The Brian Beers Show

Episode: 7 Lies You Still Believe About Owning a Business | 275
Date: August 25, 2025
Host: Brian Beers

Episode Overview

Brian Beers dissects the seven most common myths about owning a business, especially franchises, sharing personal stories — including those of peers like "Mike," who sold his business for $16 million. Brian shares actionable advice and real talk from his hands-on entrepreneurial journey building an 8-figure franchise portfolio. The episode aims to debunk misconceptions that prevent aspiring owners from getting started and provides a realistic roadmap for business ownership.

Key Myths Debunked & Major Discussion Points

1. “You Need a Brilliant, Original Idea”

• Main Insight: Execution and consistency trump innovation.
• Most of the world's focus is on creators like Zuckerberg or Musk, but “boring” businesses executed well win out far more often.
• Brian's own $50 million business resulted from consolidating and improving reliable, everyday businesses, not from inventing something new.
• Quote:

  “We aren’t the best operators... but we do a good job. We have great people. We meet the customers’ expectations… and we've consolidated a bunch of them.” (01:36)

• Wealth is created by finding proven concepts and executing better, not inventing from scratch.

2. “You Need a Ton of Money to Start”

• Main Insight: Start smaller and be creative with deal structures.
• Brian's first acquisition: $130,000 down (split with a partner). Used bank loans and seller financing for the rest.
• Growth Strategy: Reinvest business profits to fuel expansion; get creative with seller financing.
• Quote:

  “We bought a business for $2 million for $50,000 down... because that’s what he wanted. He wanted $12,000 a month…” (05:04)

• Relationships, reputation, and resourcefulness are more important than deep pockets.

3. “Owning a Business Means Freedom — Immediately”

• Main Insight: Freedom is earned, not instant.
• At first, you trade “one boss for hundreds": customers, employees, lenders, vendors.
• First 2–3 years: Brian worked harder and longer than ever before.
• True freedom arrives after systems and teams are built.
• Quote:

  “For the first two years, maybe even three years after buying my business, I worked more hours than I ever did. Six days a week. On Sundays, I’d be on the computer.” (09:01)

• Today, Brian focuses on high-level tasks, expanding and working on the business, not in it.

4. “You Have to Follow Your Passion” (Brian’s Breaking Point)

• Main Insight: Don’t confuse enjoyment for ability; focus on enjoying business challenges rather than the subject matter.
• Brian isn’t passionate about cars — yet owns 34 automotive shops.
• Enjoys building businesses and systems, not the service itself.
• Gave example of an employee rising from mechanic to store manager earning $100k+.
• Quote:

  “Just because you love food doesn’t mean you should own a restaurant… I don’t care about cars. But you know what I care about? Building a business by making money, and helping people succeed.” (13:54)

• Key is to enjoy solving the types of problems a business presents — not being in love with the product.

5. “The Best Time to Start is When Everything’s Perfect”

• Main Insight: There will never be perfect timing; start now.
• People put off starting due to excuses about economy, tariffs, or personal life.
• Waiting costs opportunity and cash flow.
• Brian regrets not expanding earlier:

  “That cost me like $10 million a year in revenue that we would have today if I wasn’t such a wuss about it.” (18:58)

6. “You Need to Know Everything Before You Start”

• Main Insight: Learn on the job; only the next steps matter at each stage.
• Brian had zero auto repair experience prior to acquiring shops.
• Key is to hire experts, set vision, and keep learning.
• Quote:

  “How you eat an elephant is, you know, one bite at a time… The only thing you really need to know is the next three steps.” (21:40)

• Start, learn, adapt. There’s no perfect plan or preparation.

7. “You Must Be a Natural Born Leader”

• Main Insight: Leadership is learned, not innate.
• Brian’s background: numbers and organization — learned sales and people-management by doing.
• Different people require different management styles; adaptability is key.
• Anyone with drive and a willingness to learn can become a business owner.
• Quote:

  “None of it is special. It’s just a matter of willingness to succeed.” (26:13)

• Brian’s seen ex-teachers, engineers, and veterans succeed in franchising.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I just copied what other people were doing. And I didn’t solve any new problems. I didn’t invent anything new… I’ll just be the guy who has a reliable, healthy business and let them handle that.” (02:30)

• “The skill isn't necessarily that you have money, but it's knowing how to put deals together… that is more valuable than the money.” (06:35)

• “Don’t follow your passion. Instead, look for a business that has challenges that you enjoy solving.” (14:35)

• “There is no perfect time. And while you wait for perfect, someone else is going to be stealing your market share, is going to be building wealth.” (19:20)

• “If you don't know accounting, great. Go figure it out. It's not that hard.” (26:40)

Summary Table of Myths & Corrections

| Myth | Reality | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Need a brilliant idea | Execute consistently on proven models | 01:00 | | Need a ton of money | Use creative, small down payments and financing | 04:17 | | Business = immediate freedom | Freedom comes after building systems and teams | 08:15 | | Must “follow your passion” | Find joy in solving business challenges, not the product | 13:54 | | Wait for perfect timing | Always imperfections — start now | 18:58 | | Must know everything upfront | Learn as you go; take just the next few steps | 21:40 | | Must be a born leader | Leadership is a learned skill | 26:13 |

Final Thoughts

Brian reiterates:
If serious about building wealth and considering entrepreneurship, franchises are a proven path. Drive, adaptability, resourcefulness, and continuous learning matter more than any of the myths suggest.

Closing Call to Action:
If you want Brian’s help in finding a franchise, or have questions — reach out or click his links.

This summary omits ad reads, generic intros, and outros for clarity.