My name is Sara Waskow and I’m FranNet’s Market President for Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma.
I’d like for you to meet a former client of mine, Terry Rackley. When his previous career became more and more unfulfilling, he decided to try something different. He did the smart thing and took the entrepreneurial route to become his own boss.
With the assistance of FranNet of Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma, Terry Rackley became the proud owner of three StretchLab franchises across the Metroplex. In this client success story, Terry explains how he went from the telecom giants to setting his own schedule…
Background
“I’m married with two kids, originally from Atlanta. In my previous life, I was heavily involved in the telecom industry. I handled retail, management, training, marketing, and operations for a couple of the bigger players such as Cingular Wireless and Verizon.”
On Becoming an Entrepreneur
“Like any other industry, telecom is pretty susceptible to mergers and acquisitions that have an adverse effect on job security. I could see things going a certain way, so rather than wait to get downsized, I took a voluntary severance package opportunity. At first, I looked at some of the other competitors, but I quickly found out that not all of these companies are the same in terms of salary and opportunity.”
Why Franchising?
“What I really loved about my previous job was the management—the people part of the business. I connected with FranNet and Sara Waskow to get the ball rolling, but I was already familiar with the franchising industry in general. What attracted me was the potential for a higher income level, and the flexibility to have some freedom if I needed it.”
How FranNet Helped
“After taking their Entrepreneurial Readiness Profile, it returned some interesting concepts. But StretchLab really appealed to me, thanks to my background and commitment to health and wellness. I’ve coached my daughter’s sports teams and enjoyed being a positive role model. There is just so much information out there about the different franchising opportunities. It’s overwhelming. Sara [Waskow] not only had the knowledge of the franchising industry, but also the connections.”
Where Do You Stand?
“I opened my first two locations, in Southlake and Keller, TX, back in 2019. My third location, in Colleyville, TX, opened this year in February. I decided to go the multi-unit path because all of the opportunity is multiplied by a factor of three. It’s certainly been a lot of work, but I’ve already been able to meet my revenue goals and the salary range I’d hoped for when I left Corporate America behind. StretchLab is an amazing concept. Obviously, I’m a client and since I began the stretching regimen, I’ve not had any of the nagging injuries I used to get playing basketball with my friends.
For more information, please visit Terry Rackley’s StretchLab locations on the web.