Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Create wealth through Franchising. I'm your host, Kim Daly.
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 going to 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.
Welcome back to Create Wealth Through Franchising podcast and Kim Daly tv. I am your host, Kim Daly, and in my studio today, a brand new friend. I'm excited to dive into his story. Nate, welcome to the studio of Kim Daly tv.
[00:01:00] Speaker B: Wonderful. Thanks for having me.
[00:01:02] Speaker A: I'm excited for you to be here today because, Nate, while if you're looking in the camera, he's a young man, but he owns multiple franchise businesses, so this is going to be a doozy. So let's back up to the beginning of your story before you invested in your first franchise. Nate, tell the listeners what was happening in your life when you were like, I want to own a business. And why did you turn to franchising?
[00:01:28] Speaker B: Yeah, way back when, when I was in high school, I owned a landscaping business. So I started as a sophomore in high school, kind of got. Grew the business up until it was probably, I think it was like 30 yards or so and was just kind of going throughout high school. It was pretty simple. And I've just kind of evolved into just looking for different opportunities, went to college, and while I was in college, got introduced to Tyler Kirk, who owned Labor Pains Now Window Hero and was just working for him. And he had said, hey, let's try this franchising thing. And thankfully was able to join his team. He financed for me to come down to Charleston and look at doing this kind of thing for a living. So I had no background whatsoever to begin with.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: Well, hold on a second. Yes, you did a little bit. Here's this high school kid. Rather than going and working at, you know, the equivalent of Chick Fil a back in the day, right, you decided to go mow some lawns and make money for yourself. So you had the driving motivation all along.
[00:02:33] Speaker B: That is true. I definitely was not afraid of hard work, but didn't know what it looked like marketing scaling of any kind. I was very involved and I had a lot of coaching to be done. And thankfully, I've had great teachers along the way who have gotten me here today.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: Okay, so you Start with one brand called Labor Pains that then turned into what is today well known franchising as Window Hero. Yep, interesting shift of words there. I don't really know how those two things go together, but. Okay, so lead us down the path now. So you're in Window Hero. You started as the employee or the owner of the company, helped you establish the first franchise in Charleston. Is that what I heard you say?
[00:03:15] Speaker B: Yeah. So I was actually, while I was in school, it was just basically a foreman for one of his trucks and did that for two years while I was simultaneously running the yard business that I had worked in for so many years. I just transitioned and kind of was scaling with him and grew within the business and he kind of saw some, you know, opportunity within myself and said, hey, let's do this, let's try it. So another location in Raleigh, Durham area in North Carolina started around the same exact time as us. And you know, off to the races from there.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: So now bring us up to speed. So you're in Window Hero. You've developed, you have more than one territory.
[00:03:59] Speaker B: Yeah, so I was just a guy doing the work when I initially moved down here. Obviously I wore many more hats as the world continued to move forward for me. And I basically went from doing the work every day to doing quotes, to doing marketing and networking and eventually just kind of fell into the shoes of kind of taking off more hats as time went by. And now today I do have three territories in Charleston. It's the entire area of this city. And then I'm pretty much just looking in from the high level into the business and not really running any of the day to day. I spend about two to three hours a day within that business, but it's. I'm probably more involved than I should be, but I like to be in the trenches along with the guys.
[00:04:48] Speaker A: I think it's great. So you never worked for anybody else, really? I mean, you worked for this guy, but you were always sort of driving the bus of the business for him until eventually he was like, this kid's amazing. Like, I'm going to give him an opportunity. I mean, how amazing for you that you had. I've been blessed like that with amazing mentors in my life too. I can totally appreciate your story. So you make something of the one business, but today I think you own two or three other franchises. So bring us up to speed how this growth has progressed.
[00:05:19] Speaker B: Yeah, I have another business called Yard Patrol Pros and it's there under the umbrella of Homefront. And basically what we do we only, I think, have six different concepts within Homefront. They're growing rapidly. We're still laying the foundation in many ways, But I own three of the six. And basically, yard patrol is very similar to WindowHero. My whole goal is to create opportunity for the people that are working with me. We do have ups and downs throughout the year with WindowHero, and it'd be great to kind of supplement those low areas with some other work. So thinking about yard patrol, they just mesh really well. The employees could bounce back and forth very well, just creating opportunities, a standard set of pay, as opposed to, again, having seasonality to the window hero side of things.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: So, yeah, for those who are listening, Nate started what we'll say in one vertical. Right. And then built out multiple territories of the one vertical, but was able to stay inside a parent organization that's centered around home services, and that's called Homefront Brands. And he was able to grow now, we'll say horizontally by adding on another service, overlaying it on those same three territories. So you're hitting that same customer and then being able to take a seasonal business and a seasonal business, but by putting them together, eliminating the seasonality to where now when one is ebbing, the other one's flowing and vice versa.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:06:55] Speaker A: I love it. So what is yard patrol?
[00:06:59] Speaker B: What we do there is pretty much anything encompassing the yard. So we do from mosquito treatments. We also work with irrigation, repairs, installations, fertilization to aeration, sod installation. We don't do anything in the maintenance side. You know, the traditional yard mowing every week, picking up leaves. Yet we do a lot of the other things really well. And I think that maybe. I don't know what Homefront has in the future, but it is. Again, let's just grow the business and create more opportunity. But we're not jumping in too heavy quite yet. We're trying to get this, the brand established. We only have two franchises total with Yard Patrol, so it's still very new, very fresh, but it's something that we see a lot of excitement around, and we're pumped for it.
[00:07:49] Speaker A: So both of those are B2C and B2B.
[00:07:54] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:07:54] Speaker A: Yeah, I like it. I like the mix. Okay, so now incomes. Opportunity number three. So tell us, what's this newest franchise you've added into your repertoire?
[00:08:04] Speaker B: Yeah, so that business is called the designery. Basically, we specialize in cabinetry, but we can design from anything from hardwood floors to, you know, kitchens, outdoor spaces, really at all. My business partner Sean and I, we do not like to Turn away business. So we work with a lot of contractors that could even be, you know, replacing windows, fixing the foundation in a home. It can get very invasive. But again, we specialize in mainly cabinetry and then the spaces, you know, laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, kind of in that area.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: Okay, so what I love about this is this is a one time project, right? Versus you have these reoccurring revenue streams with your other business. I love the way this portfolio is sort of like taking care of itself in terms of being diversified. Because a diversified portfolio is always a safer one. We're not here to like sell the designery or, you know, lawn patrol, but it's hard not to talk about what the business does as part of what we're discussing today. But my question to you is, so what was appealing to you? Because Homefront has other brands that happen outside in the yard too, like fencing. So why did you go to the designery? Why that brand?
[00:09:16] Speaker B: I am very much like an engineer. I love putting things together. I love working with my hands and I actually love the designery so much just because honestly a lot of our projects are with commercial work. So we are doing a lot of building of apartment homes, town homes. We are very passionate about that. So I've seen in my other businesses we have a lot of ups and downs. And that's mainly because a lot of our work is residential. And a lot of people make decisions with, you know, where is the economy. And builders don't have that same mindset where they're always building. So that is the foundation. You know, with Window Hero and Yard Patrol, it is mainly residential. And then we do have some commercial. We Wish it was 50, 50, but that's just not where we are. So we do have some ups and downs. The designery will not be that way. The way we have in Charleston structured, there will not be the ups and down portions, which I'm excited for. Also we have times we have like between 13 and 20 employees with WindowHero. And it's a lot of people. The designery, my partner and I, we typically are involved, I'd say three to four hours a week each. And then we have a full time designer. So we are looking at doing around 1.5 in our first year. Maybe my whole thing is about again teams. So these people that are on my team for all the businesses is just again creating opportunity. So with that same individual, we would be able to really treat them well. Taking them out to dinners, doing company events. And it's just a different caliber of worker who may have more qualifications. And so it's just a different team that I've ever worked with. Just because again, typically we're working with windowhere, it's a younger crowd who is still working on, you know, themselves. And I love that because I was that same person when I was younger and now I get to give back in that way. So that's exciting for me. But this is, again, it's just new and fresh and being in my 12th year with Windowhere, it's just nice to have a little bit of a new fresh start. So that in a nutshell, kind of sums up why I decided to do the design reverses. Again, something like Toprail, who is outside all the time.
[00:11:36] Speaker A: Yep. I think it's amazing. So what I really, really, really love is so here you started as this high school kid who just didn't take a job working for somebody else, but you figured out a way to make money for yourself. And so you were on this, like, vibration, this energy of like, I'm gonna work for myself. And look where you are today. So how many years have you been self employed? When did you start landscaping and like, how many years is it to today?
[00:12:02] Speaker B: Oh, man, I haven't thought about that before. So I've been in Windowhero for 12 years, and then before that I would say 17 total years. I started when I was 16 and then here I am today, 17 years later.
[00:12:15] Speaker A: Okay, and so you started as just a kid mowing lawns. Right. Probably no intention of like, what your life has turned into, but how amazing for you. So most of those years you've been mentored and coached by people who had obviously business experience and had the idea of franchising. Can you imagine with even the 17 years of business ownership experience you have going out and instead of adding in another franchise, being an entrepreneur and starting a business from scratch. Or do you see the advantages that franchising provides and even though you'll probably always be self employed, you'd probably never go be an entrepreneur?
[00:12:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I definitely. I would only franchise. I just really appreciate what they do from the ground level, creating that foundation for each franchise and just creating a system that we know works, allowing them just like, you know, as you're stepping out, it's uncomfortable. You know, the other franchisees that I am around, a lot of them are coming from a past background of having a 9 to 5 who have done very well for themselves, but just to have some security, I just like security. It is a risk, but it's a calculated risk and it's something that Homefront will not let us fail. They love to push us forward. You know, we're always learning, but they're always making sure that we're getting better and succeeding.
[00:13:36] Speaker A: Hey, Daily Coach fans, if you're loving this episode, please do me a quick favor and leave me a five star rating and a short review. Your feedback fuels my growth and rankings and shows others that this podcast is valuable. Now back to the show.
And you also mentioned you know what you're on target to create in this first year with your third franchise business, which, if you were to go and try to create that from scratch on your own, probably wouldn't produce those kind of financial results right out of the gate. Correct?
[00:14:13] Speaker B: Yeah. It would have been years, I'm sure.
[00:14:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Just because the learning curve in figuring out the business has to be figured out before you get to the point where you're making money. So therein lies like a whole episode, even in and of itself, entrepreneurship versus franchisepreneurship. But you just nailed it. So I love that. I'm the same way. I was an entrepreneur for five years. I've been a franchisepreneur for 22 years. I'll always own businesses. I'll always be self employed. I'll never start another business from scratch. So I just love kind of like getting that validation from other people that. Because a lot of times people think, well, why would I go pay a franchise for a simple business that I could just go recreate on my own? I'm like, you're missing the point entirely. That's kind of the heart of what, you know, we're discussing here. Okay, so another thing I wanted to point out and listening to you, so it seems like your first two franchises were more marketing driven, if I'm correct. And this business, by the way, that you're growing it, the designery through contractors is B2B sales, correct?
[00:15:18] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. We have a guy, his name's Michael, and he just calls people. We have good connections and we'll just walk into job sites and just say, hey, are y'all looking for flooring? Are you looking for cabinets? Are you happy? What can we do? A lot of what we're doing across all the brands at Homefront in all of my businesses were customer service based. I did a turf quote for one of our designery leads last week, who's a good contractor of ours. He just had nowhere else to go. His lead had fallen through and he's like, I know you do cabinets for me, but can you also do turf and it's like, sure, I hone another business. Like he didn't know that at the time, but we were just able to help each other out. And it's just funny how like those people will lead you to more and more and more customers that will help you just grow the business. So from those calls to just again, doing whatever we can to help those individuals has gotten us really far.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: Listen to what he's saying. So he's waking up to help people solve their problems and that's why he's successful, right? So you're not waking up to get money, you're waking up to serve people. And another thing I wanted to point out was you were talking about going from 13 or 20 employees to the designery where you have you, your partner and one full time designer. And so just having that contrast again of having a smaller team of people. But you said, and whether you realize it or not, I heard it, you're like, it's just all about creating opportunity for who? Did he say for Nate? No, he said creating opportunity for his team. So guys and gals listening, right? When we're thinking about becoming successful as a business owner, you have to step back and remember that you reap what you sow. So this man is sowing some amazing seeds into other people, other people sowed into him, and he's now able to give it back. But he recognizes that and he's waking up to serve people and he's walking into businesses and he's saying, can I help you solve your problems? And that's why when you're willing to do those things, sure requires stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit to get comfortable walking in and just meeting people and saying, hey, this is what we do and we'd love to earn your business. There's some overcoming yourself that has to happen, but this is the reward. And where I'm going with this, Nate, is many times in franchising. I'm a franchise consultant, so I work with people to help, you know, place them in businesses like the designer and window hero. And they'll say to me, I want to own a business, but I don't want to sell anything. I don't want to prospect, I don't want a cold call, right? I'm like, look, finding customers is what owning a business is all about. And what's really going to make the difference for you. And your business is breaking free from marketing and building relationships that Nate just said refer to you over and over and over and open doors for you to other potential Pools of customers.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: Well said.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: So here's this kid who's 16 years old who starts mowing lawns, and today he owns multiple franchises in different industries, managing different types of people, about to do maybe multiple seven figures in his third business in his first year. Like, he's grown so much. So you didn't have skill to go out and sell people when you were mowing lawns? Right. You have skill today. Did you go to college for business?
[00:18:47] Speaker B: I did. I didn't make it too far. I actually ended up dropping out my second year.
[00:18:52] Speaker A: That's perfect, right? Because we don't need an mba. We don't even need a college degree. We need Will. We need the persistence. Right? So I'm not trying to make any earnings claim that you're going to go buy a franchise and in your first year, you're going to do multiple seven figures. I don't know what you're capable of. That's what he's capable of because he's him. And this is his 17th year of business. Right. He developed a lot of skill along the way, but he leveraged himself by partnering himself with good, solid franchisors who had proven models that he could just show up and execute on and perfect, versus spending all of that time and energy and money trying to just establish the business itself. It's an awesome story. I know why Homefront wanted you to be on my show. I am so thrilled to meet you, Nate. So where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years?
[00:19:49] Speaker B: Oh, I'm always thinking about what's next. And with this third business being in, you know, I just started Yard Patrol about two years ago. Started officially with the designer in November. Our grand opening was in April. And I'm always about what's next. I'm always dreaming. Right now. I've kind of stepped to just say, hey, let me enjoy the season that I'm in. But I do have some tidbits of thought of, yeah, I will expand with Homefront. I'd like to have a few more businesses. I want to have a team that. Where is the hat of marketing? Where is the hat of operations and equipment? Just allowing again, everyone that works with me now has moved up in ways. Even the individual that I talked about earlier, who is our designer, he ran my window here for several years, and he just was looking for something to shift to. We didn't want to lose him, and we shifted him and is now doing a completely different job. It's just fun to be able to allow people to accomplish their dreams. He had always dreamed of doing something in construction and now he is. So that was cool, but just being able to. Who knows what the next venture will be? But again, how will my guys step into a role that they've always thought or maybe didn't see themselves in? But I've kind of maybe helped them grow up and now they're excited about the equipment side of what we do, or maybe it is marketing or it is the operations side of things. So that's a great question and it's hard to answer, but I would assume it is definitely going to be continuously with Homefront again, just because of the foundation that they've laid for us.
[00:21:26] Speaker A: Yeah, you just have this amazing growth mindset. Are your parents so proud of you, Nate?
[00:21:31] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:21:32] Speaker A: So we come to the part of the interview where I want you to give some mentorship to my followers. So I have two types of followers, Nate. I've been a franchise consultant for 22 years. I've created hundreds, nearly almost a thousand small business owners in the country in the two decades of my life. But I also have people who are on the sideline trying to decide, is Kim Daly the girl to help me buy a franchise, should I invest in a franchise? And that's why they're following me. So you've been at this a really long time. You've admitted you're going to continue to invest in more franchise businesses. So tell these people on the sideline, like, give them some advice. Go back to yourself, like, tell them something that maybe they can think about that may help them decide if now's the right time for them.
[00:22:19] Speaker B: Yeah, I would say the most important thing for me and the industries that I'm involved in and I have friends that own businesses and other places and they're completely different than what I do. But I think where I'm seeing the most success within other franchises, business in general, or people who are successful is they're doing what they said they're going to do. And there's just a lack of professionalism with kind of just showing up and doing what you say you're going to do. Because a lot of times it does not end that way. A lot of companies and businesses and individuals are moving away from big corporations and going local because they just want to talk to somebody. They want to be. When you come into the showroom, we're going to be there with smiling faces, respond to an email, pick up the phone. It's just the very simple things that we can do and do all of them because again, they're the simple things. They're not even the getting up in front of big group of people and like making a presentation. That's not what will make you successful, but it's answering the phone, replying to your emails and just showing up and doing what you're supposed to.
[00:23:29] Speaker A: Like generally serving people.
[00:23:32] Speaker B: Yeah, it's really not hard, but people are overcomplicating a lot of things, especially with the franchise system. Everything's already worked out for you. You just need to capitalize, do your research, talk to the other franchisees. We call them validation calls. I love to do them, I love to meet the people and I love the relationships that comes out of the franchising thing. What is a good franchise, in my opinion, are the ones that you can do validation calls with. You can get in touch with their franchise, you can ask them questions. And the franchisors aren't putting up walls saying, hey, that's not something we do, that's concerning. In my opinion, we should be able to talk. And when you join a franchise, it creates a small community that you're joining. When you're going through something at Homefront, you're going to have coaches and anywhere else, you're going to have other franchisees and you want to be able to get in contact with them. Hey, I'm struggling. What do I do? Having that connection with the other franchisees is incredible.
[00:24:33] Speaker A: It's no doubt in my mind why you are so successful, Nate. So congratulations to you and I just love this story. Very non traditional from the typical person that, like, I do interview, who, like you said, is the corporate refugee who's like, escaping the big corporate handcuffs and the salary and the 401k matching and all of that to go pursue their dreams. But no less equally inspiring, if not more inspiring, especially for those of us who are parents who dream of our own children growing up and being aware enough that there is this path out there where they don't have to go wake up and show up for somebody else's dreams. They can start doing it for themselves through the proven systems of a franchise without even a college degree. You're amazing. God bless you. Thank you so much for being our special guest today here on Kim Daly tv.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: Awesome. Thanks for having me, Kim.
[00:25:31] Speaker A: Oh, my pleasure. And good luck to you. In everything that you do, I expect to see your name and franchising lights. Well, for those who are inspired, like Kim Daly is, well, you know that I want to be your franchise consultant, so please follow the link in the description below. And until next time, please remember that my name is Kim Daly, and I want to be your daily coach.
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 inquire at KimDaily TV. That's inquire at KimDaily TV.
