Are you looking for the perfect franchise opportunity but don't know where to start? Look no further than the Eye on Franchising podcast! In this episode, we delve into the importance of taking risks, seeking advice, and using common sense when selecting a franchise. Our guest, Don Clayton, the VP of talent acquisition for FranServe - the world's largest franchise consulting and expansion organization, shares his journey of finding the right career path and emphasizes the significance of finding the right fit in a work environment- The Ion Franchising represents over 650 franchises and business opportunities- The guest in the podcast is Don Clayton, the VP of talent acquisition for FranServe, the world's largest franchise consulting and expansion organization- The podcast discusses the importance of finding the right fit in a work environment and exploring different options before settling on a career path- The podcast talks about the role of franchise consultants and the difference between franchise consultants and business brokers KEY POINTS [0:2:0] Discover the incredible potential of owning a franchise with Franerf, the world's premier franchise consulting and expansion organization, boasting an impressive lineup of the world's most exciting and successful franchises! [0:2:13] By leveraging the expertise of our consultants, everyday average people can confidently select the perfect franchise for them, one tailored to their investment level and lifestyle, and which is primed to succeed in their local market. [0:6:46] By leveraging the power of virtual consultations, franchise consulting offers a unique opportunity to transcend geographic boundaries and foster meaningful relationships with candidates on a global scale. [0:8:27] With the power of virtual matchmakers, finding the perfect franchise opportunity or partner has never been easier. Still, nothing beats face-to-face meetings for making informed decisions and achieving the best results. [0:9:29] With an arduous process and a multitude of responsibilities, business brokers are key players in the acquisition of businesses, expertly navigating negotiations and securing buyers. [0:10:40] If you possess the essential traits of likability, trustworthiness, integrity and a passion for helping others, you can unlock tremendous success as a Franchise Consultant with Francerf! [0:14:32] Experience maximum success and unparalleled happiness with Francer, the revolutionary platform that rewards their top producers by making them your personal friend and guide to help you reach your goals. [0:15:56] With the power of technology, decision-making can be simplified and streamlined; yet, when selecting a franchise, nothing surpasses the invaluable wisdom of common sense. [0:19:23] Experience the power of professional guidance with Francorp's free franchise consultancy services, offering personalized mentorship, training programs and commission-based compensation – without charging the candidate more. [0:21:18] Experience the incredible power of Francer's $24,900 investment package, including exclusive educational resources, advanced certifications, cutting-edge CRM technology, mentorship programs, and much more—all backed by an open-minded approach to consultant input and ongoing innovation. [0:28:38] Unlock your potential and seize success with confidence: Taking your shot is the first step to achieving amazing results. [0:29:15] Unlock your potential and take action with confidence- by taking the risk to work with a consultant, you can exponentially increase your chances of achieving your goal. 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
Are you looking for the perfect franchise opportunity but don't know where to start? Look no further than the Eye on Franchising podcast! In this episode, we delve into the importance of taking risks, seeking advice, and using common sense when selecting a franchise. Our guest, Don Clayton, the VP of talent acquisition for FranServe - the world's largest franchise consulting and expansion organization, shares his journey of finding the right career path and emphasizes the significance of finding the right fit in a work environment
- The Ion Franchising represents over 650 franchises and business opportunities
- The guest in the podcast is Don Clayton, the VP of talent acquisition for FranServe, the world's largest franchise consulting and expansion organization
- The podcast discusses the importance of finding the right fit in a work environment and exploring different options before settling on a career path
- The podcast talks about the role of franchise consultants and the difference between franchise consultants and business brokers
KEY POINTS
[0:2:0] Discover the incredible potential of owning a franchise with Franerf, the world's premier franchise consulting and expansion organization, boasting an impressive lineup of the world's most exciting and successful franchises!
[0:2:13] By leveraging the expertise of our consultants, everyday average people can confidently select the perfect franchise for them, one tailored to their investment level and lifestyle, and which is primed to succeed in their local market.
[0:6:46] By leveraging the power of virtual consultations, franchise consulting offers a unique opportunity to transcend geographic boundaries and foster meaningful relationships with candidates on a global scale.
[0:8:27] With the power of virtual matchmakers, finding the perfect franchise opportunity or partner has never been easier. Still, nothing beats face-to-face meetings for making informed decisions and achieving the best results.
[0:9:29] With an arduous process and a multitude of responsibilities, business brokers are key players in the acquisition of businesses, expertly navigating negotiations and securing buyers.
[0:10:40] If you possess the essential traits of likability, trustworthiness, integrity and a passion for helping others, you can unlock tremendous success as a Franchise Consultant with Francerf!
[0:14:32] Experience maximum success and unparalleled happiness with Francer, the revolutionary platform that rewards their top producers by making them your personal friend and guide to help you reach your goals.
[0:15:56] With the power of technology, decision-making can be simplified and streamlined; yet, when selecting a franchise, nothing surpasses the invaluable wisdom of common sense.
[0:19:23] Experience the power of professional guidance with Francorp's free franchise consultancy services, offering personalized mentorship, training programs and commission-based compensation – without charging the candidate more.
[0:21:18] Experience the incredible power of Francer's $24,900 investment package, including exclusive educational resources, advanced certifications, cutting-edge CRM technology, mentorship programs, and much more—all backed by an open-minded approach to consultant input and ongoing innovation.
[0:28:38] Unlock your potential and seize success with confidence: Taking your shot is the first step to achieving amazing results.
[0:29:15] Unlock your potential and take action with confidence- by taking the risk to work with a consultant, you can exponentially increase your chances of achieving your goal.
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
Don 00:00:00
Don 00:00:02 Welcome to Eye on 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 for you based on your investment level, mindset, skill set, and life experiences. This is Eye on 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 Eyeon Franchising, where you will learn the A to Z's of franchise.
Lance 00:01:07 Welcome back, everyone, to another fabulous episode of Eye on Franchising. I'm your host, Lance Graulich. I love to bring you stories from great, successful franchisees of various brands. We have founders on, we have top executives of various different franchise from different franchisors. Today, I have something a little special. Extra special. Extra unique. I think he's been called worse. Just kidding, Don. So I want to welcome a good friend of mine, VP of talent acquisition for FranServe, Don Clayton. Welcome, Don.
Don 00:01:42 Thank you, Lance. Pleasure to be here. Thank you.
Lance 00:01:44 It is so awesome to have you. So tell, everybody what FranServe is, and then we'll go all way back deep in center field to, how Don got started in Franchising.
Don 00:01:57 I love it, man. This is our world, right? So this is the world in which we live in every single day. So FranServe is the world's largest franchise consulting and expansion organization. So what we do, we represent some of the coolest, hottest franchises all over the world. And we have a very large portfolio of these franchises. And what our consultants do is our consultants work with everyday average people to, help them pick the right franchise for them, their family, their lifestyle, their demographics, the monetary investment level, et cetera, and to open up in their local market, whether it be brick and mortar or home based or what have you.
Lance 00:02:34 Love it. And for those of you listening, and for friends of mine that are listening and watching on YouTube or other areas, other,vehicles out there where we post stuff, this is what I do. I am an affiliate of FranServe. It's not officially a franchise. And FranServe has been amazing. And as my own testimonial for FranServe, I checked out all of the other major brokerages out there many years ago when I was doing this all on my own and decided I want to join a big boy or big gal organization. And guess what? FranServe was the, clear cut winner. And all these years later, francerv has just proved to be better and better and better and stronger, and just an amazing franchise. family, as we call it. So, Don, I'm excited to have you here. Let's take way back. What did you want to do when you're in high school? I love to start with high school. College. And how did you become what you are today?
Don 00:03:36 Man, I had no well, first of all, we are better with Lance. Thank you for choosing Francerv many years ago, because we are a better organization with your presence. And so you are an amazing, fantastic ambassador for FranServe. So thank you for all that you do for us as an organization. So in high school, man, I had no idea I was a goofball, quite honestly, in high school. And you imagine that, right?
Lance 00:04:05 I cannot imagine that, Don.
Don 00:04:07 Many people can. And I get it. in college, man, I actually, was accepted at UNC Chapel Hill, and went to school there and had some great friends in college. Still really didn't know what I wanted. But all my friends, they kind of knew what they wanted to do. So I double majored in psychology and communications. And so, I kind of think I wanted to go into advertising. Right? I wanted to be in one of the big ad firms, like, in New York City. Imagine me in New York City. Ogilvy southern boy in New York putting up ads like Don Draper and Mad Men. It was crazy. But that didn't really work out. So I kind of got a job in sales, and I had, like man, I had, like, seven or eight jobs in, like, seven or eight years, man, because I couldn't keep contained. I hated going into an office environment every day. The politics, the water cooler, comment.
Lance 00:05:02 It was just really the toxic nonsense.
Don 00:05:05 Very toxic. The traffic, it was just mundane. I felt like I was wasting my life. I felt like I was wasting my skill sets. And so, when I was 29 years old, I, was the VP of sales, uh, for a medical publishing firm, and I resigned. I wrote my letter of resignation. The CEO was very angry that I was resigning. I remember he tore up my resignation letter, chugged a 16 ounce water right there, and threw the bottle and told me to get out. And that was the best thing that ever happened. That was in 2002 and August of 2002. And I really wanted to go into business for myself. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur at some point, to some degree. And so I said, what better way of learning about businesses than becoming a business broker and learning about businesses that way? So I actually started. I hired a guy at, 29 years old from New York to come down to train me on how to be a business broker. So I paid him his daily rate to come down and train me on how to open up a business broker firm. And I did. And two months later I sold my first business, Lance. It was a limousine company and it was pretty cool man.
Lance 00:06:15 Uh, I always picture you sitting in the back of a limo.
Don 00:06:18 Yeah. So I did that and I was hooked. And so for ten years I owned my own business broker company. I sold it and I found out about franchise consulting. I had no idea it existed. So for me, in 2012, I became a certified franchise consultant. And it was great for me because as a business broker I could only represent local businesses. But as a franchise consultant there are no territories for us. So I was able to work with people from all over the world and help them go into franchising. And so for the last 1011 years, as a matter of fact, this coming April will mark eleven years that I've been working with Francer as a certified franchise consultant. Thank you so very much. So that's my story man. And here I am. And I'm very glad I made those decisions. And uh, so it's super exciting to be able to change lives because Lance, as you know, you do this, that's what we do. We change lives. We get folks out of the rat race. And whatever your definition of winning the rat race is, at the end of the day you're still a rat. So I felt that in my twenty s and I'm like, I got to get out of here. I couldn't keep contained. So I have been an entrepreneur since my late 20s.
Lance 00:07:30 Yeah, I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. Both of my grandfathers were entrepreneurs. My dad was a partner in uh, a Wall Street firm and my dad thought I was going to work for them. And I did his company for a period of time throughout high school, during college, after college. And then I realized this wasn't for me. And he said, yeah, I kind of feel you're going to be unemployable. And I said thank you.
Don 00:07:56 Not necessarily a bad thing to be honest.
Lance 00:07:59 It's not. And one of the things that we at, ah, Francerv as franchise consultants, franchise brokers deal with on a regular basis is the people that are stuck. And we have to get them unstuck and reinvigorate, if you will, their mindset that, hey, they can do this. Because so many people that are stuck in a corporate job feel like they're lacking skills. And I tell people all the time when I'm talking to our candidates clients that your skills are transferable. The question is to what? And that's what a franchise consultant does. I did absolutely love when you described for people because it is confusing at times the difference between what a business broker does and a franchise consultant. The fact that a franchise consultant, we have no borders, if you will. I'm uh, working with people in australia, in the UK, and obviously a lot of people in the US. And more people than ever in Canada right now. But business brokers are very local, very regionalized. So that is a distinct advantage. And thereby, we are not showing people businesses on weekends, at night. We're not touring them in businesses. So, uh, I think what we do is the best thing in the universe, of course. And, uh, there's another testimonial from me. So, Don, back to you in the studio.
Don 00:09:20 Don yeah, absolutely. So, to your point, i, too am working international. I've got a lady in Hong Kong that I'm working with right now. We're growing and expanding all throughout Asia. Saudi Arabia, India. But to your point, as far as the business brokers concerned, a business broker really has a lot of responsibilities. So a business broker has to first of all, they have to go out and find the business to represent. So that's number one. Number two, they have to negotiate with the owner to figure out what kind of price the market can bear for them. And it's a lot of back and forth. And then once they finally come up with a price, they have to go out, then find the buyer. And it's just a long, tedious process that a business broker has to go through. As a consultant, what we do is we simply just become friends with our candidates. Uh ah, at the end of the day, that's what it's about. It's about befriending people, it's about relationships. And then what we do is we simply make recommendations based off the data and the information that the candidate gives us, and then we just make a recommendation, and then they go out and they do their own validation and so forth and so on. So it's pretty cool. But as a business broker, Lance, they are existing businesses, but most people don't understand that. Franchise consultants, we, too represent existing businesses. So not only do we do new, um, business development, but we also do resales. And so it's all of the above when it comes to franchise consulting. So thanks for bringing that up. It's a good point.
Lance 00:10:39 You got it. So, uh, becoming a franchise consultant as an option, describe who is the ideal person you're looking for and what the process is to get to Don and to get into Francerf.
Don 00:10:53 Yeah, so, uh, we have a myriad of backgrounds, uh, that represent Francerf. We have folks from academia, military, law enforcement, business, uh, background finance, background insurance, business brokering. A myriad of backgrounds is good, but what we really look for, number one, what myself, what I look for, what my team, what we look for personality traits. We're looking for those who, if you've ever been to one of our conventions, as you know, Lance, we have a very unique personality, we have a very unique culture, and we're looking for individuals that can fit in nicely, can jail nicely, like a jigsaw puzzle. Just nice, easy match for those who are very successful. We're looking for those who want to become successful based on their definition of success, therefore happiness. We want folks to come in that have the type of personality that is addictive the personality that is likable, the personality that is trustworthy someone who has a ton of integrity someone who really enjoys helping others. We're looking for those who have great phone skills, great phone etiquette those who can listen well, take good notes, follow instructions heed the advice of our mentors and our teachers. And that's the type of people that we're looking for because those are the types of folks that are highly successful at Francerv and maintain a perennial attitude of success. Love it.
Lance 00:12:34 That's a lot. So there are people that just like when I discuss different franchises there are people that do fran, serve full time there are people that do fran, serve part time to close a couple of deals make their 30 $50,000 for the year and keep their day job doing whatever it might be. Obviously, there's plenty that are doing it full time. But, uh, when you're interviewing people, what are you thinking is the key to success when you're talking to people? So if they have a personality, they can hold a conversation. They can build rapport quickly, develop trust with you, potentially. Hey, it's possible this person could be very successful.
Don 00:13:18 A lot of it is the same way that our consultants work with our candidates. As we get to know the individual, we figure out what are their goals. Not everybody is motivated by a monetary goal. Some people are motivated by a lifestyle goal, as you know. So we try to figure out what is it that you want to accomplish? What do you want to achieve in order to reach happiness? And that is our definition of success. You're absolutely right. We have some folks that are retired, uh, and in their 70s, maybe even in their early 80s that do this on a very part time basis. They make one or two placements a year and they're very happy because they go play golf the rest of the year. They hang out at the club for the rest of the year. They're as happy as they could be. Then we have other folks I could name names. You know them. Um, that if they're not making seven figures every year in consulting, then they're not happy. So what do they do? They set their goals. They set their short term and their long term goals. They set their daily activities. They write them down. They do what they know that they need to do. They work smart. They work hard to accomplish those goals and they're full time. And we also have a lot of husband wife teams that are in this. We have a lot of family. We have a lot of father, sons, father daughter, mother, daughter, daughter, mother, son. This is a family, really is a family business. Seriously. So we base success on happiness. And you tell us when you join Francer, we actually pay a top producer to become your best friend for three months out of the gate. And you work with your best friend, your top producer, to really understand, um, what is it that you want to achieve. If you're trying to escape the rat race, you're trying to escape your W two? Well, you can ease into this on a part time basis. And what you do, what I tell a lot of folks is Lance, is when they're coming into this and they're trying to merge out of their w two and then do this full time, is I tell them I say, look, talk to, uh, your significant other and determine what it is that you deem as a goal in order to quit your w two and come into this full time. You don't have to completely quit what you're currently doing to come into this. And I say, set it, whatever it is, is it a monetary goal, set a monetary goal, whatever that may be. And then once you hit it, then you can have the freedom and flexibility to say, okay, I'm done with my W two. I'm going to come home, I'm going to
Don 00:15:37 work from home, I'm going to do consulting, and I'm going to do it full time. But you're right, because when you get into this, Lance, as you know, you meet a lot of people. Franchising is a small world. People think it's a big world. It's really a small world. We're a knit group. And there are lots of opportunities that open up when you come into the consulting arena.
Lance 00:15:54 As you know, talk about the difference. A lot of people listening that are thinking, well, franchise consulting, becoming a franchise broker sounds a lot like real estate. Talk about the difference in how the commission structure might work, where we're truly a free resource.
Don 00:16:11 So we'll talk about the similarities first. So there are a lot of similarities in, uh, broker, real estate, franchise, uh, consulting. And those similarities is basically, it's all about relationships. It's about relationships. Building rapport, building the relationships, building trust, building value, uh, with your candidates. That's the biggest similarity. The key differentiators between what we do versus, say, a real estate broker or an agent or a commercial agent is, again, like you pointed out earlier, is there are no boundaries to what we do. All of our work is virtual. Now, sure, you may have some local candidates that you're working with, but 90% or higher of the candidates that we work with are all virtual. We never step foot in their market, never step foot in their territory. This is the way I like to explain it. Sometimes people ask me, well, don't you need to meet your candidates? And I'm saying, no, we're really just a matchmaker. And so if you are, Lance. I know you have a beautiful wife. I've met her. She's fantastic. I love her to death. Hi.
Lance 00:17:10 Uh, chandel.
Don 00:17:11 But if you were single, and let's say you were to go to one of these dating sites and you get a matchmaker, why in the world would you, uh, ever need to go meet your matchmaker face to face and have a cup of coffee? You can accomplish everything you need to accomplish virtually, okay? But when your matchmaker sets you up on a date, you obviously want to go meet your date face to face, because you're going to be married to that date. It's the same thing with franchising. And guess what we call those discovery days. And so with a candidate, when we match them up with a franchise or a business opportunity, uh, more often than not, they'll go to a discovery day, the franchise will have them come out to their home office and they'll meet face to face and they'll determine if it's the right fit. So the biggest differentiator, in my opinion, Lance, is the fact that we are completely virtual. Whereas most real estate brokers and business brokers are confined to one specific demographic area.
Lance 00:18:09 I always love explaining the free aspect, where we're, uh, a truly free resource, where in real estate, at the end of a transaction, you, the client, are paying the commission. In this case, whether you use a franchise consultant or not, when you pay your franchise fee, the franchise or is paying our commissions.
Don 00:18:29 I'm so glad you brought that up because sometimes people get confused on that. I've been asked the question, well, am I paying more because I'm working with you? Absolutely not. That would actually be against the law. The franchise fees are documented or set. The franchise disclosure documents, they're reported to the, uh, Federal Trade Commission. So the franchise cannot charge you more because you're working with me. Uh, so, uh, our services to our candidates are completely free. We, uh, do not charge for our services for our candidates. And you're correct, we are compensated, um, on the back end, when a deal is done because of the referral. It's just the same way that, uh, any company, uh, in the world pays, uh, for their marketing. We're just simply a marketing arm for the franchiseors that we represent.
Lance 00:19:16 Uh, this is why I love our business. So don you touched on the mentorship program expand a little bit on the overall training? So when somebody becomes, let's uh, say, accepted as a Francerv, uh, consultant, um, there's a long training period and the mentorship program and all that. So describe that a little bit more in detail.
Don 00:19:37 Our second core value, Lance, as you know, is grow or die. And so we're constantly adding new training platforms. As a matter of fact, I remember you in a video testimonial, uh, at our convention. You talked about, uh, the updates, uh, that are constantly coming and you're right, because it all starts at the top. And that is our core value is number two, core value is grow or die. The first one is integrity is everything, but then grow or die. So what that means is that when you first come into Francer, we're going to provide you with your core training. This is about 22 hours of core training. It's live training done via Zoom and Q and A. And you go through that core training, it's about 13 I think we have 13 or 14 different instructors right now, attorneys, including myself. You are one of our instructors. That is correct. So that's what I would like to refer to as our high school diploma. And so you accomplished the core training, and then after that, you are, uh, given, uh, a mentor. We pay for a mentor to then be your best friend, to help you, work with you weekly for three months, side by side. And then, um, we also have ongoing mentorship programs, and we have group mentor programs called Power teams and so forth, that our consultants are a part of. And then we have what I like to call our Bachelor's degree. And the bachelor's degree is our certification. Certified franchise consultant. And that is a separate platform. You have to meet some criteria, um, in order to apply for your Bachelor's degree. But there is a 100 question final exam for your Bachelor's degree or CFC. And then you pass and you get your certification. And then, Lance, um, very soon, uh, we are going to be introducing our Advanced certification Platform, which is like our Master's degree. And there are additional criteria that one must meet in order to apply for that. So that is called our certified Advanced Franchise Consultant. So that is coming as well. And then those are the three designations. But on top of that, as mentioned earlier, we have ongoing educational platforms, several, uh, educational training sessions every single month at Francer, because this is an ever changing, ever growing dynamic. And we have so many franchise partners, and so there's always more to learn. So if you like to learn and you don't like to have the same old same old, uh, every single day and you want every day to be different because you're working with different people from different places all
Don 00:21:59 over, the world with different backgrounds and different dynamics and different personalities. And then you're working with different brands, with different industries and different categories. This is perhaps an option for you.
Lance 00:22:12 And what is the investment to get into Francerf?
Don 00:22:16 So, the investment is $24,900, and that includes a lot of tangible benefits. When I talk to my candidates, I like to talk to them about the tangibles. relativisms are important to the individual that is expressing the relative benefit, uh, of any organization, but that's only relative to that individual. So, um, I don't necessarily talk a lot about relativism. I like to talk about the tangibles of what's included in that monetary investment. Just a few of those obviously include your education, your certifications, um, the platform, the fran tracker, our CRM technology. This is all for life. Our personality assessments, the, uh, mentorship programs, the invoicing protocols, et cetera. And I have all these listed out. But we really do take a lot of pride in providing our consultants with a lot of tangible benefits to help them become extremely successful in this business.
Lance 00:23:14 Yeah, what I've always found incredible is that everything is included. There's not an ongoing technology fee per se. It's amazing. And as you mentioned earlier in my testimonial at the last convention, before you think something should be added. I mean, look, technology causes us to be looking and searching for the next greatest thing to help us be more productive, or whatever it might be. And as I start thinking of some of these things, Francer is already implementing something similar. So I love that there is a certain amount of innovation that is always at play. And thank you, Alicia and team.
Don 00:23:58 And, uh, I think a lot of that land is from you guys. So we have an open door policy here at Francer. So when we do recruit new consultants, uh, we certainly look at their skill sets in addition to their personality, of course, and their background, because, um, obviously that can help us grow and advance in technology and AI and so forth. And so we always have an open door policy. So a lot of the improvements and enhancements that you see at Franceserve are a direct result of our consultants, um, advice. And so it's exciting.
Lance 00:24:29 Just like a great franchise. I talk about it all the time, Don. There's a tremendous amount of collaboration at every great franchise organization. Um, people are listening to each other. You're using the best practices of top consultants so everybody else can understand and learn. And we do that at convention. There's various speakers. I had an opportunity to speak, uh, last summer at our convention as well, uh, and sharing those ideas. That's how everybody improves. So that collaboration, including, uh, not only in any great franchise, but at Francerv, is fantastic.
Don 00:25:05 Absolutely. And that is something that we do. We do a lot of those role plays. We do roundtables. One of my favorite things that we do, Lance, is called the Case Study. And that is where, uh, we have a, uh, franchise brand that comes on with the consultant, and they explain how the deal got done, where it came from, how it originated, the genesis of the deal, and how it came to fruition. Um, and our consultants can learn from that. Uh, you're right. So that's all in person at our annual conventions. But now these in person discovery days are coming back, so that's going to be exciting as well. But a lot of our, as we like to say, we are a virtual business. Our consultants are in business for themselves, but not by themselves. So a lot of our training does happen virtually as well, which is, um, exciting for a lot of people.
Lance 00:25:51 Yeah. The ongoing education or continuing education, like, in any profession, is pretty amazing. Every week, it seems, or every month, whether it's virtual discovery days, in person discovery days, where the consultants can actually go in an experience from the franchise, uh, candidates position. So a lot of times I get asked almost every day, lance, you're giving me all these great suggestions, and I'm loving it. I'm curious, how did you come up with these solutions for me? And I explain to them. I have to get educated. Every franchise produces a franchise disclosure document. I get to learn what's in there, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And then I understand that certain brands have incredible validation. So that when you, the candidate, are going to talk to certain franchise brands, you're going to be pretty impressed that the franchisees are happy. So there's obviously a structure that I look for, and Francirve continues to help, uh, that process along so we could better identify who are the brands we really want to focus on, because we have a lot of brands we represent, and there's a lot of great ones.
Don 00:27:09 You're right. And I get asked the same question, too, Lance. And I tell folks, look, we have a lot of technology to help our consultants narrow down choices for their candidates. We really do. But at the end of the day, you cannot replace good old common sense. At the end of the day, you got to use some good old common sense. Because, as you know, a lot of times people will come to us and they think they know what they want to do. But after they talk with us, and after we go over some facts and figures and we look at dynamics and lifestyle preferences and so forth, then they get a little light bulb that comes off and says, you know what? I am so glad that I ended up talking to you because you saved me from making a big mistake. And I can't tell you how many times that has happened. Countless times.
Lance 00:27:55 Yeah, absolutely. So, Don, you've dropped some great knowledge bombs today. Final thoughts, final words of wisdom for those listening.
Don 00:28:04 I do. Regardless of what you choose to do. Okay, uh, here is what I want to leave you with again, regardless of what you choose to do. A lot of people that we work with on a regular basis, they will look at a target. They will deem that target their goal. They will aim at that target, and they will aim at that target. And they'll aim and aim and aim, but they never fire at the target. Don't let analysis paralysis get in your way of your destiny. Nothing in this world is perfect. Nothing. The business that you work for. Isn't perfect. There is no perfect franchise. Don't let analysis, paralysis get in your way of your destiny. When you take aim, go ahead and fire. Take the shot. Take the chance. If you like baseball, no one likes to go down watching the ball cross the plate. If you're going to go down, go down swinging. But working with a consultant helps your chances of success dramatically. Take the shot. Swing. I'll leave it with this, our local high school basketball. I do the public address announcing we had a really good team. One year. It's a few years back. We had a really good team. Lance, our all star player, our number one player who, uh if he wasn't on the team, we would not have made the state playoffs, but we did. So we went to the state, regionals, the state playoffs. The game was tied. It was 52 to 52. And it was time. It was about 4 seconds left to go in the game. The pass came in, it came into our best player. Our best player had the ball in his hands. He took a dribble, he went to shoot. He passed it. Ball was intercepted, taken down for a score. They lost the game. The best player passed the ball. He didn't take the shot. So at the end of the day, take your shot to accomplish your destiny in your life for your family. Those are my final thoughts.
Lance 00:30:41 Lance I love it. Don so the message is clear. Reach out to me if you have a question. Reach out to Don. I'll, uh I'll tell you whether Francerve is right for you or not. Otherwise, we'll find you another business, no problem. So, Don, thank you so much for being here and I'll talk to you soon.
Don 00:31:01 Okay, buddy? Thank you.
Lance 00:31:02 Lance bye, everyone.
Don 00:31:03 Thank you very much for listening today. Please like follow and subscribe. This is Lance Grallick. Until next time.