Congratulations on taking this step towards business ownership! An important part of your journey is to find an expert who can provide you with the guidance you need in order to discover and recognize the right franchise.

I speak from experience. My first venture into owning a business was successful largely due to the choices I made when selecting an exceptional mentor and coach. I often get asked about why not open a business on my own? Why franchise? I answer this question by sharing my story, as I have been on both sides of the entrepreneurial fence – independent startup vs franchise.

My journey towards ownership had its roots in college where my passion for children led me to study early childhood development. Little did I know that my degree in this field would ultimately influence my decision to become a business owner. Degree in hand, I learned upon graduating that local schools were not hiring. Broadening my search I applied for a position with an industry leader in healthcare. Thus began a career that would ultimately span over twenty years, giving me exposure to disciplines that would later serve me well as a business owner.

After the birth of my first child I began looking for daycare options so that I could continue my career. I was surprised to find that in my hometown there were no childcare centers that offered a dedicated curriculum in early childhood education. A lightbulb went off and with my husband’s support I laid the groundwork for bringing this kind of business to our community.

After a lot of research, I eventually connected with an amazing woman who owned fourteen highly innovative childcare centers in the Silicon Valley. Her centers were exceptionally successful and she clearly understood the complexities of this type of business. Although she required a premium price for her coaching services, I hired her to be my mentor. Her insights helped me write a business plan and design curriculum, operating systems, marketing strategies and more. In 2007, on the cusp of the recession, I left my healthcare job and walked over the threshold to operate the business full time as the director/owner. The business grew rapidly to its capacity with 140 children ages 6 weeks to preschool.

In our fourth year we received an offer we couldn’t refuse and opted to sell. We reinvested the proceeds of the sale in an existing self-storage business. My next step in hindsight was not the best decision. I accepted a corporate position in healthcare and within two years was downsized. It was then that I decided to take back control and began investigating franchising. With the help of a franchise coach, we chose to buy a home renovation franchise which my husband Paul continues to operate.

I opted to invest my time and talents into becoming a franchise coach and mentor so that I could educate and coach people in their own journeys to becoming successful business owners.

On the home front, my daughter Olivia is finishing her second year of college while her sister Sarae is nearing the end of high school. Paul and I enjoy the outdoors, especially during the summer months when we can end our days cruising in the boat we restored along Casco Bay. My hobbies include fitness, cooking, hiking and travel – whenever and wherever there is a beautiful sunset!