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Stand Tall & Own It
Something shifted. You can feel it. You just can't name it yet.
Stand Tall & Own It is for women in the second half of life who are high-functioning on the outside and quietly disoriented on the inside. You built your life inside systems you trusted completely — until you realized you couldn't tell what was actually yours from what you'd just learned to navigate well.
Host Andrea Johnson doesn't offer formulas. She offers honest thinking, sharp observation, and the kind of conversation that makes you pull over and sit in your driveway.
This is where the real work starts.
Stand Tall & Own It
Episode 84 - Next Level Business Ideas with Diane Pleuss
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As a franchise consultant, Diane works one-on-one with individuals who are ready to learn more about owning a franchise. Curious? She helps you explore a variety of options to find the perfect fit for you—whether you want to be a hands-on business owner or you prefer to run an executive business model. If you’re in a career transition, or you want to diversify your income stream, or if you’re in search of your “inner entrepreneur,” Diane is a personal advisor to guide and help minimize your risk and maximize your reward.
Topics Discussed:
1. Leadership Principle: Be honest & genuine - Listen, learn, help, serve
Habits to grow your confidence:
1. Running - 20 miles / week - 600 day + running streak - using endorphins to learn, to reflect, to think.
2. Keep a “can do” attitude. It will open doors and allow you to problem solve.
Green Flags:
1. Do you know your WHY? What are you passionate about?
2. Are you ok with a certain level of risk?
3. Are you willing to learn the current system before offering enhancements?
Advice:
1. Keep an open mind.
2. Don’t get stuck on the money.
3. Relationships matter the most.
Where to find Diane
Website: Franchise Matchmaker
Schedule Time: Quickchatwithdiane
Instagram: @dipleuss
LinkedIn: Diane Pleuss, The Franchise Fitter
Facebook: FranChoice
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You're listening to Inventional Optimists, the podcast for unconventional leaders, where you'll find inspiration, learn to discover and develop your own strengths, and feel for inspiring women just like you who are making a difference in their community. Who knows? You just might find yourself stepping up as the next unconventional leader right where you are. I'm your host, Andrea Johnson, the original intentional authorist. Hello, my friend. Welcome to episode 84. I've said for years that there are two types of entrepreneurs, product and service. But when Diane Plois, a franchise matchmaker, reached out to me to be a guest on my podcast, I soon figured out I was really wrong. I had no idea the full spectrum of franchise options and all the amazing opportunities available to those who want to be in business for themselves, yet might not want to start from scratch. Now, if you think franchises are only fries, burgers, and chicken, or that they're only for the wealthy investor and that you're not a candidate, well take out a pen and grab a piece of paper because you're gonna want to take some notes. Diane will open your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities, next level business ideas, even, that just might have you looking at your future in a whole new light. Alrighty, no more delays. I can't wait for you to meet my new friend, Diane Plois. Hello, Diane. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you very much, Andrea. It's a pleasure to be here. I am so excited about this conversation. This is not anything that I've ever thought about. Um and you know, talking about franchising, you're right. Everybody thinks of McDonald's or French fries. What did you say? It was French fries and fast food and French fries. So as before we get into some of the nuts and bolts of that, why don't you give our listeners a little bit of a background on how you got into this work and who you are and what you do? Because you're you most certainly fit the unconventional leader profile. So give us give us a little information.
SPEAKER_01Sure. I had been in advertising and marketing for many years. Met my husband. We moved to California for his job. I was the trailing spouse. I could have transferred in my position, but I wanted to do something new. So I answered one newspaper ad for marketing director for a franchise company. Now I knew nothing about franchising, but I did know about advertising and marketing. I was hired, and that was my foray into the industry. From that, the person who hired me was recruited to become the president of a franchise company. He brought me along as the director of marketing, did that for several years, and then the franchise fell on hard times a bit. And I was downsized and I was shocked. I couldn't believe it as part of senior management. And I had commuted to Denver for a couple of years for this. So it's California. From California, yes. So it was a lot, but it turned out to be the very best thing. Two of the men that I had worked with had been invited to join FranChoice as a franchise consultant. They said, Diane, you would love it over here because we work with this whole range of franchise companies. We don't have to fit that ROM peg into a square hole. I had never been in franchise development, but occasionally I would talk with people who are looking at the concept that I worked at. And sometimes I think, oh, you would be a great fit. And other times I think, you know, I just don't know. Maybe there's something better for you. But I was employed by that company.
SPEAKER_00So what I'm saying, how do you yeah, you don't want to, you can't give them to somebody else. I mean, we're not all Macy's, you know, we can't all just say, if you go down the street. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So that's how I got into being a franchise consultant 17 years ago. Wow.
SPEAKER_00So that is so interesting. And you know, right before we started recording, I joked, I said, I have a friend whose son owns the local Chick-fil-A. And that's kind of how we all think of it. And I know you're gonna debunk some of the common myths when we chat here over it for just a second. But um, you said a couple of things that I wanted to pull out. Um, number one, you made a choice when you became a trailing spouse uh in academia for 23 years. I know all about the trailing spouse, right? It's like, please come be professor or doctor of such and such, and we'll find a spot for your spouse. And that can be a man or a woman, just so y'all know. It's very common. Um, but you made a choice to do something different. And um, so kudos. That's whenever we can take control, it's always good, right?
SPEAKER_01Uh absolutely, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, and so I heard that, but then I heard you grew and you grew with the company, even when it was sold, and you were loyal, you followed, right? You you could grief now, not that Denver's a bad place to commute to, not that California is a bad place to be, or either one of those, or you know, they're both great, but you you did some, you sacrificed and you did some of that, and you were still downsized.
SPEAKER_01It it still happened. And sometimes I I talk with some of the people I work with and I ask about their background, and they'll say, Well, you might be surprised to learn I won these awards, I was the top salesperson, but it doesn't preclude them from still being downsized. Sometimes whole departments are wiped out and they're just at the wrong place at the wrong time, even though they had stellar records.
SPEAKER_00And and it doesn't, like you said, even in senior management, even if you're the top sales, it doesn't matter. Sometimes it's just like you said, a whole department. I mean, even in um my family has been in ministry for many years, and even at international sending mission sending agencies, like the entire communications department was gone, right? It's just like all of a sudden, boom, and these people are out of a job. And to be able to say, oh, there are options for me. Um, around here, we highly support the entrepreneur, especially the female entrepreneur. And this is not a direction that I ever thought of going in, right? So it's like I I think of myself as the possibility thinker. And you're you're very like pitched to me. Hey, don't you want to know about this stuff? I'm like, oh, I don't. No, I don't want any of that stuff. I do need to know. I because I like to curate options for people and to be able to say, hey, what if? Because I've always said you can either be a product-based entrepreneur or a service-based entrepreneur. And they're very different. And I've tried both, and I'm not a product-based entrepreneur, but evidently you can be a franchise entrepreneur. Absolutely. Yes. So tell us a little bit about what's involved in that and what kind of work you do. Because you mentioned Fran Choice. I assume that's who you're with.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I'm an independent consultant under the Fran Choice umbrella. So Fran Choice pre-screens the companies we work with. So we don't work with every company. Oh, that's good to know. It is good to know. But we do work across a wide range of industries, and it can range from senior care, uh, fitness, certainly food, hair salons, massage studios, nail salons. It could be emergency services to deal with water damage or fire. It could be mental health as a newer franchise. There are a lot that are related to home services. So if you start at the top of the house, it could be roofing, it could be insulation, irrigation, gutters, lawn care, pool care, uh, pet care, electrical, HVAC, residential cleaning, painting, flooring, window coverings, anything related to that can be franchised.
SPEAKER_00And you know, I hear those, you rattle that stuff off. And I think, oh my gosh, she's talking about Rotor. Oh my gosh, she's talking about right, the the rooter guy, or you're you're talking about Merrimaids. You're talking, right? I mean, yes, exactly. And it you see these driving around town and you call them to come into your house, but it never occurs to us that these are franchise opportunities that we could get involved with.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and and interestingly, most of the time people think that they have to have experience in that industry, and most of the time they don't. So if we take just one that you mentioned, or any of those that you mentioned, the residential cleaning or the plumbing franchise, those are what we call an executive model. So the franchisee is not fulfilling the services, they are hiring the technicians, they are hiring and managing and growing and scaling that business.
SPEAKER_00Wow. So if you have really good management skills and really good, so for somebody like me, who I'm not a plumber and I know how to clean, but I that's that's why I would need to hire people because I don't like to do it. Um, and I don't want to do it. Um, but for somebody like me, as a manager and a uh coach, you know, even something like that, I could do that kind of a model because I then hire the people to do the actual service. I run the business.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they're they're looking for someone with business acumen, someone who wants to be involved in the community, someone who has leadership skills, someone who can hire people, train, direct them, develop them. Those types of things handle the advertising and marketing to a certain extent along with corporate.
SPEAKER_00I like 10 people just popped into my head, like, oh, this is an option for her and for her. Um, and I just I love that idea. Um, because we we tend to think in general, inside the box of I have to get a job, I have to stay at this job, somebody else has to provide a paycheck and all of my benefits and all that kind of stuff. And yes, it's scary to be entrepreneurial, but um this sounds like it's a model where I mean, we all know the famous fast food ones where you go to this fast food university and you learn all the things and all that kind of stuff. But the way you described it, it sounds like they provide a lot of that information for you.
SPEAKER_01They do. So the franchise company, as part of your franchise investigation, they will share with you their marketing and advertising program, their IT platform. They'll talk about their training and support, they'll talk about the territory, they'll talk about the vision and where they're going, they'll talk about their history, they'll review all of these things beforehand. So you learn about it, and usually after each call, the franchise development rep will say, So, Andrea, do you want to continue? Or is this not a good fit? And if you say, Oh, I'm interested to learn more, let's continue. So they will continue with the process, and towards the end, you'll have the opportunity to talk with existing franchisees. So, again, you can verify everything that you've seen and heard to date and say, What has been your experience? How, how is the training really?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, because they can tell you we have this many modules, and it turns out they're like all online and you have nobody to ask questions, and you know, um, and I think that many of us would have the perception that it's a little bit of a sales pitch, right? They're selling me and I have to come up with cash, but it doesn't sound like that. It sounds like they're I'm an adoptive mother. So um, for us, we our adoption lawyer, because we did a private adoption. Sorry, I'm going on a little tangent, but he said to us, when you talk to birth parents, just remember they're not ruling you out, they're ruling you in. And that really helped us change our mindset to be able to say, okay, they're ruling me in, I'm ruling them in, right? And we need this to be a good fit for both. And while that's a very extreme example for someone to give me their child, this is your livelihood, we're talking about. So, and this is their quote unquote child that they're talking about, right? So, is that an apt analogy to say that they're ruling you in, etc.?
SPEAKER_01It is, and we like to say that it's a two-way street. So you're evaluating the franchise company and they're evaluating you because they want you to succeed, they want you to embrace their systems, their business model, everything that they've done because they've honed it and refined it and they've say, this is great, please use it. Yeah. And if someone is awarded a franchise and they are not successful and have to close for any reason, it's too terrible for that person, but it's also a mark against that franchise company because they have to disclose that. So if you're looking at a franchise company and you see they have all these closures, you're going to wonder what's wrong. So it is that mutual evaluation.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's a really good point that it is in their best interest for you to succeed.
SPEAKER_01It absolutely is. And there is nothing that helps to grow a company than happy franchisees who are thrilled with their decision, they're making money, they're growing and scaling their business, they're doing what they wanted to.
SPEAKER_00Do most of these companies have like before they have all this two-way street, does that continue? Most of them they have the training, and then most of them have access to training after the fact and that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_01Yes, they'll continue to have training, they'll have annual conventions. Again, you think of our world, and there's always new things happening from an IT platform or digital marketing, or maybe there is a new vendor or a new product or a new program or new training for their franchisees. Huh. Or new training for the employees. So if you look at senior care, which aren't the large facilities, they usually work out of an office suite, but the franchisee hires and manages the caregivers. And many times franchise companies will have extensive online training for the caregivers. Yeah. And they'll continue to add to that, improve on it. I was tweaking it just a little bit.
SPEAKER_00Which you is good. You want that, right? From a personal growth standpoint and a business growth standpoint, you always want to be evaluating, reflecting, and making sure that you know where you're going is exactly where you want to be.
SPEAKER_01Yes. And with a franchise, it's really pretty transparent if people will but take the time to learn and ask the questions. Sometimes I run into people and I call it franchise infatuation because they fall in love with a company that maybe we could find them a better option, you know, one that has better training or is more committed to working with their franchisees. Okay. So, or or something or a business that might be a better fit. But they say, I was on vacation and we went to this place and we don't have this in our hometown, thus, I would like to do it. Well, let's take a look at that. And is it really a fit? And there may be a reason there's not one in your hometown. And and there there could be, or maybe there's their skills aren't that great of a match, or maybe the hours don't align. Maybe it's heavy on the weekends and they don't want to oversee employees on a weekend. It could be a variety of things, but let's at least take a look at a business model.
SPEAKER_00Well, and those are all really good points. Um, the other question that comes up for me is you said that you are an independent consultant for Fran Choice. Now that's different, that sounds different to me than a franchise owner. I have lots of friends who are independent consultants for beauty lines, supplement lines, you know, that kind of thing. What is the difference between an independent consultant for, let's say, multi-level marketing and a franchise? What's the difference?
SPEAKER_01Candidly, I'm not familiar with the independent consultants under some of those examples. Okay. I only know that with FranChoice, they pre-screen the companies, and there are about 80 of us independent consultants around the country that have been invited to join. So we work with our own candidates, we do our own marketing.
SPEAKER_00So, but for those who you work with who purchase that you pair up with franchises, they are then business owners. Yes. With support. Um, but in multi-level marketing, they are, I guess they're business owners. Um, but it's, I don't know. I just was curious to know if there was a difference between a franchise owner, like if I decided to go that route, instead of like I was a Mary Kay lady, right? So the difference between a franchise owner and maybe a Mary Kay lady. I don't know what that would be.
SPEAKER_01Uh a couple of things come to mind with the franchise. You have a legal agreement known as the franchise disclosure document. Okay. And that's one indication that you're with a franchise. So looking at a franchise, there's, I'd like to think of a myriad of benefits from all the training support, um, vendor relationships that you have. But also when it comes time to sell the business, usually you have grown the asset and you have a business that you can sell. And sometimes in the other options, you don't necessarily have a saleable business.
SPEAKER_00I no, I did not. It was it was my business, but at the same time, whatever debt I had accumulated, it was mine. There was no selling it. If somebody else wanted to be a consultant, that was their and so maybe that's a a good um analogy. Um because when I look at continuous care communities, some are rentals, right? Some uh you go in and you rent forever, and then some you actually purchase and you can actually sell that home, if you will. Um, and some people may not know what I'm this is elder care that I'm talking about. But um, so that to me, that was just a very I it was a curiosity that I had. Um, so as you how do you work with people though? I mean, so um how how does somebody contact you and what do you do for them before they actually get connected with a franchise?
SPEAKER_01Sure. So most of the time people will be in career transition, they're looking at other options and they would like to be a business owner, but they don't really know that world. They may not have the big idea. And they say, hmm, franchising, it comes with training wheels, if you will, and is that easier option? So we'll we'll start to work together and I'll learn about them. So I schedule a consultation call and ask many, many questions about their background, their goals for the business, because the business is really a vehicle to get them somewhere and where is it that they want to go?
SPEAKER_00Just like any other entrepreneurial venture. That's that's a goal to get you, you have it's a purpose for you to do that, but the the the real goal is not necessarily the business. The real goal is something out there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it could be a lifestyle, it could be financially, it could be to work with a partner, it could be to build a legacy and hand it down to family, it could be a variety of things.
SPEAKER_00And if the business is sellable, it's also hand-downable. I know that's probably not the right word.
SPEAKER_01Well, many times that's how generational wealth is built. Yeah. From one generation to that next.
SPEAKER_00Cool. Um, so what is the one thing that we should know? Um, that if anybody is like in the whole like um, what'd you call it, infatuation stage? You know, it's like when we start think is, you know, everybody is in transition right now, whether we like it or not, um, with the great resignation, we have lots of people resigning. Um, and so if somebody is saying, well, I would like to be in business for myself, what's a major thing to look for in a franchise or not a franchise? What do they need to know? That biggest thing.
SPEAKER_01Well, first of all, I would encourage them to keep an open mind because there are options that they've probably never considered that have robust margins or are doing extraordinarily well or are doing well during the pandemic and continuing. So we may limit ourselves, and I say, why do that? Let's let's look at options, let's look at your skills and your transferable skills. What do you bring to the table so that we can leverage and maximize that? So are you go ahead. Uh look at your business acumen and your your financial prowess, some of those types of things.
SPEAKER_00So, one of the things I talk to people about, especially women, are those transferable skills. You use that phrase. And um how do you walk people through those? Is do you have a I mean is it just asking? Questions?
SPEAKER_01I do have certain questions that I like to ask. Usually the consultation call goes about an hour and a half to two hours. So we do go into depth and discuss a lot of those types of things. For example, we'll talk about employees. Do they want to have employees? How many employees? What type of employees? Because there are all kinds of options. Right. Yeah. And people don't necessarily think about that. And the knee-jerk act answer is always, well, whatever the franchise. Well, let's look at do you prefer to work with people that are older or do you prefer to work with teenagers who are getting into the business? There are franchises for both. Do you prefer to work with primarily men or primarily women or mixed? Does it make a difference or not? And occasionally people say, yes, you know what? I haven't thought about it, but I really relate to this group of people. And I find that I can more easily build bonds and encourage them. And I would like to if possible. So let's explore that as an option.
SPEAKER_00That's that's a really good point. Um, so what is when when we talk about the why of what we do, um, what really kind of motivates you for doing this particular work?
SPEAKER_01Well, I think in my heart, I very much enjoy serving people and helping them, giving them options, particularly with women. I think too often we have blinders on and we have been taught to go to college, get a good job, and then everything will fall into place. And that's certainly not the case. And people have to take control of their careers. And a franchise allows that. Many times people work very, very hard and they don't get the results that they should. And one of the beautiful things about a franchise, about having your own business, is your hard work and effort can come back and benefit you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Sometimes I'll talk with people and they'll say, I was the top person, thus, my territory was reduced. So I was actually penalized. Yeah. And now I have to work harder. Well, you can build a business and lay that strong foundation and then benefit from that strong foundation. Oh, that's beautiful.
SPEAKER_00I like that. Yeah, I mean, to say that I was penalized for doing well.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and sometimes, yeah, and sometimes we think of the security of a job, but really it's the insecurity of a job because we have no control, we have no equity in it. We could be downsized or let go at any point in time.
SPEAKER_00That is just uh did y'all hear that? All my friends out there that I keep saying, don't you want to be an entrepreneur? Seriously, it is not the security of the job, it is the insecurity of the because when when you have to walk on eggshells ever, that's a boundary line for me. It's like I'm done. And it's really easy for me to say that now that I have left my career of 23 years in you know, you know, university um medical field, but still, it just it it was a line that finally I was able to say, I'm not crossing that. We're done, right? And um, so I just I love that that's what you help people do. And you offer a whole other option that I hadn't actually really considered. So this is exciting.
SPEAKER_01Also, I should mention, Andrea, for the person that has a good job and wants to continue. There are what we call manager run franchises. So the person there looks at it and they say, hmm, I'd like to diversify, or I'd like to have a safety net just in case I'm downsized. So we will look at matching them with a manager-run franchise. They will keep their job. Usually they'll open up one unit the first year, a second unit the second year, a third unit the third year. And by that time, they're usually cash flowing nicely and they can make the decision. Do they want to stay in their job or might they like to then transition and continue to grow? So there is also that option that's available that most people don't know about.
SPEAKER_00That sounds like an ideal side hustle, right? I mean, in the entrepreneurial world, we talk about what's your side hustle, get your side hustle going until it builds up. And it's like this constant, everybody tells you it's okay to work 80 hours a week. Mike, it's not. Um, but there's things you have to do and there's sacrifices you have to make. And a lot of times we think we have to do this on our own. And what you're saying is you don't. What are some examples of a manager-run franchise?
SPEAKER_01They tend to be in certain industries. So you might look at hair care, you might look at fitness, uh, massage studios, nail salons, some of those come to mind. Your office rental um would be another option. Did you say office rental?
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_01And and and some of the some of the service-based businesses as well can also be manager run depending upon the business. Some can, some can't.
SPEAKER_00I tell you, it's you don't see it, but there's like purple confetti coming out of my head. It's like boom, boom, boom, boom. What? Um, because this is just again, I gotta stop saying I've never thought of this before. Y'all are probably tired of hearing that. So clearly, this is a position in which you lead and you you care and you um you've really devoted, you've devoted your your life to this now. I mean, I think you said 2004 was when you started doing this.
SPEAKER_01It was, yes.
SPEAKER_00And so you are well, I hate to use the word ensconced, but you're your found your foundation is strong in this area. But let's go back to Diane early, early days. Um, because I love to talk about how you became a leader, right? Who did that, who was that girl that became this woman who was willing to make a change, who was willing to do these things. So I what is your earliest leadership memory that you can like look back and you didn't realize it at the time. Um, but when you look back, you say, Oh, you know what? That was actually leadership, and that kind of helped lay the foundation for where I am now.
SPEAKER_01So if I look way, way back, please do probably when I was nine years old and joined 4-H, I grew up on a dairy farm, and 4-H was an option for us, and I loved it. So, not only did I take my cows to the county fair and state fair, or participate in dress review, or take my snickerdoodle cookies, or my photography project, or my my entomology project. I started off learning about those things and then grew into some leadership options with the club, with the county. So I represented our county at meetings in Chicago and in Washington, D.C. And I would have never had those options had I not been involved in 4-H and got a local start.
SPEAKER_00You know, I think, and I'm the first to admit, like this is today's conversation is all blowing my mind, right? So um we have, I'm in not actually rural Virginia, I'm right outside of Charlottesville. Um, but there are not a lot of like robotics clubs or, you know, um, there's not like a Pokemon club. I'm a 13-year-old seventh grader, right? And somebody said, you need to check out 4-H. And I'm like, I I grew up in a city, I grew up in Seoul, Korea. I grew up in a city of 11 million people. I don't do cows and pigs. And I think they're cute. Um, and I I consume them, but but I I I don't mm mm. And somebody said, No, no, no, no, no, you need to check this out. Actually, is my my father's new wife said, wait a minute, my grandsons or my my nephews went to 4 H and they learned photography and they learned leadership skills. And they so a lot of times we don't uh uh think outside that box, we automatically assume organizations are specific to one thing. And you just brought it up, the leadership skills. When I went and looked and I've talked to the local 4-H agent here, and um, because we're, you know, kind of looking for options, but they have leadership training. They have, and then, you know, as a disc consultant and wanting to work with the schools, I was at a networking event and they said, Well, have you talked to the 4-H lady? Because she could probably use your services. I'm like, it never occurred to me to go that direction, right? So that is so exciting to hear. Um, did you learn things there that really influenced who you became as a leader?
SPEAKER_01It did, from being hands-on to developing some of those leadership skills. So, one example, and you'll probably chuckle taking my cows to the county fair, we would want to represent our club well. So we would have banners above our cows that would indicate our club. And I think our club's name was the Silver Lake 4-H Club. So each year we would need to do new banners because we want to do something new and improved. So it's gaining consensus, it's brainstorming, it's looking at what other clubs did, maybe tweaking, coming up with something better, planning, organizing it, getting everyone to agree on a certain idea, and then making it, buying the supplies, getting it ready, all of those very basic little one steps. But I look back now and I say, Oh, that was a foundational moment.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Oh, that's really good. I mean, I'm just writing things down like you said, gaining consensus, brainstorming, planning, organizing agreement, and then I'm like executing, right? It's like you did all of that and then you executed it. So I can see that um those are the kinds of things that we need in place in order to do kind of anything, right? Any major plan that we have in our lives. I'm sure you took that into your moving to California.
SPEAKER_01And yes, and and many times when I work with women, they may have taken some time off to raise a family or care for elderly parents. And they look at the job market and they look at what's available as far as position or pay and where they were when they left. And it's not particularly appealing. And yet they have refined and continue to hone some of their organizational leadership management skills, but yet they're not necessarily getting credit for that. Well, a franchise company will welcome them with open arms because they have those skills that they can build relationships, they can hire people, they can talk with customers, and with training, they've got many more options. So they look at it and it's like a door opens and they say, hmm, I'd like to sign the front of the check rather than the back of the check.
SPEAKER_00This is pretty cool. Wouldn't it be nice? And that that is a beautiful feeling. Um, when I received my first check written out to the intentional optimist LLC, it somebody said, You didn't just deposit that thing, right? You like took a picture and you framed it. I'm like, oh, oh yes. And then being able to pay bills out of that checking account from the intentional optimist, it's like, whoa, that's amazing. Yeah. So that is very empowering.
SPEAKER_01It it is. And there are so many capable people, and sometimes they just reach a point when they say, I am doing all of this for someone else, and we want to contribute and be part of that team, but yet we can be the leader of that team, of our own team.
SPEAKER_00Preach. Yeah. Um, because and I I really like the whole idea of people take time off. Um, I had another conversation where a woman said I took 12 years off and to raise my family, and then I felt like I was not marketable, and um, she didn't she went a different direction, and uh now she's an entrepreneur, but um, I know other people who've done the same thing and they think, oh, I only have these skills, or they've been in one job forever. And you know, one of the things that was frustrating in management was I had administrative assistants who had been there for 25 years or 30 years. This is all I know how to do. I'm like, whoa, wait, seriously, if you can get these five doctors to do these things together, you have skills that executives don't have. And um being able to point out that that is a big deal. And even you you pointed out um elder care, right? That is that building consensus, that talking to customers, that making sure that things run on time, when we care for our children and our parents, things matter, right?
SPEAKER_01That's those are the two areas you just don't mess with a woman in those areas, and a franchise company is looking for someone with both a head for business and a heart for their clientele. Did y'all hear that? Say that again. They're looking for someone that has that head for business and a heart for their clientele.
SPEAKER_00That is beautiful because you know, we we think, oh, well, I don't know how to do the books, or I don't know how to do, I don't have any management skills. Well, I don't know, maybe you do, maybe you don't. But if you have a heart, that's something that the local big box company, whatever it is, may not be looking for. They're looking for someone to do what they tell them to do.
SPEAKER_01And again, as you grow and scale the business, you may have to do certain tasks to start. But once you get to a certain size, you can hire someone to do that. So if you hate doing the books, you can hire that out. Yeah. So again, you don't have to do everything yourself.
SPEAKER_00But there's training, right? And there's training. There's training, they're gonna tell you how to do it, and they're probably gonna help make sure that it's not done horribly wrong because it matters to them. So there's there is a little bit of that training wheel aspect. So for you, Diane, as you do your daily work and work with individuals um in pairing them up, and this has to be exciting work, but um what is one leadership principle that you would say kind of carries you through and has um encouraged you as you've moved through your life and and work?
SPEAKER_01A leadership principle, I think, is to be honest, to be genuine, to listen, to learn, to help, to serve. I don't think these are anything, it's nothing unusual. It's putting your best foot forward, trying your best, and um doing what you need to do.
SPEAKER_00Um I hear a lot of like humility in there, right? It's like it's this is like the humble leader. It's putting your best foot out there and then just doing it, serving.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and I think leaning in, trying to do new things and asking questions, um, looking ahead, understanding, and then implementing and executing, because that's how we all learn. We all make mistakes. Hopefully there's small mistakes that we recover from. But if we're not making a few mistakes, we're not learning, we're not putting ourselves out there, and that's all okay. So give yourself that opportunity with some guidance and some help to expand your options and look at things. Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, if we're not making some mistakes, we're not we're not learning. So when you switched, you shared a great story that you were downsized, and then other people that you knew because of you had been in this industry reached out to you and said, Hey, look at this option for you here. Um, not everybody has that kind of support when they're switching, but for you, what was it about that kind of support that you really needed? Um, and and was it was it just from those people? What kind of support did you need when you kind of jumped into this new role?
SPEAKER_01Well, it was very helpful that I had worked with them. They knew my abilities, they knew the direction that I liked to go, that I was going to be a straight shooter when I talked with people, and that hopefully I would give good advice and good direction. And that's what people are looking for, hopefully expecting. So they saw it as a good option, and I didn't even know that existed until they told me about it. So, just like many of the people that I know who come refer to me, and someone says, Oh, you know, I know a woman who you should talk to. And I never expect that they pre-qualify or whatever. I simply like talking and working with good people. And franchising isn't for everyone, but for the people that it is a good option for. I am thrilled to be able to facilitate that process. And it just sounds like you had people who knew you well, right? They they did, and particularly when you live away and you have more than many meals with people at all kinds of times of the day, or you're traveling with them, you do get to know them fairly well.
SPEAKER_00The mouth moves in more than one way, right? Yes, it's amazing when you share this. Sounds like community. You needed a little community. Um, and because when we start having meals with people, we start having conversations with people. It's like you sit down at the table, nobody sits there in silence. Well, some people do, but most people feel uncomfortable sitting there in silence. And so we have conversations, and I think that's a really good point. So people knew you and you had community which supported you. That's that's really good information. And it sounds like with a franchise option, people might find that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, in spades. So franchise companies, again, they have developed the systems and the infrastructure. They're proud of what they've done. They're like the proud parent. And the new franchisee is like the toddler, and they've got all these questions they want to learn, and you you want to help guide them, take them by the hand, say, do this, don't do this. We can avoid this speed bubble. Let me tell you what we did here. Yeah. And so they want you to succeed, and and they have provided that infrastructure so that you can succeed.
SPEAKER_00That's a really good point. And that's, I think for many, many people that I talk to, it's like, oh, I'm just not comfortable. This gives them an opportunity to say, this gives me the little a little bit of like a seat belt and some training wheels and just a little bit of safety that they're looking for. Um, but it also kind of meets that whole, I have the support, I have um the community, um, and that kind of thing. That's really, really good. Um so we also talk about on the show about um the things that make us who we are. And some of those are having habits or rituals that we kind of do on a regular basis that keep us in line. Sometimes it's our mindset. Sometimes it's like for me, it's like writing down my food or whatever it is that keep us in line for the the direction we're headed. Do you have something that helps kind of nurture a healthy growth mindset for you that is a regular habit?
SPEAKER_01Yes, I have taken this habit and tweaked it a bit. Oh, I have been a runner for many years, a back of the pack runner, but I I love the endorphins and the opportunity gave me to solve problems as I ran and also had a running community. Well, a little over 600 days ago, I was bummed because I had a trip planned to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim and was canceled because of the pandemic. So I thought I have to get myself out of this funk. And I had never done a running streak where you run a minimum of a mile a day every day. So I decided that would be a good option. So a little over 600 days ago, I started this running streak. I've always wanted to run 20 miles a week or a thousand miles a year, which I have done. And I have a program. So I run every single day. Now, yesterday it was raining here in Northern California, so I had to check in my phone to see what hour of the day it was going to be raining least. Yes. I could potentially go out and get my minimum of a mile in, but I still try to do at least 20 a week and I have a system of what I do. And so far I've managed to stay healthy and I listen to podcasts all the time, which consists on this bonus because I have the endorphins, I have inspiring, helpful podcasts that I listen to. And and so right now I end up running around the block because my podcast is still going to start. I love that.
SPEAKER_00Just get yourself a longer podcast, you're good to go. I love that because when you said a little over 600 days ago, it was canceled online, but nobody's counting. And then I read because I thought that you were gonna be like all bummed up, but I'm like, oh my gosh, this is beautiful. Beautiful. Because I've done a couple of projects where they're like hundred-day projects. But so are you shooting for a specific day or are you just kind of keeping, just seeing how long the street can go?
SPEAKER_01Just see how long the streak can go. And I've had a couple of times where I've had some minor injuries, or the day has been packed, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to go out till 10 p.m. So I now have a headlight that I put on that I can go. It's certainly not my favorite time, but I can still get it in. And it's surprising when you have the mindset that you're going to do something, you figure it out, you make it happen. And again, you look at some of the bad weather and you say, hmm, I still found a time in that day that the weather wasn't that bad. I could still do it.
SPEAKER_00It wasn't Dale Force Winds and raining sideways. Right. I love it. Um, but you know, a lot of times when growing up, my dad was famous for saying, there is no inappropriate weather, there's only inappropriate clothing. And, you know, there are days when my husband and I quote that to each other. That's not because we have an exercise streak going. Don't anybody don't nobody think that. Um, but it sounds like you have that same thing. It's having that mindset. And I love that you said it's a problem-solving time because it's your time, right? Right. Um, it's a learning time when I quit my job, I no longer have my commute. That's my learning time. And so I'm working toward as a new entrepreneur full-time, figuring out ways to get that kind of thing in. And um, for me, walking, I fell a couple of years ago running. And um, so uh, but I was just talking to my coach and I said, one of my one of my unapologetic desires for 2022 is to run 5K again. And that's not a lot, but just something. And um, and we'll see if I can do that with that particular injury. It was like, there's no way to fix that toe. There's no way to get that bone chip out. So it may be that it's just get taped and figure it out, but I love that. When you have the mindset, you can do it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. And one of the things I love about running is all you need is a pair of tennis shoes. So I look back at my first 10K and I recall that I wore the tennis shoes that I cut the lawn with. So they were all grass stained. I didn't have any special high-tech clothing. I simply had a t-shirt and shorts and went out and did it. And it worked and it was just fine.
SPEAKER_00Of course it was. People ran in Converse sneakers for years. When I look back at, you know, the the people who ran the Olympics 50 years ago, it's like, weren't their feet killing them? It's like, well, no, actually. Um, they weren't, they did just fine. Your your your feet have muscles in them, they'll figure things out. And if you work your way up to it, you won't get injured. I love that. That's what a great, what a great habit, a great tip tip. But thank you so much. Um, as we talk about women on my podcast or people, but women specifically, um, as we talk about them potentially pivoting into some kind of a franchise role, you've been doing this a long time. You've worked with a lot of franchisees, you've or franchise owners, you've, I guess that's the word you use. Um if somebody were to say, Listen, listening to this, all right, I'm open. What are the first few things I should look for? What would be, because we talk on here about green flags, things that we should look for. What are the few green flags that they should look for in themselves that might tell them I could be a good fit?
SPEAKER_01Okay. They might be looking for something more. So what is that more that they're looking for? Really, what is that why? If they want more freedom, more flexibility, more influence, if they want to be involved with the community, if they want to build something for themselves. So that is important. We need to know why they want to do something. And then look at their business experience, their business acumen. Are they comfortable building relationships? Are they comfortable hiring, training, managing, potentially firing employees, developing employees? Are they comfortable with financial statements? Not that they have to be the CPA or the accountant, but that they can look at that or be receptive to learn about it. Do they have any sales or marketing background? Are they really a relationship builder?
SPEAKER_00Those are good. And you've kind of mentioned those again. So it's really you've mentioned those before. So it's good to kind of bookend the conversation with those because I think that those are questions that we can fairly easily answer, right? Um I know how to balance a checkbook. Um, I I know how to do certain things, and I I'm willing to, but you I love that you said, do you know how to do this or are you willing to learn? I think that's that was a key.
SPEAKER_01So when I look at at people, some of the people that maybe shouldn't be a franchise would be the person who needs a guaranteed paycheck. Okay. So they would be too risk averse. So a franchise doesn't eliminate risk, it minimizes risk. So if they need that guaranteed paycheck, I would simply say stick with that.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01On the other end of that spectrum, if you have the true entrepreneur, the person who is that renaissance person who has a lot of ideas, great skills across the board, or they don't like to follow a system. I tend to think of someone like Lady Gaga, who could show up at training in a meat dress, yeah, would probably not be a great franchisee because they would want to do everything their way rather than saying, oh, you figured this out. You know, I think I'll do it your way. Or I see this tweak and let me propose this because I think it's even better. So those would be kind of the ends of the spectrum that probably I would not rec that I'd recommend they explore other options.
SPEAKER_00And I'm kind of on that, I'm not going to show up in a meat dress, y'all. Don't worry about that. But I am more at that end of the spectrum. My ideas are like constantly bing, bing, bing, bing. And you know, it's I'm always looking to tweak. And it's like, I'm glad you've got that system, but we can make it better.
SPEAKER_01And they're probably like, see ya. So and a franchise company will say, Why don't you use our system for at least a year and make sure you know it and fully understand it? And then we'll be very receptive to your tweaks and enhancements and suggestions because we know that you have the similar same foundation.
SPEAKER_00That's a really good point. If they're willing to, because we talked earlier about them willing to tweak their systems and figure things out. So they're not unreceptive. They just need, they just need you to learn it first, right?
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Exactly. So if you look at McDonald's, the filet of fish sandwich was developed by a franchisee because there was a need in the marketplace. So again, they're going to look at things and look at how we can adopt this and roll it out that makes sense.
SPEAKER_00So one piece of advice that you could give to anybody that says, okay, yes, I am I my why is good. I want to, I'd like to be in in my in business for myself or I want a different lifestyle. I don't want to work for someone else. And I am totally 100%, I got my good business sense, and I'm 100% for somebody else's system because maybe I don't work out systems well. What is the one piece of advice that they should do first, or move how do they move forward?
SPEAKER_01I would say keep an open mind. As simple as that sounds, we all come with preferences and we say, Oh, that might be great for them, but not for me. Or I could never do that, or that doesn't have much status or prestige. So we we tend when we don't know an industry, we tend to put up a barrier and we say, oh, that can't be good. And yet it could be a very good option. So I would say explore, have fun, enjoy, learn, listen, evaluate yourself, but give yourself the opportunity to open up that net wide. We can we can rein it in very easily, but let's start broad.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and that's a really good point because as you rattled earlier on the in our conversation, when you rattled off all the different things, my brain automatically sorted them, right? It's just that's what we do as people. It automatically sorted them into that's good, that's not, or that's status, or that's not, or that would be fun, or ooh. And it may very well be that somebody has all the skills for some kind of a home health franchise or an elder care franchise, but they think they want a plumbing franchise. And so could you do you have any stories about the biggest switch from what somebody thought they came to you with some kind of preconceived idea of what they thought they wanted to what they ended up with?
SPEAKER_01Well, I worked many years ago with a woman, and she was in the middle of a divorce. She was a parochial school part-time teacher and said, I have no business background. I now need to support two boys, and I can't do it on a parochial school part-time salary, but I will have access to some money, and I'm thinking about a franchise. But I have this limited money, so we have to be very prudent, and I have no background. So we have to have something that has exceptional training because I'm going to need it. Well, the woman was very open. She went into a home services business. She bought one territory, she was very successful. She made the president's club, she bought a second territory, she bought a third territory, she got remarried, she won a trip through one of their vendors to Paris, which was their honeymoon. Nice. I mean, it it has just been fun to watch her and see her develop. She last time I think I talked to her, she had a staff of nine people. She started in a small home office, so she has simply flourished, she's involved in the community, she gives back, she has a stellar reputation. And who knew had she taken a job? And I don't mean this to sound derogatory, but she would have started at the very bottom. And I don't know that she would have had the opportunities that she had. And and certainly she worked hard, but she now says, I know how to do this. And she shared with me one day when I was chatting with her her interview strategy that an assistant will say, Well, I'm going to schedule the interview just for 15 minutes initially to make sure that they could pass. And if they pass that, then she gives them a different phone number to call for a second interview. You know, can they keep track of a second phone number? Oh my goodness. Just some of these little basic things that she has implemented to check some things like this to see do they have that potential?
SPEAKER_00That's an amazing too. And how empowered she must feel and how what an accomplishment. I mean, we all know that when we accomplish a goal, it makes us feel better. And so that's a beautiful story. I do want to touch on two things before we wrap all this up because you've mentioned a couple of times, um, and I'm gonna say them both in the because I don't want to forget one because I was sitting there going, what was it? What was it? Um, number one is involved in the community. And I think getting as I get involved more in the local community, I realize that's extremely important for small business owners. And number two, you don't have to have a lot of money. So um, can you debunk that we don't have to have a lot of money real quick and then um talk about the involvement in the community?
SPEAKER_01Sure. We tend to think of McDonald's, yep, which is fine because it's the granddaddy of franchises, and more people have minted more money with McDonald's than any other franchise, but that's really a million-dollar plus investment. So if we look at a franchise that could be run out of a home office or a warehouse, an office suite, possibly a vehicle, we're looking at something that's much more reasonable, probably starting total investment of about $75,000 and going up from there. A good part of that is the franchise fee. Franchise fees tend to range on average between $50,000 to $70,000. Certainly there are some that are much less, and there are some that are six digits. But that gives you an idea that gives you access to the brand, the training, everything like that. And then in addition, you're going to need money to go to training. That might be a flight, it might be hotel, meals coming back, you know, getting your business card and getting established and doing advertising and marketing.
SPEAKER_00And so to me, those money that that sounds exorbitant. 75,000 sounds huge. You know, it's like a coaching program, a real expensive coaching program is 10, right? So um there are funding opportunities or okay. And those are all things that they would discuss.
SPEAKER_01Yes. So again, I can make introductions there. Most of the time, people think of a business similar to a home. So not many people pay cash for a home. They put down a down payment and they finance the balance. So, likewise with the franchise, usually people come to the table with about 30% down and they finance the balance. So that's either through an SBA, a home equity line of credit, um, through savings. They can many times use retirement funds, which they can roll into the business. And when they do it that way, there is no penalty and there are actually some tax advantages. So it's not something that a person can do on their own. There are companies that specialize in this, okay, but again, it allows people to start from an equity position rather than a debt position. And most of the time, again, I say, why don't you explore the different options and see what is right for you or what combination might be right for you? Sure.
SPEAKER_00There's so many out there. It just, you know, we don't think about it.
SPEAKER_01And with a franchise, again, nobody likes paying fees. So there has to be value there. And sometimes when I work with the people, and I'll be very direct, I'll say, gee, you've got this incredible background. What about doing it yourself? And you will say, you know, I thought about that, but how long is it going to take me to create this whole infrastructure? And what value is that? And then what am I going to have to be able to sell? So, yes, I I probably could, but I think I'm going to be able to get down the road further and faster and be better ahead. I see value here in what you've done. And if you don't see value, you shouldn't do it. Yeah. But if you do, that's another plus and continue the investigation.
SPEAKER_00Well, and really quick, most franchises, because they're small businesses, they want you to be involved in the local community. You mentioned even the small business association. They have loans, they have financing. Um, and is that something that is like huge on like all of the franchises that you work with? Most of I mean, that that local community involvement is important.
SPEAKER_01Um, most franchise companies will encourage that. People like to do business with people that they know, like, and trust. Yeah. And most of the time, franchisees like to be involved, or they may even develop someone that wants to join the chamber or wants to represent their brand as well as another option. So it's it's just as a sign of that relationship. And there's a term I like to say relationships matter most. And again, you're going to make some mistake along the way, but if you have that relationship, usually people will say, I understand, let's give it another try. You know, you're supposed to have cleaned my house, and your person was supposed to be here at 10 and it's new and we've got a problem. Well, let's figure it out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's cool. That's good. I these are things that we need to think about and and they're reassuring too. So it's it's very um, it's it's good to hear all of this and to think through all of these things. This has been fabulous. Where is the best place that people can find you?
SPEAKER_01They can find me on LinkedIn under Diane Plois, the franchise fitter. My website is Dianeplois.com. That's D-I-A-N-E. My last name, Plois, is P S N Peter L E U S S as in Sam Sam. Probably the easiest is to type in quick chat with Diane.com and you can schedule a call with me. And that way you don't have to worry about how in the world you spell my last name, how in the world you pronounce my last name. My services are completely free, no strings attached. We are paid by the franchise companies when we bring them the perfect candidate.
SPEAKER_00That's a good thing to know.
SPEAKER_01So no need to worry about that. And really, three things can happen when I talk with a person. They can learn about franchising and decide yes, it would be a perfect fit, or they can decide no, they explored and wasn't good. Or I may suggest, you know what, I don't think this would be the best. Please look at some other options. So those are the three things that can happen. It's pretty simple. Yes.
SPEAKER_00It's not scary.
SPEAKER_01Well, it is scary because it's new. But when you when you learn and ask all these questions and you take notes and you go back and you say, I asked about this and I asked about this, and I understand this, and this is a challenge, but I'm up for that challenge. I can do that. Then you say, I can do this, and you can move forward.
SPEAKER_00I love it. I can. That's good. That's really good. Diane, what is the one thing that you can always be optimistic about? We always close the show with this, and I love hearing what women say, even when everyone else thinks you might be crazy. Even if it's like I had one one of my earliest interviews said, Well, I can always pack a car no matter what, right? So what is the one thing you can be optimistic about, even when other people think you're a little bit nuts?
SPEAKER_01I think you can always be optimistic and have this attitude of I can do it, I can tackle it, I can figure it out. That can do attitude opens up doors. It allows you to problem solve, it allows you to connect with people to possibly ask for help or ask for assistance. So I think attitude is everything.
SPEAKER_00Attitude is everything. We always and we talk about that in my house. I think we need an attitude adjustment. Who needs a screwdriver? This has been so informative and so encouraging and so enlightening. And I just what a delight to meet you. Thank you so much for taking the time to come on. Well, thank you. It has been an absolute pleasure.
SPEAKER_01I love your energy, your enthusiasm, your ability to see and identify and recognize opportunities. So well, thank you.
SPEAKER_00It has been a delight. Well, we I'm sure we'll have more conversations in the future, and I hope to funnel some ladies your way. Thank you very much. I would welcome them.
SPEAKER_01I know if they came from you, I would certainly enjoy working with them. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00I left this interview so excited. I was walking on my tippy toes. I absolutely love learning new information that I know will help so many people, and this topic most certainly will. Did you find yourself wondering if you're one of those 10 women who popped into my head? Well, you just might be. I know so many women who have that head for business and heart for clientele that franchises are looking for. You've sat in my office, chatted with me on Zoom, shared concerns or wins in my Facebook group. I know you're there, I see you, and I hear you. And I hope this conversation has encouraged, emboldened, and empowered you to just start the conversation. But before I share my main takeaways, because there are many, let me point out how Diane exemplifies the tenets of intentional optimism. And I do this because we all have unique and different lives. And while what we do is different, intentional optimism is how we do what we do. It's the attitudes and mindsets that we employ and embody to live out our own goals and dreams with excellence. And we always start with optimistic. Y'all, Diane is in the business of unveiling and offering hope and possibilities. How much more optimistic can you get? She's also very present, especially in her generosity. She devotes her expertise, time, and energy to her clients' best interests. There is only win win here, right? She's energetic. She enjoys working with people, especially women, who may have had blinders on based on the environment they were raised in. She believes that people are more important than the processes or things. She's courageous, and this is evidenced in her leadership principle. She said, Be honest, genuine, humble, and serve. A humble leader who is willing to learn new things. Her wisdom shows up in how encouraging she is when she speaks, be it on a podcast interview or as she works with a potential franchise owner. And intentionality? Did you catch that she's got over 600 consecutive days of running at least a mile? This gives her the ability to use those endorphins to focus on her plans, systems, and learning on a daily basis. Diane is unconventional in her leadership because her passion for helping people create a whole, new, independent future is a reflection of her core values of service, generosity, and humility, which then make her a great role model for women to see that they can succeed on their own terms with their own lived experience and skills. Unconventional leaders lead at every level, in any area, using their unique gifts. Alright, so let's get to some takeaways. If you didn't notice, I learned so much in this interview, and I want to give you a brief summary of the basic main categories and questions that came up for me. First, a bit of a definition. Really, it's more of a contrast and comparison of what a franchise is like and what it isn't. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, and talking with Diane will get you the real details you need, but I think these are good, broad examples for you. Alright, a franchise is like a regular business, quote unquote, in that it's owned by you. For instance, I have an LLC, I own my own business. With a franchise, you own your business. You have control over hiring, firing, how big you grow, what territories you take over. It's also sellable, scalable, and inheritable. It can help you build generational wealth. I have every intention of building my business to a place that can be handed off or at least will produce residual income and generational wealth to pass along to my son and future generations. That is definitely an appeal to owning your own business. But a franchise is also a little bit like a multi-level marketing business in that you already have ready-made brand recognition, a mission, vision, policies, procedures, and a support community. You also have immediate access to products or services with scripts and sales practices that can kickstart your business immediately. But a franchise is different from a regular business. Like I said, I have an LLC, but I had to go out and find ways to figure out everything I needed and honestly still need to do in and for my business. And I'm not gonna lie, there are days where that feels unbelievably overwhelming, and I just want to curl up in a ball in the corner. A franchise offers you a well-planned and tested system for pretty much everything. It's not quite a business in a box, but to know that you have a certain territory, an IT system and support, wow, that would be great, HR policies, built-in vendor relationships, not to mention brand recognition. Yeah, that's a big difference. And a franchise is different from a multi-level marketing opportunity in that while you still have a support system, brand recognition, processes, and policies already in place, you do actually own the business. You're not just a consultant or a distributor. You enter into a legal agreement and your hard work and effort will come back to benefit you and your family, not the company that you represent. Now she mentioned two different models of franchises. I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that we discussed. The first is what sounds a little bit more familiar to me. She called it the executive model. You don't need experience in a specific area in order to purchase a franchise. You might just need your management or administration skills, or life skills, depending on what you have. She said they're looking for people with business acumen, who maybe want to be involved in the local community, who have leadership skills, who are willing to hire, train, direct, and develop personnel, and who may have advertising or marketing experience. They will then train you to hire the right people to do the work of the business. She gave the example of a plumbing business or even an in-home healthcare business. You don't need to be a plumber or a nurse. You need to have the skills and experience that will allow you to learn how to run that business when you then hire those skilled workers. The other model she mentioned was really cool. She called it manager run. This is for somebody who wants a safety net or maybe just to diversify their financial investments. I see this as a great bridge or transition opportunity. It's a little bit like an ideal side hustle. You can grow as fast or slow as you want and keep your job or career until you're ready to transition into the full-time running of your business. And she just threw out a couple of ideas out there. She said there are hair care ones, fitness, massage, nails, office rentals. Literally, my mind still is exploding. But what does this mean for you? In my last episode, episode 83, you can just scroll back where you're listening. I demystified what it means to be empowered. And put simply, spoiler alert, if you haven't listened to that one yet, it means that you have the knowledge, ability, and means to make your own choices and decisions. Means equals money. When you're in business for yourself, you have control of your own money. Now there's no one way to take your future into your own hands and do that. However, I am an unapologetic advocate for entrepreneurship, and Diane put into words my beliefs about being employed by someone else. She put it this way. So many people think of a job as security. But the reality is a job is insecurity. When you're an employee, you can be downsized, laid off, and held back by someone else. This is the story of the majority of the women I've interviewed. Several have been laid off, some of them more than once. And many, like myself, have found that being held back instead of being allowed to truly flourish and benefit the organization was so stifling they were compelled to make the change. A business of your own, and in this case a franchise, will allow you to be the leader of your own team, to literally empower yourself to be and do what you are either called or gifted to do. So what green flags did Diane share to help you determine whether or not a franchise option might be right for you? There are three of them. Number one, you need to know your why. When you have a passion for something or someone or even a process, this could be the opportunity to capitalize on that with a franchise. Perhaps you see a need, very real need in your own community for a specific product or service, but you may not know how to offer it up. Well, a franchise could be the answer. Number two, you need to be okay with some risk. There are definite trade-offs for not being an employee, and not having a guaranteed paycheck is one of them. And if that's something that you really, really need, this might not be the road for you. But if you're willing to take the time and get curious and ask questions, you can probably find a franchise with an acceptable risk level. If you want the freedom to write your own paycheck, to grow a business or team to any size you want, you should be able to find one that will offset whatever risks are inherent in the process. And number three, you really need to be willing to learn their system. Yep, you might have ideas coming out the wazoo and you might be a guru in process improvement. But when they have a system, it's for a reason. And you need to be willing to use their recipe first before you tweak with it, learning their current system and then offer enhancements. Now, if like me, you're fairly averse to having others tell you what to do and how to do it. Well, you notice I don't own a franchise. But if you're on board so far and you think these green flags apply to you, here's her advice, especially if you've never thought about a franchise option before. First, keep an open mind. There are options that you've never considered that might have robust margins for you, and you may not have seen anything like it before. Take a look at your skills and expertise to see how you can leverage them. They are transferable, I promise you. And she'll help you figure out where they can be used. Go explore, have fun. Give yourself the opportunity to start with a broad and open net. They can always be narrowed, no worries. Remember what she said? They're looking for someone with a head for business and a heart for clientele. They're not selling you here. This is an opportunity to rule each other in, just like I shared in my own adoption process. There's a full vetting process they walk you through in which they will share their infrastructure, all the marketing, IT, HR, etc. And they interview you and you interview them. And you get the opportunity to interview other franchisees to see how it's going. It's in their best interest for you to succeed, so keep that in mind. Number two, don't get hung up on the money. They aren't all million-dollar investments. Franchise fees are the biggest part of the investment and they give you access to the entire business. She compared it to purchasing a house. Very few people slap down cash for a house. There are financing opportunities like small business associations, she mentioned using retirement funds that have tax advantages, and even second mortgages. All of these allow you to start from an equity position rather than a debt position, which is yet another difference from a regular business that I failed to mention above. Keep this little nugget in mind. The value of the franchise is that you get further down the road faster. Talk about a kickstart. And number three, relationships are what matter the most. Look for support in your network that can help you with your new venture. Several of my recent interviews have pointed out this fact. Your network knows you sometimes better than you know yourself. They can help you see things that you might never have seen before. Plus, your community really makes a difference. Not only will they support you as you become a business owner, you then have the ability to become more involved in your local community, closing that circle and giving back. To learn more about or work with Diane, check out her website or just go to quickchatwithdiane.com to schedule a call with her. And of course, you'll find everything you need in the show notes. And don't forget to tell her that you heard about her here on the Intentional Optimus podcast. Now, has all my cheerleading about being an entrepreneur or just taking control of your future sparked something in your own soul? I'd love to help you figure out a strategy for your future. Hop on my calendar for a free 30-minute consultation and let's get you a strategy in place. All my links are in the show notes. Until next time. This helps others find us and will have an even bigger impact. If you're curious what it would be like to work more closely with me, or to step up as an unconventional leader yourself, schedule a free discovery session and we'll chat. But maybe you're an entrepreneur looking for a support team. I'd like to personally invite you into my collaborative community, Launch from the Beach. It could be just what you're looking for. All of my contact information and all the links are included in the show notes. And don't forget, you can always connect with other intentional optimists in our Facebook community. You can follow my Facebook or Instagram page, or even connect with me on LinkedIn. Additionally, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter, Optimistic Living. It's good stuff delivered straight to your inbox on a not so strict schedule, but always from the heart. Remember, unconventional leaders lead at every level, in any area, using their unique gifts. And you, my friend, are a leader. You are the future of leadership and the role models for future generations. Until next time.
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