Teacher Turned Entrepreneur

Question: What could be better than the universal happy food? Answer: Selling it to others and watching your service make their day! That’s the mandate for franchisees at Ice Cream Emergency, a mobile ice cream parlor business focused on bringing smiles and delight. This episode of She Turned Entrepreneur features Debra Arrato, a seasoned entrepreneur who pushed through her fear to go for that one business she really, really wanted to start. Her dream today can be seen in the whimsical décor, cheerful music and joyful banter you’ll find at any of six regional mobile Ice Cream Emergency locations – and counting!

You’ll learn about Ice Cream Emergency’s fascinating business model. Unlike the mom and pop ice cream trucks that circulate on a wing and a prayer, Debra’s franchisees work on a pre-paid, pre-booked basis. Catering to a base of clients in the corporate and school sectors, bookings are established well in advance, down to the amount of ice cream and toppings, staffing and length of time at any given venue. These mobile joy palaces are also great at weddings and other large social events, where guests eagerly come aboard to be served by “scoopologists” wearing scrubs, treating “patients” to fun background music and a lighthearted décor that harkens back to the old black-and-white tile ice cream parlor floors of yesteryear.

For Debra it has all been the realization of a dream – one she pursued in spite of some initial hesitation. Now she is growing the Ice Cream Emergency family, inviting people who thrive on bringing smiles to explore the possibility of opening a franchise of their own. This episode takes you through the step-by-step startup process (no special expertise required!) and provides details about the kinds of ongoing support franchisees receive. “It’s so simple, so fun and so profitable,” says Debra. “It kind of checks all the boxes.”

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Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Gift baskets. Chocolate fountain rentals. Photobooth rentals. They were all profitable but none were what Debra’s inner ice cream lover really wanted. Sometimes you have to listen to what makes your heart sing. Debra did, and hasn’t looked back!

• Personal touches like whimsical interior design or playful uniforms can take good ideas to next-level.

• Feeling fearful? Push through. Your dream is waiting on the other side!

• Looking for a franchise opportunity? Size matters! It can be really nice to work with smaller businesses whose founders are accessible and keep red tape to a minimum.

• Flat royalty fees remove the disincentives to earning more/thus paying more.

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• A little bit about Debra, her background in the corporate sector, decision to stay home to raise her kids and how she developed a number of highly successful businesses.

• Determined not to miss out on her dream of owning an ice cream parlor, Debra took the plunge – but with a twist. Her husband suggested going mobile with the idea.

• The theme “Saving lives one scoop at a time” is a guiding force and differentiator for Ice Cream Emergency, whose staff dress in scrubs and invite their “patients” to enjoy an ice cream parlor-on-wheels experience. It’s a mobile medical breakthrough!

• The franchises all showcase not only fun, but value. Huge servings at reasonable prices.

• What Ice Cream Emergency franchisees need:

o The desire to put smiles on people’s faces.

o A keen, high-energy, sincere focus on each customer.

• About the Ice Cream Emergency business model:

o It’s pre-paid ice cream catering, not a vendor.

o Pre-paid and pre-booked, franchisees know and can plan for the number of guests, selected packages, staffing needs and timing.

o The target audience is the corporate sector and schools.

o Incidences of repeat business are extremely high.

o About 100 guests per hour typically cycle through the mobile truck.

o No cash and no collections. Entirely pre-paid.

o Franchisees are able to stage two, three and even four events in a day.

• About Ice Cream Emergency training and support:

o Starts out with Ice Institute, a three-day onsite training at headquarters.

o Topics covered include everything from scooping skills to back office operations to how to drive the van.

o Franchise startup support includes pre-marketing, help with a grand opening, ongoing live visits from Ice Cream Emergency advisers.

• Are you the ideal Ice Cream Emergency franchisee?

o Women do especially well with the concept of a business in a bus.

o It’s a great alternative for people looking to make a break from a stifling corporate situation and start something of their own.

o No specific skills are required. Everything is learnable and everyone is trainable.

• The Initial investment: $30,000 for a 10-year license under the Ice Cream Emergency franchising umbrella. All-in startup costs are about $200,000, including about $50,000 in liquid capital. Financing help is available.

• Closing thought: Debra explains that Ice Cream Emergency is a business that can be run part-time, full-time or as a passive investment. Franchisees determine how much they want to work and how much they want to earn and the financial plan and goals are calculated from there.

• Flat fees ensure that sales incentives are unencumbered and exciting, rather than a percentage dollar burden.

To learn more about Ice Cream Emergency or other franchise opportunities, click here to set up a call.

Naketa Thigpen was doing exactly what she was trained to do – using her gifts as a psychotherapist and social worker to heal trauma and change lives. The problem was that this work she loved – no matter how meaningful – wasn’t sustainable. She was missing her own life, preoccupied constantly by the demands of her job. When the elementary school-aged daughter Naketa thought she was providing for on every level shared one night that her mom was mostly “awesome for everybody else,” that was it. The time had come to be “intentionally selfish.”

Over the decade since, Naketa has built a powerful program that has been life-giving not only for her clients but for Naketa herself. Founded with her husband, the Thigpro Balance and Relationship Management Institute is a premier personal development company that supports power couples who desire to live fully and authentically. She’s especially tuned into entrepreneurial women looking for breakthrough success in every phase of life, from the bedroom to the boardroom.

“Old” Naketa might have stayed on in the social work system while slowly being drained of every last drop of energy, but “new” Naketa believes in boundaries and self-nourishment, making space for the right relationships. She shares with us the importance of casting off things (like obsessive social media attachment) that do not serve. We also hear on this episode about the very personal journey Naketa has been on, coming into her own and developing an impactful practice – including plenty of mistakes and humbling moments along the way.

So if you’re in a job that feels like a bad relationship, i.e. un-reciprocal, exhausting, even abusive – then consider breaking up. There is work that you are meant to do – and to love!

If you’d like to hear more from Naketa, check out her Balance Boldly for Ambitious Women in Business podcast. You can also book a one-to-one “joy activation” appointment or check out other services offered at ThigPro by clicking here.

Click here to listen to, rate and review this or previous She Turned Entrepreneur episodes.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• It’s possible to be doing something you’re really great at and that you love doing but not be “in love” with it.

• Visions are fantastic – but having a solid roadmap will spare you mistakes!

• Consider your job as you would a relationship. Is it reciprocal? Is it sustaining you?

• If your self-care isn’t selfish, you’re doing it wrong!

• Don’t let social media be the boss of you. Trying to feed the beast will only drain and deplete you of the joyful life you’re supposed to be living (and posting) about.

• You have the right to determine the quality and depth of connections in your life, differentiating between “parking lot” relationships and the ones you invite into your home.

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• Courage, boldness and being “completely pissed off” were what drove Naketa to adapt her long list of social work credentials and experiences to a bigger calling.

• Naketa’s practice is all about helping people thrive – not just survive – in life.

• The mental health system – which Naketa worked with in a number of different capacities – was dysfunctional, self-defeating and exhausting.

• A turning point: When Naketa’s daughter – about eight years old at the time – said she was “really awesome” but for everyone else. The long hours and life’s blood that was going into her demanding social work career was no longer sustainable.

• Because of systemic issues, the social work Naketa trained to provide turned out to be far more reactive than preventative, as it was intended to be.

• Becoming Intentionally Selfish: Naketa has redefined selfish as a personal, intimate gift to yourself to do the important work of forgiveness and trauma release.

• The difference between the “old” Naketa and the “new” Naketa is her decision not to be controlled by external influences of little importance (such as being constantly reactive to social media or sacrificing sleep and quality of life to put in untenably long hours).

• In 2019, Naketa’s website, which was being chronically hacked, had to be temporarily shut down. Because of pandemic and a major health challenge that put her out of commission for much of 2021, the basic placeholder landing page was never updated. And guess what? Her clients – new and old – figured out how to navigate to Naketa’s appointments page and her business last year was more robust than ever. The moral of the story? The latest and greatest tech platforms are nice, but not make or break. So when necessary give yourself a break from the constant updating and posting.

• Another differentiator between “old” and “new” Naketa: She stays in her lane. If she’s asked for a service that’s not truly in her wheelhouse, she happily provides referrals rather than trying to be all things to all people.

• Learn all about Naketa’s amazing Unbound Brilliance Lab for married women entrepreneurs ready for success in life and business.

• The past 11 years have been full of priceless, painful lessons – as well as small miracles that Naketa was “lucky enough to endure.”

About Naketa Thigpen:

Motivated by the alignment of work/life (and Love), Naketa co-founded ThigPro, a global personal development company, with her husband in 2011. The company’s focus is on integrating foundational psychotherapeutic and trauma recovery experience with the human behavior, mindfulness, mental well-being and relationship tools that are core staples of personal and leadership development programs.

What do you do when you’ve exceeded your wildest dreams? In the case of Elena Armijo, who grew up in Texas dreaming of an opera career, you get honest. She was traveling the world and performing at the top of her game, and yet feeling totally depleted, overwhelmed and unhappy. It was time to take a fearless inventory – which Elena did with the help of a life coach. Through the process of uncovering Elena’s most authentic skills and interests they also uncovered the fact that coaching was her calling. It’s been eight years now and she hasn’t looked back!

Today Elena’s successful practice focuses on bringing her creative perspective to some decidedly non-creative fields, like tech or finance. She works with high-achieving leaders who are feeling stuck or in need of career redirection. Using a range of modalities, Elena helps reignite passion and focus clients on the journey ahead. Solopreneurs especially benefit from team support – but first have to blow up the myths about going it alone.

You’ll hear Elena’s top tips for anyone feeling burned out or constantly overwhelmed, starting with the simple act of pausing, taking a breath. Her unique approach to coaching not only incorporates a deep connection with creativity and empathy but also invites us to explore the kind of sustained commitment that is truly transformational. In an exciting new development, Elena has formed the C-Suite Collective, a group of coaches and other healers working in a range of modalities to foster not only optimal performance but also a holistic sense of fulfillment, connection and integration over the long term, within the workplace and beyond.

Elena has poured all the high-octane smarts and creativity that drove her international opera career into a powerful coaching methodology uniquely her own. Click here if you’d like to learn more about this entrepreneurial dynamo and the C-Suite Collective online network she has brought to life. You can also find Elena’s podcast, In a Manner of Speaking, here.

Click here to listen to, rate and review this or previous She Turned Entrepreneur episodes.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Even when you’ve captured the gold and managed to reach your ultimate dream status, it’s important to listen if a voice in your head says it’s no longer the right fit.

• Stay open. You can’t predict where wisdom will show up – from whom, how or at what moment!

• Is fear a secret driver in your life? Coaching can help to unblock false beliefs and uncover assumptions that do not serve.

• You are not necessarily predisposed to coach in an area where you have previous career experience. To the contrary, coaches are often more effective (and less bogged down by personal history) working with people in completely different professions.

• Feeling overwhelmed? Slow way, way down. You can’t uncover problems until you secure a little quiet amidst the noise.

• Solopreneurs should not operate solo. Assemble a team of trusted advisors, paid and unpaid, who can support and extend your goals. Don’t go it alone!

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• How Elena became a licensed appraiser at the age of 17 – an entrepreneurial stroke of genius on her father’s part that has resonated in her ventures ever since.

• Even in the pursuit of her opera career, Elena brought a good dollop of pragmatism, acquiring a teaching credential as a backup should her singing not pay the bills.

• With her career soaring, Elena was on the road for 10 months of the year. She was seeing the world and living out her fantasy – until burnout set in. It was time to reassess and ultimately to make a change course.

• While working with a coach, trying to figure out her next professional steps, Elena fell in love with the industry itself. That was eight years ago and she’s been loving her coaching career ever since.

• When fate comes knocking: About the unexpected encounter with a life coach that (despite her initial skepticism) unblocked and opened an entirely new path forward.

• What drew Elena to coaching (not what you might assume).

• Elena fell in love foremost with coaching methodology, the logical framework within which to exercise empathy and unblock limiting beliefs.

• Elena has uncovered a gift for coaching professionals in non-creative industries, to whom she brings a completely different perspective that often has been missing.

• The common points of entry for Elena’s coaching clients:

o I’m unhappy and have to shift something – now!

o A toxic culture.

o A chronic work-life balance issue.

o A sense that something bigger is out there but not fully in focus.

• Elena delights in her clients’ “aha” moments, which offer so much “spaciousness” and “joy.” It’s transformational.

• Actionable tips for entrepreneurs who feel undervalued, overwhelmed or unfulfilled:

o Slow way down. Take a deep breath. Show up late or cancel a meeting. Look three weeks out and commit to one full day off – no matter what.

o Find a supportive resource. Don’t let cost or time be a deterrent to finding a coach or mentor. There are all kinds of models and price points.

o Change the narrative! Recognize that no one gets anywhere all alone.

• The ways in which Elena works:

o Mostly one-to-one coaching.

o Workshops or group coaching with companies.

• The C-Suite Collective is a boutique agency offering the services of a variety of coaches and healers working in different modalities. They also offer deliberative and committed programming in support of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and other workplace issues.

• Enjoy Elena’s podcast: In a Manner of Speaking.

About Elena:

Elena is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Certified Dare To Lead Facilitator (CDTLF) who has a strong track record of enabling clients to create and pursue the lives they want. She offers in-depth and customized executive programs for high performers at the top of their respective fields – from CEOs, to professional athletes, policy-focused individual, entertainers and artists. Through a strong partnership, these clients have been able to create and achieve the professional and personal milestones they once perceived unattainable.

There is nothing quite so personal and deeply significant as finding the right caretakers for a loved one. That’s why trust and compassion are central values at HomeWell, the featured franchise on this episode of She Turned Entrepreneur. Kristina McGarvey, Franchise Development Director, explains how the national provider of in-home health care has evolved to fill a niche that, at one point or another, all of us will likely need to fill.

Founded in 1996 as the brainchild of a single person who wanted to elevate standards of care, HomeWell has grown its platform and best practices over decades, culminating in 2018 with expansion to a franchise model that has taken off nationwide. HomeWell currently has 100+ locations in communities large and small. Having a health care background isn’t required, so many of the most successful business are run by people with diverse backgrounds – with the common denominator being a caring heart.

What is it that attracts clients and referrals? HomeWell offers the best of both worlds when it comes to the very personal choice of care management. It’s a franchise model that is based in measurable standards and resources that only an established, thoroughly developed brand can bring. At the same time, each independently owned business provides a sense of intimacy and personalization that clients and their families feel they can trust.

Click here to listen to, rate and review this or previous She Turned Entrepreneur episodes.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Some of the most successful franchise models are disruptive. Do you offer change?

• Know and highlight your differentiators.

• Be prepared to shift and modulate goals at each stage of your business’s development.

• Taking a high-touch, highly localized approach is key to establishing an important triad for franchises: roots, referrals and a stellar reputation.

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• How it all got started – the evolution of HomeWell from a single caretaker’s business in 1996 to the launch in 2002 of a gold standard provider of caregiving services to the 2018 expansion into a venture-backed franchise model that over its first few years has seen exponential growth.

• All about how HomeWell has grown by being a disrupter!

• There are currently more than 100 HomeWell locations and 54 franchise owners.

• HomeWell’s differentiators:

o As a business, HomeWell is very community-focused.

o As a franchisor, HomeWell offers high-touch, in-depth training customized to ensure each business becomes the #1 choice for clients and referrals.

• Franchises typically progress through several stages, including:

o Stage 1: Business coaching and help with building and managing a team.

o Stage 2: Getting established.

o Stage 3: Compounding growth and extending the business’s reach.

• Home care is unlike any other industry in that people prefer a credible brand with premium services, but at the same time want the kind of personal touch that only independent, local businesses can provide. HomeWell delivers the best of both.

• What makes the ideal HomeWell franchisee?

o You needn’t have health care experience. They will educate you!

o Many of HomeWell’s top performers come from traditional corporate backgrounds, but have harbored a desire to try their own venture.

o Having a caring heart is an essential ingredient for success.

o Successful franchisors are generally tenacious, have grit and ambitious goals for their independent venture.

o They appreciate the opportunity to plug into a pre-existing system that offers tools for scalable, measurable business growth.

• Franchise fee and startup investment:

o Initial buy-in: $49,000

o About $100,000 of working capital to get established (with more expensive markets sometimes ranging up to $150,000).

• Compassionate caregiving is in high demand nationwide, which offers tremendous opportunity to anyone looking to grow a well-supported and resourced local business that will touch the hearts and lives of others.

Rashmi Schramm was on a predictable (and highly successful) track. A family physician with a thriving practice for more than two decades, she shares on this episode of She Turned Entrepreneur what inspired her to pivot in a new direction that has proved no less potent when it comes to healing and changing lives. She explains why coaching and in particular mindfulness meditation have made a perfect alternative and complement to her family medicine practice. What’s the secret to her success?

Rashmi started small and understood that there would be adjustments along the way. That said, what she promised herself from the start was always to over-deliver, which explains why her business has grown exponentially. She remains a healer, but her playing field has shifted and broadened in ways she could never have imagined had she continued with her stressful work and the constraints of traditional western medicine.

You won’t want to miss Rashmi’s 4C’s – which are applicable to launching a startup, but ultimately will uplift and focus us in whatever our pursuit, personal or professional. Would you like to try some free meditation and/or sign up for Rashmi’s newsletter? Click here.

Click here to listen to, rate and review this or previous She Turned Entrepreneur episodes.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Entrepreneurial journeys are often iterative and do not follow a straight trajectory.

• Research has shown that people who practice self-compassion have a higher level of vibrancy and fulfillment in their lives.

• Coaching is very different from therapy, offering a spectrum of targeted support.

• Always over-deliver! The secret to the exponential growth of Rashmi’s practice has been working tirelessly to provide far more than her clients expect.

• Want to be an entrepreneur? Just start – no matter how messy. Let go of perfectionism!

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• Rashmi moved to the U.S. from India at age 12. Programmed to find security, she chose medicine as her career path and she was a family physician for more than 20 years.

• The preventative aspect of medicine and mindfulness were always a subtext during the years she was practicing medicine. Rashmi was trying to find ways of marrying integrative practices with the more rigid structure and constraints of western medicine.

• At the beginning of 2020, Rashmi founded Optimal Wellness and quickly, organically felt a shift in focus from coaching to more of an emphasis on mindfulness meditation.

• Lean Into Doing Things Your Own Way: Rashmi’s coaching and meditation practice attracts people who desire realignment of life/professional priorities – a situation that she herself has experienced and navigated.

• Rashmi’s 4C’s for De-Stressing:

o Consciousness: Bringing awareness by taking a pause, however brief.

o Compassion: Share with yourself the kind of loving kindness you give to others.

o Clarity: Tap resources for insight, whether a coach or book or podcast.

o Community: Actively focus on cultivating connections with others.

• Finding the Best Coach for You:

o Distinguish between therapy and coaching, and which is indicated at this time.

o Do a discovery call to see if a prospective coach feels like a good fit.

• Where Rashmi has found her target client base:

o Social media is important but not her primary source.

o By offering affordable packages that invite prospective coaching and meditation clients to give Rashmi’s offering a try – which usually yields repeat visits.

• Rashmi’s “why” is what keeps her motivated: Going back to her physician’s roots, she gets great satisfaction from helping people heal (and without drugs or other medical interventions).

• Looking ahead, Rashmi plans:

o To do more of the face-to-face that she (and select partners) offered recently at a reasonably-priced small-group retreat.

o To expand and make more robust the Optimal Wellness online platform.

• Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs:

o Take action, however messy!

o Start small with micro-changes while in transition.

o Let go of perfectionism in favor of self-compassion

About Rashmi:

Rashmi practiced as a board certified family physician for 21 years. During that time, she saw first-hand how detrimental the effects of stress can be in our lives. Her own stressors played a big part in her journey, which included chronic lethargy, anxiety, debilitating migraines and insomnia in her early 30’s, when she was a mom to young kids working a stressful, demanding job. She pivoted to become a coach and meditation teacher, founding Optimal Wellness, a meditation coaching program helping groups and individuals live more meaningful lives.

Are you clear on your motivation? This guest challenges us all to figure out the drivers behind our business aspirations. For Michelle Leotta, it’s the determination to give her two young sons a rich upbringing and access to a college education. What’s your motivation? Knowing the answer to this question could make the difference between jumpstarting your entrepreneurial venture and remaining a hobbyist, stalled in first gear.

Michelle developed her She's Got Power platform following her own personal journey to wellness. It was ultimately a lucky combination of preparation and timing that catapulted her into a midcareer change of direction. Frustrated with dismissive doctors who didn’t understand a range of persistent symptoms, Michelle became a sleuth and figured out on her own that she was suffering fallout out from burnout. The tools she acquired in order to heal were transformational – knowledge that she enjoyed sharing informally with family and friends. But an unexpected layoff from her corporate advertising job in 2008 opened the door on a whole new world of opportunity. It was quite a surprise!

Completely bought into the W2 paycheck lifestyle, Michelle was definitely an accidental entrepreneur. But she has never looked back, starting her business with straightforward one-to-one coaching and expanding over time into robust mentoring programs for fellow coaches just starting out. She’s also a high-profile voice thanks to her blogging and the social media communities she has built on Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere. This episode of She Turned Entrepreneur features lots of actionable tips and food for thought as you move forward with your own unique startup venture!

You can learn more about Michelle’s course on health coaching here.

Click here to listen to, rate and review this or previous She Turned Entrepreneur episodes.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Being laid off can also be viewed as being given an opportunity to pursue your dream!

• Great Tip: Be an early adopter of emerging social media opportunities (like blogging or podcasting). It’s much easier to raise your profile because competition is less fierce.

• Start small, coaching one-to-one. Elaborate online programs or subscriptions aren’t necessary right out of the gate.

• Find a Niche: It’s important to know yourself and what makes you uniquely suited to your target audience.

• Jumpstart your business by getting clear about your motivation, which could be anything from getting food on the table to taking an extravagant vacation.

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• How a health crisis with a constellation of undiagnosed symptoms spurred Michelle to take matters into her own hands. Knowing she was not “just fine,” as myriad doctors had told her dismissively, she was determined to figure out her own wellness.

• Although she’d gotten a credential and was advising friends and family, Michelle might never have started her coaching business had she not been laid off during the recession in 2008.

• Although Michelle had a wealth of marketing and advertising know-how from her previous corporate job, bootstrapping resources are a lot more limited!

• Michelle’s avenues for promoting her business:

o Podcasts

o Blogging

o Facebook groups

• Michelle’s business model is two-pronged:

o Working one-to-one with private individual clients.

o Mentoring new coaches just starting out.

• Don’t get caught in the online course trap. Anything that Michelle has scaled first started small and then built from there. She advises: If you jump out prematurely, you’ll fall flat.

• The health coaching field is somewhat “the wild west” in that the levels of training and certification can vary wildly.

• Tap Into Your Story: Understand your own narrative to better connect with the types of people who will work well with your style, perspective and knowledge base. For example, Michelle works really well with women suffering burnout and chronic stress because, of course, she has been there.

• Michelle’s Top Tips for Stressed Entrepreneurs:

o Balance has to come first if you want a sustainable business.

o Prioritizing health is part of your job as an entrepreneur. Coffee and cigarettes are not a long-term wellness protocol!

• Michelle’s Recommended Reading:

o Any books on personal development (and yoga) written by Stephen Cope.

• Figure out your motivation! If you’re not really, truly motivated to earn it’s easy to get stuck in a hobby place, which is fine – unless you aspire for your business to be more.

About Michelle:

Michelle’s story of burnout recovery has been featured on ABC, CBS, NPR and the inspiring documentary “Lemonade.” Since 2009 she’s been a practicing, certified health coach and mentor for her fellow coaches. Michelle is a presenter at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, partner of Primal Health Coach Institute and the creator of Healthy Profit University.

Franchise hours can be unforgiving, with dawn-to-dusk schedules that turn family time into a rare occasion. That wasn’t going to work for the founders of Scramblers, the restaurant chain whose director of franchising is featured on this episode of She Turned Entrepreneur. Kelly Buerk is here to share the history of a growing franchise that keeps its promise: You can build a successful restaurant without letting it gobble up time with loved ones. In fact, the foundational vision revolves around a commitment to protecting time for Little League coaching and birthdays.

What’s the formula? It’s always a good idea to identify what you do best and focus there, which is what the visionaries behind Scramblers did For starters, their breakfast- and lunch-only menus are perennial crowd-pleasers and also relatively easy to manage. They also took their time and fine-tuned their formula before finally saying yes to prospective franchisees. Today the business is mature and growing throughout Ohio, drawing interest from entrepreneurs who want the fun of running a restaurant without the backbreakingly long hours and complicated operations. Learn how Scramblers differs from other breakfast and lunch spots and what franchisees receive in the way of ongoing training and support. Listen in to learn more about this family-friendly opportunity. It’s a brand that will brighten your day!

Click here to listen to, rate and review this or previous She Turned Entrepreneur episodes.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Looking for a family-friendly franchise? Scramblers was literally built around the founders’ desire to coach Little League teams and be home for dinner in the evening.

• Because their hours are limited to 6:30a-3p, Scramblers franchises are typically owner-operated and require only a single manager.

• Even for those franchisees who prefer to outsource the operation, Scramblers encourages active engagement with the business – mainly because it’s fun!

• The Scramblers brand is on full display at the company’s newly updated website, which features gift cards, online ordering options, photos and a new Scramblers app!

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• All about Scramblers, a 30-year-old restaurant chain that started in Toledo, Ohio, and has grown ever since, cultivating a niche by catering to breakfast and lunch only.

• Scramblers’ growth began organically because its formula just worked; over time fans of the enterprise wanted to tap the magic by securing franchise opportunities.

• The founders weren’t in a rush to franchise, taking their time (15 years) and considering the option methodically before opening up to include more than a dozen new outlets.

• Scramblers is a family affair – which is something that franchisees love! Not only does the business support family-friendly values, its leadership team features a lot of people (including Kelly) whose last name is Buerk.

• What a Scramblers franchise looks like:

o They are typically owner-operated with a single manager working 6:30a-3p.

o No night-shift staff necessary.

o Hostesses, cooks, dishwashers are all part-time staff.

o Some franchisees prefer to remain owner-investors only, hiring managers to run the operation or a consortium of locations.

• How Scramblers differs from competitors:

o The overall requirements: Breakfast- and lunch-only; low overhead costs and limited staffing requirements.

o The franchise overall is large and experienced enough to know what work and doesn’t, but small enough that customization is possible and franchisees have a voice that’s heard.

o Scramblers culture is a family culture, with an annual conference and camaraderie that extends throughout the year.

• Scramblers training and support includes:

o An intensive two- to four-week training onsite in Columbus, where the franchise is based.

o The 360-degree training covers everything from how to hire a manager down to how to cook up the perfect pancake or omelet.

o Franchise leadership serves as a constant informational resource and dispatches senior staff to check in every 90 days with franchisees, thus ensuring they are well advised and supported – and are also maintaining standards.

o Corporate calls and the annual conference cement relationships and branding.

• The ideal Scramblers franchisee is:

o Passionate about customer service.

o Enjoys being part of a community.

o Puts a priority on quality and best restaurant practices.

o Envisions building their Scramblers into a home-town favorite.

o Doesn’t mind putting in the work, but also values a work-life balance.

• The initial Scramblers franchise fee is $40,000 with total startup costs averaging $500,000 (more or less, depending on geography, wages, etc.).

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It’s sometimes at our lowest moments that transformational doors open. But you have to stay open and willing, which is what our guest on this episode of She Turned Entrepreneur did – with amazing results. Rebecca Packard’s career as an Emergency Medical Technician was right on track, serving people in need just as she had always planned. But after 15 years, her body and psyche had other plans. Overnight this dynamic, empowered mother of two found herself sidelined on the couch, crippled by pain and anxiety. Her world grew smaller and smaller as specialist after specialist failed to locate the source of her ailments.

How did Rebecca dig herself out? Through curiosity and a willingness to seek help in the form of alternative therapies. Five years later, she is an international speaker and healer whose thriving practice treats people (most especially entrepreneurs!) through a number of different psycho-spiritual and body-work modalities.

Learn about Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Emotional Code, Angelic Reiki and other tips for coming back from the kind of post-traumatic stress (PTSD) that threatened to take over Rebecca’s life. She also has suggestions for simple ways that we can head trouble off before it spins out of control, through being intentional and using methods like tapping to calm our nervous systems when the world’s worries crowd in. Rebecca teaches us a simple method for breaking free of fight-or-flight stress.

Would you like to create calm in chaos? Click here to get started with a look at the many resources Rebecca has to offer at her website.

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Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• Sometimes out of great challenge comes great insight – and transformation.

• Keeping an open mind pays off. Rebecca had no way of knowing that her decision to seek alternative medical treatment would result in a complete career shift.

• Redefinition can be a good thing. Rebecca’s life goal was to help people, but it turned out that being an EMT was just the start of that journey.

• Pandemic has forced many people to pivot, sometimes reluctantly. Rebecca is here to say: Keep the faith. Good things lie beyond even the darkest of times!

• Did you know that entrepreneurs hold pain and trauma in predictable parts of the body?

• Is your business bleeding into everything? Create a disciplined calendar, including blocks devoted exclusively to family and self-care – then adhere to it!

• The more we practice self-soothing methods like tapping, the more our nervous systems start to integrate a sense of calm and well-being, even in moments of high anxiety.

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• All about Rebecca’s circuitous journey, which started with a 15-year career as an Emergency Medical Technician that was humming along – until it came to a total halt.

• As the result of crippling PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), Rebecca went overnight from being an active, ambitious professional in the service space to completely couch-bound (outside of doctors’ appointments three to five times a week).

• Rebecca was down but not out. She rallied to find recovery tools, including an introduction to EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and Emotion Code. Where pain and medications didn’t work, these alternative therapies freed her from inherited emotion that had locked her up.

• Amazed and impressed by her results, there was no turning back for Rebecca. With her husband’s encouragement, she embarked on a journey through the healing space.

• Rebecca was felt beyond bleak, but by taking one step forward at a time she came to a place where the suffering and loss not only made sense but in time proved helpful in the healing she now affords others.

• How Rebecca’s Sessions Work:

o They are conducted over Zoom.

o Together you do a “gathering clearing” to settle into an open space.

o Angelic Reiki is the first healing tool Rebecca deploys.

o Emotion Code comes next, incorporating kinesiology and Chinese medicine to track emotions that are causing mental and physical pain.

o Release occurs in myriad ways and multiple efforts, depending on the individual.

• Actionable healing tips for entrepreneurs:

o Tip #1: Schedule your life, including personal and family time. Then stick to it.

o Tip #2: Don’t be afraid to get help. Ask fellow entrepreneurs who have been there and can help you ease stress and anxiety through their shared experience.

o Tip #3: Find a mentor who is a good fit.

• Actionable tips for calming yourself down on those go-go-go days:

o Tip #1: Start off your day by both affirming yourself and consciously letting go of control. Remind yourself: Things will unfold today exactly as they should!

o Tip #2: Place your index finger on your clavicle, then lay the other four fingers down next to it. Tap the meaty spot between your middle and ring fingers in moments of stress or overwhelm and your whole nervous system will calm down!

• Recommended Reading:

o "The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster: Why Now Is the Time to #Join the Ride," by Darren Hardy.

About Rebecca:

A leading accredited preventative trauma care teacher and educator, self-help instructor, Youtuber, Podcaster, speaker and Live Happy ambassador, Rebecca works with entrepreneurs and service-focused individuals to scale, adapt and pivot for whole life wellness and success. She is trained in disciplines including: Emotion Code, Body Code, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques or Tapping), Says Who Method, Ho’oponopono, Advanced Ho’oponopono, Yoga, Meditation, Crystal healing, Angelic Reiki and other techniques. She has also had a 15-year career as an Emergency Medical Technician.

Even when we’ve grabbed the gold ring, it’s possible to feel like something is missing. That was the case for Dr. Michelle Quirk, a pediatrician whose career and life were firing on all pistons … and yet. She felt burned out and boxed in. On this episode of She Turned Entrepreneur we learn how, step by step, the founder of Mindful Marathon, a coaching practice devoted to aspiring runners, hit her stride!

Michelle didn’t want to abandon her medical practice, but still had to face the fact that it wasn’t bringing her enough of what she wanted. For anyone else who has experienced this gnawing feeling, she has some advice: First, take a pause. Spend some time with yourself. In Michelle’s case, she cleared space for taking long runs. And before she knew it? Michelle had completed her first marathon and gotten clarity about this much: She was passionate about running!

Knowing what you love is the entrepreneur’s first challenge. What Michelle did next was equally important, however. She looked for a sounding board, in her case a fellow physician who had found a way to add a new venture while keeping her medical practice going at the same time. It was an “aha” for Michelle, who envisioned Mindful Marathon for the first time. Today she’s got a thriving practice, coaching one-to-one and in small groups, offering a virtual race series, designing training plans and running retreats.

Whatever your goal – running a marathon or building a business – Michelle will inspire you with her story, resources and simple tips for shifting from stuck to full steam ahead!

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

• You don’t have to run a marathon. Just lace up your shoes and start with five minutes!

• As was the case for Michelle, entrepreneurial ventures offer an opportunity to reimagine or reinvent our identities.

• If you undertake an entrepreneurial venture, some people will ask if you’ve lost your mind. But you will also find plenty of cheerleaders. Stick with the latter!

• Have a passion? With time and patience, you can find a way to turn it into a business.

• Burnout Remedy: Take a step back and spend some time with yourself.

• If you’re feeling stuck, don’t hesitate to seek counsel from a friend, a therapist or coach.

• Are you a new runner? Start low and go slow. Find a pace that’s comfortable for you!

• If you stay consistent you will get there – in running, in business, in life!

Here’s a quick look into the episode:

• Michelle’s evolution from being a kid who hated running to being a periodic runner in her young adult years to becoming a devotee when she discovered the restorative nature of running as part of a self-care plan during a particularly stressful period of life.

• At the peak of her career as a young pediatrician, Michelle hit a patch where she was training but felt like she needed something more. The decision to run her first marathon proved transformational.

• Michelle hasn’t quit medicine so much as folded it into her coaching enterprise and overall identity. She felt the desire to get out of the box and try something new.

• Mindful Marathon offers one-to-one coaching, group programs for beginners, a virtual race series, training plans and running retreats.

• Creating a Niche: Michelle followed her passion and evolved it organically, which afforded her time and space to find ways to marry medicine with running.

• Michelle has been able to maintain a medical practice and a coaching practice by setting up dedicated work hours for both.

• When she felt stuck on a treadmill, literally and metaphorically, Michelle got intentional. She took time to pause and be with herself, which she did while out on long runs that ultimately helped her get clarity about her purpose and the direction she needed to go.

• Confiding in a fellow physician who had started a coaching practice in addition to her medical practice proved a gamechanger for Michelle, for whom it opened up a new path.

• Tips for Wannabe Runners:

1. Wherever you are in terms of conditioning, get moving.

2. Start low and go slow.

3. Find a “conversational” pace that’s comfortable for you.

4. Leave your technology at home and just be present to how you feel.

5. Try run-walk intervals to build up stamina.

• Even though we live in a “compare and despair” social media culture, Michelle urges runners at whatever level not to get caught up in trying to keep up with anyone else.

• Recommended Reading:

o "The Miracle Equation: The Two Decisions That Move Your Biggest Goals from Possible, to Probable, to Inevitable," by Hal Elrod.

o "The EntreMD Method: A Proven Roadmap for Doctors Who Want to Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Terms," by Nneka Unachukwu.

About Michelle:

In the midst of a lively career in pediatrics, Dr. Michelle Quirk discovered that running could change her life. She embraced the sport by becoming a certified run coach with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), a local Girls on the Run coach, and a Disney World-loving marathoner. She founded Mindful Marathon to help make running easy and fun for busy professionals. For anyone thinking that running is too hard or that they can’t be runners, Michelle is ready to help transform you into a runner. She develops customized training plans for every type of runner—new, old, somewhere in between—and fits those training plans into busy lives, helping her athletes find their edge and achieve their goals.

Thinking about starting a cryotherapy business? How about becoming a franchisee for an already established brand that’s passionate about health and wellness?

Julie Shanebrook is the founder and CEO of ChillRx Cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is a treatment where the body is briefly exposed to very cold temperatures in order to promote healing and other therapeutic results.

Julie explains how her own journey with chronic back pain and how finding healing in cryotherapy led her to start her business in 2015. She describes a day in the life of a cryotherapy franchisee, the services they offer to their franchisees, and the requirements you would need to invest.

Listen in to learn the importance of being open-minded, diverse, and passionate about your field to be successful in it.

Here are the top takeaways from the conversation:

• How pain became the starting point of Julie’s business ChillRx Cryotherapy.

• A productive day in the life of a cryotherapy franchisee.

• The current cryotherapy competition plus the advantage of working with a smaller passionate brand.

• The comprehensive training cryotherapy franchisees receive before starting.

• The key requirements you need to become a cryotherapy franchisee with ChillRx Cryotherapy.

• The investment you need to have a successful ChillRx Cryotherapy business.

• Services offered at ChillRx Cryotherapy and the income streams accessible to franchisees.