Success Stories
Former Pittsburgh Restaurateur Discovers Franchising
Former Pittsburgh Restaurateur Discovers #Franchising
James Blandi, a former restaurateur and turnaround specialist, relied on Career Ownership Coaching™ from The Entrepreneur’s Source® to tackle his latest business venture.
Blandi followed in his father’s footsteps early in his career as a popular restaurateur in Pittsburgh. The long hours, hectic schedule and unpredictability of running restaurants led Blandi to exit the business. He relied on his business acumen and connections gleaned from running three restaurants and managing more than 125 employees to serve as a turnaround specialist for struggling businesses in a variety of industries. Eventually, Blandi entered the corporate world to pursue a profitable and successful career in healthcare sales.
Feeling battered and bruised from the weight of his corporate job propelled Blandi to agree to a meeting with Phillip Macko, a Career Ownership Coach™ with The Entrepreneur’s Source®. The meeting changed the trajectory of his career and allowed him to discover the possibilities of financial freedom through entrepreneurship.
“Corporate America focuses on profitability, not on wisdom. With wisdom comes cost,” Blandi said. “I knew I needed to strike out on my own when I saw the trend in corporate America to hire younger people who cost less.”
TES Coach Helps Client #DiscoverPossibilities
Blandi relied on Macko’s insight, patience and counsel throughout his discovery process. The Entrepreneur’s Source® helps people find a path forward after carefully defining their goals, needs and expectations. Coaches at The Entrepreneur’s Source® hold clients accountable for their goals to help them achieve their vision and financial freedom. The pair worked together to discover Blandi’s Income, Lifestyle, Wealth and Equity™ goals. In addition to escaping corporate America, Blandi realized he needed a job that would generate a solid paycheck. He also wanted to make sure he partnered with a business that valued its employees and franchisees.
“Corporate America doesn’t embrace their employees,” Blandi said. “Your employees are a fount of information. The cultural diversity of your employees can bring you great amounts of information and insight on how to operate your business.”
Coach Cures #BatteredCareerSyndrome
During the discovery process, Macko shared his own experience coping with Battered Career Syndrome®. Macko kicked his corporate career in the music industry to the curb and started his career coaching venture in 2017. He was tired of frequent business travel that separated him from his wife for long stretches. In addition, changes in the music business led Macko to question the future of his corporate job and compelled him to discover a new path. “As an entrepreneur, I’m solely responsible for the success or failure that I receive. Franchising is a great option for people in the later portion of their career. We don’t have the bandwidth to start something from scratch,” Macko added.
Working as a Career Ownership Coach™ allows Macko to help people discover the possibilities of entrepreneurship and gives him the work-life balance he desires. He is able to work from the comfort of his home, which allows him to devote time to weekend warrior home improvement projects and hone his creative writing skills. Macko’s first fiction book, The Conduit, was published last month.
Entrepreneur Pursues #TheAmericanDream
After working diligently with Macko to do a deep dive into the financials of many franchise options, Blandi reached a turning point when he found Green Home Solutions, indoor air quality specialists. He admired their environmentally-friendly strategy and their corporate values. “I had a product that they were not aware of that fit their green methodology. They embraced my idea. The fact that they listen to their franchisees was really the deciding factor.”
Take steps to begin pursuing your #TheAmericanDream, by visiting www.theentrepreneursource.com to learn more about the possibilities that exist for your future. Work with a global network of hundreds of Career Ownership Coaches™ to discover your career vision or check out our guide book, “Your Career 2.k0®: A Survival Guide for The Battered Career and Investor Syndrome®.”