EXIT STRATEGY

What is your EXIT STRATEGY

After spending 25 years commuting to New York City for a high-stress job in the finance world, Brian Testerman was ready to discover a new path.

When Testerman started his journey with a Career Ownership Coach^™ for The Entrepreneur’s Source^®, he was feeling battered and bruised at his current job. Testerman worked as a bond broker for more than 12 years and spent the first 11 years of his career working in the high-stakes, ultra-competitive world of finance at J.P. Morgan, an investment bank.

Individuals who suffer from Battered Career Syndrome^® face little to no job security and high employee turnover. Battered Career Syndrome is when you find out your job has been outsourced or that the company is considering cutting back. Initially, Testerman enjoyed working in finance and felt like he added value. Over time, he started to see the writing on the wall and realized outsourcing, automation and technology posed a threat to his future in the field.

“I was open to a new opportunity. I felt like automation and electronics were slowly creeping into my world. If an opportunity arose, it makes sense to begin again,” Testerman added.

On top of lack of job security and a dim future in his current role, Testerman worked long hours and did not have the flexibility to dedicate time to his wife and two tween daughters. His 55-minute commute was also taking a toll.

After a particularly hectic period juggling work and family, Testerman decided to open himself up to the possibilities of a different future and work with his cousin, Liam Hanley, to help discover a new path. Hanley is a Career Ownership Coach™ with The Entrepreneur’s Source^®, the nation’s leading career coaching franchise. Hanley helped Testerman realize self-sufficiency and find financial freedom through a series of evaluations and conversations.

Hanley started his own career as a Career Ownership Coach™ last fall after spending 20 years in the fashion industry. Exhaustion from his own long commute to the Big Apple led Hanley to find a new path. “There are so many ways you can control your own destiny. Most people have no idea about the possibilities out there. Coaching allows me to help people explore the possibilities, and it provides me with flexibility,” Hanley said.

Working with Hanley helped Testerman discover his Income, Lifestyle, Wealth, and Equity™ goals at no cost. Testerman realized he wanted to be in the driver’s seat of his future as a franchise business owner where he could provide hands-on help to local businesses.

“Entrepreneurship is something I’ve always wanted. Both my wife and I had jobs in the corporate world. Through different scenarios, there have been a few times where we weren’t in control of our destiny, and that has always stuck in my mind,” he added.

Franchising affords entrepreneurs the opportunity to take ownership of their careers with the training and support they need to succeed. Nearly 32 percent of Americans would not own a business without franchising, according to a study of 4,000 business owners by Oxford Economics. Franchises provide a roadmap and proven business model with brand recognition. While people typically think of fast-food restaurants or large footprint gyms when they think of franchising, there are countless low-investment opportunities in a wide variety of industries designed to help entrepreneurs succeed.

Franchise businesses are also vital resources in the local communities they serve. Franchises pay at least 2.2 percent higher wages than their counterparts. More than 65 percent of franchise owners also offer workers health insurance, and 76 percent offer vacation, holiday and sick leave.

“Franchising gave me the knowledge to start a business. It helped me start my new career quickly,” Testerman added.

Testerman opted to start a business where he could make use of his finance background and provide a valuable service to his clients. Schooley Mitchell offers a home-based opportunity designed to ensure clients are getting the best business services at the best price. Franchise owners help businesses identify billing errors, eliminate redundancies and improve efficiency to find ongoing cost savings for businesses. Testerman opened his business in August and is slowly ramping up operations by adding clients.

Discover Benefits of Career Ownership Coaching
If you are ready to discover your work-life balance and your self-sufficiency, visit The Entrepreneur’s Source^® to learn more about taking ownership of your career. Work with a global network of hundreds of Career Ownership Coaches™ to discover your career vision and check out our guide book, “Your Career 2.0^®: A Survival Guide for The Battered Career and Investor Syndrome^®.”