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 Wealth Through Franchising podcast and Kim Daily TV in the house today, the man, the myth, the legend, Martin Briggs, a former candidate who found Kim Daly the very same way. He's now in the hot seat sharing about his journey. He found me right here on this podcast. Martin, welcome to the studio of Kim Daily TV for a full circle moment.
[00:01:12] Speaker C: Wow. Full circle it is. I. I found you listening to a podcast and here we are actually talking on your podcast.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: I'm so excited for you to share your story with the followers of Kim Daly. So let's go back to the beginning of your story. What was happening in your life when you started thinking, I need to do something different and started searching and found my podcast?
[00:01:35] Speaker C: Sure. So my wife and I have always, we've actually been franchisees most of our adult life, if you will. And we were the healthcare staffing space as franchisees for nearly two decades and have done exceptionally well there. We started to look for another opportunity as I've gotten older. I think, you know, as an entrepreneur, you know, you got to set up your retirement, you know, in a certain way. So I think a lot of people might have a 501k or what do you call it, 401k and if you're an employee. Right. And so I'm like, you know, I've got to make sure that we're setting up a investment portfolio that as we get older, we have enough income producing assets around us to support us as we're getting older. And so for me, that looks like the current nurse staffing firm that we own, which is doing extremely well. It's one of the largest in North Florida, Alabama. Yes, Within. Bought two condos. And so that was a part of that as well. I do very, very well in the stock market and I really felt like I needed one more larger income producing asset. And so I really wanted to go to another franchise.
And so. But I wanted to go retail because the challenge with client based business, if you will, or nurse staffing, if you will, is that you end up being sort of oftentimes dependent upon one particular client.
And it's very personnel driven. And many times the success has a lot to do with the people that you're managing. So it's kind of make or break. And so I wanted something very retail in which the product itself, of course I'm going to have to work hard, but ultimately I wanted the product itself to create the success and not necessarily one individual or say, one account.
[00:03:14] Speaker B: I love how intentional you are. And this is like the universe operates through order and then action.
So order is getting clarity. What is, what are my goals?
So many people start the idea of, you know, business ownership at the what, but it's not about the what, it's about the why.
And the why is what you doing this and what do you want out of it? Right. Like what are your personal, professional and financial goals? Which is where I start the conversation with every single candidate. Martin was no exception to that. So he had this clear vision. And when you have that clear vision, guess what? Finding the what so much easier. Okay, so let's move into that part of the conversation. So you came to me maybe with some ideas about what this would look like or what kind of franchise it might be. And then tell us a little bit about how I worked with you and massaged your thinking to help move you from. As I recall, you were very excited about fitness because we're both fitness people. And you were like, I think it would be really fun. I want to add value to people's lives. And I think you even had, if I recall, a space in mind. Right. There was a space coming available or was available. And we. And that's very, very hard for me to like retrofit an available lease into a franchise because I don't really get involved in where you actually place a business. Just for those listeners, that comes way after Kim Daly, that's between you and the franchisor. But I was willing to massage this conversation with Martin and then kind of open his mind a little bit to say might go there, it might not go there, but let's just stay open. Let's really keep focused on the goal of what you're trying to build by bringing in another cash flowing asset and let the where you do it kind of be worked out. So with that sort of lead in, go back to like our consultation and where your head was and how working with me sort of moved your needle a little bit.
[00:05:07] Speaker C: Yeah, so that's the cool part about this, is you're right. I had a space in mind and which drove me to the idea that I really wanted to get into retail. So I was trying to figure out what to put into this specific space. So, of course, this is me being a novice and being very uneducated in the process.
And I had an idea, sort of in the fitness area, more on the nutrition side. And a friend of mine had launched a brand, so I called him and he let me know that that did not go well. It was a franchise. I won't mention which one it was, but he said, man, I. I really kind of wish I hadn't done that. And he gave me some advice that he said he got from the Ken Daly show. And I was like, really? So then he sent me the episode that he had learned from, and I was like, wow, I wonder if Kim would pick up the phone for me. Maybe she can consult with me directly. Because, you know, the Kim Daily show is just so larger than life. And you're so humble in the way. In the fact that you reach such a broad amount of people, yet you're very dedicated and focused on a one on one, which was surprising to me, by the way. I didn't. You always had enough time to spend with me, even though you were. You're touching so many people, and that was surprising for me.
[00:06:13] Speaker B: So.
[00:06:13] Speaker C: So getting into. When we actually first talked, truly, she's not kidding about the coach, by the way, that that's something you have to know if you're saying something that she feels generally, she's right. She's going to give you some advice that may. You may feel in your heart, you may be bucked a little bit. You may have to really give considerable thought. For example, I was really committed and dedicated to a specific space. And she said, martin, you really need to fall in love with a brand that you. You like. And then you find the space later, but you don't put the space ahead. And we did change that. We ultimately let that space go and we went to a brand that we loved. And so that's one of the things that we love about Kim, is that she really is a true coach, and she was really necessary for those out there listening.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: I do get that a lot. Like, I was afraid to reach out to you. I. I didn't realize you would work with me directly. Like, no. The whole point of all of this content is to magnetize you to me. I want to meet you. I want to help you achieve your goals. So you're definitely going to work with me. So. So it's in my imagination that you liked Fitness. And we were thinking about fitness for that space. So ultimately, let's do the giveaway. Let's tell the followers what you ended up investing in, because I think it might be shocking. And talk a little bit about how we massaged your mindset and what the process revealed that led you to that conclusion.
[00:07:31] Speaker C: Being the one I do remember, Kim really sort of going through analyzing what's important to you, what are your values? What are you expecting from the brand that you ultimately invest in? After going back and forth a little bit, and we did talk about fitness, and that was. That was neck and neck with what we ultimately ended up doing.
And she said, after listening to what's important to us, she said, what are you going to do? Something like dog grooming or something? And I was like, yes, I'd love that, actually.
Dog grooming and painting, I think it'd be perfect.
And she kind of laughed at the idea a little bit, but she actually went off and then found an idea that was very suitable called she has Splash and Dash. It's a. It's a specialty boutique in dog grooming and bathing. I think they have maybe 30 or 40 locations across the country. We're honored to be the first to launch the first one, Alabama. It will be in my neighborhood or my city called Vestavi Hills, which we believe perfect for that particular launch.
[00:08:35] Speaker B: What were the characteristics of this business?
Because nobody really says, oh, yeah, my dream is on a franchise, and it's definitely in dog grooming. So what were the particular stunning characteristics of this model that made you go, oh, maybe my future is in dog grooming?
[00:08:55] Speaker C: Well, and I will say this, too, is that I see myself first as an investor before I see myself as a entrepreneur.
And so everything comes from the lens of investment. Matter of fact, even our current nurse staffing firm, we actually sold a portion of the nurse staffing firm to a venture fund called Oasis Venture Studio. And so they invest into Kayla and I in exchange for shares where I have to represent much larger than myself.
And so the reason why Splash and Dash fit our framework is in our investment framework. When we look for investments, it's something we called an autonomous brand. And this is my advisement to your audience. Okay. For someone who's like, men, please help me make a good decision on an investment. And whether you're looking at a franchise or just an investment in general, somebody walks up to you and says, hey, I want you to invest in this deal with me. These are the four things, at least, that I look for. Autonomous brand.
It's something in which it will preferably be able to prosper without being dependent on specific person or specific product or specific client. We want brands that will grow and mature because of what it is and not necessarily an individual. And that was important to me. Kim, when we met is I wanted. I know I'm gonna have to work and I feel like I'm gonna have to work hard for probably a year or two years. That's my personal push and effort to make this thing grow. But ultimately I'm not in the business so that I have to work year after year after year all the time.
[00:10:26] Speaker B: So wait, can I interrupt you on that one? Because someone listening may be like, wait a minute. Dog grooming relies solely on a dog groomer. But this comes back to the model he invested in. So go ahead and address that right there with the model you're in in dog grooming, where that's not a true statement.
[00:10:40] Speaker C: So, for example, there's four parts of autonomous brand. And I'll tell you why. Splash and Dice hits fall four of them. First of all, the brand itself. I look for something in which the brand is attractive and when people see it, they want to do it. Like Apple, for example. People stand in line outside the Apple store just because Apple said anything. We're going to stand out, we're going to believe it's successful. So want to attract a brand. And I felt like Splash and Dash being a dog grooming place, people love their dogs and Splash and Dash has an attractive look. And so that's something that was really appealing to me. The second thing is it's. And this is one of the first things that you told me about Splash and Dash is that you said they have a unique way of processing the dogs through bathing and grooming. And it's team oriented in a system approach that was highly attractive to me in the fact that they had a sort of like when Ford came out and they created processes of creating cars and that's what created the industrial revolution. And so the same thing is being applied to dogs now in a loving and touching way. It's always going to be a person with the dog, but there's a systematic way for caring for the dog, safety and grooming them very, very well. And I love that part that it's culture driven and not individual driven and people are more in love with the brand than a specific person.
[00:11:59] Speaker B: The reason that's so amazing is for those of you out there who may think about like a personal training studio or even a general hair salon, right, you had these worries and it's, it's true. This person's going to come work for me, build up their client, and then leave and take all of my clients with them. And that definitely happens in a dog grooming facility because you become so loyal to the person who's grooming your pet and does the haircut. Exactly. Perfect lesson. I have two doodles. Like, I'm, I, I'm like this. I am not loyal to the place I go. I'm loyal to Juliana, the groomer, but she, she happens to be the owner, so I'm there for life until she, she retires. So, but in most dog grooming places, the groomer is not the owner. Right. And so that's where this model met him in his criteria and a lot of other investors, because we all worry about those things. So sorry to interrupt you, but it's just such a great teachable moment I have to interrupt.
[00:12:52] Speaker C: And again, our goal is to transfer the asset generation to generation, and that's why we look for autonomous brands. And the, the other thing that we look for is that it's protected, that it's got intellectual, proprietary ideas. There's a moat around it, especially in the days of AI in which people are competing for jobs. And now you have AI competing for jobs. We believe Flash and Dash will benefit from AI and technology as an operation, but we don't see necessarily AI and technology taking the space of a groomer or a bather anytime soon. I can assure you that technology will put its hand everywhere. But at the end of the day, I think you're always going to have at least one groomer, at least one bather who's going to have to really be present even if technology is being used. And so we see technology as more of an asset as opposed to something that opposes what we're trying to do. And the last thing is, what we saw in Splash and Dash is strong systems. And that's my last advice. Find a franchise in which the franchisee has done an amazing job creating strong systems, not just in operations, but marketing systems, accounts payable systems, every. The systems are so strong that it's not dependent on one person, like looking for paper or creating your own marketing material. Dan Barton has just been fantastic, and that's what we bought in the Splash and Dash.
[00:14:10] Speaker B: I love it. And he said franchisee, he meant franchisor, creating those systems. So let me ask you, did you have this criteria ironed out before you began or as you started comparing, contrasting the four options I initially presented to you, did you develop this criteria from learning, kind of getting up that learning curve.
[00:14:33] Speaker C: So we already had the framework in existence before we met Kim. I can tell you that I had already looked at hundreds of business ideas and opportunities before reaching out to Kim daily. We really had no. We were ready to invest and we just couldn't find anything that was suitable. And I think Kim's assessment, really looking at beyond just our autonomous brand framework, she was able to find an idea that really worked well for us.
[00:14:57] Speaker B: Amazing. I forgot about that piece. So let's talk about that a little bit, Martin, because there's a lot of people out there, including a candidate I just worked with who signed her franchise agreement on Monday of this week, who, when she came to me first thing, said, I have been looking at a franchise for three years. Okay, Martin, you know, you know, my process is two months. I was like, okay, three years. Dear Lord, no franchise or wants to date you for three years, girl. Like, if you're coming to Kim daily, let's just lay the groundwork. Like, we're not want to preneurs. We're going to be a franchisepreneur in about two months. Like, how does that make you feel? Because you've been kicking the tires for a long time. So we're going to move from talking about doing this to actually doing it if we find you the right business. And she was like, no, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready. So, so tell us your story. Do you feel like the process I offered you gave you the confidence? Is that what was missing before? More than like finding the right franchise was the right franchise? Wrapped in the confidence and leadership of my process and my relationships with franchisors, I believe so.
[00:16:02] Speaker C: I. There's a conf. I knew that we needed another advisor. And if you know anything about me, I'm very team oriented, very team driven.
And so when I got the podcast from my friend, I was like, she has relationships that I don't know. And I know it's like, like in the staffing world, that's what we do. We, we, we, we're in the middle of placing healthcare workers with clients and there's just certain things that staffers know that you wouldn't know. Just searching online to indeed to find a job, it's good to just call somebody. And so I was like, I just feel like Kim is going to know something I don't. And sure enough, not only did she find an idea that we didn't know, but she also helped me to clarify things within my own soul that Needed to be solidified and it was extremely helpful.
[00:16:45] Speaker B: That's really good. I was just looking at when we started the conversation, the characteristics that we pulled out in our hour long call together and that initial call where I already start kind of like thinking, what kind of ideas am I going to bring to this man? Led me to a med spa, forever young, a lawn care company, the dog groomery, and then the personal training studio. So from the outside you might be like, give daily. Like, how do those four things go together? But that's the magic of working with the Daily coach who has 23 years of relationship knowledge and experience and knowing the kinds of questions that I need to ask you and to pull out of you.
And so then from this short condensed list, we then go back to the model we always measuring up against. This is what you told me. Is this still relevant? These were your goals when we started. Is this still relevant? Because what happens often is as you move through the process, sometimes we get afraid of actually moving closer to our goals. It sounds ridiculous, but we self sabotage ourselves all the time, right? We become aware of it. You're like. And so the closer you move to, like actually having to stop talking about it and doing it, the more the red flags start to exist in you and the more you start pumping the brakes. And so this is often why people will look for franchises for three years and never do it. Not because the options they were looking at weren't viable, but because they don't have someone like me in their corner teaching them how to step in into the unknown, Delivering leadership over a process like, no, no, no. These are the things to do. These are the questions, these are the people. This is the order and this is the time frame. And sometimes those very simp. Not sometimes, all the time. Those very simple things are the things that lead to an outcome in two months versus two years and hundreds of companies and still saying, I never found the right one. Was there anything else as you think about the process that you. That comes to mind where you're like, oh, this was really valuable. Like the back end coaching where I'm not just giving you companies. Like I always, I have YouTube videos where I'm like, any junior consultant can do that, right? Maybe not well, but they can still do it. But when you work with Kim. How I became the Daily Coach was multifaceted, but from my candidates who would be like, how do I get a, a daily dose of Kim, right? And my last name is Daily. So that worked out pretty well for marketing purposes. But so in those Back end, you know, where I give you, like, the daily plan, like, those four key indicators to look for. Because oftentimes as people start validating with owners, they're so dialed into, like, the weeds of what it's going to cost and all of the expenses. But here's the thing. Those are not the things that inspire you to a yes. What inspires you to a yes is an understanding of how cash flows through the business and how you control customer acquisition, which creates the cash flow. So my coaching is always to move people away from the weeds of expenses. Who cares about the expenses? Right? We only have expenses if we're lucky enough to have revenue. So we always have to be top of the funnel focused. And that drives your focus back to the franchisor and the systems and tools that they've created to help you attract the right type of customer to you. And then you start asking questions about, well, who are the competitors? And then you start weeding through that by saying, okay, I don't need everybody. I just need how many people to make the kind of money that I want. So as I'm bringing you kind of back into how I coached you, Martin, which is how I coach everybody, do you have any tidbits of advice or things, gems that stuck out in that backend coaching where it was like, oh, this was very, very valuable.
[00:20:35] Speaker C: You know what's really interesting? I had the advantage of already owning another franchise. And I will say that I was a little bit of a Debbie Downer about team, as much as I love teams. And one of the things that stuck out to me the most in our coaching was your emphasis that you yourself attract or detract things from you.
And Kim could probably preach it better than I could, but she was like, if you want a better team, then you just need to be a better leader.
And basically the needle will point where your mind is going. And it really just did something for me. Not only did it inspire me to really want to be great at leading a great team on our new endeavor, but to even go back to my other franchise and like, you know what? I'm not done here. We've got more work. There's more people that I can inspire, more people that I can touch, and I really needed to hear that. And that was a great coaching moment.
[00:21:24] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, that's amazing, Martin. See, I'm so glad I asked that question. So listen, in franchising, it is a myth or misconception that the brand is going to bring you customers or the franchisor's job is to create your customer flow. I know everybody out there wants to believe it. Believe me, I want you to believe it, and I want it to be true. In some cases, when you build this amazing brand like Planet Fitness or Massage Envy or Chick Fil A, you stand in a moment and yes, you can build it and they will come. But the vast majority of franchises out there are not at that level yet. You are part of those founding fathers or the. The pioneers in the 1 to 300 to 500 units where they're building, who they are. They're teaching the customer. This is what our brand promises. And so it's your delivery with that brand promise and the execution of that and the consistency of it that eventually creates in the customer's mind what your brand means.
That's what we all want. We want it to be there. But the vast majority of franchises out there are building to that. By the time they get to that level where wake up and open your doors and people just come, there's no more opportunity left in Birmingham, Alabama or pretty much anywhere because all the good territories are sold, right? So every franchise has this trajectory. And so that's a very, very important point. And thank you for bringing it up. And I'm so happy to hear that. Not only did I bless you with flash and dash, but I gave you things that helped you in your existing business. I mean, that's. That's really awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that.
[00:23:04] Speaker C: It means a lot. It really, really touched my life and we were better as a company because of it.
[00:23:08] Speaker B: It's really great. So, Martin, you're so amazing. So for those listeners who are as inspired as I am by this conversation and your story and what you're about to do in your business, are you open for business now?
[00:23:20] Speaker C: We're actually not. We planned hopefully launch in January. I'm a slow cooker. It took us a while to find a place, and we knew that from the beginning. Our franchisor let us know that finding the right space would. Would take a little time. And that certainly has been true. But we found a place. We've signed a lease. We're waiting on some things with the city, and we should be able to start construction within the next few weeks.
[00:23:41] Speaker B: Prayerfully amazing. It's an. It's. It's. That's another great point because you learn this during your due diligence. But a lot of times people are like, I'm not ready to go because I don't really want to be open till. And I'm like, no, the faster you go, the more you're in the queue, right? Because it's always a process right after. Even in a non brick and mortar franchise like your staffing company, you probably didn't just sign a franchise agreement and you weren't open the next day. I mean, there's training, there's licensing, there's maybe finding a small office to rent, maybe hiring the right team. There's all of these steps that we kind of don't think about into on that granular level until you're literally thinking about it because you're like, okay, what happens when I sign this franchise agreement? So the faster you get in and get going, the faster you get in that queue and the more we can get you to the point of not just talking about it, not just signing a franchise agreement, but actually owning and operating a business, which is the end goal. So. Amazing. So Martin, the last question I have for you today is there's a lot of people who follow me like you did, who haven't yet reached out to me. What advice do you have for those people with the knowledge and experience that you have, having worked with me and where you are right now in your life? What advice would you offer?
[00:24:53] Speaker C: As simple as it sounds, I would just say pick up the phone or send Kim an email. I know that's weird, but Kim will literally take you from there. I mean, because if you're lost or you're needing more guidance, she, Kim, I'm, she's like, you're not here or something. You are somebody who can guide you from A to Z. Which is why my advice is so simple. You just need to take the courage or whatever it is that's holding you back and just pick up the phone or email her or however get a hold of her and then she will guide you A through Z.
[00:25:26] Speaker B: Right? You knew you wanted to own a business, but let me ask this not to put you on the spot. Did you ever feel any pressure from me, like if that if franchising wasn't the right thing for you, I wasn't going to love you anymore?
[00:25:39] Speaker C: No, I never felt pressure. I think the way your business model is structured, I don't think there's really a need for that pressure. Also just the way you hold yourself, you've been at the game long enough. I think you're one of the top salespeople and you're just mature, right? I mean, a lot of us, when we first get going, I think we're a little hungry. In our first couple of years, you know, but I think Kim span for a long, long time, and I felt that level of professionalism and comfort and groundedness from her, and I just felt like it was one business leader to another business leader helping each other get to the next step. So, no, I never felt that. Any kind of pressure.
[00:26:11] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, Martin, this is like my favorite interview maybe all year. You are so amazing. You are so amazing. You bless me and I love it. And I'm so happy that everything I try to wake up and be is resonated back to me in this conversation. It's really beautiful. You're amazing. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to come and bless my followers and bless Kim Daly by having this full circle moment with me on the show today.
[00:26:37] Speaker C: Full circle. Thank you. You've been a blessing.
[00:26:39] Speaker B: You're amazing. Thank you. Well, for those who are ready to not just be listening to the podcast, to maybe be having a full circle moment with Kim Daly at some point in the future, this is your call to action. There's a link in the description below and it's there for you to follow. Don't have any trepidation. I promise I'll be the one to reach out to you. There's no pressure, there's no obligation, there's no fear fee. Simply start the conversation and let's see where it can go. So thank you so much for watching this video until the end and until next time, please don't forget that my name is Kim Daly and I want to be your daily coach.
[00:27:14] Speaker A: You can find more content just like this on my YouTube channel at Kimdaly TV. And if you're inspired to take the next step to explore franchises match to you, please email me right now at inquireimdaily tv. That's inquire at kimdaily tv.
