In this episode, we sit down with Sam Reed, an AlphaGraphics franchisee in Irving, Texas with over 13 years in the system. Sam went from a 26-year PepsiCo corporate career to owning his own franchise—and he’s revealing everything you need to know: ✅ Real startup costs ✅ Actual earnings potential (six-figure income) ✅ The big surprises of buying an existing franchise ✅ How he built local customers with Chamber of Commerce networking ✅ His #1 advice for first-time franchise buyers
In this episode, we sit down with Sam Reed, an AlphaGraphics franchisee in Irving, Texas with over 13 years in the system. Sam went from a 26-year PepsiCo corporate career to owning his own franchise—and he’s revealing everything you need to know:
✅ Real startup costs
✅ Actual earnings potential (six-figure income)
✅ The big surprises of buying an existing franchise
✅ How he built local customers with Chamber of Commerce networking
✅ His #1 advice for first-time franchise buyers
00:00 – Welcome to Franchise Envy – AlphaGraphics Spotlight
01:12 – Meet Sam Reed: From PepsiCo Executive to Franchisee
02:47 – Is This Your First Business? Corporate to Entrepreneur
04:04 – Biggest Surprise Owning an AlphaGraphics Franchise
06:05 – Buying an Existing Location: Customer Relationship Pitfalls
08:12 – Why Sam Chose AlphaGraphics vs Chick-fil-A or State Farm
11:42 – The Difference: True Business Ownership vs. Operator Model
13:24 – Franchise Startup Costs: Fees and Investment Details
15:45 – How Much Money Can You Make? Six-Figure Potential Explained
18:12 – Work-Life Balance: Operating Hours & Lifestyle
20:02 – Craziest Print Job Sam Has Ever Done
22:30 – Family Reactions to Buying a Franchise
25:10 – Why Irving, TX Is a Great Market for Printing
27:00 – Hardest Parts of Owning the Business: Staffing & Customers
30:32 – #1 Mistake New Franchise Owners Make
34:10 – How Chambers of Commerce Grew His Sales
37:40 – The “Mayor of the Town” Story
40:22 – Outrageous Print Jobs They Refused
42:20 – Sam’s Best Advice for Aspiring Franchise Buyers
45:00 – Wrap-Up & Final Thoughts
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