It was a beautiful day in June of 1993 Kindergarten had just finished, and I have big plans for the summer: riding my bike, street hockey, swimming, and playing manhunt at my friend’s house, who lives across the street. I crossed this street hundreds of times. My parents taught me how to cross the street safely. Stop. Look to the left, look to the right, look to the left again, and quickly cross. On this beautiful day, I followed the rules. I stop, look to the left, and see the mail truck...
about 21 hours ago • 1 min read
This staffing board completely changed my business. I used to dread staffing decisions. Promotions? Pure guesswork. Problem employees? I’d procrastinate on those tough conversations for months. Then I discovered something embarrassingly simple: The staffing board. A basic spreadsheet that changed everything: After I started using it: Hiring became proactive instead of reactive Underperformers got the coaching they needed (or moved on) My bench strength doubled in 6 months Turnover dropped How...
2 days ago • 1 min read
At 9am on Monday my wife & kids decided to go to the zoo. It was going to be a beautiful day – 60 and sunny. I made a split-second decision to join them. I rescheduled two calls to clear my calendar. No explaining myself to anyone. This is what real wealth looks like. It’s not about the numbers in your bank account. It’s about having the freedom to say “yes” to the moments that matter most without asking anyone for permission. Most people become entrepreneurs for this same reason. They want...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Me: "Why did we hire an assistant manager for our lowest volume shop? We’re barely profitable there" CEO: "Brian, they’ve got one of the highest missed call rates. An ASM will help us answer every call, get more cars, and increase sales. We’ve need to staff for success" He was 100% right. This store just had the best sales month in over a decade. It’s so easy to fall into a scarcity mindset, cutting expenses until sales rise But business rarely works like that Nobody saves their way to...
4 days ago • 1 min read
I just spent Friday getting a behind-the-scenes look at Joshua Tree Experts. What I found was incredible: $7.4M/year sales at the founding location 60% of business is recurring revenue 21% profit margins after franchise fees In-house contact center to book appointments & sell services Let’s dive in: Business Model Joshua Tree isn’t just another tree company They’ve built a powerhouse model combining four essential home services: Tree Care Lawn Care Plant Healthcare Pest Control The...
5 days ago • 2 min read
Almost every franchisee has the same headache: staffing. "Brian, I just can’t find good people." "My best employee just quit." "I’m doing everything myself because no one else can get it right." Sound familiar? Here’s the truth: The problem isn’t the people. The problem is your system. I made every hiring mistake possible over the years: Rushed desperate hires Always reacting, never ahead Weak onboarding ("here’s your uniform, good luck") Confusing compensation plans nobody understood but me...
6 days ago • 1 min read
One of our shops lost $85,000 in 2024. It lost about the same in 2023 and 2022. This store has lost a total $350,000 since acquired in 2021. Why not just close it? Not an option with our $120k/year lease. Why not sell it? We could, but then we asked ourselves: what would the buyer do? They would find a new manager (maybe replace the entire new team), fix the place up, and put a ton of effort into turning it around. If they can do it, why not us? We’ve turned around every store we bought...
8 days ago • 1 min read
In 2019, I could drive to every franchise I owned within 45 minutes. I believed my success was due to my hands-on management. I also believed they would fail if I couldn’t personally visit regularly. I had quite the ego! These beliefs created a fear of going outside the 45-minute radius. Fear of failure Fear of embarrassment Fear of not being good enough Fear of having to manage through other people instead of doing it myself. I turned down multiple deals that generate $10M+ per year in...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Rory Mcilroy misses a 5-foot putt on the 18th hole to win the Masters Think about all of the years of training and preparing for that moment 2025 was his 17th appearance in the tournament Then he blows it in front of the world But the story doesn’t end there. He has a clutch shot in the playoff round and finally wins the green jacket. It’s the perfect story of what separates amateurs from professionals Amateurs get stuck in the setback. They stew on what happened, why it happened, and who’s...
12 days ago • 1 min read
Most entrepreneurs have no idea how seller financing works Let me break down exactly how seller financing works. Start by crossing out the word “BANK” and writing “SELLER”. In a traditional bank deal, buying a business: Bank lends 80% paid directly to the seller You pay the seller a 20% down payment You make monthly payments to the bank You personally guarantee the loan The bank can take your business and personal assets if you don’t pay. With seller financing, the seller becomes the bank You...
13 days ago • 1 min read