250: From Years of Being a W-2 Employee to Becoming A (Non-Food) Franchise King – Jon Ostenson of FranBridge Consulting

250: From Years of Being a W-2 Employee to Becoming A (Non-Food) Franchise King – Jon Ostenson of FranBridge Consulting

Background on Jon Ostenson of FranBridge Consulting:

Jon Ostenson is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, a top 1% Franchise Consultant in the US, and frequent contributor on franchising across a variety of outlets and publications. Jon is a multi-brand franchisee himself, and along with his business partners, he has great operators leading these ventures. As a result, he is able to commit over 90% of his time to helping others achieve their own dreams of freedom and wealth generation through business ownership.

Prior to FranBridge, Jon was the President of ShelfGenie, a national franchise system with 200 locations. Before he had his start in franchising with ShelfGenie, Jon spent 15 years in the corporate world, most recently as the Vice President of Sales for Carter’s Inc., responsible for over $350M in annual sales. Jon began his career as a Consultant with Accenture, often working Internationally on behalf of clients. Jon serves on the Board of the Entrepreneurs Organization and is active in supporting charitable organizations such as Growing Leaders and Hope International. Jon has BBA and MBA degrees from the University of Georgia and lives in Atlanta where he and his wife, Jenny, have 3 children and are very active in the community.

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

[1:37] Currently, FranBridge has four employees, but they are also considered as partners.
[2:33] The best analogy for FranBridge is like a real estate broker.
[3:30] Jon talks about the process of finding the perfect franchise for a client.
[5:17] The typical client that Jon works with is the 30s- to 50-year-old first time business owners. Some of them are also existing business owners.
[6:47] Property services, health & wellness, and oil change business are just some examples of franchise business that FranBridge has offered.
[12:06] Jon shares his experience working at Accenture, which was based in India.
[13:28] India was an eye-opening experience for Jon. He describes India as a land of contrast.
[17:39] Having the opportunity to work in Carters Inc, a large public company based in Atlanta, and serving as the right-hand man to the company president, it was also a learning experience for Jon.
[22:33] Jon explains the Sarbanes Oxley rule pertaining to the fiasco in his former company.
[24:19] With his new role as the youngest vice president of sales in Carters Inc, Jon reinvented himself.
[25:41] Jon continues to talk about his job at Carters Inc and how he helps run a very large apparel retail company.
[27:34] Being creative is one of the ways on how Jon was able to grow the sales for Carters Inc.
[28:54] In his late thirties, Jon realized he does not enjoy managing large teams, but he loves working with clients.
[30:38] After leaving Carters, Jon worked as President at ShelfGenie, which is an Inc 500 company based in Atlanta, Georgia.
[35:26] Jon discusses the franchise model of ShelfGenie.
[41:14] The improvement of the call center at ShelfGenie was one of the best things he did at the company.
[42:52] After leaving ShelfGenie, Jon started FranBridge Consulting.
[44:06] Jon talks about his big pivot and transition from employee to business owner.
[46:09] Since joining ShelfGenie, Jon has totally immersed himself in the world of franchising. Jon is also a franchisee with several investments.
[47:20] When he started FranBridge, Jon never had any trouble getting clients. He shares the story of his first client at FranBridge.
[51:52] Jon shares his daily routine, which helps keep him motivated.
[55:37] Last words of wisdom and advice from Jon.

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The Fabulous 4 Questions:

📖📚 Favorite Books? Non-Food Franchising by Jon Ostenson, Purple Cow by Seth Godin, The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, The Bible by Christian Art Publishers
🙌😎 Favorite Amazon.com purchase? Chilisleep Ooler Mattress Cooling Pad
🌱💸 Favorite Tool that's GROWN your Business? Calendly
💭💡 BIGGEST Challenge keeping your Business from GROWING? Time limitations, time leverage

Key Point from Our Episode with Jon Ostenson:

“I think surrounding yourself with likeminded people that are also growing in all facets of their lives and growing strong businesses, gives you ideas but also spurs you on, so while I’m in business for myself, I do feel that I’ve got a great personal board of directors, I’m around other motivated people on a regular basis.”

Resources Mentioned:

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