Wu-Wei of White Water
Wu Wei of White Water | By Chuang-tsu The great waterfall of Lu Canyon is thousands of feet high, with a halo of mist that can be seen for many…
Fred Muse – Thank You
Fred Muse - Thank You My first job out after graduating from Washington University in Saint Louis was with Monsanto. Gene Krajack hired me, placed me in the Agricultural Division,…
The Door Is Open
The Door Is Open Most people find change difficult. Change involves doing things differently. It necessitates moving from a known, familiar pattern to an unknown, unfamiliar pattern. For those of…
Valuation of Resales
With consumer confidence shooting straight up and business growth all around us, everyone seems to be focused on opening a business. But what about selling a business? Every person who…
The Test
The Test Everyone who has read The Educated Franchisee knows how I feel about keeping things positive, aggressively dealing with negatives, taking ownership and learning. Well, two weeks ago I…
Body Building
Many years ago, I lived in Montana and became friends with a body builder named Jim. Jim spent many hours in the gym each day building the type of body…
Many Miles to Go by Brian Tracy
As many of you know, I am a reader. I love a good book. My primary goal is to get one good idea from each book. Learn something new or…
Start 2021 Right – 6 Secrets to Self Improvment
Many people start off the new year with goals and objectives. After a few months, the goals are forgotten and the year quietly passes just like many others. What is…
Learn to Dig Deep
Learn to Dig Deep I have a couple of friends that like to share their opinion. They generally do this by forwarding emails that show the opposing side (the side…
The Story of Sam
The Story of Sam I have recently been given the opportunity to work with a remarkable individual - Let's call him Sam. Sam grew up as the 10th child in…
Stop Wasting Time
Stop Wasting Time The Most precious asset you have is time. It is not Money. It is not your house or your car or the gold you have buried in…
What is an Entrepreneur?
What is an Entrepreneur? A while back I high profile franchise 'expert' blogged that franchise owners are 'not really entrepreneurs'. Humm..... I have been thinking about that comment and I…
Thinking About Passing Down the Family Business?
Thinking About Passing Down the Family Business? One of the primary advantages that comes with owning a business is the control one has in how it is run. This includes…
What Are You Willing to Do For Freedom?
A few weeks ago a good friend of mine, Erik Van Horn, shared a few thoughts regarding freedom and lifestyle. I personally found his comments to be both relevant and…
Change is Inevitable, Growth is Optional
Change is Inevitable, Growth is Optional A few years ago a national magazine asked me to comment on changes we see in today's marketplace. Specifically, they asked me to define…
9 Everyday Habits of the Average Millionaire
9 Everyday Habits of the Average Millionaire I’ll be honest. I never dreamed of becoming a millionaire. I didn't feel like I deserved it. I felt like that was meant…
12 Lessons From The End Of The Road
12 Lessons From The End Of The Road There comes a point in life where there is no tomorrow, only yesterdays. A time where we remember the past knowing there…
5 Lessons Learned From the Recession
5 Lessons Learned From the Recession The economic impact of 2020 will be felt for a very long time. Businesses have closed en masse, gutting certain industries and leaving millions of Americans without…
Covid-19 And The Next FDD
Covid-19 And The Next FDD Later this year, many franchisors will begin working on next year’s Franchise Disclosure Document, a comprehensive record of information about the organization that is shared…
Interested in Resales?
Interested in Resales? I am often asked if I am aware of any good resales. My normal response is that there are always good resales. Of course, there are an…
6 Powerful Keys To Success
6 Powerful Keys To Success A few years ago I was introduced to a powerful speech presented by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The speech is focused on Success. What are the secrets…
Fixing The Wealth Gap
Fixing The Wealth Gap Interesting article on the relationship between business ownership and wealth. According to the attached article by Claudia Viek, CEO of Cameo, 'the median net worth of…
The Tale of Two Cities
The Tale of Two Cities ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it…
7 Benefits of Mistake Driven Learning
7 Benefits of Mistake Driven Learning We all make mistakes; it is an inevitable part of being human. However, it is what we do with the experience we collect from…
Like It Or Not, You Are A Business Owner
Like It Or Not, You Are A Business Owner A few years back I had the distinct honor to hear Tom Shay, CEO of Right Management, Florida/Caribbean speak on the…
The Most Important Gift
The Most Important Gift Most of you know that I feel strongly about setting a positive, independent example for our children. This month, in an attempt to get our mind…
Changing Times: 5 Tips to Adapting
Changing Times: 5 Tips to Adapting Now more than ever before leaders all over the world are facing change and complexity — the outbreak of corona virus (COVID-19) has presented…
What Can Bob Teach Us?
What Can Bob Teach Us? I while back I received an email from an international reader whom we will call 'Bob'. I had never spoken with Bob; however, he was…
General Kelly and President Trump
General Kelly and President Trump Several weeks ago I had the privilege to hear General John Kelly speak. As you know, General Kelly has served under multiple Presidents and, most…
4 Thoughts From My Coach
4 Thoughts From My Coach As you know, I place a great deal of importance on having an exceptional team of advisers around me. In order to be a great…
The Power of ‘No’
The Power of 'No' Welcome to 2020. A new decade brings excitement and refreshed energy. We set goals, create bucket lists and establish vision statements; however, despite best efforts, most…
3 Things Everyone Wants
3 Things Everyone Wants Over the past 20 years I have had the honor of working with 1000’s of people. Some of those people ended up becoming business owners, others…
Veteran’s Day Doesn’t Just Happen Once A Year
Veteran's Day Doesn't Just Happen Once A Year With Veterans Day just past, I wanted to share a recent article on the power of veterans in the world of franchising. …
Our Deepest Fear
Our Deepest Fear A poem by Marianne Williamson. I have had this poem on my wall for over a decade. Whenever I feel weak or inadequate; whenever I am thinking…
Are You Scared or Excited?
Are You Scared or Excited? A little while back a friend forwarded a newsletter to my attention. The newsletter built a powerful argument for the relationship between fear and excitement.…
7 Reasons Why Your Job Is Like Crack Cocaine
7 Reasons Why Your Job Is Like Crack Cocaine Ever wonder why it is so hard to leave a job you hate to pursuit your life dream? Maybe it is…
Labor Day and Entrepreneurship
Labor Day and Entrepreneurship Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Labor Day and how the holiday came to be? The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September…
Diamonds and Fancy Cars
Diamonds and Fancy Cars Interested in the lives of the rich and (not so) famous? Diamonds and fancy cars. Dr. Thomas Stanley and Dr. William Danko extensively studied the topic. …
Talk Doesn’t Cook Rice
Talk Doesn't Cook Rice Recently a friend shared a Chinese proverb. It goes like this - "Talk doesn't cook rice" Here are Leo Babauta's 'Little Rules of Action' to help you…
What Is The Best Age to Start a Business?
What Is The Best Age to Start a Business? I often get asked, 'What is the best age to open a business?'. Until now, my answers were anecdotal. Thank you…
4th of July and Benjamin Franklin
4th of July and Benjamin Franklin As we prepare for the 4th of July holiday, it reminds me of the strong, independent foundation of this country. The United States was…
The Wisdom of Winnie The Pooh
The Wisdom of Winnie The Pooh Over the past decade I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with thousands of people who hope, one day, to own their own…
The Wisdom of Mayor Suarez – City of Miami.
The Wisdom of Mayor Suarez - City of Miami. Last week I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Mayor of Miami – Francis Suarez. At 41 years…
Are You An Entrepreneur?
Are You An Entrepreneur? Over the past 20 years, I have been honored to work with thousands of people who are now business owners. What a joy to work with…
Don’t Forget Your Running Shoes
Don't Forget Your Running Shoes I love to read. I read lots of books on a variety of topics. Recently I decided to reread a few books. One of the…
More Important Than Money
More Important Than Money As a franchise coach, I often speak with people about risk. Folks share the fact that they are interested in opening a business but they are…
Life is a Funny Thing
Life is a Funny Thing Hard to imagine it is already November. Thanksgiving is around the corner, the holidays, then 2019 before you know it. Are you ready? Life is…
You Must Own Your Future
You Must Own Your Future A few years back I had the distinct honor to hear Tom Shay, CEO/Owner of Right Management, Florida/Caribbean speak on the topic of job transition…
The Mind of a 4th Grader
This morning I spent some time in a 4th grade classroom. The program is called Project Teach and the purpose of the visit is to discuss first impressions, career planning…
Lessons From A Veteran
Lessons From A Veteran As a franchise coach I get to speak with individuals about more than just franchising. We take time to discuss their vision, values and insights. Part…
What’s New in Franchising
What's New in Franchising? Each year I attend several franchising conferences. Normally these conferences are fairly predictable. The conference I just returned from was different. The energy and power was…
The Joy of Taxes
The Joy of Taxes I was planning to write something festive about the holidays but instead, I decided to discuss taxes. I know. Taxes? Nobody wants to discuss taxes during…
Gratitude
Gratitude Seeing as Thanksgiving is this month, I thought it might be a good idea to touch on the concept of gratitude. Why gratitude? Because gratitude is the single most…
Politics, Social Media and the Stock Market
Politics, Social Media and the Stock Market About a year ago I was speaking with a prospective business owner and he was trying to decide if he should open a…
High Achievers vs. The Average Person
High Achievers vs. The Average Person I subscribe to a few investment newsletters. These newsletters do their best to let me know what is happening in the market and allow…
The Educated Franchisee 3rd Edition
The Educated Franchisee 3rd Edition We are proud to announce the publishing of The Educated Franchisee – Third Edition. It has been a decade since the best selling The Educated…
Leadership & Vision
Leadership & Vision Happy Presidents Day. I would like to open this newsletter with some thoughts on Leadership and Vision from John Maxwell. 'Without a challenge, many people tend to…
Employment VS. Ownership
Employment VS. Ownership As a franchise coach I often work with people from the corporate world. Folks who are coming to the conclusion that employment may not be a long…
What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?
What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up? We all received that question when we were kids. What was your answer? Do you remember? Perhaps you wanted to…
Fast, Easy Money – Finally!!
Fast, Easy Money - Finally!! One of the most discussed topics in the world of business ownership is financing. Where is the money, who has it and how can I…
What is the Meaning of the 4th of July?
What is the Meaning of the 4th of July? With the passing of another 4th of July celebration, I was reminded of the 'real' meaning of Independence Day. As well…
What is Risk?
What is Risk? Risk is such an interesting topic. There are hundreds of books written on the topic and mathematicians have spent many lifetimes studying how to quantify, measure and…
Arnold Palmer – More than Golf
Arnold Palmer - More than Golf A few days ago I watched a TV show on Arnold Palmer. He was quite a man. As we all know, Arnold Palmer has…
Lindon’s Question
Lindon's Question A couple of weeks ago I was flying home from a meeting and I had the pleasure to sit next to a very thoughtful gentleman named Lindon. Lindon…
A Seasoned Business Man
A Seasoned Business Man I recently had the pleasure to work with a seasoned Brazilian businessman who wanted to return to the United States to live. Relocating a family to…
Personal Evolution
Personal Evolution How do you get from point 'A' to point 'B' both personally and professionally? There are a number of books on this subject. There are motivational speakers, there…
Updated Stats on Franchising
Updated Stats on Franchising Big news this month comes out of the International Franchise Association annual meeting in New Orleans. Attendance was near record setting levels with over 3500 franchise…
The Amazing Martha Matilda Harper
The Amazing Martha Matilda Harper Have you wondered about the history of franchising and who were the early players? Well, two weeks ago we had a wonderful opportunity to listen…
What Are You Thankful For?
What Are You Thankful For? It is that wonderful time of the year when we get to spend time with family and friends. There are so many things to be…
Richest Man In Babylon
Richest Man In Babylon As we discover knowledge, it always feels new to us; however, many of the basic tenants of wealth creation date back more years than most understand.…
Make Things Happen
Make Things Happen Even though it may not feel like it here in Florida, summer is pretty much over. It is more than just kids returning to school; it is…
Reinvention and Career Change
Reinvention and Career Change A national magazine recently asked me to comment on changes we see in today's marketplace. Specifically, they asked me to define the word 'Reinvention' as it…
Is Humility the Key?
Is Humility the Key? A recent experience with a franchise candidate got me thinking about what characteristics are required to be a great franchisee. It is obvious that some people…
Three Small Nuggets
Three Small Nuggets I was recently asked by a reporter to share three key pieces of advice in regard to how small business owners can best deal with failure like…
Are Franchisees Entrepreneurs?
Are Franchisees Entrepreneurs? Recently I high profile franchise 'expert' blogged that franchise owners are 'not really entrepreneurs'. Humm..... I have been thinking about that comment and would have to respectfully…
Does Your Car Drive Straight?
Does Your Car Drive Straight? I would like to start out with a question - 'Does your car drive straight?' That's right. If you are driving down a straight highway…
Fear Vs. Excitement
Fear Vs. Excitement A month ago a friend forwarded a newsletter to my attention. The newsletter built a powerful argument for the relationship between fear and excitement. I was so…
The Ideal Business Owner
The Ideal Business Owner Q1 2012 is done and what a busy quarter it was. Whatever was holding people back seems to have gone away and folks appear to be…
Fake News
Fake News I have a couple of friends that like to share their opinion. They generally do this by forwarding emails that show the opposing side (the side they do…
Break The Rules
Break The Rules I was recently introduced to a motivational speech presented by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The speech is focused on Success. What are the secrets to success? The 6 Keys…
Yes, You Can!
Yes, You Can! Over the past decade I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with thousands of people who hope, one day, to own their own business. The people…
Zen Habits
Leo Babauta publishes some great content. Here are Leo Babauta's 'Little Rules of Action' to get you going in 2012 Don't Overthink. It's good to have a clear picture…
Where You Start Doesn’t Matter
Where You Start Doesn't Matter I have recently been given the opportunity to work with a remarkable individual - Let's call him Sam. Sam grew up as the 10th child…
Happy Labor Day
Happy Labor Day Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Labor Day and how the holiday came to be? The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5,…
Security Vs. Freedom
Security Vs. Freedom As we prepare for the 4th of July holiday weekend, it reminds me of the strong, independent foundation of this country. The United States was built on…
Who Moved My Cheese?
Who Moved My Cheese? Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to reread Who Moved My Cheese with my daughter. She is 8 years old and has become quite a…
‘Invest’ Your Time
'Invest' Your Time I would like to open this newsletter by sharing a few thoughts from my good friend Ford Kyes of ActionCOACH Pinellas. Ford's firm is consistently ranked as…
Drivers of Success
Drivers of Success I have recently been working with a wonderful lady who has decided to become a business owner. During a recent conversation we found ourselves discussing the drivers…
What Makes a Great Franchise?
What Makes a Great Franchise? Last week a lady considering franchise ownership asked an interesting question. 'What makes a great franchise and how will I know it when I see…
Advice From Tom Shay
Advice From Tom Shay Last week I had the distinct honor to hear Tom Shay, CEO of Right Management, Florida/Caribbean speak on the topic of job transition and career management. …
What Do You Want?
What Do You Want? Hard to imagine it is already November. Thanksgiving is around the corner, the holidays, then 2011 before you know it. Are you ready? Life is a…
How To Build Entrepreneurial Children
How To Build Entrepreneurial Children Most of you know that I feel strongly about setting a positive, independent example for our children. This month I would like to discuss why.…
Lessons Learned?
Lessons Learned? Recently I received an email from an international reader whom we will call 'Bob'. Bob shared with me the fact that he is very upset with his franchisor.…
The Franchisee Playbook
The Franchisee Playbook Earlier this month I was working on The Franchisee Playbook and realized that the Preface to the workbook really connects to the 4th of July. It reminds…