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Kathi Burns  0:04  
Hi there, I'm board certified professional organizer Kathi Burns. I'm really glad you're here. This podcast is designed for busy entrepreneurs just like you who want to take better control of your business and move forward with less stress and more success. If this is your first time listening, then thanks for coming. The Organized Energized podcast is produced for your enjoyment and show notes are found at ThePodcast@OrganizedandEnergized.com. Come back often and feel free to add this podcast to your favorite RSS feed or iTunes. You can also follow me on Twitter at organizing energy and Facebook. All links are in the show notes. Now let's get into the show. Hi, everyone, I'm with Phyllis Pieri. She's a certified Franchise Executive, a speaker and international best selling author. She's also a franchise coach and consultant. She uses her passion for the past 35 years to guide fledgling entrepreneurs through the franchise selection process. What an interesting niche. And I'm here to talk to Phyllis about this so you can learn all about it. I know there's a lot of women who are doing the great mass exodus and maybe looking for something to do. And that's why I have Phyllis on the podcast today. So welcome, Phyllis. It's so glad to meet you. And so good to see you.

Phyllis Pieri  1:20  
Thank you. I'm so happy to be here. This is really special for me. And I love helping women. So this is going to be a great time for us to chat.

Kathi Burns  1:30  
Excellent. Okay, so I always start with how do you get into franchising? Phyllis, what's up with that? That's an interesting niche.

Phyllis Pieri  1:38  
That is a very good question. So I got into franchising in the 70s. I, my this is the honest truth. My sister called me and she said, Hey, we're getting ready to do a trade show. Would you come stuff envelopes? Sure. I'm one of those that you asked me to do something. And I'm always sure I'd be happy. I've always been willing. So I go there. I stuffed the envelopes. And then they say, Well, we're doing the show this weekend. Will you come with us? Sure. So I'm the hook on the booth to entice everybody to come in. So after the trade show, they asked me to come back on Monday. And this was it, sir speedy printing in Newport Beach, California. So I show up on Monday morning, and the sales guy comes in. And I'm like 20 years old, right? He comes in and he looks at me and he said, Hey, fellas, I've got the stack of blue cards of people that signed up. They were interested, would you call them a book of some appointments for me? Sure. So I did. And that started me seriously in the franchise industry. And I've never left. So. Yeah. And it was willingness it was willing to assure I was open and willing to try anything. Why not?

Kathi Burns  2:46  
Absolutely. And I know you've owned several franchises. What do you feel is the challenge that you help people solve? Because I know you've had several yourself. How do you help people choose their franchise? Like if they want to do something like this?

Phyllis Pieri  3:01  
Right? If that's a really good question. And I'm really passionate about helping people make good choices, because there's like 4000 franchises out there. Like any industry, we've got the good, the bad, the ugly. And what I do is I take people through a fun exploratory experience, where they kind of get to know themselves better. And I identify the key characteristics they want in a business. And then I help them do the research on these different companies to make sure they're asking all the right questions. Because my goal is for you not to get sold. My goal is for you to find a business that you'd love that you walked into, you know exactly what you're walking into. And you know, if Bill can do it, I can do it. All you have to do is follow the system.

Kathi Burns  3:54  
Yeah, absolutely. And finding the right fit is is the thing, a lot of people don't have the time to create something from scratch. And having something that's kind of a proven method given to them that they can actually implement is a wonderful thing. Now, what do you think? What's your favorite hack? Or what's your best piece of advice for entrepreneurs, who are feeling a little bit stuck with what they're doing? What's a hack that you can create more freedom within your business?

Phyllis Pieri  4:26  
Well, see, for me when I got into franchising, I got into franchise sales. Because I needed I had a special needs daughter and I needed time and freedom I needed to I needed to have the freedom. So I've been a business owner, my whole career. And the reason I've been a business owner is that I needed I've never understood why do people have to punch a clock and go to a job and do all those things where if they had their own business. Hello, you're the boss. So if you're in your business and you've got a doctor's appointment,  you out have to go to Billy school appointment. You can go, you're the boss. So, you know, that's. So I think my biggest hack and the thing that I help people with is to ask enough questions to talk to franchise owners and make sure they're getting into something they really love.

Kathi Burns  5:16  
Yeah, because if you really love it, it's not so much of a dredge for sure.

Phyllis Pieri  5:21  
Yeah, you need to get up every day and be happy. You know, there is so much data right now about people that are in jobs or doing things that they don't love. Why would you do that when you don't have to? And people don't realize when people think franchising, they think food. And quite honestly, food is about the last thing I'll introduce somebody to unless they're a foodie. Yeah, I introduced them to things they would have never dreamed of. Because they don't know they exist.

Kathi Burns  5:51  
Yeah. Our food industry is such a tough, such a tough business. If you had to say that you had one life lesson that you've learned through being a franchise owner? What would what would the big lesson be that business being in business has taught you as an entrepreneurial woman?

Phyllis Pieri  6:08  
I think specifically for franchising is understanding that they've got a recipe for us to follow and to follow the recipe. Yeah, I'll give you a true story. So years ago, when I actually got recruited by Sir speedy to come sell franchises for him, I went to the first convention, I was so excited. Now I'd been an owner, when the CEO said to me, why do you think you can sell my franchises? I said, because I love your company. And I did. And I love the business. And so I went to the million dollar round table. Now this was in the 80s. So a million dollar round table was a big, that was a lot of money. I mean, it's still a lot of money, but then it was really a lot of money. And I I wrote on the court, what's your secret? And the woman looked at the card, and she said, we follow the system. I said, No, seriously, what's your secret? She said, You know, it might sound trite. But the reality is, we follow the system, the system works. And I've never forgotten that, because nine times out of 10, if someone is not successful in a franchise, it's because they try to change and fix and do it their own way. And those people should never get a franchise because they're too entrepreneurial. And that's part of my job to find out if you are too entrepreneurial.

Kathi Burns  7:21  
That's really fantastic. Follow the formula, that's our big takeaway for this whole thing. And, you know, the same thing happens with my clients. And if they'll follow the systems that have been implemented and put into place, then they're golden. And if they if they go off on their own, or start doing the ADD,  squirrel kind of thing then, or try to reinvent, because as entrepreneurs, we're all inventors.

Phyllis Pieri  7:43  
Right?

Kathi Burns  7:44  
Follow the formula is the big thing. I love that. That's our huge takeaway. So what do you feel you've done this for so many years as I have, what's the biggest organizing obstacle that you've ever had to overcome?

Phyllis Pieri  7:57  
I think that the, for me, I do Chase squirrels. And I'm always thinking of different things. But I have had to learn to block time. And the way that I do that is I use this cue. It's the Commodore Pomodoro, the Pomodoro cube, and it has 20-25 minutes, I love this. And what I have to do is I have to turn close all my browser windows, because otherwise I'll get distracted. And I block time to sit and make phone calls, or whatever it is, that's really helped me, the other hack I have that I love is, and because I have several projects, right? I use these. Yeah, these these, they're color coded. And so I use them for you know, whether it's like, I have one for JV ology, and I have one for, you know, my clients and that type of thing. So that really helps me because I can see the color. And I can grab it and know that I make notes and the right one. And my third one is I've learned over the years, I'm very visual. So I literally have a board that I can see from my desk that has my key clients that I'm taking through the process that I can see them, and I can remember to call them because like an ADDer or I can get distracted and if I don't have it on my calendar, I'll forget. But that helps me to stay on track.

That's fantastic. I love all of those. I teach all of those your girl out my own heart. I'm always like, get a different notebook for each thing you're doing,  get yourself a notebook for each different task. And that way you don't have random notes and posting notes scattered all over the place.

Tracy, the other thing I mean, Kathi, I'm sorry, the other thing I've learned is to date it. So I dated off the top. So I'm not randomly going through I remember what day it was that I was having that conversation that also helps.

Kathi Burns  9:58  
Yeah, do you date on the date on the top right? Perfect. And what do you find for the Pomodoro? What's the 510? The 15? What seems to be your your sweet spot for doing your tasks? Which one do you use all the time?

Phyllis Pieri  10:13  
I actually use 20 minutes.

Kathi Burns  10:15  
20? Yeah, 20 is a good thing, you can get a lot done in 20 minutes, especially if you're focused on that. That's great. Okay, so that's huge. So Phyllis, as I know, you have something to offer to the people who are listening that are just like, a little bit interested in maybe becoming a franchisor. What do you what do we have to give them?

Phyllis Pieri  10:35  
So if you're curious about franchising, and you would like to consider investigating it, I if you go to my website, yourfranchisecoach.com/free gift, you will get a franchising 101 guide. And tha will give you an overview of franchising. But please know that my service is free. And when you work with me, I'm like an executive recruiter. So I get paid by the franchisor. If you get awarded a franchise, and if you do, that's how I get paid.

Kathi Burns  11:06  
That's fantastic. And it's all about the right fit. Because if the right fit for the person, then the franchisor is going to say, oh, yeah, they're the right fit. And it's a win win win. What a great resource. I didn't even really know people like you existed. So this is huge. So So Okay, for our final question, what's the one thing I should have asked you that you should be answering? What do people need to know about you that that'll give a value?

Phyllis Pieri  11:39  
What is the biggest mistake people make when looking for a franchise?

Kathi Burns  11:43  
Okay, let's hear it girl.

Phyllis Pieri  11:44  
They need to make sure and talk to franchise owners. And they really should work with a coach because people come to me with a preconceived notion of an idea or a business they want to try. And once I explain to them what the mechanics are, and what that day would look like, they go, Oh, I don't want to do that. And so working with someone like me, I will introduce you to something you love. And you could be up and going in 90 days. But they don't realize that that's possible.

Kathi Burns  12:15  
Right, right. And you don't know what you don't know. It's like I used to in the beginning of my career, I helped kids get into tech schools, the ones who weren't really college ready. And before I even get them to sign up for that tech thing, I go, go to someone and mirror the life of an electrical engineer, and stay with him for a day and see if you really like what he does on a day to day basis. Because it's is hugely powerful to actually see physically what people are doing before they jump into anything. Actually, you know, franchise, college, whatever.

Phyllis Pieri  12:48  
That's right. And you know, I think the thing one of the things I love about what I do is that people have it, they get to go, they can go visit the franchise owners, they can go spend a day with them. They can go see the day in the life to say do I really want to do this? Because I want you to walk in knowing you've done all of your homework and I help people make sure they get all those things, all the things checked off.

Kathi Burns  12:48  
Excellent. Well, gang, if you're looking for a new career, you're looking to shift and change and create a life more freedom, then absolutely check out Phyllis and what she has to offer. It could be your next business you just never know.

Phyllis Pieri  13:28  
Thank you so much, I appreciate being on here.

Kathi Burns  13:31  
Absolutely. I appreciate you're a great asset. So thank you so much, Phyllis, and I will talk to you soon.

Phyllis Pieri  13:38  
Wonderful. Bye.

Kathi Burns  13:44  
Hey, thanks for listening to this podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode. And if you want to hear more, feel free to subscribe on the platform of your choice. Also, if you feel so inclined, I would truly appreciate a good rating from you, to me. Have a stellar day.