With the assistance of FranNet of Houston and the Gulf Coast Region, Tobias Judd has recently added franchise ownership to his career portfolio, as the proud new owner of Monster Tree Service franchise, a business that offers full-scale tree pruning, removal, stump grinding, shrub maintenance, emergency services, plant healthcare and various other arbor-related services.
Below, Tobias Judd shares a testimonial of his background, career path in the oil and gas industry and his future plans in the latest edition of our weekly blog series.
Background
“I’m married with two elementary age kids. I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and got my MBA from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. I spent the next 23 years working for a large oilfield-service company, where I held positions related to project management, data integration, analytics, and other professional consulting services. This work took me all over the world, but due to challenges in the O&G industry and stay-at-home orders mandated by COVID, my position was eliminated.
On Becoming an Entrepreneur
“After spending a couple of months picking up the pieces and starting to apply for jobs, I quickly realized a lot of things in looking for work. The typical job search, and the networking that goes with it, were hampered by COVID. The idea of remaining in the oil industry was enticing, but I didn’t want to be back in a similar situation again, another five years down the road.
Just the same, the idea of pivoting to entrepreneurship is easier said than done—especially during a pandemic. In the end, I figured business ownership of my own was a unique opportunity, considering all of the current circumstances, and I wanted to take a swing at it.”
Why Franchising?
“As part of my severance package, I was given a career coach who helped orient me and guided me through some different options. One of the things I began to explore, after getting my resume up to speed, was self-employment through small business ownership. And one of my options for small business ownership was franchising. That’s when I remembered I’d previously connected with Diana Trondsen on LinkedIn several months back. I gave her a call and we go the ball rolling.”
How FranNet Helped
“I wanted a franchise opportunity that did not only replace my income but offered significant upside with real growth potential. Diana Trondsen presented multiple franchise concepts to review and we screened those that had a business model which matched up with my strengths and lifestyle goals. She not only supported me in the journey, but also introduced me to various contacts needed to fund and start a business of my own. But what really helped was Diana’s advice and experience she shared in running her own business. She offered an owner’s perspective of the practical side of operating a business as your own boss. Diana helped lead me to a resale opportunity for Monster Tree Service in Houston that includes not one territory—but 10!”
Where Do You Stand?
Since closing on my Monster Tree Service franchise, the brand was ranked 71st out of 500 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500. Monster also ranked No. 1 in the Lawn and Tree Care Category. We’ve got a lot to look forward to and I’m enjoying working for myself for a change, instead of someone else.”
For more information, please visit Judd’s Tree Service on the web.