Our First Franchise: A Journey of Two Entrepreneurs

Escape and Empower Podcast with David Greenberg and Peter Gilfillan

David Greenberg and Peter Gilfillan explore the transformative power of franchise ownership, sharing their personal stories of breaking free from corporate constraints. They also explore the first steps, challenges, and ultimate rewards of entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Dave and Pete discuss:

• Escaping the Corporate World 

Pete and Dave recount their experiences leaving stable, high-paying corporate roles to pursue entrepreneurship. From navigating fear to embracing uncertainty, they share how they broke free from the 9-to-5 mold.

• Partnering with Your Spouse 

Dave highlights his wife Laurie's critical role in his franchise journey, emphasizing the importance of involving family in major business decisions.

• Choosing the Right Franchise 

Both hosts reflect on how they selected their franchises—what worked, what didn’t, and why aligning with a business model you love is more important than chasing a passion.

• Building a Legacy 

Pete discusses how entrepreneurship shaped not only his career but also his family's outlook. From giving his kids titles in his business to teaching them about leveraging debt, Pete explains how owning a business can leave a meaningful legacy.

Key Takeaways:

• Get Your Spouse Onboard: Family support is crucial to overcoming fears and building confidence in your entrepreneurial journey.
• Focus on the Business Model: Loving the process and services your franchise offers often outweighs initial interest in the industry.
• Embrace Gratitude: Both hosts agree that maintaining a mindset of gratitude is a cornerstone of success and fulfillment.

"Entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money; it’s about building a life you can be proud of while impacting others positively." — David Greenberg

CONNECT WITH PETER GILFILLAN:

Website: https://www.hireyourself.com/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/petegilfillan/

CONNECT WITH DAVID GREENBERG:

Website: https://empoweredfranchisee.com/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-greenberg-entrepreneur/

Transcript

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Welcome to the Escape and Empower Podcast. Escape from the corporate rat race to empowered franchise ownership. Are you ready to take control of your destiny? Follow your dreams and live life on your own terms? Join our host, Dave and Pete, for insights on how to break free from the corporate grind. Ditch the 9 to 5 step into empowered franchise ownership.
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Hi. My name is Dave Greenberg, and I'm one of the cohosts of the Escape Empower Podcast. So what is that? We're gonna share our stories, how we left the corporate world
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and became entrepreneurs, and how we help you do the same. Hi. I'm Pete Gilfillan. I'm a proud corporate escapee. I'm an entrepreneur. I'm the best selling author of the bookHire Yourself and I'm a co-host of the Escape and Empower Podcast. You know, we're excited to share our journeys of how we escape the corporate world and how we can help others take control of their destiny to build wealth and live life on their own terms through becoming a business owner or simply put, and an entrepreneur. Good morning, Dave. I gotta Hey. Hey. We we're gonna have a great time today, and I thought what we would do in our podcast today is that both of us have invested in franchises. And so I thought we would do was talk about our first time. The first time we invested in a franchise because that kicked us kicked it off for both of us. And so let's let's start with you. You you get to tell your story. So tell me about the first time, the journey that you took to invest in your first franchise. Thanks, Pete. Well, the first thing I gotta say is my consultant was unbelievable
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because his name was Pete Gilfillan, And, I've known him for, I don't know, since the, late eighties, early nineties, somewhere around there. It all glurs together. So, you know, I left, the corporate space, successful exit, and was in Nashville. And I was facing ageism in the workplace and didn't wanna go back and exchange time for money. And and thinking if I did that for another 5 years, I was gonna be 56, and then thinking about doing something that I'd even be older. So I called Pete, and Pete took me through the process as a franchise consultant did. And and my journey was eye opening. He he kinda knows Laurie, my wife, and he says, gotta get Laurie onboard, David. You're not doing anything. I said, okay. So we had her, in our consultation, and we went through all sorts of things. And he quickly figured out that, you know, I wanted to be in the in the executive model kind of business. I wanted to work on it, and I wanted recurring revenue, and I wanted a few moving parts. And so we went through a few of them. And, it was great because I think there are 3 to look at. It helped me compare and contrast the 2. And the most important part of the process was having Laurie, my wife along the way, and especially two things. One, make sure she should participate in validation so she can hear it from the franchisees notes what's going on because sometimes things get lost in translation, especially when I'm trying to talk to my wife. Second thing is make sure you are working a a model. Now franchise consultants can't make any earnings claims. You can't do anything. I, as a franchisee, had to build my own model from the data I picked up and from my validations with the other franchisees. And people ask me what was the biggest fear. And I said it wasn't my fear because I'm I'm the gas pedal. My wife's the brake on the relationship, and thank God she is. And, and and there's a video out there of Laurie speaking about how she got past her fear. And, frankly, it was working through the business model with me. And I believe the business model because I spent hours putting it together and talking to franchisees, and then, you know, I had to take Laurie through it. Okay. What's this? Okay. What's this? And I felt shit up back in the corporate world. You know? I'm getting drilled on my financials. But it was good because at the end, she's a smart lady, and she's like, okay. You know? We've got one in college and a senior who's about going to college. What do you and I said, well, should we do it? And she goes, yeah. I believe in this, Dave. I believe in you, but more importantly, I believe believe in the business model. And then she got to meet Cecil, the founder, who unfortunately has passed away of Salons by JC. What a warm, wonderful individual. It's like, okay. I can work with this guy and this team, and I can work with this business model. My wife is on board. The fears were there because it was the first time I was gonna make payroll out of my own bank account.
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And, we did it. And it was a lot of hard work, though. Right? I mean, it it takes a lot of hard work. Absolutely. Yeah. Because people said, what's the story about how you got into it? And Pete says this all the time. It's hard work. No matter whether you're owner operator or taking the executive on approach, it's hard work. It takes hard work. And if you remember when I introduced you the franchise concepts, you thought I was a little crazy. Right? You you we talked about franchising, but I presented these concepts. You'd never really heard of the salon suite concept and the other ones that I shared with you. And I said, just keep an open mind. Just keep an open mind and have one conversation with them, and you're gonna start learning, and you'll figure it out. And you did a great job of going through the process and more importantly, including Laurie in the process because that is so important that you can either, you know, do it with them or, you know, against them, and you did it with her. You know, it's interesting. I remember the 3.
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Meineke was 1, and it was, yeah. I was, like, all about it because I understood the business and, and then I went up and up into, Kentucky and visit with with a multiunit franchisee. Did my validations 1 on 1. And, Brown was I can't remember his name. Because it was long ago. And I was like, okay. And then we started doing the, salons by JC business model. I was like, okay. What part of the labor pool do I really wanna be associated with? And then I also looked at, another, kinda, UPS postal type store. And the characteristics were clearly things that pointed me in the right direction, especially the labor pool. You can choose what part of labor pool you wanna work with. And it's not snobby or anything, but, you know, do what you wanna do. And I found you know, I'm a car guy. What am I doing in the beauty and wellness space? And I say it today. Well, hey. You know, unfortunately, repeat, your hair is still gross. You gotta do something with it. But, you know, but it nails grow. You need facials. You need to get wax. You know, the stylist and beauty and wellness professionals are just incredibly professional, creative, and wonderful people. And, you know, if I look at their 6 locations, we have under our roofs, we have 274 entrepreneurs or 99.5% of our women just rocking their own business under our roofs. It's so rewarding to do that business. So, you know, there were a lot of things and I said, okay. I know nothing about this business. But I know I had to hire a manager before I opened up. And I had a enjoy I I like recurring revenue. I love the simplicity of the model. And and the business model is is you know, I someone said to me, don't follow your passion, and I say that today too. But fall in love with the business model and the services you provide.
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And then, you know, and then and that's what I did. Yeah. And a lot of times, falling in love is building it. Right? It's about doing whatever you're doing. It's not necessarily about the widget. It's about what you can build with the widget. Yeah. I always tell people. Yeah. I think, I think, you know, we both say the same. You know? Are you a sustainer or a builder? What gets you excited?
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And that was important. Pete asked me how important growth was to me. Right? That's why I did, you know, I signed up for 3, and we ended up building 6 over time. And I think we we did it. We did build build 6 in 5 years. That was a crazy, crazy That's pretty aggressive. Yeah. Absolutely. But we survived. It thrived. Yes. You know, it the the occupancy rates hold steady and true, and it's a simple, consistent business that, you know, you can hold on to it as an annuity or you can build it up to, take it to sale as an exit. Absolutely. So that's kinda my journey. And, you know, if I, if I talk about, you know, the 5 years I took to build it, the 5 years I built a team, we have a general manager running all 6 locations now. She's just wonderful. And each location has a manager and a half because we we do some things to with a part time employee to help everyone in the in the place. You know, the simple things make a difference. Show up, smile. Remember birthdays. Remember anniversary dates of when they signed their lease and, Christmas party. You don't have to throw a party, but you need to feed the beauty and wellness professionals because their business is so crazy busy in in in the holidays. All they want is a good lunch. So, you know, during December, buy lunch if you're in the sun sleep business for you or the people that are are are working in response and Yeah. And set the right environment. You know, the password to my business is is happy place. And, the customers can use it and all my,
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my my salon owners use it because it sets the tone. I think the key thing is is that you've set your life now. You don't ever have to go back to the corporate world. Right? You're in control, of your life, and you're making a difference in people's lives. And that's what it's all about is the impact you make in the world, and you gotta be very proud of what you done. Well, thank you, Pete. Because once I got it done, I took about 8 weeks off at 56 years old, and I figured,
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I found out retirement wasn't for me because I was in my wife's space and and, you know, what what I'm gonna do at 56. So I called up Pete under restrictions from Laura. He said, call Pete, but no more money in businesses. Okay? How do you put yourself to work and limit your capital expenditures? And that's when Pete invited me to become
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a consultant with FranChoice. And so that's why I'm here today, and thank you, Pete. Yeah. That's a great journey. So what about your journey, Pete? So my journey starts with this. You you and I were both at Ford, and I ultimately left Ford. It was just the right time. I I love Ford. It's a great company. I grew up as a son of a Ford dealer. Grandfather was a Ford dealer. Grew up at Ford family, and my blood was blue. And I I got the fortunate opportunity to work for Ford and spend, you know, a lot of time there several years, a little under 20 years. And it just got to the point where it wasn't it it wasn't making me happy anymore. So I I decided to to leave Ford, and I joined a company called Terex. And Terex is the 3rd largest construction OEM in the world. And they brought me in to, run the Americas. And I, I when I left Ford, I decided I wanted to be an entrepreneur. And I actually went and looked for businesses, and I I sat at my kitchen table with my wife, and we had the opportunity to buy a local business or for me to join Terex. And my wife thought security was was a job, so I took that. And I started with Terex. I ran the Americas. Bottom line is I traveled down to Memphis where my corporate headquarter was there, every week. So I was gone, got promoted to head of global sales and production planning. So now I'm going every week going to Westport or over to Europe where my production was. And it just got to the point where it was gonna get me divorced or disconnected. My, my wealth wife felt like she was raising our, our kids on her own as a single parent. And I woke up in a hotel room overseas one night. It was pitch dark, and I couldn't remember where I was at. And I decided right there that I was done. I I I couldn't take anymore. This is not the life that I wanted to live. So I actually flew home, took my wife out to a little dinner, at Rosebuds, a little Italian place. Over a bottle of wine, I proceeded to tell her that I was gonna quit my high paying corporate job. And
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and and and she's like, oh, you're the sole provider. Right?
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And and you have to pay the mortgage, and we gotta feed and clothe these kids. You you can't do that. But I'm one of those people. If I get it in my head, I have to do it. So I left the corporate world. Nothing in hand. Walked away from $300,000 a year plus job, the whole deal to go find myself. And I immediately started looking for business against because that's what I wanted. And I found a franchise within a month that I wanted to invest in, and I tracked my wife down, and I told her about this great business that she and I are gonna invest a good part good part of our retirement dollars in. When I got that, telling her about this great business, she said, no. We're not doing that. Right? And and and we did not do that business. And I learned a really important lesson that day that I'd done it to her instead of with. And so I started again looking for businesses, and it took me a little longer. And I finally found a franchise that I wanted to invest in. The franchise concept was called junk king. It plays in the junk world space, and I decided that I wanted to buy the rights to 3 states. I wanted to be a master franchisee. So I went through the investigation process. And like you, I included Shannon in the process. So she was on the introduction call. She's on the validation calls, and she actually flew out to the corporate headquarters in the Bay Area to the confirmation day, where we got to meet the leadership team, meet the support staff, and see the operations. She didn't like moving junk part of the day, but so be it. So when it came time to make a decision to invest in the franchise, you know, she didn't want us to own a business. She did not did not wanna be involved in it, but she understood it was important. So she supported the decision. But she wasn't so sure. She had a ton of fear and because we had a young family. So I had to use what I call the 2 bucket approach. See, she was worried that we wouldn't have enough money to feed the you know, feed and clothe the kids, pay the mortgage, all that kind of stuff. So I created 1 bucket for the investment in the business, and I created another bucket, that was money that she could look at in the bank account that could pay our mortgage, feed the closed, not being called the kids. And the idea was is that to me, it was all one big investment to escape the corporate world. For her, she saw the 2 buckets. So when I showed her the 2 buckets, she goes, okay. I know the kids are gonna be fed and clogged. We're not gonna get kicked out of her house. Let's do this. But, you know, I I'm worried. And I suggest you gotta trust me. You gotta trust that whatever I do, I will be successful. You just have to trust me. So we went forward, and, literally, we start the business, and I I'm working hard. And every day, she would walk into my little office, and she'd say, are we gonna succeed? I'm like, after a while, I'm like, you gotta quit asking. Right? If you're in racing, you don't look at the wall because you drive into the wall. Right? I said, you just gotta quit asking the question. Don't worry. We'll burn the bridges, burn the boats. We're not going back. We will be successful. Right? So fast forward, we're we're very successful with the business. And as I'm doing the junk king, the master franchise, finding franchisees to do junk removal in those 3 states, I get invited to join FranChoice, which is kind of the elite franchise consulting network out. They they handpick you hard to get into, from that standpoint. And that's where I really found my passion. Right? So from that standpoint, then I really got engaged. So I ultimately sold my master franchise. And and now as we look back and we are in control of our lives, I mean, we couldn't ask for a better life. I don't have to work for anybody. I got a complete, control over my schedule. We are living a full great life. But now when we're talking about friends, she'll say, you know what? I always told Pete he should lead the corporate world. He should be the same thing. So she takes full credit for what are you doing? Right? But from a standpoint. So that's my story, and it's so much fun now. And I wrote the book back in 2015, hire yourself. Really, this idea is a as a blueprint to show other people how to do what I did, to escape the corporate world, to take control of their destiny, to build wealth. And and that's our job is to help others explore franchising, to see if it's the right path for them. Great. That's awesome, Pete.
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You know, I think we're all proud of our stories. Our families are proud of the stories. I just did a podcast, earlier this year about legacy building. And it was really cool as we've reflected on this. And, one thing that I've taken away and I talk about is, the shadow we cast is so important. We learn that as managers and leaders in business. But when you get to the family stuff, the shadow you cast and the legacy lead, an impression of a legacy to your kids, you know, how you created your own business and how you created your own wealth and how you were there for them in ways that weren't restricted and traveling 50 percent of your time. Legacy isn't just what you leave to your children or how you create a succession plan. I really think a piece of legacy is having our families and friends reflect on what we've done. And I don't say it from a boastful standpoint. I say, we did okay. You know? Call it luck. Call it hard work, whatever you want, but it worked out. You know, a little bit of both. Right? But I think, you know, the idea is I look at it with my kids, and I I agree with the legacy from the standpoint, but I believe
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that our kids are growing up in a much different world. They're growing up in a world where they're gonna have to create their own opportunities. The the day of the traditional jobs are going away. And at some point in time, they're gonna have to be entrepreneurs. And when I left, the corporate world and started businesses, my kids were young. They were anywhere from 5 to 11 years old. And I wanted this to teach them about being an entrepreneur or exposing them to being entrepreneurs. So what I did is when I launched my business, I literally gave all my kids idols in the business. So I gave my youngest, she was 5 years old. She was the chief fund officer of the business. My second, youngest was the chief motivational officer to this day. She still reaches out to me on a daily basis to ask me if I hit my daily objectives. She's taken it quite seriously, but I went out and got business cards. So my 5 year old had a business card saying she was the chief fund officer of her business. Right? So, so you fast forward, right? My daughter was in a college, program, and she got an internship. And they did a profile video of her, and they asked her, how did you get into business? And in this video, she pulls out the business card that I gave her when she was 7 years old and talked about how that touched her. The other thing that I did in addition to giving titles is that every other Sunday, we would have a Sunday dinner, and we would talk a little bit about business. Just something that was indirect so that I could expose them. For example, you know, how do you, you know, leverage debt or, you know, things like that? How do you do different things with business? Just expose them. And so, again, I think the world is much different. The kids are growing up in a world where it's you know, they can they can start a business out of their basement or their garage. It's very simple. It's never been easier to do it. And if we can give them that experience, that's one of the best gifts we can give our kids. And the, that's fantastic. That's a really cool story. I didn't know that about you, Pete.
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And, the other thing it's taught me, and I think my kids, is to be grateful. Yeah. Really be grateful with what you have. You know, we've created our own destiny, but be grateful of the opportunities that were put before us and and be super thankful. Having a mindset of gratitude is is you know, I talked to all my candidates about this, right, when they launched their business.
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When you have a mindset of gratitude, it leads to success. If you study gratitude, it leads to success. And I thought this was so important. I actually gave all my kids gratitude affirmations to say on a daily basis, and I gave them gratitude journals to always log what you're grateful for. Because if you have a mindset of gratitude,
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your life will go in amazing directions. Awesome. Well, I think, hopefully, others will enjoy this part of our episode because I think, you know, in the process of giving back, you know, it it's all sharing our stories and helping other people doing the same. So, again, Pete, how do people get in touch with you? So, again, you go to hire yourself.com.
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Just simply hire yourself.com. Schedule a 15 minute call. I can learn a little bit more about what's of interest to you, what's got your interest in exploring franchise, and tell you a little bit about how I can help you explore franchise businesses. And, you know, Pete and I do the same thing. You can choose.
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If you wanna get in touch with me, Dave Greenberg, go to Empowered Franchisee, and we have the same process. We have a 15 minute call. You can go to, that website and and and book a call. And, I think in 15 minutes, we'll figure out whether it makes sense to work together or not. So, Pete, thanks so much for joining in in in this inaugural episode of our podcast.
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Yeah. You know, it's just our mission is to help others. And through our podcast, we're gonna help people explore the path we took to become,
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in control of their own destiny, to live life in their own terms, and to build wealth. And and now is the time. Don't wait. Take action now to learn more. Thanks, Pete. Thanks, Dave. Thanks for tuning in to the Escape and Empower podcast. Hope today's discussion has inspired you to consider franchise ownership as a path to living life on your own terms. Start your journey towards financial freedom and flexibility. Connect with dave@empoweredfranchisee.comorpete@hireyourself.com. Until next time.