Diary of a Franchise with Neel Parekh

In this episode Neel and David sit down with Derek Dodds and have a leisurely conversation about how Derek found his calling. Derek currently runs WaveTribe , an ecological surf company, has an interest in Naked Armor , a wet shaving company, and serves an advisor to a publishing company he co-founded, 2 Seas Agency .  The path he took to get to those projects is anything but conventional. De...

In this episode Neel and David brainstormed, putting the podcast itself into the frame that they discussed in Episode 32: the three levels of entrepreneurship. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, do so, so that this episode will make more sense! Neel and David consider the podcast to be still at Level 1, aka "Podcasting for Dummies."  They discussed the origins of the podcast, why th...

In this episode Neel and David share the ONE BIG SECRET of successful remote local business owners. Okay, so the secret is...well you're going to have to listen to the episode to get it, but here are some of the other things Neel and David talk about: "Level 1" entrepreneurship, which is essentially like building and working in your own job "Level 2" entrepreneurship, which involves trying many di...

In this episode Neel interviews Johnny Robinson and Sergio Silesky, co-founders and owners of Orange Window Cleaning. Johnny and Sergio didn't grow up as entrepreneurs...in fact it wasn't until college when they found out that "anyone" could start a business and started a side hustle in residential and commercial window cleaning.  That side hustle became a real-deal business when they found o...

In this episode Neel and David discuss his upcoming disappearing act: he's going to be totally off-grid for the first three months of 2022. David has been doing meditation for 6-7 years now and sees a three-month off-the-grid training to be a teacher in the Vedic meditation tradition as the next step.  But he has a portfolio of businesses...what to do? Neel quizzes David on: What his endgame...

In this episode Neel and David tell you why they think New Year's Resolutions are no good and what they have planned for 2022. David is starting 2022 with a three month off-grid meditation teacher training.  Neel will be spending 10 days in Panama in the first quarter of 2022 doing some survival training.  They talk about the methodology they use to make plans for big events like these a...

In this episode Neel and David build on their "New Year's Resolutions Suck" episode by reflecting on 2021. Both Neel and David built strong romantic relationships this year, and also started this podcast. For Neel, that meant getting out of his comfort zone and engaging more on social media and elsewhere.  But it was also part of something that David had introduced him to the last time they s...

In this episode Neel and David discuss how emotions play into personal and business decisions, and a system for how to avoid making poor decisions. When Neel isn't running MaidThis he enjoys buying and selling real estate on the side and he recently got to closing day with a buyer that ended up being dishonest.  He recorded this episode on the day he got the news that the buyer was trying to...

In this episode Neel and David discuss their recent deeper dives into social media and why it's been a challenge for them. David has really been very active on Instagram and Neel has spent more time on Twitter.  Both of them have been less willing to be involved in social media in the past simply because they weren't entirely comfortable on various platforms.  But both of them have come...

In this episode Neel and David discuss the stress of running a remote local business. David begins the discussion philosophically by asking what the function of stress is within an evolutionary framework: it's there to give us tools to deal with a threat.  While we might not have to deal with a tiger chasing us, sometimes our body can still react as if that's the case, and we need to reframe...

In this episode Neel and David discuss the well-known abundance vs. scarcity dichotomy. Both Neel and David came from immigrant backgrounds which had a certain amount of scarcity baked into their upbringing and have had to unlearn some of that programming.  David notes that one of the ways he knew he was embracing an abundance mindset was the willingness to invest in himself. They also discus...

In this episode Neel and David talk about how to get started in acquiring a remote local business. While it can feel intimidating to get into the world of "buying a business" the reality is that like anything else, it's a learning curve but isn't nearly as complicated as it looks like from the outside.  One of the things David, who has gone through 16 acquisitions at the time of this recordin...

In this episode Neel and David give the BIG SECRET to taking your business to the next level. That secret is...being less available to your team! This helps: Empower your team Free you up from doing less valuable work so you can add greater value Give you the space to take three month mediation training retreats (like David wants to do next year) Level up your quality of life as a business owner E...

In this episode Neel and David discuss how to build your marketing strategy when you're just starting out. David sets the stage for the discussion by pointing out that every business wants a consistent, profitable stream of customers without too high of an acquisition cost.  How do you do that? Neel and David explain: Different channels (both online and offline) available to businesses Using...

In this episode Neel and David interview Giuseppe Grammatico, the Franchise Guide about all things franchise-related. Giuseppe was once a corporate executive who hated his job and looked for an exit strategy in becoming a business owner.  He chose to hire a coach to help him choose a franchise and in the process decided that's exactly what he wanted to do.  He runs the Franchise Guide an...

In this episode Neel and David discuss how timezones affect your remote local business, whether you are traveling for business or pleasure. David was running his business in Colorado for a few years before deciding to live in Israel for a year, and he was sometimes answering the phone in the middle of the night.  Neel wasn’t ever that crazy and brought on someone pretty early to help with cal...

In this episode Neel and David discuss the impact of where you live in relation to your entrepreneurial growth. Neel begins by stating his own preference for a larger city, where he will get access to more activities and a community that will push him to work harder.  He characterizes this as “big city energy.” David’s own preferences are split: he enjoys being out in nature, near the mountai...

If you're looking to start a local business or expand in your current business, your local market and competition matter a lot. Trying to rank on Google in New York is going to be very different experience than trying to rank in Omaha, and the competition and rewards differ from market to market as well. Neel pulls from his experience with analyzing franchise territories and David pulls from his a...

In this episode, we have a super special guest - Rohan Gilkes, Founder of Launch27 and MaidsInBlack. After 10 years working in corporate, Rohan got laid off from his banking job and starting a local cleaning company on a whim just to find some extra cash to afford his car payment. After scaling the business to over $20,000 in PROFIT per month within 8 months, Rohan decide to posted his story on a...

Have you ever wondered if a motivated entrepreneur can have zen-like calmness? In today's society, being very calm and highly driven seem to be at odds with each other.  Today's episode is about dispelling that myth and discussing how mediation and spirituality can drastically improve your entrepreneurial journey and help you live a more meaningful live. Neel & David discuss: The current...

Cam Woodsum left the tech world in Silicon Valley and found himself on the digital nomad path. Within a handful of years, he was able to achieve 'financial retirement' through his affiliate website businesses and other ventures. Cam is obsessed with world impact, freedom, happiness and entrepreneurship, and now runs FreedomIsEverything.com and Nomad Impact Ventures. Before his nomad life, Cam...

Dating while traveling can be one of the most exciting experiences of your journey....but can also have some serious drawbacks.  In this episode, David & Neel discuss their experiences in finding romance while on the road and how you should be evaluating it yourself. You'll hear about: What types of people you’ll run into while dating and their mentality: travelers, expats, nomads, vacati...

Many entrepreneurs start off being "solopreneurs", meaning you're the only one managing everything and work only for yourself. As business owners scale, many want to start adding teammembers and building a team, which is when the shift happens to become the "CEO" of your company. In this episode, David & Neel dissect:  Why is it so hard to go from solopreneur to CEO? Is it even worth it?...

If you've ever struggled to find your tribe of like-minded people, this episode is for you.  David recently moved into a coliving community in Boulder and has been experiencing the joys of building his own community at home with new people. In today's episode, David & Neel discuss: What is a coliving community and why you should live in one How to vet & find a coliving community that...

Today's episode is final episode (Part 3 of 3) in what we call the "Acquisition Series". David & Neel dive into two recent acquisition opportunities, one of which closed successfully, and discuss the closed sale, the diligence process, and lessons learned. You'll learn about: An acquisition opportunity for Neel and the plan for how he would immediately increased value overnight What multiples...