Documenting the New Venture
Gresham Harkless introduces this special episode as a “snippet of a snippet” intended to document his progress in launching Blue Star Franchise. This effort includes the development of a sub-site called Franchise CEO, designed to provide color and insight into the realities of building a business. Gresh was encouraged by the founder of the Franchise Brokers Association to share this raw journey, believing it offers high value to anyone starting a business, not just those interested in franchises. He emphasizes that the world needs builders to remain their unique selves and “run your own race” during the process.
Navigating Market Uncertainty
Gresh candidly discusses the current economic climate, noting a sense of “skittishness” due to layoffs, shutdowns, and the rapid rise of AI. He reflects on the philosophy of moving before being ready, acknowledging that while he may have started earlier than ideal, he remains optimistic about the long-term impact of his decision. While he mentally prepared for a challenging season, he notes that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face,” highlighting the difference between mental preparation and the reality of navigating a barrage of external challenges. Despite these hurdles, he maintains multiple “irons in the fire” to ensure stability and persistence.
Leveraging the Connection Superpower
The episode explores the specific challenges of the franchise broker business, where deals often take significant time and can fall through due to financing or personal candidate issues. Gresh observes that in a crowded market—similar to real estate—success comes not just from what you do, but how you do it. He identifies his “superpower” as being a “connection broker,” using his ability to ask deep questions and piece disparate elements together to find the right fit for his candidates. By leaning into this unique strength, he aims to distinguish his business and help those who have been displaced or are seeking new directions in a difficult economy.
Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2686-running-your-own-race-three-essential-tools-for-every-new-founder/
- Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com
- Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise
- Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment
- Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site – coming soon) – franchiseceo.co
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Transcription:
Gresham Harkless 00:00
One of the things I kind of look at and look into is that there's a really big opportunity, I think, for those people that are prepared for times like this. I mentally been preparing for a time like this. However, when it hits, it's a lot different. Everybody has a plan to get punched in the face, and I think that I wish I was a lot more prepared than I was. At the same time, I feel like I have many different irons in the fire that are going to help me to be to be stable, to be able to kind of get through, you know, all these challenges. Foreign.
This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast and this is a special episode, episode number 2287 of our I Am CEO podcast. And this is actually going to be a snippet of a snippet, so to speak. I'm just doing an intro because I've been starting to document my journey into starting what is now called Blue Star Franchise. We're also going to do a kind of sub site within CB Nation called Franchise CEO. So you'll see some links in the show notes related to that. But just wanted to give you a little bit more insight, give you a little bit more color in some of the aspects of why I'm actually doing this. Because one of the things I was doing as I was going through training to start up this new business was realizing and hearing from the founder of fba, the Franchise Brokers association, that it'd be really cool to document your journey going through and building this out. I think it's something that'll be super helpful, obviously, for people that are looking for and thinking about starting franchises. But frankly, if you're starting anything, any type of business, I think it's really cool to kind of just even see the journey and how it's been going from there. So I'm going to share a few of those snippets from the from the first couple of videos that have been created. But definitely, of course, subscribe to our YouTube. Check out a lot more where I figure out exactly where her Glennard post is. So I'll have that information that's available to you. But regardless, if you're a builder, continue to keep building. Continue to do your thing. The world definitely needs exactly what you're trying to build and needs you to be your unique self. So make sure to run your own race, because nobody can run your race like you. This is Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of day.
Gresham Harkless 02:05
All right, so I don't know what day on this franchise journey it is. But I hadn't thought about giving updates. But I said, hey, why don't I come in and give an updates. It's been a little while since I've actually chatted around, you know, what's been happening. I have about two possible candidate actually feel like a plan Spades where you say, I think I have three books that are possible. Four books in the possible. But I actually think I have two possible. They're all possible possibilities actually from what I've learned from this journey. It's just like it takes a while. So actually wasn't able to go back to sleep, so woke up, ended up getting a workout in. Woke the baby or the baby woke up so fed him. Been up since around two or so and just kind of working through all the things that are going on in my head. But also like, how am I going to continue to kind of keep this business up and get his business up and running. I always say I want to move before I'm ready. I think I've moved maybe to a lot earlier than what I should have. Before I was ready. However, I still think that and I'm still optimist. So I always feel like I'm gonna look back and I'm gonna say, hey, I'm glad I started what I did. Even though it was a challenging time. It's funny, I was listening to one of the support recordings they had with the brokers. I think it was deal help. So they have it like every week. I haven't popped in on one, but the one I was listening to actually said this was a unique year. There's a lot of kind of skittishness that is happening because there's so many things that are happening where they were talking about tariffs, shut down, you know, layoffs, massive layoffs. It's like there's so much. There's AI now. So there's all these things that are happening at the exact same time. It's just like one of those times of life where you're just like, wow, you know, I feel like I'm being barraged for many different areas, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. You know, just talking with people that have been laid off, you start to see and hear, you know, the pain that they have. But one of the things I kind of look at and look into is that there's a really big opportunity, I think, for those people that are prepared for times like this. I mentally been preparing for a time like this. However, when it hits it's a lot different. Everybody has a plan to get punched in the face. And I think that I wish I was a lot more prepared than I was. At the same time, I feel like I have many different eyes. Buyer that kind of helped me to be able to be stable, to be able to kind of get through, you know, all these challenges. And I think, honestly, the franchise broker business is one of those businesses where one of the reasons I looked into it, because I realized that when people and economies are not great, people start businesses. Do they start franchise businesses? You know, I haven't been able to kind of show that, but I know that they do. I know that there's brokers that are able to, you know, be successful, you know, during a time like this. But it's rare that somebody is successful from this, like, one year of being in the business. So that's ultimately, like, kind of what I'm seeing now. It does take time. And, you know, I think I would have gotten one deal. I feel like I could have had one deal, but the finances didn't work out. Also, personal issues for that candidate came up that, you know, kind of, you know, put him in a place where he wasn't able to kind of get the franchise that I thought that he would. And actually, I feel like we even agreed to and had a conversation around, like he was going to get started with it. I even gave him congratulations because I thought we were ultimately there. But, you know, I'm not sure, you know, what ended up happening. Overall, I'll probably get some clarity when I go to the conference, but just overall, just, you know, continue to kind of take one step at a time.
One of the candidates that I have is actually a. Has actually been laid off. So we'll see, like, if that goes in the direction. He actually had spoken with another broker. So I came in and gave him some different options because he wanted to kind of see what was more available to him. Gave him some options that I think were more in line with who he was and what he was seeking. But we'll see if he kind of takes those steps. It also was at a lower price point as well, too. So I think that that's another big thing. But at that, the other major thing is just kind of going through. And one of the things I did want to mention is that I feel like there's probably very similar real estate. There can be a lot of people that do what you do, but they don't necessarily do it how you do it. And I'm really big and dialed into people like my calls, pretty much like podcasts, and I ask a lot of questions, I learn a lot more, and I just really try to piece those things together. That connection broker thing is absolutely something like that's been my superpower of being able to connect one thing with another and see how these things kind of go together. And I think that that's where my power lies. So I think I'm really set up for this type of business. But that, you know, have another candidate that has been kind of ghosting me in the MIA has some hiring issues, so already has a franchise receive he added another one on and one who had some medical issues that end up going to the doctor. So we have all a whole hodgepodge of people.