I’m Sara Waskow, FranNet’s Market President for Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma.
I’d like for you to meet a former client of mine, Crystal Drumgoole. Back in the fall of 2018, she became her own boss, operating as the Owner and Certified Senior Advisor of Oasis Senior Living franchise in Fort Worth, Texas.
With the assistance of FranNet of Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma, Crystal Drumgoole took her Entrepreneurial Readiness Profile and began the franchise investigative process that would lead to owning a business of her own. Below, in her own words, she shares her journey…
Our Background
“I’m married with two children and live in Fort Worth, Texas. After studying Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, I began working as an investment research event manager. I later leveraged my project management skills to transition over to learning and development / talent management in various industries. I had a pretty well-rounded Act One of my career.”
On Becoming an Entrepreneur
“My Grandparents were part of my inspiration for wanting to be an entrepreneur, as well as help people. In addition to serving others globally and in their own local community, they owned multiple successful businesses, including a print shop and an apartment complex. Learning about their career journey offered me a front row seat to witness how being your own boss had many advantages. Like a lot of other employees, I had also experienced a corporate layoff. While interviewing, there came a point in which even the replacement jobs just didn’t appeal to me anymore.”
Why Franchising?
“Before I began investigating franchises, I conducted my own research through networking groups and found the business model appealing. I could see that with franchising, you didn’t need to build a business from the ground up—which was important and allowed me to have a faster start.”
How FranNet Helped
“I met Sara Waskow with FranNet of Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma and began what I would call a very ‘objective’ process of figuring out what could be next for me. After completing my profile with her, I looked at several different franchise concepts. A couple of the matches were a little surprising, but the other few were interesting. It’s safe to say that I came into the process with a few preconceived notions about what I wanted in a business of my own. First, I wanted to do something that I enjoyed but would also enable me to replace or exceed my previous corporate salary. I did want flexibility and a concept that would challenge me personally. Most importantly, I was looking for a business opportunity where I could help people and feel rewarded for my service. In all, the tools and expertise provided by Sara and FranNet were invaluable. I never felt pressured to make a decision I didn’t agree with and 100% of the focus was on marrying the different things I wanted to accomplish.”
Where Do You Stand?
“I settled on Oasis Senior Advisors and signed my agreement in the fall of 2018, so I’m approaching my third ownership anniversary. I was very involved in my Grandmother’s Care in my mid-20s and experienced what some of the families I currently work with are going through, so I could personally relate to the need for the service Oasis Senior Advisors provides. The whole value proposition of Oasis Senior Advisors checked all the boxes I was looking for. The opportunity to connect with other franchisees for validation played a significant role in helping me make the right decision. During my first year, I got off to a fast start, followed by a slight lull, but ended up demonstrating our value proposition to some major referral sources after being in business for about 6 months. That got me a nomination for the brand’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. The next year, 2019, I won their ‘Rising Star’ award, and my business grew by about 70% in 2020 during the pandemic. I’m really happy with the way things turned out. Oasis Senior Advisors is the perfect fit for me as a business owner—and that’s because I could relate to the personal experiences of my clients in a meaningful way.”
For more information, please visit Crystal Drumgoole’s Oasis Senior Living franchise on the web.