Unpredicted Entrepreneur

Welcome to episode 121 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur. In this episode, you’ll learn how leaving corporate franchise leadership can lead to a successful entrepreneurial journey. Discover the realities of building your own business from the ground up. Craig and Kristen Jooste share the raw details behind their decision to quit their corporate roles. This conversation explores the actual risks, the lon...

Welcome to Episode 120 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur. In this episode, you’ll hear how our special guest, Joseph Gozlan, approached commercial real estate after leaving a career in software engineering. See the critical factors for business success. Joseph shares his experience moving from software engineering into the world of commercial real estate. If you’re considering a career change or looking...

Entrepreneurship, franchising, and business growth - Welcome to Episode 119 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! Hosts Roxanne Rapske and Sara Waskow sit down with special guest Andrew Edwards, proud president of Gorilla Property Services. Andrew Edwards shares his inspiring journey from driving 3,000 miles with little experience to building a top Canadian franchise brand. In this episode, you’ll hear abo...

Welcome to episode 118 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! Discover how SCORE mentorship can empower small business owners and entrepreneurs as hosts Roxanne Rapske and Sara Waskow sit down with Bill Little, chapter chair of SCORE Dallas. With over 25 years in senior leadership at major companies and firsthand experience running a small business, Bill Little shares insights on planning, process, and the...

Welcome to Episode 117 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! Join hosts Roxanne Rapske and Sara Waskow as they sit down with special guest Laura Bradburn, owner of Outdoor Lighting Perspectives South Orange County, and known as Laura the Lighting Lady. After nearly 30 years in corporate America, Laura reinvented her career, embracing entrepreneurship and creative freedom. In this episode, you'll hear about...

Welcome to Episode 116 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur!  In this episode of Unpredicted Entrepreneur, hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske sit down with Ryan Junk, CEO of Beam Light Sauna and longtime leader in the health and wellness franchising space. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan Junk has been both a franchisor and franchisee, driving brand growth for companies like UFC Gym and CycleBar. I...

Welcome to Episode 115 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! In this episode, we’re excited to have Jesse Coslov, founder and CEO of The Dog Stop, as our special guest. Join Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske for an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship, franchising, and innovation in the booming pet care industry. In this episode, you'll hear about: - How Jesse Coslov built The Dog Stop from a passion...

Welcome to episode 114 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur. Today, you'll be hearing about the inspiring story of Joe and Jennifer Worrel, co-owners of Recoat Revolution DFW. After a sudden job loss and a commitment not to uproot their family again, they reassessed their future and chose business ownership on their own terms. Hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske guide the conversation as the Worrels get r...

Welcome to Episode 113 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! In this episode, hosts Roxanne Rapske and Sara Waskow sit down with special guest Shay Kleinschmidt, VP of Lending at FranFund. They dive into today’s lending environment, exploring real-world challenges like rising rates, tighter capital, and recent SBA shutdowns. Tune in to get the latest insights on: -  What’s really happening in the lending l...

Welcome to Episode 112 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! If you're looking to be inspired by real stories of business ownership and franchising, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske welcome Stephanie Valadez, Owner and Senior Care Advisor of Assisted Living Locators in Flower Mound and Denton County. Stephanie shares her journey from an HR professional with a p...

Ready to learn what truly sets successful franchises apart? In episode 111 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur, hosts Roxanne Rapske and Sara Waskow sit down with brothers Justin Donat and Raymond Donat, the founders of True North Restoration, to discuss the real keys to thriving in business ownership and franchising. Discover why building a business on strong values and company culture is more important...

In this episode of Unpredicted Entrepreneur, Mike Bahun, founder of ‪ Fundraising University shares his journey and how he's changing school fundraising. Discover innovative fundraising strategies and practical fundraising tips to help schools with raising money more effectively. This video emphasizes creating a more meaningful approach to school fundraiser efforts. You’ll hear about: How Mike Bah...

Welcome to Episode 109 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur. Today's episode is a masterclass in entrepreneurial reinvention! Join hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske as they welcome Mike Pearce, founder and Chief Development Officer of Renew Medic, to explore how decades of franchise experience, and a "retirement" that didn't stick, sparked an industry-changing venture.  Mike grew up in franchising, insp...

Discover how Dan Frey turned a career setback into the national franchise The Glass Guru! Learn about entrepreneurship, franchising, and innovation in home improvement in this inspiring episode. In Episode 108 of the Unpredicted Entrepreneur podcast, hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske sit down with Dan Frey, founder and president of The Glass Guru. Hear Dan's incredible journey from losing his j...

Ready to break free from the corporate world and redefine success? In Episode 107 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur, hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske sit down with Mudar Sapatwalla, CEO and owner of TeamLogic IT of HEB (Hurst Euless Bedford), to explore his remarkable journey from nearly 30 years in Corporate America to passionate business ownership. Facing looming layoffs and a desire for true inde...

Have you ever looked around and thought, “I can’t do this anymore?” That was the reality for our guest, Tonya Middleton, who faced underemployment, raising four kids, and feeling isolated in a new state. In this episode, Tonya shares her inspiring journey from feeling stuck to reigniting her purpose by buying her dream franchise, More Space Place of DFW. Join hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske a...

In Episode 105 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur, we sit down with Brigham Dallas, the owner and CEO of Hello Sugar, for a conversation packed with hustle, innovation, and an incredible story of growth. Discover how Brigham went from selling golf balls at age 7 to running the largest worm distribution business in America, and eventually building one of the fastest-growing beauty brands in the nation. He...

Welcome to Episode 104 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! In this episode, hosts Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske sit down with Christian Buck (COO), Thomas Reinhard (CFO), and Cal Freatman (CEO), the founders behind Cascadia Pizza, a food truck turned franchise success story! Discover how Christian’s wedding pizza recipes, Tom’s business insight, and Cal’s entrepreneurial drive turned a tiny, 300-square-...

Welcome to Episode 103 of Unpredicted Entrepreneur! In this must-listen podcast, we’re diving into franchising, small business ownership, and entrepreneurship with our incredible guest, Rod Floyd of CMIT Solutions of Arlington. Rod opens up about his journey from corporate layoffs at Verizon to running his own IT franchise, and the tough lessons he learned along the way—like the dangers of doing e...

Discover the truth about franchising and business ownership! In this episode of Unpredicted Entrepreneur, Sara Waskow and Roxanne Rapske talk with Joe and Mandy Chapman, owners of Stand Strong Fencing of Fort Worth, about their journey from the mortgage industry to running a thriving fencing franchise.  Learn the real benefits of franchising, how support from Horsepower Brands helped them scale qu...

"People get caught up in paying a royalty, thinking of it as an expense. It's really an investment. You're able to leapfrog years of trial and error. I'll give you an example. The typical non-franchised home service business has an average revenue of $100,000to $200,000 the first year, whereas in a system like ours, the first year is a half million average. So yes, you're paying a royalty, but thi...

“My father used to say, ‘Never go into business with a partner, much less a family member.’ And to some degree, he's right. But look, business is hard. It's hard to get something off the ground by yourself. You need to have other people with skin in the game. I think in our situation, a lot of divine intervention occurred. We filled in each other's gaps as far as skill sets go, and the things that...

"If you’re pursuing a business, it's going to take some steps of faith. If you have the opportunity to do something from the start, like I did, I had to get a lot of black eyes, bloody noses, and stubbed toes, all to put myself in a position where I can educate someone on a clear path. So I do think franchising is a really proven strategy. It’s important to find the system that's right for you and...

"As a business owner, you have to be willing to invest in yourself. We have budget and line items for social media, marketing, office supplies, for our lawyers, and different things, but we don't necessarily have a budget for our clothes and how we show up. You might have logo-branded material, okay, great, but how are you going to differentiate yourself, and how is that going to make you stand ou...

"As an emerging brand and a relatively new business (I started the company in 2021), it's been incredibly valuable to partner with franchisees who bring such diverse experience and expertise from their respective backgrounds. One of the things I love most is the collaboration. We work closely together, and I’ve learned so much from them. It’s also been fascinating to connect with people from all o...