Meet Jody Gelbach. He and his family relocated to Indianapolis with the goal of starting a WOW 1 DAY PAINTING franchise. Two years prior, he was working 12-hour days and wondering to himself why he was working this hard for somebody else. That's when he realized it was time to take back control and build something not only for himself, but for his family. Read his interview below!
Q: What made you want to own a business?
Jody: I wanted to take the opportunity to invest in myself, my family, and our financial future. My goal is to be able to create financial independence so that I'm not dependent on an employer. Simply put, I want to be able to control my own destiny.
Q: Why now - what was it that made you take the leap?
Jody: It's something I've always thought about doing. Last May, I was finishing up my role as a controller and thinking about what was next for me. I was spending a lot of time trying to figure out whether I still wanted to stay in the corporate world, but the truth is that it didn't really appeal to me anymore. I didn't want to delay the path that I wanted to set forth for my wife and I. She has always had to travel for work, and I wanted to provide an option for her to not have to at some point in the future.
Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system?
Jody: The systems that are developed and tested over time provide a roadmap for building a successful company. I am very process driven, so the fact that it's already built out makes it a good fit for me. In fact, it made the decision to buy into a franchise easy. With my experience with WOW 1 DAY PAINTING so far, I feel like I will be in business for myself, not by myself.
Q: Why WOW 1 DAY PAINTING...what made this the right fit?
Jody: I've looked at a lot of franchise options, and I made a decision early on that I wanted to be on the service side of things. What stood out is that it really aligned with my business goal of working within a scalable business model. Being able to offer a quality job in a day, not a lot of people can pull that off. I've spoken to a lot of Franchise Partners, including existing WOW 1 DAY partners, and found the culture to be fantastic. They're invested in my success, not just theirs -- which is really refreshing! I feel confident that if I need help I'll have the people and resources to reach out to.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?
Jody: Knowing that hard work and dedication to the business will give my family and I the opportunity to be financially independent. To teach my son that anything is possible as long as you stick with it and never give up, and that a strong work ethic will take you far in life.
Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies - what makes you happiest and motivates you?
Jody: I really enjoy getting things accomplished. We just relocated to Indianapolis, so I'm keeping busy with lots of tinkering around the house. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, and having opportunities to give back to people. To make a difference. Making my family proud motivates me the most: working hard and providing a good service to your customer. I get great satisfaction from a job well done, and I believe this really will translate to what I'll be doing with WOW 1 DAY PAINTING.
Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique?
Jody: It covers the majority of northern Indianapolis, in a more suburban area. A few cities in my territory over the years have consistently landed in top 5 lists of some of the best places to live in the U.S. Given its desirability as a destination, I saw the potential for growth.
Q: How has the virtual element of the process been - the fact you haven't been able to visit the Junktion etc.?
Jody: I think everyone has done a great job adjusting, and the personal connection is still coming through despite the video conferencing. I'm pretty self sufficient, so I didn't have too much of an issue with the virtual onboarding. What I was originally concerned with was whether what we learned virtually could be adequately translated into the workplace and reinforced in person. After all the training and onboarding, I am assured that it will.
Thanks Jody, and congratulations on your new business!
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