How A Google Search for a Franchise Changed Matt Gilstrap’s Life

He Googled ‘Home Services Franchise’ After Coming Home Exhausted From Back-Breaking Work… and found faith-based, Christian Franchise Footprints Floors!

We love having industry insiders give our home services franchise their stamp of approval. This time, it’s coming from another home services entrepreneur!

Meet Matt Gilstrap from Chandler, Arizona.

“I have been self-employed for the past 10 years and have created a few successful start-ups,” Matt says. “Currently, I own and operate a business called Elevated Epoxy Designs where I specialize in resurfacing customers existing countertops with custom epoxy designs.”

That’s right, Matt’s already a successful business owner. He operates a unique company that he started and built from the ground up.

So, what would make him want to add our home services franchise to his portfolio?

Well, it all comes down to his quality of life.

“I came home exhausted from an epoxy job and mentioned to my wife that I need to find a way to just do the sales and marketing for my business-the part I love – and find crews to do the manual labor,” Matt says. “We realized that my business was not scalable in that way, so I started researching franchise models.”

Matt’s quest for a better quality of life began that night. He recalls, “I Googled “franchise in the home industry” and started shopping for a new opportunity. I was honestly a little shocked when I read about Footprints Floors- it was exactly what I was looking to find!”

Matt Discovers Our Home Service Franchise

Like many of our Franchise Owners, Matt’s Footprints Floors journey started with a simple internet search and a thorough read-through of our franchise website, followed by the completion of a brief questionnaire to pre-qualify for our Franchise Discovery Process. It wasn’t long before Mike Edwards, our Franchise Development Director, reached out.

Mike helped Matt take an in-depth look at our home services franchise and evaluate whether awarding him a franchise territory in his Chandler, AZ hometown was the right move both for him and for Footprints Floors.

“He was very open that I currently have a great business and why not just build that up? I appreciated that Mike didn’t give a hard sale right then when he could have,” Matt says.

“I was clearly frustrated with my business, and we were able to talk about why my weaknesses were exactly Footprints’ strengths. I felt at that moment that my Development Director was looking out for his client’s best interest, and we could talk honestly about the strengths and weaknesses of Footprints.”

“This Time, I’m Not Alone”

As someone who has built a home services business from the ground up, Matt knows firsthand what it takes to keep it running on a day-to-day basis. This unique perspective ultimately led him to take a close look at the pros and cons of operating an independent home improvement company versus franchising with a brand like Footprints Floors.

Matt loves the entrepreneurial life. He loves sales, marketing, and project management. But the hours he was working, and the level of physical labor involved were overwhelming.

And there’s no long-term future in a lifestyle you can’t sustain.

Despite his excitement about a better work-life balance, Matt did feel some hesitation to leave his own company behind.

“I think I was excited to be a part of something bigger, but also intimidated to have to follow someone else’s business model,” he recalls. “[As an independent owner] I can call all the shots right now, which is both a blessing and a curse.”

But he quickly realized the benefits of signing on with faith-based Footprints Floors Franchise.

“As a successful entrepreneur already, your struggles and challenges are exposed daily. Footprints really fills the gaps in so many ways for my skill set,” Matt says. “I’ve made it this far as an entrepreneur because I am not afraid to take risks and pivot when I see a good opportunity. Joining this team, I will be able to leverage my years of success and failures. But with a team this time, not alone.”

Becoming a Home Services Franchise Owner

Matt connected with our extensive franchise support team throughout his new Owner Discovery Process. And he connected well with us during his in-person Discovery Day at our Colorado HQ. He shares how the entire corporate team’s attitude and inclusive vibe helped him to feel at home.

“The corporate staff was great, super laid back, made the Discovery Day flow really well, and made us feel welcome and comfortable. [Founder] Bryan Park is a great franchise leader because he has built the business from the ground up and has worked every facet of the flooring industry,” Matt says.

“He seems to truly love what he is doing and love serving others. He has a big vision for the company and his Franchise Owners and is just getting started. He’s excited and wants to bring us along for the ride!”

When Matt says that Bryan wants to bring other people along, he means it literally! Bryan took Matt and a few other potential Franchise Owners on a road trip to see our home services franchise in action and to answer any questions about Footprints Floors with total expertise and transparency.

“I liked when we got a chance to do the ride-along in his truck to different job sites and flooring stores. It felt very natural and you could feel his passion for the business, his employees, and the Franchise Owners,” Matt says. “[He was] just an open book and we stopped and had a lot of great talks. I felt like I was already in training and was just taking in his years of experience.”

This sealed the deal. Matt now owns a home services franchise that lets him keep his entrepreneurial freedom while gaining a healthy work-life balance.

“Footprints is the right fit because I love the home industry and I love being involved in a client’s remodel,” Matt says. “Their franchise model was so appealing because they deliver turnkey systems and I’m able to own my own business but have a team that has done it before leading the way.”

Getting Started With Our Home Services Franchise

After completing his comprehensive initial training session, this serial entrepreneur is raring to go! Matt shares that he’s filled with energy and optimism for his future.

“I’m really excited to get away from doing the manual labor and start doing the part of the business I love,” Matt says. “I am looking forward to wearing regular clothes and not painter’s attire. And just to be a part of a team, excited to have the backing of such a reputable company,”

He also adds, “I have a very flexible schedule now so if anything, I will be working a lot more which I’m excited about. I am looking forward to having some structure, I think I will be a lot more productive.”

Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. And we can give Matt a home services franchise with flexible operations, but we can’t force him to actually slow down!

We’re happy to see that, with faith-based, Christian Franchise Footprints Floors, Matt is able to channel his passion for entrepreneurship and the home services industry into a successful business that gives him back the most important thing of all — time.

If you’d like a business of your own that lets you live the entrepreneurial life, while maintaining the work hours you want, please visit our franchise website for more info.