Starting a flooring business is about more than making money – it’s about helping people feel proud of one of the biggest investments they will ever make- their home. We here at Footprints Floors Christian Franchise pride ourselves in our expanding family of passionate Franchise Owners that represent our brand on a daily basis. One of the things we like the most is the unique experience and story that each Franchise Owner brings to our company. Our latest Franchise Owner, Jimmy Whitehead is no exception. We sat down with Jimmy to understand why a successful oil and gas executive would make the jump into starting a flooring business in Oklahoma City.

Jimmy grew up in Choctaw, OK, which is only a 30-minute drive on Route 62 outside of Oklahoma City. After marrying his wife Jennifer in 1995, they moved to Dallas so he could complete his education by graduating with an MBA. His stay in Dallas only lasted 8 years as he found himself back in the OKC area after being hired by Devon Energy in 2005.

From Oil & Gas Marketing to Starting a Flooring Business

His time in the natural gas marketing industry was an undeniable success as he rose to the ranks of executive and ran a team of 15 marketing professionals. However, in his quest to climb the corporate ladder, Jimmy discovered that he wished to be the one making the decisions in his business, rather than having to follow others’ plans with little to no say in the matter. The core reason Jimmy wanted to explore entrepreneurship was to have control over the entire decision-making process instead of having to run things by several levels of management first.

Jimmy was also seeking an additional stream of income to support his family and act as a safety net in a worst-case scenario situation. A combination of being laid off in 2017 and seeing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic made him acutely aware of how important it was to secure financial security for his family. After brainstorming an initial list of options, an internet search delivered him to a flooring franchise opportunity. Since he has experience with flooring installations in his own home, he was intrigued to learn more about starting a flooring business with Footprints Floors.

One of the main factors in his decision to franchise with Footprints Floors, Jimmy tells us, was the outstanding corporate support he knew he could count on to turn his flooring business into a success. “I’ve always wanted to have my own business but was unwilling to give up the salary from my corporate job,” he says, adding, “Footprints allows me to take that leap with more confidence knowing that the marketing and call support systems are there to support me rather than starting completely from scratch. I believe these support systems will allow me to ramp up the business more quickly than I could do on my own.”

Starting a Flooring Business With Faith-Based Footprints Floors: Jimmy’s Experience

As soon as Jimmy began to dig deeper into our business model, he realized that he had found the ideal opportunity for him. What really hooked Jimmy in is the same thing that attracts many other Franchise Owners, not to mention our customers: our laser focus on quality customer service and ensuring that our customers are always receiving a pleasant and professional experience. Jimmy recalls his first meeting with our Founder Bryan Park and describes what stood out the most about Bryan’s attitude and outlook.

“Bryan Park is very down to earth,” Jimmy says. “Everything feels like a big family and they still seem interested in the objective of doing what is right, doing what you say you’ll do, and standing behind their work. I wasn’t looking for a big corporate situation that could just make me money, I wanted a business to run with a product that I can be proud of. It seemed to me like everyone pulls together to help each Franchise Owner do the best job they can.”

Jimmy and Bryan got to connect on a personal level during his Discovery Day when he got to spend the day riding along on different customer appointments, asking questions, and learning the fundamentals of our business. Jimmy was also able to meet other members of our team to gain a deep understanding of how we are and how we operate. What impressed him the most was that this was a day dedicated to getting to know real people, not sitting through a high-pressure sales pitch about starting a flooring business. This experience made it clear that he was in the right place with the right people!

The second half of the equation for Jimmy was the logistics involved in owning a Footprints Floors franchise. He was especially impressed with our dedicated corporate call center that handles appointment scheduling and lead generation for all Franchise Owners, as well as our professional-looking marketing materials-  something we hear often from our Franchise Owners! Instead of having to worry about generating new business, as they would if they were starting a flooring business from scratch, our Franchise Owners are empowered with the full support of our corporate team that provides the logistical and sales support they need, when they need it.

As impressed as Jimmy was, starting a flooring business is a significant financial investment and a true family decision. As a man of faith, Jimmy prayed that he and his wife would find the peace they needed to move forward with becoming a Franchise Owner. “I’d been praying that God would give me peace about making this move and just wasn’t feeling that yet,” Jimmy recalls.  “My wife was nervous about discussing the details but once I sat her down and went through all the details, she came back to me pretty quickly and said she had a huge peace about it and was ready to do it.”

Looking Ahead to Franchise Ownership Success in Oklahoma City

Jimmy is confident he will become a successful Franchise Owner with Footprints Floors because of his ability to relate to people and his long history of a strong work ethic and solid communication skills. He understands the importance of setting the right expectations and being completely transparent with his team and customers. He has every intention of continuing our trend of putting the customer first and always delivering a high-quality product.

Jimmy resides in Oklahoma City with his wife and four kids. They are very active in their local church. He also enjoys hiking, skiing, tennis, and home improvement projects. We are excited to welcome Jimmy to our family as the owner of our FIRST Oklahoma franchise territory and look forward to his future success as a Franchise Owner.

Ready to take the first steps toward starting a flooring business with Footprints Floors? Learn more about our outstanding economics, unparalleled support, and the freedom and flexibility our Franchise Owners are able to experience at our franchise website.