down the street from you. Did you want to exercise your clause to develop this area or would you like to go to the next client in line?”

Meg
Yeah, to me there are elements of this that can be modified. Have you—well, you haven’t—you’ve worked for big systems that probably don’t negotiate or modify any of their royalty, marketing, right?

Brandon
I haven’t seen anything like that. So you know, the Subways of the world and the MAACOs—there’s no negotiating.

The only thing I’ve seen is probably people being grandfathered in at a certain royalty rate.
But then, you know what, after that 10 or 15 years is up in their franchise agreement, they have to sign the current franchise agreement that would be in line with whatever the going rate is at that time if they wanted to continue themselves as a franchisee within that system.

Meg
And so to me it seems like the brands that you have been with—and their history—got to be as tight as they are because they toe the line. Because they hold their standards to be uniform for everybody in the system.

Have you been with any brand since then where you’ve seen bending and conceding different degrees?
Like, I have seen how that breaks down a system.

Have you seen that personally, where a one-off agreement then starts to make other franchisees look over their shoulder and think, “Well, if he’s getting a deal, then…”—what do you think about that?

Brandon
Yeah, I’ve seen it before in my career. I’m not going to mention any names or anything, but it can really bring the house of cards down when that happens, right.

Because everybody—it’s the Jones effect. You always want what the other person has. The Jones —keeping up with the Jones down the street.

So we don’t ever want to do that within franchising. You know, that’s the true secret behind a franchise model—it’s following everything according to code but also not doing these handshake deals or anything like that.

Meg, you and I have talked about this multiple times before from our past too—you want to make sure that you have the same agreement for every owner and it’s uniform.

Meg
Yeah. And I understand the questions that come particularly from different cultures that are trained to negotiate, to barter, trained to barter.

And so I completely understand that desire for concessions to be made.

It never hurts to ask. But I do think that there are parameters by which on your side, but also with my coaching—to help that candidate understand that yes, you can ask, but be very careful how you ask and how many asks you have so that they still know that you’re going to follow the system and are a willing participant.

Brandon
Right. And Meg, I think you do a wonderful job with helping coach your clients through the process. Now that you and I have worked together on multiple different clients, I think you do a great job educating them on what is entitled in that franchise agreement and what they can do and what they can’t.

And you have firsthand experience too, with you being a franchisee, of what you could and couldn’t do within a system. So I think that really kind of goes a long way too.

Meg
Yeah. So for people who are first-time buyers, I absolutely understand their desire to run it past a franchise attorney and get their opinion.

It is absolutely their right. And especially for a first-timer, it gives them that sense of, “Okay, now I’ve had a paralegal’s eyeballs on this. Now I feel better about it and I’m good to go.”

I actually have a husband and wife right now who’ve reviewed their franchise agreement. Previously they were given a live version, but then after they went to Meet the Team Day, they were issued a revised agreement because their territory had shifted.

They wanted to put that back in front of their franchise attorney. And so, you know, they haven’t done this before. So I understand the fear and the desire to do so.

So a lot of ways that our candidates come through the process—and respectfully, we have to give them the space to do it their way—but it still needs to be done our way because we’re looking for success.

And I don’t know how many you have had—I don’t have very many—but people will ask me, “Well, who’s failed? How many people have you put into business who have failed?”

And the fact of the matter is, it does happen.

Brandon
Right.

Meg
And it’s a bummer. But it does have to be reported then in the Franchise Disclosure Document that not all entities end up crossing the finish line.

Some of them are going to fall short. So that’s where you and I have to be particularly careful as we’re coaching people to make sure that we’ve got the right person with the right brand.

Brandon
Right. And I think I heard this phrase the other day—we’re the gatekeepers, right.

We’re there to protect the integrity and also bring great candidates on board for a franchisor, right?
Because they put their trust in us to help grow their brand.

And we never want to set anybody up for failure. And at the end of the day too, some of these people are investing their life savings into this business of a franchise.

And I don’t think I can sleep at night knowing that I’m setting somebody up for failure. So I do have a moral compass that I kind of operate with on a day-to-day basis.

But I really like what I do, and I want to see somebody achieve at the highest level. And if that’s through franchise ownership, I want to lead them to whatever is going to be best.

And I think, Meg, you do a great job navigating that with your clients too.

Meg
Well, it certainly helps to have the experience as an owner. Is that something that you are interested in doing in your own future—owning a franchise of your own?

Brandon
Absolutely. I think it’s just a matter of time at this point.

You know, it’s always kind of—as I work with candidates myself—it’s getting my wife on board too. So with us it was house, family, now second house at this point.

But then after that’s all kind of said and done, I think that’s going to be the next business venture for me. I’d love to continue my career as a development director, but also have something on the side too, which would be ownership.

I think it’s about time, as I get closer into my 40s.

Meg
Yeah, that’s the real stamp of approval for me—is when I see my really good franchise dev people move then into the ownership role.

Because you see your placements, you see them at conferences or you hear about it, you’re aware of who’s gone from one unit to three to nine—like, dang, this looks like a pretty good opportunity. I want me a piece of that.

Brandon
Yeah. And I love kind of working with you and the rest of the franchise team and knowing that you both—pretty much a lot of the franchise consultants within your network, do have franchises that they own too.

And they’re very big advocates of that and having those conversations with them and seeing kind of what works, how they kind of juggle their personal lives and also their business. It’s really admiring.

Meg
Well, there is a time and a place that you will know that it is the right next step to move into that. Do you have any industries that you’re particularly—given your history, I could guess—but do you have any industries that you would gravitate to, knowing what you’ve learned in the scope now of the broad swath, really, of industries that you’ve represented?

Brandon
Yeah, good question. So it’s probably counterintuitive, but I myself—I’d probably stay as far away from food as I possibly could.

Meg
Oh, really?

Brandon
Just because, I mean, look, I love food. I’m very grateful for everything, all the doors that it opened, but sometimes the margins are pretty small depending on what industry that is—whether it’s brick and mortar or if it’s kind of like a food truck concept.

Not saying that that’s totally off the table, but it would just have to be the right choice, right decision with the time commitment that I can put towards the brand and still be able to do this on the day-to-day basis of what I love doing—talking to future owners.

Meg
So are there industries that you would gravitate towards?

Brandon
There are. I think health and wellness is pretty big for me. I really like that. I feel like it kind of hits on a lot of goals that I have.

But right now, Meg, where I’m at in life—you know, I’ve got two young kids. I’ve got a four-year-old and a seven-month-old. So anything with childhood development right now, I think that would probably be right in line with where I’m at in life.

Meg
Yes. Well, I can hear them in the background.

Brandon
Yeah, apologies. Sounds like there’s a bowling alley upstairs right now. So.

Meg
This is a joy. I think since the pandemic hit and we’ve all pivoted into this virtual world, we get to live life and things happen.

Doorbells ring, dogs bark, kids are at home. But this is, to me, the biggest benefit that has hit us as business owners—is the right to work from home and how highly qualified we are to do that.

Where pre-pandemic, bosses just didn’t give us the faith that we could stay focused and have life. Your kids are there. I work with you all the time. We still get our jobs done.

Brandon
Yeah, it’s funny, Meg. I remember you and some other individuals—like the Judy Davidsons of the world—they’ll give me calls. I know everybody’s on different time zones, but I could be preparing dinner and hearing the kids in the background, and it doesn’t skip a beat or anything like that.

And apologies if you hear them upstairs too loud. He’s just full of life, these little guys, I tell you.

But it’s definitely reassuring that post-pandemic, like, it opens a whole other level of possibilities. Like, I’m able to go on doctor’s appointments with my wife in tow.

And it’s good. It’s reassuring that I can kind of have a good work-life balance to do that.

Meg
Yep. Well, it’s just a matter of time, Brandon, before you—as I say, it’s this and that. It’s not a this-or-that value proposition.

Franchise ownership is waiting for you and you’ll do it when the time is right.

But I have so appreciated working with you this year. You know that we’ve got that Franchise Consultant Choice Award that comes up once a year, and I really appreciate the values that you bring and the integrity as well as absolute communication that we have—it is invaluable.

I’ve taken calls out on the prairie when I’m out walking the dog. So when I get an incoming call from you, I know it’s going to be a quality conversation, and I appreciate that about working with you.

So thank you so much for joining me on the show today. This has been enlightening for me, and I think I know you fairly well, but you gave me a couple of really good insights here that were unexpected. And it’s just a pleasure to have you on the show. So thank you.

Brandon
Awesome, Meg. I really appreciate it. Thanks for your listeners, and thank you for your partnership too.

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you over the course of the last year. I think we work very well together and I think we’re both doing it for the higher cause of awarding franchise ownership to the next generation.

And I love what I do on a day-to-day basis. So looking to continue that partnership in 2025.

Meg
Well, I’ll keep finding the right candidates for you, and I enjoy working with you. But you got to have the right candidate. So I’ll keep sending them along as I get them.

Brandon
Sounds good to me.

Meg
All right, thanks.

Brandon
Thanks, Meg.