With the assistance of Sara Waskow, Market President and Franchise Consultant for FranNet of Dallas-Fort Worth & Oklahoma, Alan and Regina Miano have made their entrepreneurial dreams come true—owning a business operation of their own. The husband-wife co-owners are ready to share their franchise ownership journey as the new owners of PetBar in McKinney, Texas. Below, in their own words, Alan and Regina share the tale of their journey with FranNet…
Background
REGINA: “After graduating with honors from college, I became a schoolteacher who transitioned into HR and talent management. I had the opportunity to work with several Fortune 500 companies, primarily working in sales, training, and human resources, eventually rising to the VP level.”
ALAN: “I graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in marketing and retail. I began a career with Neiman Marcus that would last for over three decades. During my tenure there, I had a chance to do it all—buying, management training, e-commerce, and a good deal of work in the operations department.”
On Becoming an Entrepreneur
REGINA: “In 2016, I more or less branched out on my own on some hardcore HR projects. It was a successful time for me, but Covid put a stop to all of it and I became a downsizing casualty. We had talked about franchising and business ownership from time to time, which seemed an attractive proposition. I had gotten to the point where I was really tired of corporate politics.”
ALAN: “After 31 years with Neiman Marcus, I found myself in more of a niche position with the company, but I was targeted for downsizing when Covid hit. Even though we found ourselves out of work at the same time, we were both ready for a change that would put us in charge of our own destiny.”
Why Franchising?
REGINA: “The proven business model of franchising was the reason we decided to go this route. Once we began investigating PetBar and had the opportunity to meet the founders, Dan and Ashley O’Loughlin, it was an instant fit. They were looking for family owned and operated locations and community involvement was very important to them.“
ALAN: “Franchising just seemed an advisable route to business ownership for us. PetBar, the way it’s designed, allows Regina and me to use our different experiences and strengths to complement and support one another.”
How FranNet Helped
REGINA: “Sara [Waskow] was very unique in her approach and thanks to her own experience as a franchise owner, she was able to provide exceptional advice during the investigative process.”
ALAN: “We took the assessment tests and Sara presented us with several concepts that aligned with our strengths and preferences. She never tried to steer us in a particular direction. There was never any pressure to make a decision and we never felt like we were being ‘sold’ on any one particular business model. Sara educates you, then gives you the options you need to proceed.”
Where Do You Stand?
ALAN: “We only recently became PetBar owners, but the final stages of the investigative process really demonstrated that we were making the right choice. The validation from other owners was great and we had first dibs on choosing the territory we wanted. We really hit it off with Dan and Ashley. The input we share is very free flowing and—while it is still a franchise—there is still some autonomy left in the franchise owner’s hands. We opened our McKinney location in September of 2021, and it’s provided us with a whole new avenue to work with pets and our community. We’re planning on opening our second location in Frisco next year, with two additional locations to follow. PetBar ended up being the right choice for us and our own dogs, Finn and Leah, love having access to their very own boutique. We’re excited about what the future holds.”
For more information, please visit Alan & Regina Miano’s PetBar page on the internet.