In this episode of Eye on Franchising my guest is Gigi Schweikert and we discuss The Lightbridge Academy. This informative episode discusses the process of becoming a franchisee for the childcare center. Gigi Schweikert, early childhood expert, mother of four, and author of the popular Winning Ways for Early Childhood Professionals book series, as she takes us down the sometimes frustrating, yet always rewarding road of early childhood education. Gigi’s practical ideas and realistic perspective on working with young children have you laughing and learning how to be a more effective educator. Teaching parents and teachers to help every child succeed is Gigi’s life passion. Lightbridge Academy has established a reputation as The Solution for Working Parents® by meeting the evolving needs of families for high quality early childhood education. Since 1997, Lightbridge Academy has been a place where thousands of parents, children, staff, franchise owners and communities have come together to form a trusted Circle of Care — the supportive relationships necessary for children and families to thrive. We protect this circle with a steadfast commitment to our core values, and by never forgetting that children at the heart of everything we do. Lightbridge Academy balances nurturing care with a unique early childhood education curriculum that helps children grow and develop right before our very eyes. Listen in to hear;1. The importance of due diligence when considering franchising2. The importance of finding a franchise that is the right fit for both the brand and the individual3. The best way to learn about a franchise is to meet with the people who are already involved in it4. The importance of good communication and relationships in order to weather any disagreements that may arise 5. The Lightbridge Academy franchise system relies on collaboration between corporate and existing franchisees in order to be successful. KEY POINTS Approximately mentioned @ 00:03:36 The best candidates for Lightbridge Academy are those with a passion for early childhood education, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn. Approximately mentioned @ 00:04:38 The best way to find success in franchising is to due your research, follow your passion and be willing to push yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone- this way you can find a brand that is the perfect fit for you and your lifestyle. Approximately mentioned @ 00:06:47 Gigi Schweikert got into franchising when she wrote her first book on parenting and had no children. She learned about franchising from her mentor, Jim Greenman, who encouraged her to write an article about her experience as a parent. Approximately mentioned @ 00:09:27 The opportunity for the American Dream is what really got me excited about franchising. I had never experienced such a supportive community where everyone was willing to share advice and help out. Approximately mentioned @ 00:21:17 The Lightbridge Academy franchise process involves an in-person discovery day where prospective franchisees learn about all aspects of the business and are interviewed. Approximately mentioned @ 00:30:58 The Lightbridge Academy franchise process includes an initial inquiry, followed by an interview and validation. The entire process generally takes about a year. Have you heard the news? We are officially on YouTube. Come check out a few videos have have and give me a follow! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwoAdrkPZmveJt5AQRDk8WA --- Lance Graulich Franchise Consulting Services from ION Franchising Eye On Franchising
In this episode of Eye on Franchising my guest is Gigi Schweikert and we discuss The Lightbridge Academy. This informative episode discusses the process of becoming a franchisee for the childcare center.
Gigi Schweikert, early childhood expert, mother of four, and author of the popular Winning Ways for Early Childhood Professionals book series, as she takes us down the sometimes frustrating, yet always rewarding road of early childhood education. Gigi’s practical ideas and realistic perspective on working with young children have you laughing and learning how to be a more effective educator. Teaching parents and teachers to help every child succeed is Gigi’s life passion.
Lightbridge Academy has established a reputation as The Solution for Working Parents® by meeting the evolving needs of families for high quality early childhood education. Since 1997, Lightbridge Academy has been a place where thousands of parents, children, staff, franchise owners and communities have come together to form a trusted Circle of Care — the supportive relationships necessary for children and families to thrive. We protect this circle with a steadfast commitment to our core values, and by never forgetting that children at the heart of everything we do.
Lightbridge Academy balances nurturing care with a unique early childhood education curriculum that helps children grow and develop right before our very eyes.
Listen in to hear;
1. The importance of due diligence when considering franchising
2. The importance of finding a franchise that is the right fit for both the brand and the individual
3. The best way to learn about a franchise is to meet with the people who are already involved in it
4. The importance of good communication and relationships in order to weather any disagreements that may arise
5. The Lightbridge Academy franchise system relies on collaboration between corporate and existing franchisees in order to be successful.
KEY POINTS
Approximately mentioned @ 00:03:36
The best candidates for Lightbridge Academy are those with a passion for early childhood education, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:04:38
The best way to find success in franchising is to due your research, follow your passion and be willing to push yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone- this way you can find a brand that is the perfect fit for you and your lifestyle.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:06:47
Gigi Schweikert got into franchising when she wrote her first book on parenting and had no children. She learned about franchising from her mentor, Jim Greenman, who encouraged her to write an article about her experience as a parent.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:09:27
The opportunity for the American Dream is what really got me excited about franchising. I had never experienced such a supportive community where everyone was willing to share advice and help out.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:21:17
The Lightbridge Academy franchise process involves an in-person discovery day where prospective franchisees learn about all aspects of the business and are interviewed.
Approximately mentioned @ 00:30:58
The Lightbridge Academy franchise process includes an initial inquiry, followed by an interview and validation. The entire process generally takes about a year.
Have you heard the news? We are officially on YouTube. Come check out a few videos have have and give me a follow!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwoAdrkPZmveJt5AQRDk8WA
---
Franchise Consulting Services from ION Franchising
Lance Graulich 00:00:02 Welcome to Eyeon Franchising. Are you looking for business opportunities? Well, you are in the right place. We represent over 650 franchises and business opportunities. We will help you find your perfect franchise for free. We even have a free assessment on our website that will help us determine what the best businesses is for you based on your investment level mindset, skill set, and life experiences. This is Eyeon Franchising, where we share our vision for your franchise future. I'm your host, Lance Graulich. Each week we will speak to fascinating folks from the world of franchising, franchisors and founders, franchise funders and franchisees. Are you looking to find your perfect franchise? Or perhaps you are an independent business owner looking to grow and scale your business by setting up a franchise. Either way, our team can help you Ion Franchising, where you will learn the A to Z's of franchise.
Lance Graulich 00:01:07 Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another fabulous episode of Ion Franchising. As you know, I am your host, Lance Grauli. So today we are going to talk to someone that's a former TV host, if you can believe that. She's an international bestseller. Not one book, not two, not 518 books. She's a keynote speaker. She's the CEO of Lightbridge Academy. Welcome my friend, Ms. Gigi Schweikert. Welcome, Gigi.
Gigi 00:01:38 Thank you so much, Lance. Thank you for having me. And, wow, you make me sound better than I, really am.
Lance Graulich 00:01:45 Oh, no, I only tell the truth here, Gigi.
Gigi 00:01:50 I did write all those books. I think that lots of information to share and lots of times when, raising four children, I needed a break. So yeah, it was but let's.
Lance Graulich 00:02:02 Start with let's start with that. 18 books. When did you write your first book and what was that about?
Gigi 00:02:08 So great question. I'm going to take you back to when I wrote my first article. So I never saw myself as someone who was a writer. Just didn't, um wasn't something that I particularly enjoyed or even thought about. Wasn't one of those people who said, oh, I want to write a book. Had a great mentor, Jim Greenman, um, who did curriculum and wrote a lot of books in the early childhood field. And, um, he was my mentor and had suggested that I write an article when I had a child. So I worked in early childhood education for many years. Had been the director of the United Nations Childcare Center, had set up an onsite childcare center for Johnson, and Johnson was the regional manager of that. But I had yet to have my own children. So when I did have my first child, my perspective changed a little bit on parenting and kind of what I had been doing as a person who was a parenting expert without children. So pilgrimage to go around the country, apologizing to the majority of people that I had spoken to before when I really realized the realities of it, but the article was I've changed. I'm a parent. And so I was encouraged to write that. I wrote that for a periodical in early childhood education, and it was a big hit,, I think because of the, um, vulnerability, the transparency, and, um, the humor of what it really meant. And from there, I started writing articles and then, uh, ended up writing, um, some books. Yeah. So my first book was actually with Jim Greenman, an infant toddler book on curriculum and programming and things like that. And then from there started writing on leadership parenting and continued in the early childhood education field as well. Um, it's been lots of fun to be able to share what I do with other people. And basically, I've been able to take what a lot of people already know and just put it into words in a way that is very easy to understand and one that people can use a lot for training and purposes of inspiring and encouraging other people. Yeah, that's my book story.
Lance Graulich 00:04:10 Love it. When you said you wrote a book on parenting and had no kids, it reminded me a friend and I were in a discussion about football coaches. Now that NFL season is wrapped up,, football coaches that are amazing coaches but never play football.
Gigi 00:04:29 Got to tell you, it's all about teaching. I think it's about inspiring people to be the best they can be. So really sometimes doesn't matter about the content. What it matters about is that you relate to people, that you encourage them, uh, that you guide them, uh, that you lead them, um, that they feel safe in your presence, and they're willing to be vulnerable enough to be a little bit of a risk taker, which keeps you in your skill, in your gift zone, but takes you out of your comfort zone, which is where you should always be performing.
Lance Graulich 00:04:58 I love it. I love it. That's fantastic. So how did you get into Franchising and when did you even learn about Franchising? Along the path?
Gigi 00:05:08 Yeah, so I have only been in Franchising for the last nine years. I started my career in early childhood education. I've always wanted to be working with young children. And so I've, uh, worked for many of the early childhood companies in the field, but not in the landscaping excuse me, in the Franchising landscape. And so it was just absolutely phenomenal to be able to help other people who were passionate about making a difference in their community, changing their work life balance, and having an opportunity to financially provide for their children and possibly even their grandchildren. And so it's a great way for people to see a business, something that makes a difference to them, something they're passionate about, and be able to give them the framework to construct that business, but yet have it their business. One that they run, one that when they make changes and do things differently or better within the system. They can see the fruits of their labor. And that's a great feeling.
Lance Graulich 00:06:09 Yeah, absolutely. So tell everyone that's listening that doesn't know about Lightbridge Academy. What is light bridge academy.
Gigi 00:06:17 So Lightbridge Academy is the most wonderful company. And I'm going to start off by saying, I'm not going to tell you what we do. I'm going to tell you who we are. I'm going to tell you about our core values and our circle of care. We are people who care deeply, who have a great integrity, who really believe in happiness, who are all about excellence and continuous improvement. And I can go on and on and on. But who we are, that's who we are. And what we do is early childhood education. So we help the working parent. We're the solution for the working parent. And so those parents who are working, we are caring for and educating their children ranges of age from six weeks when they are just born to six years throughout the school year, and then up to ten or eleven or so during the summer. So it gives parents an opportunity to be able to be in their passion and also make sure that their children are in a safe and educational environment.
Lance Graulich 00:07:16 Well, obviously, there's a huge need for that. Uwhat brought you to Lightbridge? What were you doing right before Lightbridge? Because you've been with Lightbridge as the CEO for a while now, or you've been with Lightbridge a long time.
Gigi 00:07:31 I have. So what brought me to Lightbridge is I had the opportunity when I was writing and consulting, to have a little bit more flexible time with my own children. Um, four who are now grown, one still in college and the other,four kids. The rest are doing their thing. Yeah. And so I was running a consulting company, and the founder, Guy Fazarano of Lightbridge Academy, had asked me to do some work with them. And it was a really great experience with a lot of good people. Umhe was expanding. They needed some information on moving into new markets and what that looks like to increase that geographical footprint. And so he ended up offering me a full time job. It wasn't something that I was really looking for, but it was something that worked with my own family, which is most important to me. It was something that I was passionate about doing in early childhood education. And it was an opportunity for me to learn. I think it's important for all of us to always be learning. And so learning about Franchising was intriguing, and I fell in love with it immediately. And the number one reason is the opportunity for what I would call the American Dream. And secondly, but also as important, is the franchise community. I had never in all my work experience with Fortune 500 companies and, and different vendors and people never been in a community where everyone shares and supports one another. And so when I went to the IFA for the first time, or when someone would say call so and so in Blank Brand and ask advice on your brand fund, or ask advice on what you should do with item 19 and how you structure it, or your building design, or a good architect everyone was so helpful in sharing. There was never this kind of cutting you off or not talking about it. And I had never experienced that. And so it was such a great feeling. And I learned so much from those roundtables at IFA and from just picking up the phone and talking to people. And so that's what really got me excited about franchising, the opportunity for that American dream. I don't think the majority of people who drive through or drive down the busiest street in their community or nearby city realize that those restaurants and those stores and those dentist office and those child care centers and all of that are individually owned brands, but under the umbrella of one big brand. But people who are running those, people who have a story and a family and a tie to that community, and it's just a beautiful thing.
Lance Graulich 00:10:13 I just love, uhit yeah, franchising, the franchise world is such an amazing family, and, uh, a lot of people don't realize, and likewise, a lot of people think they see McDonald's and they go, I don't know if I want to get in the restaurant business. Oh, that's so expensive. And that's a big investment. There's so many franchises out there. So I always tell people, there is a franchise out there for you. So the question is, which is the franchise for you? And that's what I help people with. But regarding Lightbridge Academy, let's transition right into who is the right franchisee for Lightbridge Academy? Like, who do you look for?
Gigi 00:10:56 I love that question. and we do a lot of vetting, and now we're in a position to do that. I think when you're brand new in franchising and everybody says this and everybody experiences this, if someone's willing to pay you for your concept, you're kind of like, oh, my gosh, wow. Okay.
Lance Graulich 00:11:11 You're so flattered, right?
Gigi 00:11:13 You're so flattered. And it's not always the perfect fit. And, um, it's never the perfect fit. And before I get into the specifics of that, I will say the great thing about franchising, too. It really is a partnership, and it really is an opportunity to use leadership in a way that you've never done before, because it's about influencing someone else and helping them to make the right steps towards success. Because being in franchising and having that business model that we know that it's a proven model. We have 17 company centers ourselves, and we've been doing this for 25 years that we know that it works if you do these things. So what we're looking for is we're looking for someone who, number one, is passionate about children. We have to like children.
Lance Graulich 00:11:59 Sort of a minimum requirement.
Gigi 00:12:00 Yeah, but I had a gentleman in Discovery Day who just went through the entire day with us and just absolutely loved the financial model and the opportunity. He says, I really don't like children, so he really wasn't a good fit. I think it's also good for people who want to diversify their portfolio. Um, while we're not recession proof, we are recession resistant. People are always going to need child care. We saw that during the pandemic and how important that is for our economy. We're also I think a lot of people are attracted to childcare because it's a nine to five. and by that it's certainly no nine to five, but compared to many of the other franchising things, concepts that you do, certainly not the restaurant industry, which put me through college. So I appreciate that restaurant industry. but no, we operate generally Monday through Friday and generally from six in the morning till six or seven at night. And so that gives people an opportunity for a little bit more work life balance, which they appreciate. And I think a lot of our franchisees also really appreciate the fact that they get to give back to the community. So I really do feel that when a Light Bridge comes to a new town, a lot of things happen. I think, one, our building is aesthetically pleasing, and I think it fits right into any space that it needs to, whether that's an urban area or suburban area, whether it's a community that has certain specifications for what the elevation looks like. We also provide an incredible service, caring for children and providing that so that parents can work. We hire a lot of people, and although some people talk about, and I agree that it's difficult to hire right now, is that, uh, people love working for us because they love working with children and their families, and that's a great job to have. And the other thing is that we have a foundation. So we are making sure that when we're in a community, that we're good neighbors and we're giving back to that community. So there are an absolutely lot of great reasons why Light Bridge Academy and why it's such a great concept.
Lance Graulich 00:14:03 Well, there's no doubt, as the recession approached, or whether we're in one now, or we're heading who knows what the definition is these days? I know that, a lot of my friends and I always joke that it's okay during a recession, there's two main things that we take care of, kids and pets. So you're in a good spot. Gigi, I know you said your recession resistant. I call it recession friendly because you're always going to take care of the kids. Uand I obviously love, absolutely love what you do, coming from a family of educators. My wife just retired from being a school principal as well. Let's talk about investment. Talk about this wonderful building and the whole investment that goes in there. What roughly I know for those of you playing along at home and listening, there is a franchise disclosure document that you will receive if you're investigating Lightbridge Academy, like any franchise, and that item seven will show you a low range and a high range, but gigi on average, what would you say the typical investment might be?
Gigi 00:15:07 So it's going to depend on whether you lease space or whether you purchase a center. So if you're going to purchase the land and build the center, it could range anywhere from 2.6 million to $5 million and more or less, again, depending upon where you are geographically and kind of what's going on. I think we all know construction costs post pandemic have certainly, um, increased a significant amount. If you're leasing, which is what we, um, typically suggest for first time franchisees, where they're having someone else create that building for them, then that investment is going to be anywhere from $600,000 to $800,000. And typically our first time single unit franchisees will get an SBA loan, um, for that amount of money. We also ask that they have about $150 to $200,000 in liquid, uh, capital so that they can use that and starting up their company before they get the funds from the SBA loan. And then typically, if people are interested in another unit, which we are, a company that really thrives on that, 56% of our franchisees own more than one unit, um, is they usually use the cash flow of that first unit in order to support an additional loan for a second unit. And so it really depends on whether you're going to develop, you're going to buy that property or you already have property and you want to develop on that, or whether you're going to do what we call a built to suit and you're going to lease that from someone.
Lance Graulich 00:16:39 Yeah, I tell everybody that multi unit franchisees, uh, uh, are a big sign of success. That people did one and are interested in doing another. Some people start off like that, I'm sure. Some people come to Light Bridge and say, hey, I'm going to do two or three. And other people, like you said, maybe it's their first time being a franchisee. They know they're going to get a $700,000 SBA loan. I just had somebody that got one of those. You put your 20 or 25% down, depending on the scenario, uh, and you're off and running and eyes, uh, wide open, learning something new that you've never learned before. So let's talk about that specifically though, when it comes to who are the best candidates, you're obviously not looking for people that were just school administrators or teachers, or you're getting people from all walks of life, really are.
Gigi 00:17:34 There are a lot of people, obviously you're asking so many good questions. It's what you do. But, uh, thank you. It is because a lot of franchisees are fearful. They feel like, I can do a burger, I can do pizza. If I mess that up, that's okay. But I don't want to mess up a child. But what, we're looking for is people who are passionate about it. And you're going to have a director who's a certified director through the state and through accreditation standards, who's going to have the experience is typically a she, but it could be he who really understands early childhood education and manages that staff, of 30 to 40 employees. So a person doesn't need to have experience in early childhood education. They need to have a passion to serve, and they need to have a passion for education and what it means, and really believe that education starts with infants and toddlers and preschoolers. And we know now, through brain development research and through studies on education. And I'm sure, Lance, that your wife, who is a high school principal, would say the same, that what happens in high school is often the beginnings of that are founded in quality early childhood education. So there are some studies, the high school Perryville study, that actually shows that children who have been in quality early childhood education are more likely to go to college, more likely to make more money, less likely to be incarcerated, less likely to drop out of school. And so there are so many positive things about it. And so while it's not necessary for a franchisee to understand education, they have to believe in education, they have to believe in children, and they have to have a servant's heart. We are serving people. This is all about what can we do for you? And in fact, I look at the home office, and my position as CEO is usually we have this organizational chart with a CEO at the top, and then everything kind of trails down here. And I like to flip that chart over and put me, the senior team, and everybody else in the home office at the bottom and put those franchisees and the teachers at, uh, the very top. And so what are we going to do every day in our home office that can help them be better successful? And so a franchisee also needs to be someone who's willing to listen. We've created this framework, and because of the price point for entry for early childhood education and the buildings and what I just described and you described in the SBA loan, they're typically people
Gigi 00:20:04 who have some significant success already. And so many of them think once they're kind of into the system, wow, all right, I could do this better. Well, maybe. And we always ask, u people, give it a year. Keep a nice long list, but give it a year unless there's something that's really bothering you to be able to really play out how the business model works. And how the concept works, all the support and training that we provide you, and then let's talk about how we improve the system. And we have lots of ways that we do that at Lightbridge Academy. So even though someone's entrepreneurial and spirit, so that they've kind of built themselves some financial success and some career success, they need to be willing to take some direction. And that's sometimes hard for people.
Lance Graulich 00:20:49 Yeah, absolutely. When you were talking about the franchise community in general, a lot of times people are talking about they get surprised when they become a franchisee. They know they're going to get training and hopefully great training, and they know they're going to get support from the home office, the franchise, or they'll be assigned somebody to help them be successful with, which we're going to hear about from you in a second on how that's done. But a lot of people do forget about the collaboration with existing franchisees. As smart people get to know each other, regardless of whether it's a home service franchise or Lightbridge Academy, franchisees will start calling each other and sharing certainly their best practices. And, uh, McDonald's, the Filet fish and the Big Mac were created by franchisees. And they gave the franchise ore their thoughts and said, we really need these two items at different periods of time. So collaboration is everything in a great franchise, community. But you have to trust the process first, right?
Gigi 00:21:56 You do. But let me speak to that collaboration.
Lance Graulich 00:21:59 Yeah, please.
Gigi 00:21:59 Let me give you a chick filet. Not chickfila. You said McDonald's. Yes. Chickfila fish filet sample. So we have a franchise advisory board committee, that meets on a, regular basis. And one of the suggestions, there have been many suggestions, and that's where that continuous improvement and excellence comes from, is the suggestions of the franchisees and those at our company centers. We have a technology platform, called the Lightbridge Journey App, which really is the point of sale. And it's all the information parents need to understand what's happening in the center and it's how they download their documents and children's physicals and things of that nature. But one of our franchisees suggested, why don't we push all the lesson plans down from the corporate office so that we had all the lesson plans available for teachers to choose from. And so now that can be pushed down. And those lesson plans come out across that platform to every single unit across the country. And, then teachers can add to that or enhance it. And that came straight from one of our franchisees. So we've had a lot of things that we've been able to act upon based on that. And that's so critical. And I have some great stories of people who are just best friends now in the franchise world, having Light Bridge academies and do things together and met and in training and have never,, left that relationship since.
Lance Graulich 00:23:30 No, that's awesome. And that's a great story. There are a lot of people that have asked me over time, is a franchise right for me? I'm not sure. I don't know if I could stand people telling me what to do. And when somebody says that to me, I'm like, maybe so are you married? Maybe marriage isn't right for you either. I mean, look, it's a team sport. You're free to create your own brand if you choose. But, you get to be all by yourself on your island with your brand you're creating.
Gigi 00:24:06 It's not as fun. There's just so much collaboration and so much excitement for the brand as it grows and so much support for what's happening in the franchise, um, community with Lightbridge, especially during the Pandemic, I think really put a spotlight on what that support looks like and what it continues to be.
Lance Graulich 00:24:27 Absolutely. So let's talk a little bit about the process. So you have a lot of inquiries. People like myself and all different people are sending you candidates. So talk about that process. They talk to somebody first. Eventually they get to you. I'm sure you have an interview. But talk about that entire process, the Fdd, validation, et cetera. How long generally does it take?
Gigi 00:24:52 So I'm going to start with going back to during the Pandemic, we closed sales. We were primarily in the Northeast. We were concerned at that point, concerned about the business model. We had been closed for three months, and we really felt like, is this what we want to be doing? But from a validation point of view, we had actually ten sales that year, in that first year of the Pandemic. And those were from the franchisees who did believe in the concept as we went through what was happening during COVID And so it was amazing that they would want to build on that and the bran, based on how difficult it was.
Lance Graulich 00:25:36 Well, obviously, Gigi, I'm just going to throw in my two cent where there's money to be made. You already feel good. You've already chosen to get in bed with lightbridge. Clearly, if it's a great business model like it is, everybody knew the Pandemic was going to be temporary. It would be great to have a crystal ball to have known the end date. And I'm not sure that anybody can confirm when the end date really was.
Gigi 00:26:03 There was an end date. I think we just kind of started to live with it. Right?
Lance Graulich 00:26:06 Yeah, exactly. So everybody knew. Everybody knew it was going to be temporary. Uh, there's no doubt the initial shock of the shutdowns were especially if you were in New York and other areas, you're like, what the heck is going on? We've never experienced this before.
Gigi 00:26:22 Yeah, sorry.
Lance Graulich 00:26:23 Keep going.
Gigi 00:26:24 So when you look at that franchise, um, piece of, uh, what does that process look like? I think today that the majority of prospective franchisees do a lot of individual work online. And so we've tried to make the process of our website and our content informational so that they can start that journey through a self selection process. They can go out and kind of look at what are, um, franchising concepts they're into. Okay? And if they start to look at early childhood education, what brand looks right. For me, I think people make that individual journey and then obviously people come to us through shows. They come to us the greatest way that they come to us when we look at our attribution rates are through referrals, which we absolutely love. And that goes back to the validation that you talked to before. They come through brokers and they come through all kinds of, uh, different ways. And then they will be meeting with our sales associate. They'll be given the Fdd so that they can take a look at that based on the state specifications of what that's supposed to look like and make sure that we're honoring those things that we need to do. Then they're going to be meeting with our salesperson. And he calls himself the least salesperson he's ever known because he's really not.
Lance Graulich 00:27:44 A salesperson, because nobody likes salespeople.
Gigi 00:27:48 Yeah. And he's just a good guy and an education and really about educating and really believing in the brand. And I think that's what's important. So then what we do next is we'll do preliminary conversations with people once they feel that they want to learn more about it and once that we feel we want to learn more about them. And, um, very often that involves me and my COO, Joanne Sophia. And so before they even come to Discovery Day, we often will get on the phone with them and talk with them and answer any questions that they have. And then after that, they come with us in person now to our home office and spend the day with us and get an opportunity to learn about the development department and the finance department and operations and marketing and technology and education and training and all of those pieces. It's a long day, it's packed with lots of information. I spend the entire day there and I think some people could question that. I think people who, ah, have larger concepts with many more units than we do would say, well, you won't be doing that gigi when you're bigger. I hope I am, Lance. I really do hope I am. Because I feel that time for me is an opportunity to really get to know the franchisees, spending the entire day with them. I personally do the tour of the center so I can see what questions they ask. I can see their reactions to certain things in the classroom. We have, uh, a great set up where we have our home office on the second level of a child care center at one of the lightbridge academies so that we can. Go downstairs and see that. And then we do an interview process at the end where we're asking our franchisees questions about how they would handle customer service situations, how they would handle disgruntled families, how they would deal with their employees, how they would deal with their director, or maybe like a general manager and other concepts. And so it really is kind of we get to know you and you get to know us process. And at the end of the day, in this time period, and the time period can be different. For some people, it can be, uh, a four month time period. For other people, it can take a little bit longer. And for some people, it can be shorter. Depends on the due diligence that someone needs, whether they're new to franchising completely, or whether this is a new, uh, concept for them, or whether they've got somebody in their family or a friend who's in franchising as well. Gives them an opportunity to look at
Gigi 00:30:18 that. And so then we really push hard on them. People don't like for me to say it, but I do, is we really kind of talk people out of, um, do you really want to do this? Making sure. So I always say when I take people downstairs on the tours, I say, listen, I want you to imagine yourself here. Is this what you want to do with your time? We love to partner with you, but do you really want to do this? Do you really realize that if your director is out and your ratios need to be covered, that you might find yourself in a toddler room? Are you willing to go that far? Because if you are, then you're right for us. Now, does that happen very often? No. But I think it's important for people to really understand their business, even though our concept is one where the owner does not have to be on site, they have to be engaged. And so that's a little bit about how we go through that process, from identifying franchising, to identifying a concept, to identifying Lightbridge Academy, to deciding if we're going to, um, award a franchise and start a journey together.
Lance Graulich 00:31:23 I love it all. And, I tell people all the time that you want to make sure whatever franchise that you get into, you don't want any surprises to your earlier point. You don't want to find something out after you're in this business for six months.
Gigi 00:31:43 No.
Lance Graulich 00:31:44 Well, if I knew that, I wouldn't have done this. Well, unfortunately, there are plenty of people that are mismatched that choose the wrong franchise that might have said all the right things to get in. But for those of you listening at home, this is a two way street. You have to like the brand, and the brand has to like you. I had a CPA not too long ago. Very professional gentleman, great history. But he was not right for most franchises. He didn't like to listen very much. He thought he was the smartest person in the room at all times. And I finally told him, it might be better if you create your own brand. I wish you were. He got kicked out of the process with two brands. And one of my brands even called me. The VP of Development said, Lance, you normally send us good people. I said, what's wrong with him? And I laughed. And she said, oh, I get it, you knew. And I was like, yeah, I've been coaching him. I thought he was coachable. Clearly he is not a fit. I am sorry.
Gigi 00:32:49 Yeah, it definitely has to be a fit. Because in any business that you run or in any relationship, there are always going to be things that you might have to disagreements about or you might not completely agree on, or you might have a little bit of give and take. And so it's important that your relationship is sturdy enough that you can weather some of that. What I call care deeply and care deeply, meaning I'll care enough to tell you all the great things about you, Lance. But I'll also care deeply enough, uh, to tell you when things aren't going so well because I want you to do the same thing for me.
Lance Graulich 00:33:22 Uh I love it. So regarding, validation, when, a, prospect, a prospective candidate is coming through a prospective franchisee, I should say it's coming through the process, do you hand them a list of all the franchisees and say, here, call whoever you'd like, or what is that process like.
Gigi 00:33:41 You do group, they're welcome to call whomever they like, and we really feel strongly about that. We really want franchisees to know some of the things that may have had some continuous improvement when we entered a new market and maybe didn't know a specific thing now that smoothed over. And so our franchisees are going to be super honest, um, with the prospective franchisees and what. I love that's happening now. This was so great. So we had a prospective franchise couple from Texas, and we were just new to the Texas market. but we had an established franchisee in Tennessee. And the couple from Texas flew to Tennessee. They were invited to Tennessee. They spent the night, they saw the center, they, ask all the hard questions and they made the decision. And we made a decision to join. But one of the great things about our centers and our schools is we have cameras in every single classroom. And those cameras are not just for the benefit of the people who are in the front office, they're for the benefit of the entire system. So as a family, as a parent, you can see your child in action, moving with the teachers every day on any device. Now, a lot of people say that's crazy in such a, uh, legal crazy world that you would do that. But we care so much about children that we want complete transparency, and we want our franchisees to be completely transparent with prospective franchisees where we've done our best, where we have opportunity for improvement, where we fell down and got back up, and how we made changes based on that. So it's an open book.
Lance Graulich 00:35:21 I love it. I love it. And I love what you're doing with the validation process, because I tell people it's amazing. Gigi, I don't know if you feel the same way, but in the world of franchising today, there are still people out there that think someone's going to slide their credit card after the first conversation. It's like, no, this is a process. This is like getting married.
Gigi 00:35:46 It is, very much. It's very much like that. And people have to feel good about it. They're putting all of their energy and their finance and their direction and purpose and mission into your brand and your concept. And it's got to be a good match. And it's the same way with the consumer in early childhood education, some children thrive in a center that has 160 children. Some children thrive better with a nanny or thrive better in an early childhood setting that has 20 children. So I think we have to be cognizant of that, too. Just because someone doesn't like your brand doesn't mean that you don't have a good brand or it's not a good concept or you're not doing a good job. Just not a good fit. And that's okay. Better to know in the beginning than when you're already married, right?
Lance Graulich 00:36:34 Absolutely. But last point on validation, I tell people all the time. People tell me as they get to the end, oh, my gosh, I love this brand, but I'm still not sure. I said, Just keep going, just keep going. And they get to the point where they have validation calls and they really start to see themselves, like you described with the couple that flew to see the other couple.
Gigi 00:36:59 Right?
Lance Graulich 00:36:59 And it happens to me all the time with my clients, my candidates. They're like, oh, you're right. I just had the most wonderful call with a gentleman that's been with the brand 15 years, and yada, yada, yada. And you start realizing that you fit the culture. I tell people it's almost like joining a fraternity or sorority when you like the people you're with, in addition to, oh, by the way, I'm going to make money doing this. You might have found your home. So tell me, well, let's see. Last final thoughts for you. Let's go through that. We've talked about a lot of stuff, so let me hear your final, words of wisdom. You have a lot to share with your 18 books you wrote.
Gigi 00:37:43 Well, I'm going to share two thoughts I'm going to share one about franchising is that I think franchisees need to prospective franchisees need to really do their due diligence on a brand. The financial part of it, the validation of calling other franchisees. And then there is this piece at the end, even if it's a good fit, that feels a little uncomfortable. Oh my gosh, should I do this? And so I think if you can check all the boxes that, yes, this works for me financially. Yes, this works for me geographically. Yes, I like the concept. I like very much the people who represent the brand and the senior team and those people who are going to be supporting me. Then I think sometimes the prospective franchisees needs to push themselves a little bit to move into the franchise world, because it's a big commitment. But once you're in it and you're making money and you're serving other people, I don't know many people who have ever been regretful of that. And the majority of people in our brand are asking for a second and a third. And so sometimes we've got a little bit of hesitation. And I think that, um, you need to push through that hesitation. And the second piece of advice I would give is something that my dad always told me, and it's always served me well, is follow your passion and the money will follow. So do what it is that you like doing, whether that's being with people or teaching people or serving or whatever that theme of, uh, who you are is, and the money will follow, and money is relevant. So whether that's a lot that you need or a little bit that you need, that's all relative to who you are in the lifestyle you live.
Lance Graulich 00:39:25 Gigi, you have been fabulous.
Gigi 00:39:27 Gigi White.
Lance Graulich 00:39:28 Kurt. My pleasure. Lightbridge Academy. Thank you so much for being here.
Gigi 00:39:33 Thank you for having me.
Lance Graulich 00:39:35 Thank you very much for listening today. Please like, follow and subscribe. This is Lance Gravelick. Until next time.