We’re pleased to introduce you to Michael Brown, who just became one of our newest flooring Franchise Owners! Michael, who will be operating a Footprints Floors franchise location in Macon, Georgia, is used to managing the many moving parts associated with running a business. “I was in logistics- big box retail with Walmart, American Tire Distributors, and had a variety of positions at different distribution centers, and as a regional transportation manager,” he explains. He now plans to draw upon his 19 years of expertise in the field of logistics management as he makes the exciting leap into flooring franchise ownership. As he says, “I’ve been in people leadership for my career.”

It was at his most recent position as a general manager of a nine-building cold storage campus in south Georgia that Michael had an epiphany about the future of his career. “I was working 14-hour days, and driving an hour and 15 minutes each way to get there,” he remembers. “One day, my six-year-old son woke up at 4 AM and sat with me in the master bathroom as I was getting ready for work, just because he hadn’t seen me in weeks. I missed my birthday dinner- all my presents were just stacked up on the dining room table. My wife said, ‘Do you think you’ll ever get around to opening the presents everyone got you?’ I realized it was time to make a change.”

Determined to spend more time with his son Channing, now 7, as well as his wife Shanna and 2-year-old twins Chace and Parker, Michael decided to re-evaluate his career path and choose a new one that would benefit his home life and bring some much-needed balance to his work schedule. “I missed my oldest son’s first steps, his first words,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to make the same mistakes with the twins, spending so much time away.” 

Michael began interviewing for jobs with companies that were more local, to cut down on his commute time, but it still didn’t solve the problem of how many hours per day he would be expected to put in on the job. “Any job I interviewed for was going to be a 10 to 12-hour workday,” he explains. In the meantime, Michael received a call from a consultant at Franchise Destinations, and became interested in the possibility of investing in a franchise opportunity and becoming the owner of his own business. Out of around a dozen franchise concepts that the consultant shared with Michael, one stood out above the rest- Footprints Floors. 

As Michael began the flooring franchise Education Process with Footprints Floors’ franchise development director Brian Knuth, he became more excited by the simple operations, family-focused business model, and schedule flexibility offered by the Footprints Floors opportunity. He discussed the idea of investing in a Footprints Floors franchise with his wife, who was supportive and enthusiastic about how the company’s values perfectly aligned with their own as a family. “I started talking to my wife about it, and we both got really excited,” recalls Michael. “The emphasis on faith, family, business- she pegged it before I did! She mentioned the poem about ‘Footprints in the Sand,’ and how Footprints Floors fit in with our values. She really nailed it!”

Michael and Shanna flew to Denver for their Discovery Day, where they met Founder Bryan Park, as well as other Franchise Owners and members of the Footprints Floors support team. “When we got to Denver and met the team, we were sold right away!” he remembers. “I liked the camaraderie that all the guys have, the open communication, how everybody that we met was not only excited and supportive about the actual business, but also about their family lives. That’s important!” He adds, “If you hold your family in high regard, it speaks a ton about your character.”

Discovery Day cemented the knowledge that Michael already had about the Footprints Floors opportunity, thanks to the time he was able to spend chatting with Franchise Owners about their experiences with the company prior to his trip to Denver. “Every franchisee I spoke to talked about how supportive the team is,” he says. “They all had nothing but great things to say about the group in Denver, and when we got there, it really drove the point home.”  The consistent, strong support provided by the Footprints Floors corporate team was one of the key factors in Michael’s decision-making process, and he sees it as the thing that sets the flooring franchise apart from other opportunities in the Home Services space. He was also intrigued by the simple operations of owning a Footprints Floors franchise. “I like the fact that this can be done home-based without having to drive a van with 100 different samples or tons of tools and equipment,” he explains. “You actually have this great supportive team behind you, an awesome call center, the marketing hands down is fantastic.” He mentioned that the marketing support offered by Footprints Floors was a far cry from another franchise opportunity he had reviewed, that placed the bulk of the marketing burden squarely on the Franchise Owner’s shoulders. “They buy a franchise and then they have to go out and peddle their services,” he laments, adding, “How is a franchisee supposed to go out and sell jobs and make money-when they also have to worry about marketing themselves?”

As Michael gears up to open his Macon, Georgia Footprints Floors location, he reflects on what advice he would give to help a prospective Franchise Owner make the best decision. “I would say speak with the franchisees that are out there now,” he says. “Run the gamut- find the ones that have been there forever and the new ones that have been there six months or less. Franchisees that are out there- the excitement they have will certainly push you to sign. They were huge in helping me to make that decision.”  We’re excited that Michael and his family took a leap of faith and ended up as the newest members of the Footprints Floors team! We look forward to sharing more news about Michael’s Macon, Georgia location as he gets closer to opening his flooring franchise business. 

Do you see a bit of yourself in Michael’s story? Are your working hours beginning to outweigh the hours spent at home with family? Michael saw the Footprints Floors opportunity as a way to achieve a healthy work-life balance and be there for the important milestones in the lives of his young children. Our flooring franchise is currently awarding opportunities to like-minded entrepreneurs in select U.S. territories, and we look forward to speaking with people like Michael, who want to turn their years of career experience into a thriving, rewarding business of their own. Take a tour of our franchise website to get more information on our available flooring franchise opportunities, and learn about what sets us apart from other franchises in the Home Improvement industry.

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Steve Smith is a jack-of-all-trades in the truest extent of the term. After dabbling in a plethora of different careers, Steve decided to open a hardwood flooring franchise with Footprints Floors in Mesa, Arizona. A recent article from the East Valley Tribune chronicled his past and his excitement on his newest business venture with Footprints.

Originally from Minnesota, Steve Smith became the youngest state-certified EMT in the state in the 70’s, later joining a field artillery battalion as a medic. This inspired him to go on to become an OB-GYN for the Air Force in Illinois, assisting with the delivery of over 260 babies. “The military is really cool, it’s like a self-sustaining city and everything you need is there,” describes Steve. But, after spending eight years in the armed forces, he decided it was time for a change and moved to Arizona in 1989. 

There, Steve decided to go the managerial route, working for Circle K, where he won an award for managing the highest number of stores in the shortest amount of time. However, after 16 years, he decided to change things up once again, choosing to balance volunteering at the Gilbert (Arizona) Fire Department with being a 7th grade substitute teacher. Steve enjoyed these jobs, but being an avid M&M collector, he jumped when given an opportunity to become a territory supervisor for the Mars Chocolate sales team. He later went on to become a regional sales manager. Now, Steve is enjoying his latest adventure, owning and managing a hardwood flooring franchise with Footprints Floors. When asked about his motivations, Steve says, “I thought, ‘how do I get better control of my world?’ I don’t want to retire, but I would like an opportunity to pay for stuff when I’m not working so hard”.  It’s safe to say that we think Steve is conquering his newest challenge with ease.

While Steve Smith’s skill set may seem far from the average Franchise Owner, his hard work ethic and go-getter attitude are exactly what Footprints Floor Franchise Owners strive to embody. “I’m a free spirit, that’s what my mom would say,” says Steve. “I am excited by change, there are people that are change agents – those are the people that go out there and help other people adjust to change – and I’m a change creator, the one that will make change happen.” Not many people personify the type of change that Steve speaks of, and we’re very excited to have someone like him in our family. His diverse background is helping us to bring change not just to the Mesa, Arizona community, but to the flooring industry as a whole. 

Footprints Floors’ Founder Bryan Park may not have as diverse of a resume as Steve, but what the two do have in common is their passion for change. For Steve, it was change in his career and the desire to try something new. For Bryan, it was bringing change to an industry that was growing increasingly stagnant. That is exactly what he has done through Footprints Floors.

Bryan, also a veteran, saw that flooring customers weren’t getting the kind of service that they deserved. Projects were getting mismanaged and there was a serious lack of technology within the “old school” flooring industry. He believed that the industry could, “benefit from a more sophisticated approach and higher level of customer service.” So in 2008, right in the middle of the recession, he decided to start Footprints Floors, a company that could truly cater to the needs of flooring customers. At first, things moved slowly, but after several months, projects started flooding in at an alarming rate and Bryan realized that he had struck gold.

Today, our floor refinishing franchise has eight locations, including Steve’s Mesa location, with 12 more expected by the end of the year. Footprints Floors has found success not just from its new, refined approach and simplified business model, but by spreading its message to hardwood flooring Franchise Owners like Steve who are just as passionate about what they’re doing. In Steve’s own words, “The focus is not about selling floors. It’s about happy customers and spending time getting to know them.”

Steve, Bryan, and their fellow Franchise Owners weren’t alone in searching for a career that they were truly passionate about. If you are looking to find a stimulating, rewarding career owning a floor refinishing franchise, visit our franchising site today.

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