Free Agent with Meg Schmitz

In this special edition episode, I speak with Jason Olson, Founder and CEO of IMAGE Studios. Without fanfare, we jumped right into the nitty gritty success story that is now a mature brand with more than 100 units purchased, and over 50 open or under construction. 

 

Year over year, including the last 2 during the pandemic, IMAGE has delivered on their promises of franchisee support, unit growth and profitability.  As a brand, Jason is building a value proposition for future franchisees that is the Triple Win:

no labor issues

unending consumer demand

no threats from economic, pandemic, or Amazon attacks.

My guest for this episode is none other than the Fabulous Dorris Burch.  Dorris has quite an empire that embraces femininity and empowerment, and her mission is to inspire women to be so much more. Our inspiring topics today include: Feminine versus masculine energy The role that fashion played in building Dorris’ image and career Dorris’ start in business and building a narrative that unlocked her Unlimited Potential

Credits:
Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Kacia Huynh and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Kacia Huynh of Porshanality Media, LLC

Meet Laura Liss, who was described by a client as being COOL because she is relatable, speaks in plain English, and takes the time to be personally involved in your franchise review, including a whole smorgasbord of additional areas of expertise. In this episode, Laura and I cover these hot topics:
- Historical practices that put a bad name on franchise sales
- Enter your franchise acquisition with the end in mind: The Exit
- Quality of Earnings, and what that means when buying an existing business

Credits:
Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Kacia Huynh and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Kacia Huynh of Porshanality Media, LLC

"Patty Farmer is an award-winning marketing & media strategist, international speaker, radio host, magazine publisher, and best-selling author specializing in marketing & business." She began her career as a single mom in Las Vegas. Self-taught in so many ways, Patty LEANS IN with vigor, sees pain as an opportunity to pivot. And she won't stop there. Just wait until you hear what she's doing in Italy... Listen in as Patty recounts her story. You will laugh and relate to how:
- Office rules about going to the bathroom made her quit her job
- The real estate crash of 2008 redefined her thinking and goals
- Mentors trained her to THINK how they think, not just do what they do

Credits:
Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Kacia Huynh and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Kacia Huynh of Porshanality Media, LLC

Coach, entrepreneur and author, Mike had a blue collar upbringing where he learned the trades and became a General Contractor. The more he learned about real estate, the more he knew he wanted to build a substantial investment portfolio.And build he did, with the backing of some major investors. But some bad decisions lead to an avalanche of consequences. In this episode we discuss:
- How Mike achieved success early in his journey
- The decisions that cost him everything
- The road to redemption

Credits:
Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Kacia Huynh and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Kacia Huynh of Porshanality Media, LLC

Sharon Cupach has been a resource and mentor to many in the franchise community. She spent several years as an entrepreneur herself partnering with emerging brands, setting systems and processes in place as well as outsourced franchise development responsibilities.In this episode, Sharon and I discuss:
- Aligning with ESSENTIAL need-based businesses for resilience and financial success
- Some of our favorite analogies tackling fear and success
- Getting your foot in the door early gives Early Adopters a louder voice and more flexibility.

One of my great pleasures is to have decades of relationships with business owners I have placed and the franchise developers who helped those candidates land safely. Today my guest is one of those “Best In Class” franchise developers who has an instinct for great brands and finding the RIGHT FIT for each individual he works with. In this episode Eric and I talk about:
- The Three P’s: Positive, Proactive, Persevering Candidates become great owners
- Technology pivots and implementations that enable owners to focus on what’s important
- Doing one thing well in their brands doesn’t mean one revenue stream
- And the Big Question: Labor, Staffing, and How Do I Make Money Owning This?

Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Keausha Bradley-Macklin and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Keausha Bradley-Macklin of Porshanality Media, LLC

Life has changed dramatically for Melissa over the last few years. Now a single mom and done with her corporate gig, she is attempting to organize her finances to achieve the diversification dream once again. Melissa hit me with a series of questions that reflected not only her interests, but also her concerns.In this interview I field questions from Melissa that are timely and universal. Our topics include:
- What will be successful where I live, regardless of the economy or pandemic?
- Why is there a stigma that franchising is somehow cheating in business?
- What if I fail? What if I lose everything?

Credits:
Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Keausha Bradley-Macklin and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Keausha Bradley-Macklin of Porshanality Media, LLC

In this episode, my guest Career Transition specialist, Teegan Bartos shares her thoughts on finding joy in your work, and saying YES to diversifying your income streams for greater FUN in gaining financial rewards and insulation.
We discuss:
- Pandemic trauma has empowered people to find their true value systems to find fulfillment
- Corporate Women who struggle to leave guilt behind and gain confidence to diversify outside of the job
- Gaining efficiencies through use of business apps and platforms

Credits:
Hosted by Meg Schmitz
Produced by Keausha Bradley-Macklin and Porsha Williams Gates of Porshanality Media, LLC
Editing by Keausha Bradley-Macklin of Porshanality Media, LLC