Overview: Franchising looks simple from the outside. Pick a brand, sign the paperwork, open the doors and watch the money roll in. But according to franchise consultant Melissa Lewis, known as The Franchisologist, that mindset is exactly what leads entrepreneurs into expensive mistakes. In this blog, we break down her conversation with Don Williams on The Proven Entrepreneur Show, covering what separates a smart franchise decision from an emotional one, why systems scare off certain entrepreneurs, and what a well run franchise actually looks like years down the road.
Most people fall in love with a franchise before they understand a single number behind it. They see a coffee shop they enjoyed on vacation or a gym they belong to and suddenly picture themselves as the owner, without ever checking if the business model fits their life, their budget or their goals.
This is exactly the trap Melissa Lewis has watched entrepreneurs fall into for over two decades. As a franchise consultant and matchmaker, she guides small business owners and corporate professionals through an analytical process before any emotional decision gets made. Her approach blends business research, franchise evaluation and honest self assessment, helping clients avoid the classic mistake of choosing a brand based on excitement instead of fit.
The conversation also digs into what happens after the paperwork is signed. Franchising is not just about buying into a proven business model, it is about joining a community, adapting to a new identity as a business owner and understanding the long term vision behind franchise ownership, income diversification and eventually building something that can run without constant hands on involvement.
For information on how to work with Don visit us at https://donwilliamsglobal.com
You can also reach out to Don Williams at https://provenentrepreneurshow.com
Watch the episode here
The Franchise Matchmaker’s Guide: How to Pick a Franchise Without Losing Your Shirt
Hey, Don Williams here with today’s episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show. Today’s guest is known as The Franchisologist. She’s helped and helps entrepreneurs turn great businesses into scalable, sellable franchise brands. If you’ve ever wondered how to multiply your impact without multiplying your hours, you’re about to get a master class. Melissa Lewis, welcome.
to the show.
Thank you for having me. I’m so happy to be here.
I’m so thrilled
for, yeah, I love your shirt. You know, and so
Brand.
today’s going to be a little bit of a gratitude fast. I’m just saying. and let me say this before. So I met Melissa a couple of weeks ago, maybe. Okay. And, in that relate the, that meeting was the result of a LinkedIn, an effort we do on LinkedIn. Okay.
Yes.
And, and.
man, you can meet some really nice people if you’re open to it on LinkedIn. So we had a great conversation. And then she sent me this card, handwritten, like the real thing, things I teach my clients is like, don’t get the machine, actually write it out. Okay.
old school.
And the card, I won’t read her personalized text, but the card starts out plant kindness.
and harvest gratitude. Thank you. And so, and then she’s got her grateful t-shirt on today and her
Thank
blouse. so anyhow, I’m grateful. Before we get into the interview, Melissa, tell us about your business, who you serve, how you do it. Tell us all the business stuff.
Okay, you got it. I do want to agree with you that the art of thank you cards and gratitude with our busy world, those little touches mean so much and I know they mean so much to me when I receive one or even my kids. It’s the first thing in the mail. So, and that’s honestly, I think how we connected so much was because the thread and the root of gratitude of such a life changing piece of
our lives just really was a great connection piece. So I’m happy to be here. Thank you for having me and inviting me on your show. So what I do, I match people to franchises. So most people in today’s world are looking for options. They might not know it’s a franchise. Honestly, most people don’t, but they’re looking for another income stream, maybe some security, maybe some hope out there in corporate America.
Most people in today's world are looking for options. They might not know it's a franchise, but they're looking for another income stream, maybe some security, maybe some hope. Share on Xjust feel like the system’s changed a little bit. So having diversification, multiple streams of income is kind of where we’re going. And so when people look at franchises, they have a tendency, as I did when I got in the industry, you go online, you look what’s out there. There’s like 4,000 franchise brands. So right, their heads explode. Like they don’t know which ones make sense, which ones make sense for me, my market, our good companies.
So then they put on what I call kind of a consumer lens. They start looking at franchises of things they like. Once again, where I started, where most people start, the challenge is that’s where I see people make mistakes and have for 25 years I’ve been in the industry because they know more about the widget, but not really if the business model fits them. And they don’t know really is this business right for me. So that’s what I do is I help them figure that out. We take more of an investor lens and
People put on a consumer lens and start looking at franchises of things they like. That's where I see people make mistakes, because they know more about the product than whether the business model actually fits them. Share on Xunderstand their lives, their time, their vision, their skill sets, their budget comfort zones, match them to ones that fit them. And then I teach them how to do the research. People just don’t know how do I get the information? How do I know I’m making a good decision? But I do know that I’ve been doing this a long time, 22 years now, I’ve had my business. So I teach them that. So they’re empowered and now know how to make an educated decision. Does it make sense for me or not?
I love that. You’re the franchise
you
matchmaker. Yeah, that’s great.
No.
Okay, so, you know, the average entrepreneur is kind of maybe system adverse. Maybe.
Maybe.
And franchises are the opposite of that. They are systems. Yeah. So,
systems.
so what?
Kind of identity shift does a system adverse entrepreneur, and they’re not all system adverse, but it’s not uncommon that they’re loaded with ADHD and kind of resist boundaries. Yeah.
being in a box.
So what kind of identity shift does that type of entrepreneur have to make so that they can build a franchise that runs without them?
Yeah, that’s a really good question. So to your point, do I believe all entrepreneurs should be franchisees? No. Do I believe that there are a lot of people who are entrepreneurs that get into franchises who have been very successful? Yes, because I’ve worked with a lot of them. But I also understand
Most of them, not all, but most of them have a tendency to want to spread their wings a little bit and not be stuck in the proverbial box, if you will, right? So different franchises like would they like McDonald’s? Maybe. But would they feel restricted? Probably. Would they like maybe a little more ground floor franchise where they’re involved and they’re putting their hands in? Possibly, right? So there’s different franchises for different people.
Would they feel restricted by a rigid franchise, or would they like a ground floor franchise where they're involved and putting their hands in? There's different franchises for different people. Share on XWhat I have noticed on that’s really been interesting to me is that a lot of times when they get past the initial, like, I don’t know if I like a franchise and they do the research and I placed a lot of really successful entrepreneurs into franchises, they really appreciate not having to start everything from scratch, having some of that done for them and focusing on scaling and growing.
much faster than they would have on their own, especially if it’s, you know, they’ve started a few businesses and now they’re looking at franchises. They actually really understand the value, honestly, more than people who have never started their own business. So I don’t know if they have to give up any kind of identity shift, but maybe open the vision just a little bit more and say, what is my ultimate goal? And is the vehicle can I get there? And then will I feel comfortable in the culture?
I love that. so I think that you make a really good point that maybe every entrepreneur franchising is not the solution. the other point that just resonated is this, know, startups are hard and they’re
and you’re a lot.
always harder and more expensive and
Thanks.
longer than even the best estimate.
And so stepping into a system, okay, you get to skip all that. They did the startup a long time ago. Okay.
Startups are hard, they're always harder and more expensive and longer than even the best estimate. Stepping into a system means you get to skip all that, because they already did the startup a long time ago. Share on XYes.
And so you just get to step in at wherever they’re at now. And, um, and where there’s some real sanity in that.
in
the vision and the goal to get there faster, right? And scale more efficiently and effectively and faster. And the
Yeah.
culture, because it is very lonely to be an entrepreneur. You’re kind of at that top where a lot of people aren’t. And are you still building your business as a franchisee? Yes, but now you have…
collaboration, you have the franchisor, you have the franchisees, you have these other like-minded people with the same goal to continue to help you to build too.
Yeah, good point. Entrepreneurship can be very lonely. And in a franchise, you kind of have a built-in community because
Yes.
you have other people that are similarly situated as you. And then you have the big brother, big sister, the franchisor. They know darn near everything. And so you see for independent…
And even franchise holders, organizations like EO and YPO that basically provide community and they will tell you a lot of other stuff and they do, but basically community. So next question, what is the most expensive mistake you see entrepreneurs make when they try to franchise?
maybe this is somebody that’s launching a franchise when they try and franchise too early. So I’ve decided I’m going to do Don’s hamburgers and I’m going to try and be the next McDonald’s. And I try and do that too early.
It is very lonely to be an entrepreneur, you're at the top where a lot of people aren't. In a franchise, you have the franchisor, the other franchisees, and like minded people with the same goal, all there to help you build. Share on XGot it. So my specialty is in helping people franchise their businesses. But what I have seen with new franchises is they have a great idea and they’ve proven it. And you’ll find that most franchises, their corporate units, they’ve been around for a while. They’ve been successful. But the mistake that they make is, there, in my opinion, is there proof of concept enough? Right? So have they tried it in different places? Have they tried different types of
market or is it just one very successful unit or location they’ve had? But then I think what the biggest mind shift is that they have to understand when you become a franchise or a franchise or you’re in the franchise business. So if you have a business in hamburgers, you were in the hamburger business for however long until you franchise it. But now you’re in the franchise business.
And it’s all about supporting and coaching and growing and training and mentoring and collaborating and building a culture in a community. It’s not just about hamburgers anymore. So I would say on the startup side, becoming a franchise and a lot of franchise professionals get involved in newer startups because they don’t realize that that’s just not what they know and help them to make that that grow.
When you become a franchisor, you're not just in the hamburger business anymore, you're in the franchise business. It's all about supporting, coaching, growing, training, mentoring, and building a culture and a community. Share on XI think that’s real wisdom. You used to be in the hamburger business. Now you’re in the franchising business. Yeah.
franchise business.
Yeah. It makes perfect sense. So what, when a potential franchisee is evaluating a brand, you’ve taught them how to do the research and they’re researching and evaluating.
Are they buying, are they still buying emotionally? And what?
What builds trust? What’s a defining factor for that entrepreneur during their research?
Such a good question. So in my process, when I work with people and I tell them this all the time, it is an analytical process in the beginning. So as I said earlier, you can’t fall in love with the widget of the business because you get enamored or what is it called when you’re dating somebody infatuated.
and that’s what I did.
Imagine this really beautiful man or woman and so pretty and beautiful or whatever it is. You know nothing about their values, their morals, their anything. That’s what happens. People get so caught up and just, I love the product or service, but they don’t do the research. That is once again, the biggest mistake that they make. When I work with people, it is a very analytical process.
People get so caught up, they just love the product or service, but they don't do the research. That's the biggest mistake they make. Share on XThere’s a six step process. We learn the business model or they learn the business model. I’m coaching them along the way. They’re understanding what makes successful franchisees and the numbers. They talk to the existing franchise owners. They ask them all their questions. And then at the end, they meet the franchise or in person. They really see is their value and they meet the team and the culture. At that point, people don’t believe this. But to your point earlier,
they make an emotional decision, which is okay, in my humble opinion, if you’ve done the analytical research first, right? As long as you’ve done the numbers and written up your casual projections and talked to the HIZs and really analyzed this business, at the end of the day, does it feel right? Is it right for you? So yes, I do believe people make an emotional decision, and I’m totally okay with that if they’ve done the analytical research. If you…
make an emotional decision first and try to back it up with. That’s method for disaster in my opinion.
Yeah, if you do it that way, your brain will give you reasons why your emotional decision was right, if you start there. And
If you make an emotional decision first and try to back it up with logic afterward, that's a recipe for disaster. Share on XYes.
so it’ll say, I support you. Yeah, let’s find out. Yeah.
Right. They try to make it right. That’s
the whole reason I became a franchise consultant 22 years ago. I was with a really exciting, fun brand. It was a Hawaiian brand. We did coffees and smoothies and
We had two different types of franchise owners. Those that had done their research, most of them had worked with a great franchise consultant. They understood food costs and logistics and all the pieces of their business model. The other types of people got really excited. They would tell me things like, went to Hawaii on my honeymoon. I love coffee. And you’d be like, but what about the business model? Like you could tell they just weren’t ready. They just, didn’t know how to do the research. And I remember saying,
Like that’s my purpose is to help those people go in with their eyes wide open and know how to do the research they just didn’t know any better.
always pays to, experts are generally well worth the fee. Just saying, you you can learn on your own. just, it seems like it’s inexpensive, but it’s expensive. It is expensive. Yep.
What’s your time worth? That’s how I
always look at things, yeah.
It always pays to use experts. You can learn on your own, and it seems inexpensive, but it's expensive. What's your time worth? That's how I always look at things. Share on XIf we fast forward 10 years.
for that entrepreneur. What does a perfectly.
built, operated, franchise, look for them financially. Yeah. What’s it look like 10 years in.
What’s
their day look like? What do they want it to look like? Which is another thing we talk about in the beginning of the process is understanding their exit strategy and their why of where they want to go. I just worked with this really awesome entrepreneur who had had his own consulting business, one of the smartest guys I’ve ever worked with. And I make everybody write like a vision paragraph. What would they love? Why are they doing this? That helps me because I know
where they want to get to. So I’m showing them and aligning them to franchises that have other people who have accomplished similar things. And he continues, he’s so great, but he continues to thank me. He’s like, most is the only person who made me sit down and think, why, where do I want to get to? You know, and he wanted something that wasn’t just him anymore. He wanted to be able to build something, step back, continue traveling with his lovely wife and, you know, see that income coming in, not just
me doing the work. So you can build multiple units and put managers in place. mean most people what are they looking for? Probably a couple different things. One to have retirement be I work when I want. Like I find retirement and I’m sure you you find this as well. It’s not like
work for a company and retire and do nothing and rot on the couch anymore, right? We want to stay active physically and mentally and have income coming in and live longer and live better. But on our terms, like when we want to work, maybe a few hours a day, maybe coaching the team, be able to travel and still have money coming in, but stay excited and engaged and building something or maybe lead a legacy. You you can’t leave a job to your children, but
Maybe it’s a family business. So everybody’s different, but it tends to be control that they’re looking for of their time, some flexibility, and I think not just financial, but also stimulation mentally and physically too.
And I love the clarity of them writing that vision paragraph. That’s a pretty good exercise, Really, whatever you’re doing, it’s a lot easier to hit your goals when you’re really clear as to what they are. So, okay.
Everybody
I’ve worked with who has accomplished great things, they told me upfront what they were going to accomplish. And I’ll be honest, I have years that I’m like so laser focused. I had a few years there that I didn’t know why I was doing what I was doing. So I circled, I didn’t hit goals because I didn’t have them. But when I know where I’m going, you have a tendency to get there.
Everybody I've worked with who has accomplished great things told me upfront what they were going to accomplish. When I know where I'm going, I have a tendency to get there. Share on XThat is the truth. Okay, Melissa, I think you’re going to get a hundred people call you that want to explore franchises. So what’s the easiest way to reach out to you and the company?
So one thing I also want to mention, thank you. And yes, call me, I want you all. I want you all to,
Yeah. Yeah.
if you’re interested, you do not need to know you’re buying or want to buy a franchise. Nobody ever thinks that. But I do want to mention my fee is a free service because the franchise companies pay my fee when somebody becomes an owner with them. So somebody who’s exploring, it’s a free service to them to learn how to explore and be matched and how to do the research.
and reach out to me. You know can look up the Franchiseologist.com if you can spell it you get an A plus because I barely can but there’s no E it’s Franchiseologist.com you can just even give us a call and look me up on LinkedIn, YouTube. Yeah I would be happy to connect and help anybody out there who’s just looking for more. Maybe you’re at a point where corporate America just
They’re not your people anymore. You’re tired to layoffs or private equity or whatever it is. If you’re looking for something else and you’ve thought about franchising, I’d be thrilled to help you explore.
Love that. And so I want to put some emphasis on her fee is free because it’s paid by the franchise or, okay. So in case you didn’t hear that, her fee is free because it’s paid by the other side. Melissa, thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for your friendship, your mentorship, getting to know you and having me today. What a joy. Dawn, thank you so much.
I assure you the pleasure’s all mine. And folks, that’s today’s episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show. We’ll see you next time. Thanks.
