From the U.S. Navy and Coca-Cola to Franchise Partner

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This husband and wife duo believe there's never been a better time to start a business -- and we agree with them! Franchise Partners Doug and Kristi Wells have never let their differing professional backgrounds -- his from the Navy and Coca-Cola and hers in education and new home sales -- get in the way of their partnership, both in life and in work. Read about their unique story into business ownership below!

Q: What made you want to own a business?

Doug: What really made me want to own a business was the number of hours I was required to work in my corporate job and being on call 24/7. I realized that I had a non-existent work/life balance, and I wanted control over my schedule and lifestyle. 

Kristi: I've owned a few businesses before -- small scale, bootstrap ones -- and enjoyed the ability to create my own destiny. This time, I was excited by the prospect of having an established brand and processes in place. And to echo Doug, there's the appeal of having more control over our schedule -- both in terms of lifestyle and financial destiny. 

Q: Why now - what was it that made you take the leap? 

Doug: I had reached a time in my career where I felt I'd lost sight of my priorities. This was a good way for me to take a big step back and reset those priorities. I had hit a bit of a ceiling in my career. I'd been at Coca-Cola for 16 years and worked my way up to number two in charge of the plant we were running. I knew that was as far as I could go and that it was time for a change. 

Kristi: I am a firm believer that there's never been a better time to start a business: the resources, the programs, the internet, automation -- it really is the best time to start a business in history. 

Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of joining a franchise system? 

Doug: It was really Kristi's idea to start looking at franchises! I've only worked for two companies in my life: the U.S. Navy and Coca-Cola. So I knew I preferred operations with a set process in place.

Kristi: You cannot be an expert at everything. Doug and I have different strengths that we bring to the table. Most small business people think they have to be a jack of all trades, but with this type of setup you have experts in different areas -- training, marketing -- resources and people to fall back on. It really does feel like a proven model and a shortcut to success. 

Q: Why WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, what made this the right fit? 

Doug: We looked at a lot of different franchises. Our territory (Houston) was wide open, so that's what originally drew me in. As we kept meeting with Franchise Development Managers and going to Discovery Days, what sealed the deal for us was the culture. I come from a Navy background, where you're only as good as the people you're working with. Not one time did we talk about painting -- because it wasn't about that. It was all about the people, culture, and leadership. 

K: We had a franchise coach who really helped guide us in the right direction. We went to a few different Discovery Days, but when we did the one with WOW 1 DAY PAINTING we actually got to talk to the leadership team, including Erik and Brian. The fact that they were so invested in making sure it was a good fit gave us lots of confidence that we were making the right choice.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about being a business owner?

D: For me, it's about building a highly successful and organized team. Since I won't have any barriers in place, I'll be able to build a culture the way I want to build it. At the end of the day, it's all about treating people right.

K: I am definitely looking forward to the financial rewards of the business, but that's not my main motivator. Doug and I believe in giving back to the community. This franchise will put us in a better position to do so. 

Q: What are your passions / interests / hobbies - what makes you happiest and motivates you? 

K: We live on a small acreage with horses; we actually have a couple of world champions here in the backyard! I'm also an avid reader, card player, bowler and love spending time with the family. 

D: I enjoy playing golf, and being able to set my own schedule means I can now play golf once a week. We'd also like to travel and go on more vacations, do some things together that we never had the time or opportunity to do before. 

Q: Tell us about your territory, what makes it unique?

D: Northwest Houston -- an area we've lived in for many years -- is continuing to grow further and further out. Part of our area is the number one fastest growing city of its size in the U.S. 

K: This is a phenomenal area with so much opportunity. I come from a real estate background, so I already have tons of connections here. Most people who live here are busy, have a good income and take great pride in their homes, making them our target clientele. 

Interested in learning more about our business opportunities? Find out more here

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