Two people who never wanted a franchise… end up thriving as franchise owners. What happened? 👀

In this episode of The Sidekick Life, Ryan sits down at Sidekick Summit in Scottsdale with Amanda and Frank Lorenz, Bar-B-Clean franchisees in the East Valley of Arizona. They walk through their full journey—from searching for an existing business, swearing off franchising, and worrying about “losing control”… to finding Bar-B-Clean through Franchise Sidekick, validating the brand, and building a growing business while both still working full-time jobs.

They talk honestly about:

• Why they originally said “absolutely not” to franchising

• The perception of less control vs the reality they live today

• Working with Sidekick advisor Des to narrow brands and reduce risk

• Hiring struggles, seasonality, and what it’s really like running a “dirty job” in Arizona heat

• How community with other franchisees and the franchisor has been a game changer

• The turning point moment at a trade show when they realized, “Oh wow… this is going to be big.”

• Their #1 piece of advice for anyone thinking about opening a business or buying a franchise:

  Use your own judgment, make decisions based on facts, not fear or other people’s opinions.

If you’re on the fence about starting a business or buying a franchise—and everyone around you is saying it’s “too risky”—this episode will help you see the decision more clearly.