Why the Next Generation Is Betting on the Trades: Alvaro Leal on Franchising

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Ever wonder why someone early in their
career would jump into franchising?
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Join me with Alvaro Leal as we talk
about why the next generation is
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betting on the trades and building real
opportunity sooner than you might think.
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Welcome to the Franchise U
Podcast, where key industry leaders
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provide education and inspiration.
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Here's your host, Dr. Cathy Gosser,
the director of the Yum Center
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for Global Franchise Excellence
at the University of Louisville.
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And welcome to another episode of
Franchise U. With me today, I have Alvaro
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Leal, who is the director of business
development with 1-800-TOM-PLUMBER, a
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fast-growing home services franchise
focused on plumbing and drain services.
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Hey, welcome, Alvaro.
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I'm so glad you're here.
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Hi.
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Thank you.
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I'm super excited.
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I know we met, uh, back at the
IFA, and we had a little chat, and
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was so excited to jump on and, and
have a fun conversation, you know?
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It will be fun.
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We have a lot to talk about.
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So, what makes this conversation
especially interesting is your perspective
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as a young leader in franchise.
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Uh, you're someone who has stepped
into a key role in business development
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very early in your career, and
you're helping grow this brand
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in one of the most essential and
resilient industries with the trades.
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So, we're gonna talk about how you found
your way into franchising, what attracted
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you to the business, and what you see
in the next generation of operators
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for opportunities in home services.
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Alvaro, let's start with your story.
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So, you're relatively early in your
career, and you have a bachelor's
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in international business and
marketing, and a Master's of Science
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in management and marketing analysis
that you just finished two years
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ago, and I was so interested that you
started in marketing at Chick-fil-A.
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But now you're in home services.
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So, tell us how you found
your way into franchising.
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Oh, that is an interesting
story, because I feel like it
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happened by mistake, actually.
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When I was in college, I was looking
for opportunities, and I saw this
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posting about marketing, and it
related to my business major.
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So, I started doing some marketing for
a few Chick-fil-A locations in Iowa
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and Illinois, and I really enjoyed it.
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I liked it.
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Mm-hmm.
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I saw how when you put a model in
place that works, why not replicate it?
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Mm-hmm.
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Don't reinvent the wheel and try
to build a new brand that is gonna
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take over the other competitors.
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So, that was very interesting.
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But after I was done with that,
obviously came back to school, and
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then moved to Chicago, um, when I
went to business school, and was
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working in sales for a few years.
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But franchising was nothing that
was popping in my head at all.
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But I was lucky enough that one of my
really good friends from college- His
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family was building a whole new plumbing
concept that they decided to franchise.
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So they asked me, "Hey, do you
wanna come down to Cincinnati?
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Just check it out, see if
it's something that you like.
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I mean, we love you.
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We would love for you to work with us."
So I came down, and we were fairly new.
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We only had a few locations.
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And I saw that, like, what attracted me
the most is, like, when you put something
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in place, and you can copy and paste it
in a different market, and it also works.
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That's when I was like, "Okay,
this is quite interesting.
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Like, let's give it a shot." And started a
few years ago with 1-800-PLUMBER, and it's
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the best thing that's ever happened to me.
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That's awesome.
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But you think about going
from food to plumbing.
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What did you have to learn
about the plumbing industry?
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Well, a lot of things.
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I mean, a lot of people are
asking me, like, "Have you
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ever been to a plumbing job?"
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Yeah.
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And I've only been to one plumbing
job, 'cause people kept asking me.
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It's like, "You're in plumbing.
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You guys have awarded over 100 franchises.
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Uh, what do you know about plumbing?"
It was like, "Well, I actually went
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to a drain job to just check it out
and experience the thing for myself."
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So it is quite different, you know.
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I mean, obviously it's
an essential service.
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Every single building in
this country needs plumbing.
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Mm-hmm.
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Like, whether it's at an
early time, I mean, there's
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old buildings, new buildings.
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There's a lot of service plumbing to be
done, especially in the emergency space.
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Like, I've encountered that at home.
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I had broken pipes, and I'm
sure everybody else has had to
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call a plumber at some point.
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So it is quite different.
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I mean, one thing is from serving
food to the customer, and the other
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one is to actually take care of a
real emergency that affects a lot of
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homeowners- Mm-hmm … every single day.
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So it's an emergency space that
is quite different, but I, I
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truly enjoy being part of that.
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'Cause the cool part about the
trades, not only plumbing, but
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also restoration, HVAC- Mm-hmm
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is the family feeling that you have.
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Because everybody has that feel to help
and serve the community, help the people.
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So when you go to conventions, shows,
and all these people are the same.
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Obviously, they wanna make
money, they wanna scale, and they
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wanna grow their business, but
they wanna serve the community.
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Mm. They wanna do the right thing.
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So everyone you talk to, everyone
you spend time with, they're really
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nice, have an amazing personality.
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So it's one of the very
important things, too.
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Like, yeah, what I wanna do
with my career, but also do I
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enjoy being part of this group?
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And that's how I fell into the trades.
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Oh, I couldn't agree more about
the whole family feeling, and I
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think that transcends across all of
franchising, is that folks do wanna
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help each other, and always, always
willing to talk with one another.
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But what has surprised you
about working in franchising?
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Oh, gosh.
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Definitely, uh, one of the
sentences that I love saying
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is, "Franchisor and franchisee,
our fortunes are tied together."
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The success of the franchisee is also
the success of the franchisor, so
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it's the brotherhood that is in there.
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You know- Yeah … helping each other out.
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I mean, we're talking to our
franchisees on a daily basis constantly.
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So whether it's finance, operations,
friend dev, marketing, so we're
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constantly working with them.
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So you end up becoming friends.
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I've built relationships with so
many people across the country,
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and that I never thought I would.
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And that leads to better opportunities,
to, like, you go on trips with
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some franchisees, do fun stuff.
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So it- it's a very fun career path.
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I have to ask, as a college
professor, what did you learn about
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franchising during your studies?
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'Cause you're a recent
master's degree recipient.
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What did you learn about franchising
when you were in college?
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Is it fair for me to say
that, uh, barely nothing?
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That's fair.
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That's fair.
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What do you wish you had learned?
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I wish I would've found
out about it, uh, earlier.
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Yeah.
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Because we- we'd done a lot of
case studies about big franchisors
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like McDonald's, Wendy's, and
other hospitality, uh, concepts.
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Yeah.
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But we just were doing case studies.
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They never told us about the
opportunity and the career that you
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can build in franchising, which-
People don't really know that there
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is hundreds of thousands of franchise
concepts, very successful ones.
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Like, you can go out in downtown with
any city you are, and you are gonna
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find 100 franchises right there.
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That's right.
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So- That's right.
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That's right.
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That was a little selfish plug for
myself, because I do think that teaching
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this franchise model to tomorrow's
future leaders is the right thing to do.
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So I kind of teed that up, and you
didn't know I was gonna ask that one.
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But, uh, thank- thanks for that, Alvaro.
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So let's talk about 1-800-PLUMBER.
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So for people that really aren't
familiar with your brand, how
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would you describe the business
model and the services you provide?
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Yeah, so we are an emergency
service plumbing franchise
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company- Mm-hmm … 24/7.
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And, uh, one of the things, I mean,
our brand, and what makes us a little
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bit unique, is that we're pink.
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A very cool thing I always carry
along with me is our pink plunger.
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You know, one of the cool facts
about 1-800-PLUMBER is people don't
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realize that 80-plus percent of
all plumbing calls come from women.
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So as a franchise- Wow … store, we
decided to build a brand, not that we
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liked, but the customer was gonna feel
safe, they were gonna feel trustworthy
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with it, and they were gonna enjoy working
with us, and calling 1-800-PLUMBER.
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'Cause women were making most
of the decisions in plumbing.
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Yeah.
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We focus on service plumbing,
so drains, uh, jetting, um,
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whatever is broken, we fix it.
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Yeah.
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We do excavation as well, lining.
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So everything related to service
plumbing, water heaters, et cetera.
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We don't do reconstruct remodels.
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Mm-hmm.
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It's one of the things that we're c-
we're focused for, is for in and out.
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You know, high-value tickets.
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We don't wanna keep our
plumbers tied up, because we're
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emergency response, too, right?
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So we wanna make sure we have our
technicians ready to go, 'cause if
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there's an emergency to the customer,
it's also an emergency to us, you know?
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A lot of technicians been doing this
for many, many years, so they get
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desensitized, in a way, and they don't
feel it's that big of an urgency.
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But as a brand, as a franchisor, if
it's an emergency to the customer,
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and they have a big problem,
we have to respond right away.
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Mm-hmm.
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So that's why we focus on the service.
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And, you know, one of the things
you said, Alvaro, is so true.
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Everyone needs plumbing at some point.
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And so even though it's not
glamorous, it's essential.
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So how is that opportunity presented
to future franchisees so that
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they understand this is kind of
recession-proof, if you think about it?
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It is.
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I mean, everybody needs it.
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It happens constantly.
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We get flooded with calls in all of our
locations every single day, 'cause there's
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always a, there's always a problem.
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Mm-hmm.
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And there's always been
that stigma about plumbing.
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The crack, you know, the big guy
coming in, the, that is dirty.
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But the fact that we work with crap
doesn't mean that we have to look like it.
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We, we focus on that.
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Our technicians have spare uniforms
in their truck, so when they go to
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the next job on site, they change,
they get cleaned up, they look
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professional, and they're ready to go.
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Mm-hmm.
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It's one of the things.
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And, and also people think, "Okay, I'm
gonna be in plumbing," it's like, "I don't
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want to be a plumber." And there's a lot
that goes behind the scenes in plumbing.
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There's a lot of big operations.
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We have locations that they have over 30
technicians, so you need to have HR, you
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need to have finance, operations- Right
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coaching, marketing.
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There, there's a lot of things, uh, put
together, not only for the locations, but
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then for headquarters, for the franchisor,
where there's fran dev opportunities,
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marketing, finances as well.
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And FBCs, they're gonna be helping
running all these locations, and
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building them, and helping them scale,
become profitable, and make money.
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You know, Alvaro, I'm so glad you said
that, because one of the things that I
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teach in my classes is that franchising
doesn't mean that you own a restaurant.
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There are so many opportunities,
and you've just described them all
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so eloquently, and I think that
is what is exciting about this
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whole franchise space, for sure.
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So you talked about how
the concept stands out.
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I like what you talked about, that 80%
of the people who call are women, and I
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know that your signature color is pink,
and I'm sure that's not by accident.
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So how else does 1-800-PLUMBING stand
out in the crowded home services space?
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Oh, definitely the branding is what
stands out the most, especially
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'cause we are B2B as well.
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Uh-huh.
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We focus heavy on commercial.
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So when we, we're fast, we're
quick, we're professional.
230
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We do everything by the book.
231
00:10:29,926 --> 00:10:34,626
So when we go to commercial spaces,
the property managers, they wanna see
232
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our clean, pink trucks outside their
buildings, 'cause that shows that they're
233
00:10:38,806 --> 00:10:40,146
taking care of their tenants as well.
234
00:10:40,546 --> 00:10:44,086
Mm. So that's another way that puts us
in a different spot than anybody else.
235
00:10:44,166 --> 00:10:47,106
You know, they see our branding,
the way that we treat our customers,
236
00:10:47,126 --> 00:10:48,946
the relationships that we build.
237
00:10:48,986 --> 00:10:52,286
So another thing about 1-800-PLUMBING
is that we have salespeople that go
238
00:10:52,366 --> 00:10:54,626
out and build those relationships
in the commercial space.
239
00:10:54,686 --> 00:10:57,566
Like, every location's required
to have the salesperson.
240
00:10:57,706 --> 00:10:57,806
Ah.
241
00:10:57,986 --> 00:11:00,766
That means that you build these
relationships with these people.
242
00:11:00,806 --> 00:11:01,826
You become friends with them.
243
00:11:02,086 --> 00:11:04,326
So you're creating a
very unique experience.
244
00:11:04,386 --> 00:11:07,376
Like, we have someone here in,
in Cincinnati, her name is Leah,
245
00:11:07,406 --> 00:11:09,526
is one of the best salespeople
I've ever seen in my life.
246
00:11:10,036 --> 00:11:13,116
She gets call from property managers
all the time, "Hey, I need help." And
247
00:11:13,126 --> 00:11:14,146
immediately it's like, "We got you.
248
00:11:14,206 --> 00:11:16,526
We're gonna take care of the problem
for you." So they don't call the
249
00:11:16,546 --> 00:11:18,346
plumber, they call the salesperson.
250
00:11:18,956 --> 00:11:22,986
So it's all about building these
relationships, make sure that the customer
251
00:11:23,046 --> 00:11:25,225
feels that they're gonna be taken care of.
252
00:11:25,746 --> 00:11:26,466
That makes a difference.
253
00:11:26,486 --> 00:11:29,046
And you know, that's one of the beauties
of franchising, is when you have the
254
00:11:29,106 --> 00:11:33,986
management and leadership in the local
community, you can do exactly that.
255
00:11:34,016 --> 00:11:34,036
You do.
256
00:11:34,036 --> 00:11:37,686
And it sounds like you all have
capitalized upon that beautiful aspect
257
00:11:37,706 --> 00:11:39,546
of franchising very well, very well.
258
00:11:39,846 --> 00:11:45,286
So you just mentioned that
you have 100 signed locations.
259
00:11:45,326 --> 00:11:47,686
Tell us a little bit about how
many are open and what your goal
260
00:11:47,766 --> 00:11:49,466
is maybe for the next few years.
261
00:11:50,046 --> 00:11:50,206
Yeah.
262
00:11:50,366 --> 00:11:54,466
So we have awarded, in just five
years of franchising, 113 locations.
263
00:11:54,626 --> 00:11:57,026
We're ready to sign our 114th next week.
264
00:11:57,466 --> 00:11:58,626
Super excited about that.
265
00:11:58,646 --> 00:11:58,826
That's great.
266
00:11:58,826 --> 00:11:59,626
That's gonna be in California.
267
00:12:00,346 --> 00:12:06,136
And we have 62 current open locations
across the United States, in 28 states.
268
00:12:06,666 --> 00:12:07,046
That's awesome.
269
00:12:07,086 --> 00:12:10,206
What we expect to end the year,
obviously our goal this year is to
270
00:12:10,266 --> 00:12:14,426
award 50 more franchises to successful,
like-minded individuals that wanna
271
00:12:14,446 --> 00:12:16,406
be part of the 1-800-PLUMBING family.
272
00:12:16,466 --> 00:12:19,966
And I believe our national convention
is this September, and it's our
273
00:12:20,106 --> 00:12:23,186
big thing, that all the brands come
together, and all the companies.
274
00:12:23,246 --> 00:12:28,926
And we're expecting about 80 open
locations before then, so super exciting.
275
00:12:29,196 --> 00:12:29,426
Super.
276
00:12:29,456 --> 00:12:30,266
That is exciting.
277
00:12:30,306 --> 00:12:32,846
Let's talk a little bit more about
that business development and
278
00:12:32,906 --> 00:12:34,046
growth, because that's your role.
279
00:12:34,186 --> 00:12:35,986
So you're the director
of business development.
280
00:12:36,506 --> 00:12:37,806
What does that look like day to day?
281
00:12:39,258 --> 00:12:39,658
It's fun.
282
00:12:40,038 --> 00:12:44,478
Obviously, I, I focus mostly on the
lead-generating part, so bringing
283
00:12:44,758 --> 00:12:48,158
prospects, bringing in candidates to
our team, 'cause we have two different
284
00:12:48,198 --> 00:12:49,438
departments here at 1-800-PLUMBER.
285
00:12:49,518 --> 00:12:53,818
We have our lead-generating and marketing
department and our sales department.
286
00:12:53,858 --> 00:12:58,228
So, the sales is with Leah and Leslie,
that when I bring the leads in, they
287
00:12:58,258 --> 00:13:01,138
take part of the process, and then
all together, we do our discovery day.
288
00:13:01,238 --> 00:13:03,318
We bring the people on, and
we show the whole brand.
289
00:13:03,398 --> 00:13:06,638
But mostly- Mm-hmm … my day-to-day
is that I jump in a lot of webinars.
290
00:13:06,718 --> 00:13:07,958
I do a lot of podcasts.
291
00:13:07,998 --> 00:13:11,417
I do a lot of marketing stuff,
like work with, a lot with HubSpot.
292
00:13:11,858 --> 00:13:16,178
I have a team of SDRs that are
outreaching contacts constantly.
293
00:13:16,598 --> 00:13:16,958
Mm-hmm.
294
00:13:17,448 --> 00:13:20,368
And day-to-day, travel to a bunch
of trade shows to showcase our
295
00:13:20,418 --> 00:13:23,078
brand, um, network, partnerships.
296
00:13:23,198 --> 00:13:24,678
So, that's my day-to-day.
297
00:13:24,808 --> 00:13:24,818
Mm-hmm.
298
00:13:24,838 --> 00:13:28,398
It's constant communication with people
and, and trying to build excitement
299
00:13:28,438 --> 00:13:32,798
about a really cool brand in the home
service space that is, is growing fast.
300
00:13:33,198 --> 00:13:34,758
And you're obviously doing very well.
301
00:13:34,898 --> 00:13:38,738
So, tell me, what type of candidates
are most interested in this business?
302
00:13:39,598 --> 00:13:43,488
So, mostly, initially, it's been people
that have some sort of experience in
303
00:13:43,518 --> 00:13:46,818
the trades- Okay … whether they had
a restoration company, because the
304
00:13:46,858 --> 00:13:48,478
first call always goes to the plumber.
305
00:13:48,708 --> 00:13:51,038
So, if there's a water loss and
they already have a restoration
306
00:13:51,138 --> 00:13:54,238
company, that makes a lot of
sense, because they refer the work.
307
00:13:54,258 --> 00:13:58,018
But anybody else in the trades,
HVAC, because they can now take
308
00:13:58,028 --> 00:14:00,848
the 1-800-PLUMBER accounts, like-
Mm-hmm … our national partnerships,
309
00:14:00,918 --> 00:14:02,558
and bring them to their other companies.
310
00:14:03,178 --> 00:14:06,378
So, anybody in the trades that wants to
have plumbing, it makes a lot of sense.
311
00:14:06,768 --> 00:14:09,758
But also, we have quite a few
standalones, 'cause plumbing itself,
312
00:14:10,678 --> 00:14:14,478
like we mentioned earlier, everybody
needs it, so it's a high-revenue,
313
00:14:14,638 --> 00:14:17,668
high-profit margin s- business- Mm-hmm
314
00:14:17,718 --> 00:14:20,978
in the whole country, not only
for 1-800-PLUMBER, but overall.
315
00:14:21,078 --> 00:14:24,558
So, there's a lot of interest on people
that are passionate about scaling,
316
00:14:24,718 --> 00:14:27,678
people that wanna build businesses
and that wanna serve their community.
317
00:14:27,758 --> 00:14:31,738
So, that's mostly the people that are
coming on to, to join the 1-800- family.
318
00:14:32,418 --> 00:14:32,758
Excellent.
319
00:14:32,858 --> 00:14:36,098
So, what separates those candidates
who move forward from those who don't?
320
00:14:36,938 --> 00:14:37,778
Oh, well, it's different.
321
00:14:37,838 --> 00:14:41,218
You can tell right away when someone
is very ready to move forward.
322
00:14:41,318 --> 00:14:43,638
I mean, you've been in franchising
a long time, and you see
323
00:14:43,658 --> 00:14:44,978
when someone's ready to go.
324
00:14:45,018 --> 00:14:49,718
Like, that one has all their paperwork
in place right away, all the P&Ls,
325
00:14:49,817 --> 00:14:52,078
background checks, everything,
like, gets submitted right away.
326
00:14:52,178 --> 00:14:56,118
So, that's- Hmm … the difference
is the people that really are eager
327
00:14:56,178 --> 00:14:59,058
to own a business- Mm-hmm … and
the people that are hesitant.
328
00:14:59,138 --> 00:15:02,438
And most of the time, these people,
like, wanna keep their nine-to-five.
329
00:15:02,478 --> 00:15:04,118
They're not ready to take that risk.
330
00:15:04,278 --> 00:15:08,093
So- Obviously, there's, there's
risk that you gotta take.
331
00:15:08,133 --> 00:15:11,714
I mean, you're getting into something new
and unique, and you're owning a business,
332
00:15:11,873 --> 00:15:13,253
something that you've never done before.
333
00:15:13,793 --> 00:15:13,954
Mm-hmm.
334
00:15:13,954 --> 00:15:16,113
So there's people that take
risks and people that don't.
335
00:15:16,593 --> 00:15:18,893
That's true, and you always find it
interesting that folks that think,
336
00:15:18,953 --> 00:15:22,274
"Well, I can still work my nine to
five and do this on the side, or have
337
00:15:22,313 --> 00:15:26,893
it be passive income." But almost
every franchisor I've talked to, or
338
00:15:26,954 --> 00:15:30,413
business development director such as
yourself, says it is not passive income.
339
00:15:30,733 --> 00:15:30,753
Right.
340
00:15:30,793 --> 00:15:32,333
You definitely need to work the business.
341
00:15:32,373 --> 00:15:33,413
Would you agree with that?
342
00:15:33,813 --> 00:15:34,333
Absolutely.
343
00:15:34,593 --> 00:15:37,253
I couldn't agree more with you because, I
mean, it's your business you're running.
344
00:15:37,274 --> 00:15:37,304
That's right.
345
00:15:37,304 --> 00:15:40,573
Like, why would you want, not want
to be involved in the day-to-day?
346
00:15:40,614 --> 00:15:45,853
'Cause people have the assumption that if
it is a franchise, I don't have to run it.
347
00:15:45,913 --> 00:15:47,673
Like, I'm just- Yeah … put
someone in place, they'll
348
00:15:47,733 --> 00:15:49,433
run it, and it's a business.
349
00:15:49,493 --> 00:15:49,873
That's right.
350
00:15:49,893 --> 00:15:51,593
At the end of the day, it's a new
business that you're building.
351
00:15:51,713 --> 00:15:54,693
You just have the systems and the
models and the branding in place.
352
00:15:54,713 --> 00:15:58,093
And also, some franchisors help you
more than others, and that's true.
353
00:15:58,493 --> 00:15:58,833
Mm-hmm.
354
00:15:58,893 --> 00:16:01,053
And we're super involved
with our franchisees.
355
00:16:01,114 --> 00:16:03,093
But you have to be involved with it.
356
00:16:03,153 --> 00:16:05,333
At least the first two years
of the business, you gotta put
357
00:16:05,373 --> 00:16:08,193
in a lot of effort, because you
don't just wanna be average.
358
00:16:08,513 --> 00:16:08,713
Mm-hmm.
359
00:16:08,774 --> 00:16:09,893
You wanna grow the business.
360
00:16:09,933 --> 00:16:10,713
You wanna make money.
361
00:16:10,753 --> 00:16:13,313
I mean, you're not gonna make millions
of dollars just by staying on the side
362
00:16:13,373 --> 00:16:15,393
and having someone else run it for you.
363
00:16:15,433 --> 00:16:15,873
That's right.
364
00:16:15,973 --> 00:16:16,373
That's right.
365
00:16:17,202 --> 00:16:20,172
Yeah, and I just can't imagine putting
all your investment in and not wanting
366
00:16:20,182 --> 00:16:21,401
to be a part of that day-to-day.
367
00:16:21,901 --> 00:16:22,521
Mm-hmm.
368
00:16:22,582 --> 00:16:23,562
That's just amazing.
369
00:16:23,661 --> 00:16:27,661
But anyway, so how do you help prospective
franchisees really evaluate whether
370
00:16:27,702 --> 00:16:29,242
One Time Plumbing is right for them?
371
00:16:29,562 --> 00:16:32,281
What kind of things do you do
to help them understand that?
372
00:16:32,901 --> 00:16:37,212
Yeah, so we tell them about
the 24/7 emergency response,
373
00:16:37,281 --> 00:16:38,622
like- Mm … life that we live.
374
00:16:39,122 --> 00:16:41,462
Obviously, there's a lot of
people that, that they don't
375
00:16:41,482 --> 00:16:42,962
really understand that at first.
376
00:16:43,021 --> 00:16:46,342
So we wanna make sure that they understand
that we are in the home service industry.
377
00:16:46,762 --> 00:16:46,771
Mm-hmm.
378
00:16:46,781 --> 00:16:50,422
So we're there to serve the
customer 24/7, every single day
379
00:16:50,462 --> 00:16:52,862
of the week, 365 days a year.
380
00:16:52,901 --> 00:16:54,422
We wanna make sure they understand that.
381
00:16:54,521 --> 00:16:58,521
One of the things that we help them is,
through the whole process, we're gonna
382
00:16:58,541 --> 00:17:01,442
show them everything that they're gonna
be embarking on, like all the steps
383
00:17:01,462 --> 00:17:04,041
they're gonna have to take, and we wanna
make sure that they're okay with that.
384
00:17:04,081 --> 00:17:07,382
Like, things that they're gonna have
to sacrifice in order to jump- Mm-hmm
385
00:17:07,392 --> 00:17:08,722
into running a business.
386
00:17:08,762 --> 00:17:12,341
So there's sometimes very easy when people
are like, "Yes, this is for me," like,
387
00:17:12,382 --> 00:17:15,682
"I wanna do it," but there's obviously
people that are a little hesitant at
388
00:17:15,742 --> 00:17:18,622
first when they're like, "Well, I didn't
know that I had to do that much," or,
389
00:17:18,702 --> 00:17:21,992
"I have to-" Mm … "put that much money
into it." But we're gonna walk them
390
00:17:22,002 --> 00:17:23,182
through the whole part of the process.
391
00:17:23,301 --> 00:17:27,081
Like, it's n- not holding their hand, but
in a way, because we have our franchise
392
00:17:27,142 --> 00:17:30,462
business coaches and operating people
that are gonna be helping them out.
393
00:17:31,081 --> 00:17:34,062
It's almost like you do a realistic job
preview, "Hey, this is what it really
394
00:17:34,101 --> 00:17:38,122
looks like," because I can tell you,
my plumbing only breaks on the weekend.
395
00:17:38,742 --> 00:17:41,502
I mean, it's just absolutely,
everything breaks on the weekend.
396
00:17:41,822 --> 00:17:41,831
Mm-hmm.
397
00:17:41,902 --> 00:17:45,442
So, uh, having folks understand
that, I think that's really critical
398
00:17:45,482 --> 00:17:48,302
because… And there's no shame in
not wanting to work on the weekend.
399
00:17:48,341 --> 00:17:52,081
Some people don't, and
understanding that is, is important.
400
00:17:52,122 --> 00:17:52,962
Everyone's different.
401
00:17:53,081 --> 00:17:54,282
So glad you said that.
402
00:17:54,552 --> 00:17:54,562
Mm-hmm.
403
00:17:54,562 --> 00:17:56,581
And, you know, let's talk about
home services for a moment.
404
00:17:56,841 --> 00:17:59,802
You know, it's one of the fastest-growing
franchise categories right now.
405
00:18:00,341 --> 00:18:02,162
What are you seeing in terms of demand?
406
00:18:02,922 --> 00:18:03,762
Demand is huge.
407
00:18:04,042 --> 00:18:07,002
Everywhere we go, we're constantly
getting inquiries on our website.
408
00:18:07,062 --> 00:18:08,542
We're constantly getting people reach out.
409
00:18:08,601 --> 00:18:11,282
When we have our team reaching out to
people, they immediately are like, "Okay,
410
00:18:11,402 --> 00:18:15,152
I never thought about this," but it makes
sense- Mm-hmm … because, uh, there's a
411
00:18:15,182 --> 00:18:16,882
lot of fear right now going on with AI.
412
00:18:17,422 --> 00:18:17,612
That's right.
413
00:18:17,642 --> 00:18:21,042
Taking over a lot of jobs, and AI
is taking over a lot of things that
414
00:18:21,302 --> 00:18:25,822
we thought they were never gonna
be taking over, but it's happening.
415
00:18:25,860 --> 00:18:28,972
What's happening to the trades, and
there's a huge shift that is going on,
416
00:18:29,002 --> 00:18:30,782
is because trades aren't going anywhere.
417
00:18:31,382 --> 00:18:31,742
That's right.
418
00:18:32,496 --> 00:18:34,216
It hap- it's g- everyone needs it.
419
00:18:34,257 --> 00:18:39,296
And I don't see AI going into a homeowner
building- … and just fixing a pipe.
420
00:18:39,358 --> 00:18:40,956
I don't see that happening anytime soon.
421
00:18:41,437 --> 00:18:41,677
No.
422
00:18:41,898 --> 00:18:44,496
And I don't see homeowners
trying it themselves.
423
00:18:44,716 --> 00:18:47,838
Because you can ask AI, "How do I
fix this?" But I don't see a lot of
424
00:18:47,877 --> 00:18:51,418
homeowners saying, "All right, I'm
gonna do this myself." They try, and
425
00:18:51,437 --> 00:18:53,057
they even make an even bigger problem.
426
00:18:53,097 --> 00:18:53,516
That's right.
427
00:18:53,776 --> 00:18:54,057
That's right.
428
00:18:54,158 --> 00:18:57,398
Actually, we have a, an issue going
on, and I said to my husband, "I don't
429
00:18:57,437 --> 00:19:00,877
think you should try it, because we c-
probably it'll just exasperate the issue."
430
00:19:01,357 --> 00:19:02,496
So that's what happens.
431
00:19:02,776 --> 00:19:05,976
So I- Well, I, I was just at my uncle's
house in Chicago, and I was visiting
432
00:19:06,016 --> 00:19:08,716
him for the week, and I was actually
at the National Franchise Show.
433
00:19:08,778 --> 00:19:11,976
And I came to spend the weekend
with him, and we were cleaning
434
00:19:12,036 --> 00:19:15,257
some stuff, and I opened a valve
that I wasn't supposed to open.
435
00:19:15,317 --> 00:19:19,476
And it was, there was a broken pipe,
and the whole basement flooded.
436
00:19:19,857 --> 00:19:20,496
Oh, no.
437
00:19:20,898 --> 00:19:23,137
And he was like, "Well, Alvaro,
you're with One Ton Plumber.
438
00:19:23,177 --> 00:19:25,117
Like, are you gonna fix this?"
And I'm like, "Well, luckily we
439
00:19:25,177 --> 00:19:26,577
have a One Ton Plumber in Chicago.
440
00:19:27,036 --> 00:19:27,757
Let's call them.
441
00:19:27,877 --> 00:19:31,117
They can come and fix it, because I'm
not touching anything." 'Cause I've
442
00:19:31,177 --> 00:19:34,256
seen a lot of people trying things-
Yes … and making it even worse.
443
00:19:34,357 --> 00:19:37,956
So- Correct … we called them, and then
they also had a restoration company.
444
00:19:37,977 --> 00:19:39,496
They came over and took
care of everything.
445
00:19:39,798 --> 00:19:40,677
Oh, my gosh.
446
00:19:40,716 --> 00:19:42,557
That was ironic with, given your role.
447
00:19:42,618 --> 00:19:43,857
That was funny, but not funny.
448
00:19:44,317 --> 00:19:47,877
So anyway, what did that, what do you
think are the key drivers for success
449
00:19:47,956 --> 00:19:49,456
for a franchisee in your system?
450
00:19:50,494 --> 00:19:52,574
Oh, the key success is that
they follow the system.
451
00:19:52,874 --> 00:19:53,064
Got it.
452
00:19:53,094 --> 00:19:55,194
We have the tools, we
have the proven model.
453
00:19:55,254 --> 00:19:58,074
Like, we've done it for many
years before- Yeah … we actually
454
00:19:58,154 --> 00:19:59,814
launched and decided to franchise.
455
00:19:59,854 --> 00:20:00,054
Mm-hmm.
456
00:20:00,134 --> 00:20:01,334
So, it's listen to us.
457
00:20:01,594 --> 00:20:05,014
I mean, there- I love a video
that we put together from one
458
00:20:05,054 --> 00:20:06,864
of our initial franchisees.
459
00:20:07,334 --> 00:20:11,674
It was a testimonial, and he was
saying, um, "Listen to headquarters.
460
00:20:11,834 --> 00:20:16,314
I thought I had a way better, uh, way
of doing it, but I was wrong." Because,
461
00:20:16,394 --> 00:20:18,634
like, we have the systems in place.
462
00:20:18,694 --> 00:20:21,494
Just follow them, like, be
strict to it, like, follow the
463
00:20:21,614 --> 00:20:23,514
SOPs, uh, you'll be successful.
464
00:20:23,794 --> 00:20:23,934
Mm-hmm.
465
00:20:24,033 --> 00:20:26,654
If you just hold your people
accountable to follow the system,
466
00:20:27,454 --> 00:20:29,394
you, you're gonna be successful and
you're gonna make a lot of money.
467
00:20:30,114 --> 00:20:32,554
You know, Alvaro, I've heard
so many franchisees say that.
468
00:20:33,134 --> 00:20:36,314
And, you know, a lot of times
entrepreneurs who are franchisees are
469
00:20:36,374 --> 00:20:39,754
entrepreneurs, they sometimes will
think they have a better way, but at
470
00:20:39,794 --> 00:20:43,594
the end of the day, as you said, the
franchisor has tested and tested,
471
00:20:43,694 --> 00:20:47,404
taken feedback from franchisees, and
has created that process that works.
472
00:20:47,774 --> 00:20:50,014
And so following that
model makes a difference.
473
00:20:50,074 --> 00:20:52,714
So, one last question
about, like, home services.
474
00:20:53,134 --> 00:20:57,064
What misconceptions do you think people
have about owning a plumbing franchise?
475
00:20:57,734 --> 00:20:58,994
That it's dirty, you know?
476
00:21:00,284 --> 00:21:00,294
Oh.
477
00:21:00,294 --> 00:21:02,694
That is the first thing that
people think of plumbing.
478
00:21:02,874 --> 00:21:06,254
I mean, it's a huge stigma, especially for
young people in their careers- It's true
479
00:21:06,274 --> 00:21:08,714
where they're like, "You're now going into
plumbing? You're gonna be a plumber?" It's
480
00:21:08,734 --> 00:21:11,674
like, plumbers are making a lot of money.
481
00:21:12,414 --> 00:21:12,834
Yeah, they are.
482
00:21:12,934 --> 00:21:14,264
They're making over six figures.
483
00:21:14,454 --> 00:21:17,004
And then, and they're,
like, 18, 19, 20 years old.
484
00:21:17,024 --> 00:21:18,034
They don't need to go to college.
485
00:21:18,094 --> 00:21:21,774
I mean- Yeah … imagine just running
a business that you have these people
486
00:21:21,793 --> 00:21:24,793
that you're taking care of, and they're
making really good money, and they're
487
00:21:24,834 --> 00:21:26,414
making you really good money as well.
488
00:21:26,434 --> 00:21:28,974
That's the whole misconception
of owning a plumbing company.
489
00:21:28,984 --> 00:21:28,994
Right.
490
00:21:29,014 --> 00:21:30,804
There's a whole stigma
that's always been around.
491
00:21:31,464 --> 00:21:32,154
I think you're right.
492
00:21:32,184 --> 00:21:34,174
And it, it's kind of, having
been in restaurants, there's
493
00:21:34,194 --> 00:21:35,154
a stigma there as well.
494
00:21:35,594 --> 00:21:38,754
And it's funny because the careers
that they can have are just phenomenal.
495
00:21:38,793 --> 00:21:42,334
So let's talk about entering
franchise at a younger age.
496
00:21:42,364 --> 00:21:45,354
And so from your perspective,
how would younger professionals
497
00:21:45,374 --> 00:21:49,174
think about franchising as a
career or even an investment path?
498
00:21:49,814 --> 00:21:51,174
Oh, they should totally go for it.
499
00:21:51,214 --> 00:21:55,164
Even myself, after being in franchising,
like, I want to own franchises.
500
00:21:55,254 --> 00:21:56,574
Because now I understand.
501
00:21:56,654 --> 00:21:58,654
I've been in this space for a few years.
502
00:21:58,814 --> 00:22:03,014
I know that if you copy and paste
it, listen to what- headquarters
503
00:22:03,074 --> 00:22:06,944
has to say and put the things in
place and do it step by step, you're
504
00:22:06,954 --> 00:22:08,454
gonna run a successful operations.
505
00:22:08,514 --> 00:22:11,074
Obviously, it takes a lot of
hard work because it's ownership.
506
00:22:11,134 --> 00:22:12,294
You're gonna be an owner.
507
00:22:12,304 --> 00:22:14,634
You're gonna be invested in
that franchise for at least the
508
00:22:14,674 --> 00:22:16,354
first two years very heavily.
509
00:22:16,414 --> 00:22:21,254
But the growth that I'm seeing from
franchisees that I've met that own
510
00:22:21,274 --> 00:22:24,734
franchise concepts for 20, 30 years,
they're living their best lives.
511
00:22:25,254 --> 00:22:25,314
That's awesome.
512
00:22:25,314 --> 00:22:26,354
They don't only have one.
513
00:22:26,554 --> 00:22:28,524
They have 10, 15, 20 franchises.
514
00:22:28,574 --> 00:22:32,283
Because as you keep growing, you
keep adding new concepts to your
515
00:22:32,374 --> 00:22:36,574
business or doing something completely
different, and it really does help
516
00:22:36,614 --> 00:22:38,814
generate a lot of generational wealth.
517
00:22:39,194 --> 00:22:40,914
That's, that, that is the plan for sure.
518
00:22:41,254 --> 00:22:44,174
So, what advantage do you think
younger operators or leaders
519
00:22:44,274 --> 00:22:45,594
bring to a franchise system?
520
00:22:46,274 --> 00:22:47,414
Because they're young, they're hungry.
521
00:22:47,533 --> 00:22:50,314
I mean, if you- Mm-hmm … you're at
that young age, 'cause people start later
522
00:22:50,394 --> 00:22:54,094
on, because they've been working for a
long time, just collecting some capital
523
00:22:54,134 --> 00:22:55,994
and then deciding to make an investment.
524
00:22:56,014 --> 00:23:00,214
But if you're in your 20s, like myself,
and you wanna start something very early
525
00:23:00,254 --> 00:23:02,184
on, n- now is the time to do it- Mm
526
00:23:02,184 --> 00:23:03,774
because you're hungry, you're passionate.
527
00:23:04,214 --> 00:23:06,314
And people have that feeling
of like, "Well, I don't have
528
00:23:06,354 --> 00:23:08,114
the money." Find investors.
529
00:23:08,194 --> 00:23:10,814
Find someone that wants to invest
in your concept and your idea.
530
00:23:11,514 --> 00:23:13,994
Have them help you out,
then buy them out later on.
531
00:23:14,034 --> 00:23:17,644
But y- at that age, that you have all
the energy in the world and all the
532
00:23:17,654 --> 00:23:21,774
time in the world, put all that time
and energy on owning a franchise.
533
00:23:22,234 --> 00:23:22,324
Mm-hmm.
534
00:23:22,364 --> 00:23:23,594
And just build it and scale it.
535
00:23:23,684 --> 00:23:27,554
'Cause when you're 40, you've been
like 15, 16, 17 years, you're set.
536
00:23:28,194 --> 00:23:28,734
That's true.
537
00:23:28,793 --> 00:23:29,194
That's true.
538
00:23:29,254 --> 00:23:31,924
Oh, I love hearing you say that
because it does take energy, and
539
00:23:32,034 --> 00:23:35,254
I know I saw on your website, I
looked at prospective franchisees,
540
00:23:35,293 --> 00:23:38,854
and one of them was the corporate
refugee, which is a wonderful term.
541
00:23:39,274 --> 00:23:41,774
But to your point, sometimes maybe
those folks are even a little
542
00:23:41,793 --> 00:23:43,574
more tired, not all, but some.
543
00:23:43,614 --> 00:23:45,434
But the younger folks have the energy.
544
00:23:45,674 --> 00:23:46,414
You are so right.
545
00:23:46,514 --> 00:23:49,293
Maybe a corporate refugee
could team up with a younger
546
00:23:49,354 --> 00:23:51,334
operator and move that forward.
547
00:23:51,614 --> 00:23:55,234
So, what skills should students or
early career professionals be building
548
00:23:55,314 --> 00:23:56,894
if they're interested in franchising?
549
00:23:57,474 --> 00:24:01,498
Sales Sales Okay Sales,
sales, sales without a doubt.
550
00:24:01,597 --> 00:24:04,677
I think that's the most important
skill to build because that
551
00:24:04,738 --> 00:24:05,917
teach you how to talk to people.
552
00:24:06,357 --> 00:24:06,437
Ah.
553
00:24:06,517 --> 00:24:08,317
And it teaches you how to bring business.
554
00:24:08,377 --> 00:24:10,197
Because it's all about
networking at the end of the day.
555
00:24:10,277 --> 00:24:11,817
You, you're- Mm-hmm … gonna
be talking to a lot of property
556
00:24:11,857 --> 00:24:15,298
man- not only just for One Ton,
but any other franchise concept.
557
00:24:15,337 --> 00:24:16,777
You're gonna meet people along the way.
558
00:24:16,877 --> 00:24:19,137
Travel, go to shows, network.
559
00:24:19,157 --> 00:24:21,577
Like, get out of that com-
like, your comfort zone.
560
00:24:22,218 --> 00:24:22,417
You know?
561
00:24:22,478 --> 00:24:24,957
That's the only way that you're gonna
meet people along the way that are
562
00:24:24,997 --> 00:24:26,357
gonna give you really good advice.
563
00:24:26,798 --> 00:24:29,457
They're gonna teach you a lot of things
that you didn't know, and you're gonna
564
00:24:29,497 --> 00:24:32,818
meet a really good mentor along the
way that is gonna tell you that little
565
00:24:32,857 --> 00:24:36,077
thing that you were missing in order
to build a very successful operation.
566
00:24:36,377 --> 00:24:36,397
Okay.
567
00:24:36,417 --> 00:24:38,697
So I think sales is by
far the most important.
568
00:24:38,757 --> 00:24:42,377
I've done door-to-door sales, cold
calling for many years, and that
569
00:24:42,437 --> 00:24:43,818
gets you out of your comfort zone.
570
00:24:43,897 --> 00:24:45,517
So that's what I would recommend.
571
00:24:45,818 --> 00:24:48,757
You know, Alvaro, I have to say, we
met while waiting for our luggage
572
00:24:48,798 --> 00:24:51,277
at a hotel at the IFA in Las Vegas.
573
00:24:51,638 --> 00:24:51,668
We did.
574
00:24:51,737 --> 00:24:55,897
And I was very impressed with the
way that you were so confident and
575
00:24:55,957 --> 00:24:57,777
introduced yourself, and here we are now.
576
00:24:58,037 --> 00:25:00,298
You definitely walk the
talk on your own advice.
577
00:25:00,537 --> 00:25:01,638
I can say that for sure.
578
00:25:02,377 --> 00:25:02,557
Thank you.
579
00:25:02,597 --> 00:25:05,397
So what would you say to someone
your age who thinks they need to
580
00:25:05,457 --> 00:25:07,237
wait before pursuing ownership?
581
00:25:08,350 --> 00:25:09,070
I mean, why wait?
582
00:25:09,129 --> 00:25:13,060
I mean, if you wanna wait to find the
right concept for you- Mm-hmm … then
583
00:25:13,090 --> 00:25:15,600
yes, check different things,
go to different discovery days.
584
00:25:15,620 --> 00:25:18,270
Just find what is the best
fit for you, 'cause maybe
585
00:25:18,310 --> 00:25:19,650
plumbing is not your best fit.
586
00:25:19,750 --> 00:25:20,210
Mm-hmm.
587
00:25:20,370 --> 00:25:24,290
I will highly recommend going after
a plumbing company, of course.
588
00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,050
It's our brand, and it works,
and it's the best thing ever.
589
00:25:27,470 --> 00:25:29,150
Carrying the pink plunger
around is amazing.
590
00:25:29,590 --> 00:25:30,770
But the trades is booming.
591
00:25:30,930 --> 00:25:33,080
Everybody's shifting towards
the trades because- Mm-hmm
592
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,030
there's a lot of money to be made
there, and people don't realize that.
593
00:25:36,150 --> 00:25:37,470
I mean, plumbing is expensive.
594
00:25:37,690 --> 00:25:37,830
Mm-hmm.
595
00:25:37,889 --> 00:25:39,070
Restraint is expensive.
596
00:25:39,110 --> 00:25:40,170
HVAC is expensive.
597
00:25:40,690 --> 00:25:41,550
All these concepts are.
598
00:25:41,700 --> 00:25:45,110
The home service space, and it happens all
the time, and they're gonna need it, like,
599
00:25:45,370 --> 00:25:47,470
now, 10 years from now, 30 years from now.
600
00:25:48,250 --> 00:25:52,790
But if you're ready to, to do something
and you're not sure yet, just jump on.
601
00:25:52,910 --> 00:25:53,460
Weight things out.
602
00:25:53,530 --> 00:25:53,930
You're young.
603
00:25:54,010 --> 00:25:55,910
You can fail, but fail forward.
604
00:25:56,450 --> 00:25:59,150
You're gonna make mistakes
at 25 years old, 26.
605
00:25:59,190 --> 00:26:02,570
Like myself, I make mistakes all the time,
but what do you do with those mistakes?
606
00:26:02,610 --> 00:26:04,970
You learn, and you take that
experience and go into the
607
00:26:05,010 --> 00:26:06,490
next thing, and fail forward.
608
00:26:07,190 --> 00:26:08,010
Such good advice.
609
00:26:08,050 --> 00:26:09,650
And, you know, you made
me think of something.
610
00:26:09,670 --> 00:26:12,610
We used to always say businesses are
recession-proof, but now you have to
611
00:26:12,649 --> 00:26:16,490
think about what types of businesses
are AI-proof, and this one is.
612
00:26:17,150 --> 00:26:17,250
Yeah.
613
00:26:17,389 --> 00:26:18,930
So, that's an interesting perspective.
614
00:26:18,950 --> 00:26:20,430
But I love that fail forward.
615
00:26:20,470 --> 00:26:21,610
That, wonderful advice.
616
00:26:22,110 --> 00:26:24,730
So in concluding, I just have a
couple more questions for you.
617
00:26:24,870 --> 00:26:28,770
So you have already started
in a very rich career path.
618
00:26:29,129 --> 00:26:31,730
So far in your short career,
what are you most proud of?
619
00:26:32,670 --> 00:26:34,190
The connections I made along the way.
620
00:26:35,010 --> 00:26:35,170
Ah.
621
00:26:35,180 --> 00:26:36,150
The, the team that I'm part of.
622
00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,730
'Cause I also believe that it's super
important that you're part of a cool team.
623
00:26:40,830 --> 00:26:44,750
Someone that… I mean, I, I come here
every day to the office, and I can
624
00:26:44,810 --> 00:26:48,170
literally go out to dinner with any person
in this office and have a great time.
625
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,850
Mm. It's just one of the most amazing
things that has happened to me.
626
00:26:50,889 --> 00:26:53,590
You wake up in the morn- And it's one of
the things that people gotta understand
627
00:26:53,629 --> 00:26:57,930
when they're a young career and they're
ready to jump into the business world.
628
00:26:57,940 --> 00:27:01,040
It's like, when you wake up in the
morning, you have to feel excited
629
00:27:01,070 --> 00:27:02,129
about going into the office.
630
00:27:02,250 --> 00:27:02,629
Yes.
631
00:27:02,710 --> 00:27:06,190
If you're not excited, there's
something really wrong with what you're
632
00:27:06,230 --> 00:27:07,450
doing with your life at the moment.
633
00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,170
'Cause I wake up every morning, and
I'm like, "Okay, what are we gonna
634
00:27:10,190 --> 00:27:13,450
get into today? What are we gonna
do? Okay, I'm gonna talk to Erin and
635
00:27:13,510 --> 00:27:15,950
come up with a really cool marketing
idea," something that we're working
636
00:27:15,990 --> 00:27:17,529
on right now, to bring in more leads.
637
00:27:17,610 --> 00:27:20,510
Or I'm gonna… Luckily, my
best friend also works in
638
00:27:20,810 --> 00:27:22,350
1-800-PLUMBER, so it's really fun.
639
00:27:22,389 --> 00:27:26,270
And Angie, Leah, and then all the,
all the team is just, it's just fun.
640
00:27:26,630 --> 00:27:28,610
It's just fun- Awesome … and
we work together and collaborate.
641
00:27:28,670 --> 00:27:29,870
So find the right team.
642
00:27:29,970 --> 00:27:33,170
Find the right fit for you, because
you're gonna get out of bed thinking,
643
00:27:33,300 --> 00:27:35,050
"What's new in store for me today?"
644
00:27:35,530 --> 00:27:35,850
Yeah.
645
00:27:35,909 --> 00:27:37,550
And you wanna be excited
about it, for sure.
646
00:27:37,750 --> 00:27:37,850
Yeah.
647
00:27:38,010 --> 00:27:41,870
So, and my last question, and you've
done so much already in franchising
648
00:27:41,879 --> 00:27:45,190
in a short amount of time, but what do
you wish that you had known earlier,
649
00:27:45,270 --> 00:27:47,270
before you even started in franchising?
650
00:27:47,330 --> 00:27:50,090
Besides, you talked about sales,
but what about franchising in
651
00:27:50,110 --> 00:27:51,550
particular do you wish you had known?
652
00:27:52,657 --> 00:27:52,997
Ooh.
653
00:27:54,097 --> 00:27:57,337
Well, I wish I was more familiar
with the FDD, of course.
654
00:27:57,357 --> 00:27:57,517
Ah.
655
00:27:58,297 --> 00:27:59,597
There's a lot that goes in.
656
00:27:59,637 --> 00:28:01,577
There's a lot of things
that you're allowed to say.
657
00:28:01,617 --> 00:28:03,697
There's a lot of things that
you're not allowed to say.
658
00:28:03,777 --> 00:28:07,058
So, definitely understanding
what the Item 7 is, the Item 19,
659
00:28:07,537 --> 00:28:10,797
going over all the parts of the
FDD is super, super important.
660
00:28:10,818 --> 00:28:14,297
Because, I mean, we have that to
protect ourselves and protect the
661
00:28:14,357 --> 00:28:18,478
franchisees, and there's a lot of
legalities in there that I- you need
662
00:28:18,517 --> 00:28:20,117
to know when you're a franchisee.
663
00:28:20,537 --> 00:28:20,558
Yeah.
664
00:28:20,597 --> 00:28:22,217
Well, I'm- So, I wish I
would've known more about that.
665
00:28:22,617 --> 00:28:25,357
Well, I'm glad you said that, and I
promise my students I did not tee that
666
00:28:25,398 --> 00:28:28,438
up for you, because we spend almost
an entire semester unpacking that.
667
00:28:29,078 --> 00:28:30,817
Thank you so much for your time, Alvaro.
668
00:28:30,837 --> 00:28:34,177
This has been fascinating, and
it's so fun to see you so early
669
00:28:34,217 --> 00:28:35,497
in your career doing so well.
670
00:28:35,537 --> 00:28:36,317
So, thank you.
671
00:28:36,997 --> 00:28:37,857
No, thank you so much.
672
00:28:37,877 --> 00:28:38,758
This is super exciting.
673
00:28:38,837 --> 00:28:41,877
Love talking about One Time,
about the whole… And we're
674
00:28:41,937 --> 00:28:43,258
now part of Eversmith Brands.
675
00:28:43,297 --> 00:28:46,697
I don't know if we discussed that, but-
We did not, but I did read that, yes.
676
00:28:47,078 --> 00:28:51,317
We're part of Eversmith Brands, and that
is the most exciting thing about us right
677
00:28:51,377 --> 00:28:55,558
now, that there's other brands in the home
service space that are part of Eversmith.
678
00:28:55,677 --> 00:28:59,697
We have national partnerships, national
accounts that we can cross-share with all
679
00:28:59,757 --> 00:29:01,997
of our franchise network in Eversmith.
680
00:29:02,077 --> 00:29:03,977
So, we're growing super fast.
681
00:29:04,177 --> 00:29:06,817
We're helping the community, and we
couldn't be more excited about this.
682
00:29:07,318 --> 00:29:07,917
That's awesome.
683
00:29:08,017 --> 00:29:09,257
Thank you so much, Alvaro.
684
00:29:09,317 --> 00:29:09,997
My best to you.
685
00:29:10,418 --> 00:29:11,057
Thank you, Cathy.
686
00:29:11,098 --> 00:29:11,857
Appreciate it.
687
00:29:12,717 --> 00:29:17,137
Franchise U is brought to you by the Yum
Center for Global Franchise Excellence
688
00:29:17,217 --> 00:29:19,377
at the University of Louisville.
689
00:29:19,437 --> 00:29:25,477
For more information on the center,
visit business.louisville.edu/yumcgfe.
690
00:29:26,558 --> 00:29:28,956
Thank you for listening to Franchise U.