Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Create wealth through Franchising.
[00:00:03] Speaker B: I'm your host, Kim Daly.
[00:00:06] Speaker A: Whether you're a CEO, a military vet, a real estate investor, or simply in career transition and ready to take ownership of your future, with each episode, you're gonna learn valuable insights and hear inspiring stories from within the franchise industry.
On that note, my guest stories are their own. And as a franchise consultant, I do not make personal brand endorsements or earnings claims, but I do educate, motivate, and inspire dreams.
Now onto the show.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Welcome back to Create well through franchising podcast and Kim Daily tv. In my studio today, a new friend all the way from the mountains in Salt Lake City, please welcome to the studio of Kim Daly TV. Jordan Sargent of 1-800-Straper. Jordan, welcome to the studio of Kim Daly TV.
[00:01:04] Speaker C: Thank you so much. It's seriously so good to be here. Love your enthusiasm. Really excited to just chat and hopefully inspire someone else out there.
[00:01:12] Speaker B: So we want to start all the way at the beginning. What was happening in Jordan's life when you decided I needed to do something different? And maybe I'm interested in a franchise.
[00:01:23] Speaker C: I spent about nine years in software sales, so that's my background. I was in tech. I was in this, you know, oftentimes called SaaS or software as a service. Really set the foundation for my career. It was great. I loved so many things about it, but I've always had this entrepreneurial itch that I have been trying to scratch. I've done little side, you know, side hustles or projects on the side for a while, whether it was landscaping, you know, lawn care, or every Christmas, I run a charity where we provide Christmas for families in need. We've got chickens in our backyard, and I encourage my kids to go around the neighborhood and sell eggs. Right? There's just. I love entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. I think it's so cool.
So I spent, like I said, I spent about nine years there, and me and a buddy would get together in a room once every week or a couple weeks and talk about business ideas, right? I don't want to wake up in four, 30 years and continue to meet in a room with a guy and say, hey, what are we going to do one day? I didn't want that. And I. I realized there's no time like the present, right? There's never a good time. I think a lot of people wait for two things. They wait for the perfect business, and they wait for the perfect time, and neither of those things exist. There's never a perfect time, right? There's always debt. You Know, there's always things you want to do, vacations you want to go on, help, whatever. And so that's the first thing. The second, there's no perfect business to buy because if that business is out there, someone else already has it and they're not going to ever let it go, right? So at some point you got to take a leap of faith and make that jump. Around the same time, my mother actually passed away. So it was about two and a half years ago.
She fought cancer for 30 years. She did a phenomenal job. She was the best. She's the toughest lady I know. She was really an inspiration to me. She left behind a legacy and it just kind of inspired me to say, look, I want to leave behind a legacy. And that's not going to be done sitting in an office calling, you know, making cold calls every day and working for someone else, living someone else's dream. So a combination of all those things while in addition to I read a book called Buy Then Build. The premise of the book is 90% of startups fail, right? Don't go start your own business, go buy an existing business.
And in the book it talks a lot about service based companies and so something that, that has existing customers, you know, existing revenue model, client base, you go in and then as a younger millennial, you come in with this tech experience and you're more savvy. You can fine tune and tweak a bunch of things to make this existing cash flowing business. That's the premise of the book. So kind of a combination of all these things happening in my life at one time, kind of the perfect storm. I met a guy who helps first time entrepreneurs buy businesses and his name's Brent. So Brent is fantastic.
We decided to partner and we started looking.
Brent was actually the one who stumbled upon 1-800-striper on biz by sell. You know, clicked on the link. We didn't know it was a franchise. We were looking at existing businesses. For example, we looked at epoxy flooring, landscaping, fencing, went down the, the process fairly deep with a couple of them. And then again, he had that conversation with 1-800-striper, talked to the broker. So he called me up, he said, hey, I talked to the really interesting company, they do parking lot line striping, you know, something I'd never thought of before. So I said, okay, great, let's, let's have a conversation that was a little bit of the kind of why and the how the initial exploration process started happening.
A couple other things I would add when I Was working. I had a lot of success in the software sales industry, but I felt like it was as high as I could go within that industry. I had so much more to offer. I couldn't do it where I was at.
[00:05:13] Speaker B: You had, like, a goal, so I needed to branch out of what you could earn or how fast you could grow.
[00:05:18] Speaker C: Yeah, a hundred percent. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think the biggest thing was the fulfillment. Again, I had success. It provided a great lifestyle, but I wasn't super fulfilled. Something was missing. That was kind of the, you know, the process of how and why has.
[00:05:31] Speaker B: That something that was missing been fulfilled now that you've, you know, dived in and now you're a franchisee?
[00:05:37] Speaker C: 100%. Am I passionate about painting lines? No. But I'm passionate about building something, about creating something, and providing jobs for other people is one of the most rewarding things I've ever been able to do. And I've been able to provide phenomenal lifestyles for some of these people that have never experienced anything like it.
[00:05:56] Speaker B: But what I love is that you were proactive enough, like, you were uncomfortable in your comfort, and so you just started, like, asking questions, and you just. It was, like, relentless. Like, it just wouldn't go away. And that's often what happens, Jordan. Right. So people think about it, and the minute that you think you want more, here's the sad part. You'll never be satisfied where you are ever again. You may try to avoid it. We all do it. We all try to, like, ignore it, dance around it, not do anything. Because comfort is so, so alluring. Right. It's stable. It's known, but it doesn't help us grow. And we're here. Life is about advancing. It's about growth. It's about becoming. And so the minute that you desire more and you try to stay in your comfort zone, you are so uncomfortable. And eventually you get so uncomfortable in your comfort that you're just. You got to break through that. And sounds like you did. And finding Brent seems like it helped. And then also finding the company that gave you sort of the comfort that there was enough structure there that you could take the tools and then go run with it. And that's where I want to pick up the conversation. So as you were comparing line striping to landscaping and epoxy coatings and all these other things you might have been looking at, what were some of the key characteristics about the franchise model that maybe differentiated that from other things that you were looking at or that helped you sort of lean in?
[00:07:25] Speaker C: Yeah. So a couple of things to note there, I think, first, to your point earlier, you said, you know, the striper and the franchise model gave me enough to kind of take that leap. And I think that's a good point, is, yes, you have to do your due diligence and there's a number of boxes that have to be checked, but at some point you have to take that leap. Yes, you have to do your due diligence, yes, you have to check the boxes.
But at some point, you have to take a leap of faith and bet on yourself and trust on yourself and what you know. So that's the first thing I would say. Second, people ask, why don't you just go buy a striping machine and go start your own business again? Me, knowing myself, knowing I want to buy a number of businesses in the future.
And I thought for the very first one, a franchise model made perfect sense. Because, I mean, you hear people say it's a business in a box, it's a proven model, you just need to go out and execute. And, yeah, that's a lot easier said than done is, yeah, just go execute. But the premise is it's been done. It's established. 1-800-striper has been. They've been around now for 26 years. Having the conversations with the ownership and knowing that they would be holding my hand along the way was extremely comforting. Knowing I could call them, and I do call them all the time. I called the owner two nights ago.
We were painting a big Costco parking lot nearby. So it was a really big job and one of my machines malfunctioned. So our owner was. He's out in New York, I'm in Utah. So they're two hours ahead. I think it was 11:30, my time, p.m. and so I text the owners, hey, can, you know, can you just one of you have a few minutes to chat? He writes back right away, yeah, FaceTime me. So I call, you know, 1:32 in the morning, and he's always answering my call. And that's not uncommon at all.
[00:09:12] Speaker B: And that's amazing, amazing, amazing Franchisor right there for you. Holy smokes.
[00:09:18] Speaker C: It's incredible because they've got 70 plus franchises across the country now. And just at the drop of a hat, yeah, sure, let's chat. He's. They're very, very invested in our, in our success, obviously, because there's royalties that we pay them. And so. But aside from that, they're just, they're such good people.
And being able to work with someone like that was something that was important to me. That was a box I needed to check was, can I trust on the leadership and the corporate team to help me along the way? And they've done that.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: So I would venture to say that a really good franchisor like, that the money is secondary to the satisfaction and fulfillment of helping you become successful with their ideas. So the same reason that you were unsatisfied in corporate. And while, yeah, you're not like super passionate, passionate about painting lines, you are fulfilled now because we're going to come back to that comment about creating jobs because you're doing something meaningful. Money is important until it's not. Right. We think as business owners, we're chasing money, but we're not. We're chasing a feeling of wealth, which is freedom. It's unlimited.
It's control, it's peace. It's not doubting, it's knowing.
And it's that feeling of wealth that we actually want. So people think, when I get the money, then I'm going to feel good. But the reality is when you own the business and you start to feel good first, that's when you actually make the money. That's how important it is to him to be successful. That's his fulfillment. That's his meaning. That's his purpose. Now, now you see that. I love this so much. I didn't know that this franchise was like that, but now I'm just like, bowing down.
[00:11:11] Speaker C: They're so hands on. It's. It's incredible.
[00:11:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I love that the Riches are in the niches and this is a total niche business. And something that's like no one ever knows is even a franchise. It's just my kind of thing. Which is why I was happy to get you on the show because that's the story that helps people out there lean in and say, you know what? It's my turn to. To take a step forward to do what Jordan said. It's never going to be the right time. It's never going to be the right business. I just need to reach out to Kim Daly and let her help me find a business that fits my characteristics, that matches my income, you know, my potential, that will help me get off the sideline and start growing and becoming and having this meaning and this satisfaction and that knowing that she's talking about. Because that's the real wealth in this entire thing.
[00:11:57] Speaker C: If you are wanting to start a business specifically for money, that's not the right reason, like you mentioned. Right. You need to go into it with the idea of, I want to create something and build something. And honestly, it sounds cliche, but if you are looking to serve and to help other people, all of that, all the wealth is going to come back. It always comes around. So. Or if someone has sold to you, you can sniff it out really easy if they have what's called commission breath, right? If they're just like, you know, the used car salesman example, right. It's like, I don't even want to deal with you. But if they're. If you can tell they're genuine, like, I want to help you, what do you need? It totally changes that conversation and it comes back around. So that's. That's the mindset I try to approach with building a business.
[00:12:44] Speaker B: It's so good. It's so good. So let's get to the real meaning and fulfillment that you surprisingly, have found through creating jobs. So talk a little bit about your whole leadership style and how you've attracted these people to your business and why that is. Just feels so good for you, you.
[00:13:01] Speaker C: Know, Hiring team members can be one of the best parts of business and also one of the worst. It really is. I've had to let go of some people that I just wonder what they're doing, and other people are just phenomenal. I've got one guy in particular who I just love. He's. He's a true friend to me and my family. Now.
He's from Chile.
He moved here about a year and a half ago, coming up on a couple of years, and came here to look for a better life. Things weren't great down there in Chile. As far as his safety financially, things weren't working out. So he said, let's, let's move up there. They did have some family up here, so they came to Salt Lake City and they looked for jobs and looked for jobs and looked and looked in eight, nine months went by and he wasn't able to find anything. And so. So I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A lot of people know us as Mormons.
And a big piece of the. The culture is serving a mission. Okay? So men and. Or, you know, boys or girls, they leave their homes for two years and they go travel around the world wherever they're assigned to go, teach people about our beliefs and bring people to Jesus. That's basically what we're, what we're, you know, I'm trying to do. And so I've got a cousin who served a mission with this employee, and he reached out to me, my cousin, he said, hey, there's this guy. He's looking for work. He's been looking for eight, nine months.
I think you should, you know, give him a shot. He's a great guy. So I call him up. He was fantastic. Just everything you'd want. An employee brought him on. Well, he told me later, he said, I told my wife that if I didn't find a job the next day, we were going to move back to Chile. And that was the day I called him. The stars are aligning, right? Divine time. And I've got so many stories like that, but particularly this individual that are so cool and being able to be just an instrument like that and to help out is.
There's no better feeling. They came over to my house a few months ago during Christmas time and they don't speak great English, but. But they were able to put words together and just express their heartfelt gratitude. And I just thought, there's no money that can replace that. It was such a cool experience. So forgive me for kind of all the going into the religious side, but, you know, that's kind of who I am. And a big part of me and being able to, to help people is. Is the most fulfilling thing that I could do.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: So you dared to take a chance on yourself and you break your habit of thought and your way of living being paid by somebody else. And you chart a course for yourself. And then when you chart this course for yourself, think of this spiral, right? It not only leaves a legacy for your family, because your boys are going to grow up knowing dad as an entrepreneur and a business owner. They don't see you going off and working for somebody else's dreams. They see you working for your own dreams. It's that repetition of who we are being that our children pick up on. And so you dared to change your life and by that you've now changed their lives. And now you bring in this other element of changing an employee's life and many employees lives. And where does that end? And to your point, Jordan, it's. That's the most satisfying part.
When people say to me, I want to own a business, but I don't want to create jobs. Okay, great. There are businesses where you don't have to create jobs. But on the flip side, if I can challenge you to think about waking up and solving for the problem of how do I attract the right people and then how do I retain the right people? That's a really fulfilling problem to solve for in a business. Owning a business is always about solving a problem, right? If There were no problems. Business ownership would be easy and everybody would do it. So you got to embrace the thing and in labor is a thing. So I think it's phenomenal. So as you look forward, how long have you been in the business?
[00:17:07] Speaker C: So I signed on the dotted line in August of 2023, so it'll be two years in about a month and a half.
[00:17:15] Speaker B: Knowing what you know now, would you ever go back and regret this decision? Could you ever imagine stepping back and worrying working for somebody else ever again? Are you determined to work this out and make this your future?
[00:17:28] Speaker C: I'm definitely determined to work this out, to make it my future. Like I mentioned, I would love to go buy multiple businesses in the future, and this is really the first step. Now with that being said, I'm super grateful for my career path coming up in sales because sales is so applicable to everything else. I created such a great network, made so many great friends, but it was just time for me to make that move, to take that jump. Do I regret it? Not at all. Again, it's that fulfillment piece. It's really working for what matters, and that's helping other people and building the economy in that way.
[00:18:02] Speaker B: Yeah. So your. Your own personal life, maybe you've taken a small step back financially, but you've gained in other ways. And then in time and over time, as you work to solve these problems and build your. Your business, you'll have it all. You'll have the fulfillment, the satisfaction.
[00:18:19] Speaker C: And my business partner, Brent, he would always remind me, you're no longer working for a paycheck. You're building an asset. And I love that advice.
People who have been in entrepreneurship know the ups and downs and the peaks and valleys. And one day you love your job, and the next day you want to climb in a hole and cry. And it's, it's, it's a little bit of everything. We're just winging it. My wife the other day said, you should teach people how to start businesses. And I just respond. I was like, I don't know how. Like I'm winging it. Know I'm doing it, but I'm winging it. I don't know.
But my point being, this is a long term play. Right. And so having that in mind, knowing it's going to, you know, play out in the end, that, that p Perspective makes things a lot more doable.
[00:19:04] Speaker B: Yep. And here's the thing. You can never know the how in looking forward. You can only know the how looking back. Steve Jobs said that as a quote and it's entirely true, right? If we all knew the way forward, they would. It would require no faith. It would require no. No nothing unknown. And everybody would do it again and do it well. But you can only know the how it's going to work out when you look back and you achieved it all. So you have to be willing to get in the game. You have to be willing to put yourself in the arena and work it out. But the idea here is that we're leveraged through the proven systems of other people, franchisors who've worked, worked out, they have answers. He has a lifeline to call when his machine breaks and he's on the big job. He's not out there fumbling around telling the. The big client, oh, my God, I don't know what to do now. Pulling a rookie move, right? He's able to make one call, get answers, and get right back to the job. That's part of a franchise, right? That you're buying down that learning curve. You're buying that partnership. So you are in this for yourself, but not by yourself. Jordan, you're so inspiring and I'm so excited for you. And I know that you're going to be a total rock star at 1-800-striper. You're just going to own all of Salt Lake. Are there other franchisees around you or did you, in fact buy most of the great territory?
[00:20:25] Speaker C: So there were four territories available here in Utah. I ended up getting three of them. Salt Lake County, Utah county, and then Summit and Wasach. So a lot of people have heard of Park City, big ski town. That's part of it. And there's one territory north of me, it's Ogden or 1-800-striper of Ogden.
So I've got three. Phil is the other guy. He's got one. He's phenomenal. We've got a great relationship. We always throw deals and leads to each other, which is. Which is how it should be. And I'd say that's another thing that I love about the franchise model, is not just working with the corporate team, but meeting all these other great entrepreneurs and franchisees. It's so much fun. We had our first summit last year, and it was so fun to just rub shoulders with these incredible people, bounce ideas off of everyone and just really trying. I mean, we're all here for the same cause and purpose for the most part.
[00:21:17] Speaker B: And neighbors are not competitors in a franchise. I love that you said that. Okay, so the last question I gotta ask you, so let's go back to the room, you and the guy from the SaaS business, right, talking about ideas.
So that Jordan. To this Jordan. So what advice do you have? Because there's a lot of listeners who right now are you in that room talking to the buddy about what to do, but they're not yet taking action on it. So what advice do you have for Jordan in the room with his buddy, talking from ideas rather than doing it?
[00:21:50] Speaker C: Really, really good question. I would say you just got to start. You just got to do something. It's better than just trying to think through things, right? I mean, obviously thinking is a lot simple over it. So obviously you need to do due diligence and be smart. Call Kim Daly. That's what she's here for. She's here to help you find businesses, evaluate them, know what fits your lifestyle and what's going to work for you. But get out and do right. That's the first thing I would say. And then second, I've already said it before, but I'm going to reiterate it because it's that important.
There's no perfect business that is going to fall in your lap. There just isn't. Yes, you have to check the certain boxes, but at some point you have to take that leap and trust in yourself, bet on yourself and.
And just go for it. And I think that's the hardest part that people have is, you know, how did you know? It's like, well, I mostly knew. I was 80% of the way there and that was enough for me. And from there I took that step and here we go.
[00:22:55] Speaker B: I hear that question every single day from my candidates. How do I know? How do I make this decision? You just do. You gotta trust. Like you said, trust in yourself, bet on yourself. Have done enough homework with the right franchisors to really feel like these people have my back. So when you're taking that jump off of the diving board, you're not going to dive into this, you know, endless abyss. You're landing in the safety net of a solid franchisor who's been there, who's going to help you, who's going to coach you, who's going to mentally and physically support you through your grand opening and up into building the business of your dreams. And why do they do that? Because they genuinely care about your success. And if you don't believe they do, then it's not the right franchise or for you. Jordan, you've been an amazing inspiration. You shared an amazing story, and we really do wish you all the best to you and your family and God bless you and what you're doing in so Salt Lake and for this man in Chile, as well as all of the other employees, I'm sure that are blessed to be employed by you.
[00:23:57] Speaker C: Well, thank you. Thank you so much for having me on and allowing me to share some of my thoughts and my message. And like I said, hopefully I've inspired someone else out there. You know, I'm pretty active on LinkedIn, so for your listeners, feel free to reach out to me. Happy to chat and obviously go to Kim.
[00:24:11] Speaker B: That's awesome. Thank you so much. Well, for those who've made it to the end, if you are interested, this is your call to action. Stop thinking about it and let's start doing it. Follow the link in the description right now because I can't wait to be your franchise consultant and your daily coach.
[00:24:27] Speaker A: You can find more content just like this on my YouTube channel at KimDaily TV. And if you're inspired to take the next step to explore franchises matched to you, please email me right now at InquireimDaily TV. That's InquireimDaily TV.
