Mark Armstrong spent decades working as a sportscaster, and for many years, he was happy in his job. But a few years ago he realized his career no longer excited him, and that it was time for a change. After connecting with a fellow WOW 1 DAY PAINTING franchise partner (who also happened to be a childhood friend), Mark was convinced franchising was going to be his next move. Read on to learn how business ownership has given him the flexible lifestyle he's always dreamed of.
Q: What made you want to own a business?
MA: I was in a place in which I felt my previous career as a sportscaster had run its course -- I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I had previously. That's why I decided to get out of broadcasting, and started looking at sports-adjacent opportunities. But honestly, nothing clicked or got me excited. I happened to reconnect with another WOW 1 DAY PAINTING franchise partner named Kim Rood, who is a childhood friend of mine. After chatting with him about his experience with business ownership and franchising, I knew this was the route I wanted to take.
Q: Why now - what was it that made you take the leap?
MA: Once I made the decision that this is what I'm going to do next, I thought to myself: why wait? I had decided this is what I'm doing, so my mentality was "let's do this now!" Plus, I was ready for the challenge. I wanted to get past the initial learning curve, to get started down the road towards where I wanted to be in my life.
Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system?
MA: I didn't have any interest in going into business by myself. I didn't know where to start. With WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, I was hesitant at first because I didn't know anything about the painting industry. But after talking to Kim, I realized I didn't need to. Franchising gives me the guardrails I need to succeed in business: I can work hard and follow the road map, and know that as long as I do so I will succeed. I think about business ownership a bit like driving a car -- with franchising, I have the guardrails needed to stay on the road and keep me on track.
Q: Why WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, what made this the right fit?
MA: I didn't really look at any other industries, to be honest! Once I started down the WOW 1 DAY PAINTING road, it just went from there. It didn't hurt that I loved the culture that was laid out before me during the discovery process: these were people who were genuinely invested in me as a franchise partner and as a person. I knew I could call up any franchise partner at any time and that they would be there to help me out.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?
MA: I am thrilled by the potential of it. I am entirely in charge not only of my time, but the financial aspect as well. I knew I was walking away from a high income job that came with lots of benefits, and that it would be risky. But at the end of the day it's all worth it for me: I see a future vision where I can build a company from the ground up, make more money, and work the hours I want to work. I want to be able to provide careers for other people; to turn painters into operations managers, for example, by paying a good salary with great benefits.
Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies - what makes you happiest and motivates you?
MA: I'm a big family guy. I have three sons, so really anything that allows me to spend time with them. In my previous career, I had had lots of days where I wasn't able to see them off to the school bus, for example. But these days, I'm much more present in their lives. I'm also excited by the prospect of being able to enjoy watching sports again. When I was a sportscaster, it was my livelihood. Now, it's nice to just be able to watch as a fan.
Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique?
MA: I bought four territories in and around Raleigh. There are two other franchise partners here and my territories are wrapped in a crescent around them. It's a suburban area with lots of brand new housing complexes. You've got this whole community continuously spreading outwards in rapidly growing areas. And this is just the beginning, so there's going to be lots of painting to be done!
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