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.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Welcome back to Create Wealth Through Franchising podcast and Kim Daily tv. Boy, do I have an amazing show in store for you today. This is a full circle moment for me and the amazing woman that you are all about. To me, she started out as a candidate in my process.
So for those of you out there who are dreaming about owning your own business, there might be more to the story than just you investing in a franchise. You may find yourself not just listening to my show, but being an honored guest on my show to share your story. And that's what we're going to do today with my friend Tandy Scotland from Tampa, Florida. Tandy, welcome to the story studio of Kim Daly tv.
[00:01:29] Speaker C: Thank you so much, Kim. It is my honor and my pleasure. This is just so amazing for me because I started off probably around this time last year listening to your podcast, looking at it sometimes on YouTube, but mostly just listening to it. So to be here with you right now as an an interviewee, this is just, like, mind blowing to me.
[00:01:50] Speaker B: This is what you call living the dream. You know the expression, oh, I'm living the dream? No. Kim Daly finds herself l living her dreams. So often. When I morphed my podcast into interviewing franchisees, the goal was to be able to interview my own franchisees. And Tandy is one of the first of my own franchisees that are coming back full circle to share their stories right here. So I love it. You're blessing me as much as you feel like you're being blessed. So we're going to start at the beginning of your journey.
What was happening in your life about this time last year when you decided, I want to do something different and you found Kim Daly.
[00:02:33] Speaker C: Well, Kim, you're a big part of this story. For me. I was teaching middle school. I've been teaching for over 10 years, but it was just starting to become not fun anymore. You know, all these different things happening in the educational system, and I was just frustrated. I wanted to do more. I wanted to have more control over my life and over what I do.
And so I started to research businesses. And I want to. Always wanted to have my own business.
Then I, after doing some research, I realized, okay, having your own business, you have to start from the bottom and work everything, you know? And I didn't have a clear plan of what I wanted to do. Did I want to do something in education? Did I wanted to do something with cooking?
I have all these hobbies, but I didn't know what I wanted to do and how to start, really.
And so I saw somewhere from several different podcasts that I had been listening to that when you do a franchise, it helps you because you don't have to start from the beginning.
And so I said, okay, that sounds a little bit easier.
So then I started to research more podcasts, but I wasn't finding what I was looking for. You know, when you. You're looking for something, you don't know what you're looking for. You're not quite sure.
And then when you get it, then you're like, yes, that's what I was looking for. So I stumbled upon yours because I had been listening to different podcasts, and some, you know, they were about CEOs and, you know, people who were in the private industry who wanted to move over to franchising. And so I was a teacher. It wasn't quite the same. You know, these are people who are making six, seven figures and, come on, teachers, you don't make it. Not even a quarter of that. So I said, no, this is not the right one. Came across your podcast, and I just was hooked. So I listened to everyone. I started to binge listen to it. I'll be doing my walks in my neighborhood, and then I'll just have my headphones and program them to just keep going. And I would listen and listen. It was good because I'm walking a lot while I'm listening, I'm like, oh, shoot, this one is done. Okay, I need to walk some more so I can hear some more. Because when I get home, I have to feed the kids, I have to take care of the dog. There's too much to do. I don't have time. So walking was my piece and my way of getting things clear in my head. So I listened to your podcast, listen to all these different franchises. So I had a clear picture of what I wanted to do. And what struck me the most about what you said is that in franchising, it allows you to buy down the learning curve.
And that's always stuck with me. I keep replaying it in my head along with other things you say. Trust me, you're constantly replaying in my head, Kim, even though we don't talk and we have not spoken in, I don't know, a year, and I remember.
[00:05:21] Speaker B: The first time that we spoke over the zoom, you were like, I can't believe I'm talking to you. Like, I feel like you're a celebrity. Like, I remember you saying that to me, which I do get sometimes, but I specifically remember it about you. And it's because you have been listening to me so much that when we were actually talking face to face, it probably seemed surreal, but I love that. And for those of you out there that are now following me and we haven't spoken, I want to have that opportunity with you as well, because I'm here. The whole point of all of this content that I create is to inspire your dream so you can be my next candidate. Right? So I love it. Okay, so, Tandy, so you're in the school system. You know, you want to do something different. You've now decided it's probably going to be a franchise, and you reach out to Kim Daly. And so let's talk a little bit about that conversation.
When you came to me, do you remember if you had specific ideas? Tell us a little bit about where your head was at with business ownership, specifically.
[00:06:23] Speaker C: So let me go back a little tiny bit about what that, too, is, because I was in school at the time. We're about to finish unit in Florida. We finish at the end of May, so we're to the tail end of school. My license is about to expire. My teaching license, and I did all the work to be able to renew the certification.
And I was at this crossroads. Should I renew it or should I just don't renew it? You know, end the cycle of just keeping going, or should I just start, you know, take this leap of faith and start my business and not come back next year?
And so I said, you know what? I'm not gonna renew my license. Let me email this lady and see if she'll ever get back to me. It was a long shot. I said, you know, she's not. And to my surprise, you emailed me back very, very quickly. You know what I love the most about you, Kim, is your accessibility.
It's not like you hear from someone once, and then you never hear from them again. Or, you know, you try to get them and they'll give you an assistant. I really thought I was gonna probably get an email from your assistant or something saying, yeah, you know, get on my Calendar and we'll have a conversation. That's what I was expecting. But to get an actual email from you, I was like, oh, my gosh. She emailed me back herself.
That to me was like, okay, yeah, this lady is impressive. I'm all about customer service. I'm about people, you know. You know, being very people oriented. And you definitely tick those boxes for me. Yes. So you emailed me back right away and you said, okay, let's do this. Let's have a conversation.
[00:08:01] Speaker B: We got your husband involved. That was an important part. Right. Because in considering leaving a job and giving up an income. Right. Most families exist on two incomes, need both incomes. And so it was very important to me that we involve her spouse, because I needed to get comfortable that he was going to be comfortable supporting this endeavor. Should we find a business where Tandy was going to not go back to school and dive in and be full time in her new business?
[00:08:29] Speaker C: And I'm really, you know, so really grateful for that support and that insight that you gave me, because I was thinking, okay, you know, I'm going to do this on my own. This is, you know, girl power. Let's go. Let's do this. I'm on my own. And you're like, okay, that's great, you know, but hold up.
This is something big. I think you should, you know, let's talk to your husband. Let's see what he says. And, you know, he did it in such a Very eloquent and, you know, it's. It was very well done, I must say, and so got him involved. At first, he was not really, you know, excited about the idea because he's not as adventurous as me, which is fine. I'm the crazy one who will just, you know, let's do this. Let's go. I want to do this, you know, and he's very, very supportive. My husband, I must say, is extremely supportive. Every crazy idea I have, he's on board. He's like, okay, you know, even though I'm dragging him along, he'll be like, okay, but let's just, you know, think about everything first, you know, so there was so much that I wanted to do. I. We needed to do stuff around the house. The air conditioning went out just before this ridiculous Florida heat, you know, the summertime. And so I spoke to you as, you know, wanting some advice. I'm like, kim, should I invest money in a business, or should we put this money towards taking care of things that need to be done in the house?
And again, to me, like, a Big sister.
The advice was very, let's think about this realistically. And I remember exactly what you told me. You said to me, think about this.
You could take the money right now, put it into the house, repair the house, you know, everything's shiny and new again, great.
Or you can decide to take that money instead, invest it in the business, and that way you will see returns eventually, within a few months, you can start seeing a return on your investment.
You could eventually be able to have those returns on the investment, be able to come out and put into your home.
And I said, oh, okay. So that's. My money is going to go further and it's going to be longer if I invest in the business is what I got from it. So I said, okay, I think that's my decision.
And from there it was just, you know, we went up from there.
[00:10:57] Speaker B: I remember building your model. So she's a teacher. So I was like feeling around, like. Because I have different ideas for people that are already in the school system. There's a lot of franchises that work well when you have inroads into school systems. And so is trying to tiptoe around without giving it away. What I wanted to bring to you, but I think it was when I asked you if your daughter danced or did cheer, and you said yes. And I was like, oh, I know 100%. What option is going to be in your mix? Now, I didn't know that it would be the option, but I knew that it would be one option that matched. And so I don't know if you remember what other options, but we were looking basically for a lower investment kind of where she could take the bull by the horns and drive the activity of the business and leverage some relationships and knowledge that she had of school systems. And that's the business you ultimately pick.
[00:11:55] Speaker C: You actually explained everything to me because it was infancy stage, you know, like a newborn learning everything. So you explain the different types of franchises, the amount of investments you put. So I remember you explained is that the more money you put into a franchise, it usually is less work that you have to put in at the beginning.
[00:12:16] Speaker B: Monster time, baby. You don't have the money. You gotta put in the time.
[00:12:21] Speaker C: That's right. The less money you put in at the beginning, you would eventually have to put more time in to grow that business and to do it. So I understood that based on what you said.
[00:12:32] Speaker B: But the more unlimited income those businesses usually can produce. So if you're out there listening like, well, why would I want to do that? Because there's an upside to putting in the time. So before you jump to any conclusions, just follow the link in the description and start a conversation with Kim Daly, because I will take the time to educate you about what your money buys, about what every franchise business costs and why, because I think it's very important to your understanding of this entire process. The more context you have, the better answers you can give to me when I ask you questions.
[00:13:08] Speaker C: And so based on the questions, we had a full questionnaire, my both my husband and I, based on things we like, based on our finances, based on everything, every single thing about us. So with that information, you did your magic and you came back with three options for us. And you explained that this was like a blind date and that we had to, like a blind date, give each company and each person that each representative from that company, their equal time. Give them their honest time, which means don't decide on the first one. Listen to all three and hear their presentations out, which we promised we would do. We did it, and we're so grateful that we did because there were all three wonderful options.
And we were able to decide, both my husband and I, when we sat down for all three blind dates, if you will.
And it was really interesting. One was like a senior facility. And, you know, both our parents are aged, our moms are over 80 right now. And, you know, we're in that stage. So it's something that's very interesting to us.
[00:14:21] Speaker B: I can totally see you with your personality and your heart being so good receivers. That's no doubt. It was your personality that led me to that option 100%.
[00:14:30] Speaker C: We were so into that, but for some reason, we just felt like at this time, it was the amount of time and, you know, energy that we would have had to put into this that we would have liked to put in because we can't play with seniors. This is something we want to make sure we know who's coming into the homes. It was a little bit too personal for us to be able to delve into and put that much time in. So we said, you know what, we'd love to do this, but not at this time. Maybe later on in the future. The second one was something in the schools as well, I think, like some sporting activity in the schools. Again, it was a wonderful idea, but it was a little bit too involved for what we would have liked to do, knowing that we also have kids that we have to be at home with. And so we had to be able to balance everything.
The third option was just amazing for Us, it ticked all the boxes. Tippy toes. And we have three daughters. So hearing this about this Tippy toes, we were like, oh, this is interesting because we've always wanted this sort of thing, to have dance come to the schools or have activities come to the school, the preschools, no less, you know, and we're like, oh, my gosh, this is brilliant. We would love to do this.
So right away, we thought about it a little bit more and said, yes. We contacted Kim, we said, I think we have a decision here. Tippy toes is the thing for us because we've been through, you know, so many dance recitals. We know a lot about dance. We've been dance moms and dance dad. You know, my husband danced dad for so long. My daughter, the oldest one, is 18. So, yeah, she's been dancing since she was 2 or 3.
So we said, yes, this is it. Everything just went so quickly from there.
[00:16:20] Speaker A: Hey, Daily Coach fans, if you're loving this episode, please do me a quick favor and leave me a free 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.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: So what's so great about this discussion in reverse, right, Is she didn't come to me with any specific idea or preconceived notion about how the business would look. She came with an open heart and an open mind. And I think having listened to so many interviews before, she got to me, really had her educated on the lingo and like, how I work with people. And so if you're out there doing the exact same thing, know that when you do reach out to me, the level of conversation that we're able to have, it's much higher in a shorter amount of time. And the other thing is that oftentimes candidates think that it takes months to find the right business. But, Tandy, I mean, you might have thought that in the beginning, except once we get engaged in the process, it happens within a matter of weeks, Correct?
[00:17:31] Speaker C: It happened very quickly.
[00:17:33] Speaker B: The cream rises to the top once you get educated and you are clear on what's important to you. And that's my job, I'm going to help you get clarity around what's important to you. And then I'm bringing 20 years of relationship and knowledge of franchisors to you for those blind dates. So if I've done my job correctly and been a good listener, then the options I'm bringing, while they might be widgets you never knew existed in franchising or even thought about something that you could own.
When you keep your mind and your heart open and you go on those blind dates, you start to very quickly make a connection.
And then you're like, oh. And then from there, you can't sit and think about it and think about it and think about it, because time is the enemy of our dreams. So there's no rush. It's just an efficient process. And once you start to feel connection to a brand, the whole process just starts to go a lot faster. So I tell my candidates it's about one to two weeks to a no in my process and about one to two months to a yes. I'm very consistent at that six week mark, which I'm guessing you've probably figured it out within about three or four weeks. Tandy, this is the one you wanted to do. And then it's a logistical process from there of kind of funneling down to one, getting your financing together and then lining up all those pieces with the franchisor to align to their final thing, which is a meet the team day or a confirmation day, whether that be in person or virtual. And so all of those things have to connect before you can be awarded the opportunity. But you'll be surprised at how quickly you will actually connect to a brand once there's clarity around what you want out of the business and that conviction that this is what I want to do. Even though I don't know if. When we started exploring the franchise, Tandy, you are 100% sure you weren't going back to school. I think the process revealed that to be the right answer when you started to connect to the model. Is that true?
[00:19:39] Speaker C: Yes, that's absolutely true. I mean, and it's important for me to say as well that it didn't feel rushed. I didn't at all feel rushed, you know, to make a decision. Even though it was a blind dates and stuff, it wasn't like you have to hurry up and make your decision. Everything was just on our own time.
We connected with the franchisor's representative and we were able to decide what day we wanted to plan to have this blind date or this meeting, so to speak, zoom meeting. So everything was, you know, based on our time, based on what we wanted. So it was not a matter of saying you have to get this done and you have to do this. But needless to say, the entire process for us was about three months before we were actually at confirmation day, where we were sitting in front of the Tippy Toes franchise group.
And so they have to decide if they wanted to have us as franchisees. And so, yes, we became franchisees, and then we went to Phoenix, Arizona for training, and the rest is history.
[00:20:45] Speaker B: It's such a good story. So forward. Fast forward a year. So talk a little bit about some of the lessons you've learned over this first year and take us to. You know, you just told me before we hit record that you've had your first recital. I think an obvious question I want to bring out is you were a dance mom, but you had never been a dance teacher. And did you need to have a dance background to engage in this franchise?
[00:21:11] Speaker C: I did not. I think the number one thing is people skills for any business. And that's, you know, I'm by no means a dancer, I should say.
[00:21:20] Speaker B: And you're not teaching any dance classes, correct?
[00:21:23] Speaker C: I am not. I did have to do the demos at the beginning, you know, because as an entrepreneur, you have to learn to do everything in your business. And that's what I wanted to be able to know, how to do everything.
And so, yes, I am doing everything. I'm hr. I'm doing all the hiring, that is, I'm doing all the payroll, everything.
And so at the beginning, I did have to learn some of the songs to be able to go to the schools and sell.
So, yeah, by the way, I'm also selling the business, also selling, you know, our service to the school. That's what I do now. I don't teach any classes. I have my teachers for that.
But I do go to the schools and offer the free trials. And also I do the demonstrations. I used to more at the beginning, but now I have my teachers do it. I'll just come along with them for support.
[00:22:12] Speaker B: So for those who also. We haven't described, this is a mobile business where you go into a school and offer this dance programming as an extracurricular. So you're going where the students already are, where there's already a floor, you know, and a space, and we're going to move the desks and we're going to hold a little dance class. This isn't competitive dance. This is basic movement. This is having fun. This is, you know, the beginning of getting kids engaged. And so therefore, the types of people that are teaching the class are more like probably girls that like to babysit or girls that might be dancers in their own life. Right, Tandy? But you don't need professional ballerinas or professional dancers as your instructors, because the level of dance here, it's very elementary. And it's more about Fun and play and movement. One of the things I love most about Tippy Toes is. Okay, side note. About Kim Daly. So, first of all, I love music, but my kids went to Bible school like, every summer when they were little. And at Bible school, they always have, like, a theme for the summer, and then they make a CD of all of the regular songs they're teaching your kids. So I would buy those CDs every summer and I would play them at night, nauseum. And, like, I love it. And so what really got me about the founder of Tippy Toes is that she writes and records all of her own music. It is so freaking cute. Oh, my gosh. Like, the music is so playful and so fun. I mean, your heart is just like. If you love kids and you want to add value. This isn't a sales pitch for Tippy Toes. This is a sales pitch for working with Kim Daly. That's what the point of this video. But while we're on this little tangent, like, this particular little franchise has so much to offer, and it's so unassuming, Right? It's not something that you're going to, like, pick out of your top franchise 500 list. Most people aren't even going to know that a business like this exists. So that's the point of working with Kim Daly. So sorry for that little tangent, but I wanted to, like, fill in the gaps in case somebody was trying to figure out, what is this business after all.
[00:24:12] Speaker C: It's been amazing. It's really been interesting. I think being an entrepreneur stretches you. I thought teaching stretched you you to the limit, but entrepreneurship stretches you to another limit. You know, things that you think you cannot do. Oh, you figure out how to do it. You just figure it out. Right? I had my recital and I wanted to do digital programs instead of paper programs, you know, because I didn't want them all over the floor. And then we have the cleanup after.
So I needed a landing page. I couldn't figure out, okay, how do I do this? And I just had to do all this research. And, you know, the good thing about franchises as well is that you have this group of people who are franchisees as well. You can lean on them and ask them questions and, you know, whatever support you need. And I was able to ask another franchisee for some support. How did you do this? QR code. And she told me about this website that I can use to be able to use as a landing page. That's the level of support that you get when you're in a franchise. It's just it gives you more comfort and, you know, it makes you know that you're not alone as opposed to being an entrepreneur. And you have to, yes, figure everything out on your own, but there's no one to ask.
[00:25:30] Speaker B: So I think everybody's dying to ask, and I'm dying to ask without getting too personal, but going back to your story, so are you happy that you left the school and you're running a business and are you on your way to making the money that you need to live and get those house projects done? Do you see it coming or are you already there?
[00:25:51] Speaker C: It's coming. So my goal is to try to get to 100 students. Right now, I'm at 40. It's definitely coming. The work that you put in an entrepreneurship is what you get out of it. So I'm continuously working and I can see it. It's coming. Especially for this new school year. I definitely plan to get to that 100. When we get to the 100, I should be comfortable enough to be making a good enough profit to give myself a consistent salary.
[00:26:22] Speaker B: Amazing. So two years out of a career and she's going to be able to be fully in control of not just her time, but her income and be able to grow from there. Like, it's not what everybody thinks. It doesn't have to be so hard, and it doesn't mean it's not hard some days, but it means that if you're willing to put in the work, that the rewards are there. The control, the time, freedom, the passion. And how about just the love of yourself, Tandy? Like, you've learned so much about yourself this year, right? And, like, how does that feel? Like, we can't underestimate the, like, when you do a hard thing, how much, like, self respect, you get out.
[00:27:06] Speaker C: It's amazing, you know, that self confidence that you have, you know, even if you think you didn't have self confidence before, oh, wow. This brings you to another level because it tells you, okay, yep, I can do difficult things. I can do hard things, you know, because every day it's always something. I mean, the joys of having your own business. It's wonderful. You know, now I don't have to take time off to be able to do stuff with my kids in school, you know, to be able to volunteer. I don't have to wonder, oh, my gosh, how much more days off do I have so I could take a day off? You know, in this year, lots of things are happening. You know, my oldest daughter, she's graduating High school, so I wanted to be able to do stuff with her.
My middle daughter is in middle school, the last one elementary, so they're three different levels. And, you know, there's so much going on, so I'm able to have more flexibility. Now I can volunteer in each of their schools. Now I can, you know, do so much more and then still plan my business around my personal life. So that's exactly what I wanted to do, and I will not trade that for anything else.
[00:28:10] Speaker B: It's the life that every working mom wants. It's so true. Those of you who are out there working moms, there's an option for you out there, too.
So, Tandy, to wrap up this amazing story and just this, like, full circle moment for both of us, I want to know from your perspective what advice you have for that listener who's you right now taking Kim Daly out on the walk, and what advice do you offer one year into your franchise business?
[00:28:38] Speaker C: I would say give yourself that opportunity. What I mean by give yourself the opportunity is don't talk yourself out of something until you've actually given yourself the opportunity to just hear. Just hear whatever she has to say. Just make the call, just send out the email. You will never know what can happen unless you take that first step. She's not trying to convince you to quit your job, and that's absolutely not what she's doing. In fact, she may even tell you, okay, how about you keep your job and do the business at the same time? So there's so many options. It's not just one option. So allow yourself that opportunity to just hear what she has to say. Do not talk yourself out of anything, out of any opportunity.
[00:29:20] Speaker B: You're like my best salesperson ever, Tandy. Just going to wind you up and let you go. It's so great. It's so amazing. Like, seriously, this is Kim Daly living her dreams. The tagline to Kim Daily TV is, the best dreams are those we live. And I wrote that tagline on the set of Kim Daily TD back in the day when I used to actually have record with a, you know, camera crew. Now I do it all over, you know, technology.
And I remember I was in the middle of making a video and feeling this inspired, like, I can't believe I'm doing this right now, today. Like, I grew up on the stage. I always wanted an audience. I always wanted to be a performer. And God never says no. Like, this isn't how I thought it was going to be. But anyway, I remember being on the set of Kim Daily tv, making a video for all of you, and realizing I am literally living one of my lifelong dreams. And that's when I wrote that tagline, the best dreams really are the ones that we get to live.
So if you're out there with a dream, I want to help you live that dream. Tandy is one candidate who is living her dream because she found me and she's here to tell her story. She had the courage to pursue it, and she's doing it, and she's telling an amazing story. God bless you, Tandy. It's such a pleasure to welcome you into my studio and to have you share your amazing story with us today.
[00:30:48] Speaker C: Thank you so much, Kim. I really appreciate you.
[00:30:50] Speaker B: Right back at you, sister. Well, for those who are inspired by this, especially those working moms out there who need more time and more control, there's a link in the description below, so follow it right now because as she said, I personally will be the one to reach out to you. So I can't wait to meet you, Candy. God bless you. We wish you all the best for your upcoming summer programming and into your school year. And we can't wait to see the day that you renovate your house. I want to see the pictures. She did it. She's making all of her dreams come true, and I know that you're going to get there.
Thank you so much, everybody, for following us until the end of this video, and I really can't wait to see you in the next one. And for those who are inspired to begin your own journey to find your definition of the American dream, follow the link in the description right now because I can't wait to meet you.
[00:31:42] Speaker A: You can find more content just like this on my YouTube channel, Im Daily 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.
