The Trigger
Kathy had a busy career working in various financial services roles for JP Morgan Chase in Tucson, Arizona. She had recently opened 11 locations in under a year, and so was used to the timelines and grit needed to implement and create change.
While she enjoyed corporate success, her mind kept going back to thinking about entrepreneurship. It as then that she learned her job at JP Morgan was being eliminated and the company was offering resources to help her in the next step of her career.
In one of these assistance courses, Kathy jumped on a webinar, heard me talk about franchising, and began thinking, “franchising is more affordable than I anticipated.”
The Smart Solution
Kathy and I kept in touch for more than a year before she decided to own a franchise. Then, the journey started!
Kathy and I first talked about her financial goals and the types of franchise companies that would suit her. I spent a lot of time getting to know her and her vision for the lifestyle she wanted. We kept our conversations brief but substantive, which moved the process along in a positive way.
Physical fitness was one of Kathy’s interests. Also, she wanted to use her franchise to help others. I took these two insights – and combined with her financial and lifestyle goals – searched for franchise licenses available in Tucson.
What many people don’t realize is that even though you desire a specific franchise company, it may not be available to you in the location of your choice. This is due to pre-existing franchise contracts and other geographic constraints.
We both conducted more research and I ultimately helped Kathy find Club Pilates, a fast-growing 350-location franchise concept, which began in 2005.
Life Today
After purchasing three licenses for Club Pilates, Kathy hired a manager and opened her first location in August 2017.
She plans to open additional locations within another six months.
Founder of the Pilates practice, Joseph Pilates, once said, “Everyone is the architect of their own happiness.” What a fitting quote for this ambitious entrepreneur who crafted her future and took the leap to attain it.
