The Brian Beers Show

Episode 284: Why Most People FAIL at Franchise Ownership

Host: Brian Beers
Date: September 22, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Brian Beers delves into the core reasons why most people fail at franchise ownership. Drawing from over a decade of experience building an eight-figure franchise business and mentoring dozens of entrepreneurs, Brian breaks down the essential personality traits, key mindset shifts, and critical red flags for anyone considering the leap from employee to franchise owner. Expect an honest conversation packed with real stories and actionable advice—no fluff.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Biggest Misconception: Franchises Aren't "Plug & Play"

• [00:18] Many newcomers believe franchises are low risk and can run on autopilot.
  • "The biggest mistake that I see with new franchise owners is thinking that a franchise is low risk, that it's plug and play...this thing just prints money and I collect a check on the 15th every month. Man, that sounds great. Sign me up for that. Now, the truth is... it takes time to get there. It takes years to get there to be honest. And you have to earn the right."
    — Brian Beers [00:19]
• Franchises provide systems (the "guardrails"), but it's still a real business that demands effort and years of work.

Five Key Traits of Successful Franchise Owners

1. Action-Oriented & Solution-Focused

• [02:18] Success is tied directly to a "get shit done" attitude.
  • "The biggest one by far is the ability to get shit done. It's a burning desire to take action...If you have that trait...you will have success. And on the flip side, if you do not...you might as well stop watching this video and forget about owning a franchise because it is probably not going to work for you."
    — Brian Beers [02:33]
• Paralysis by analysis is a killer—speed and urgency outweigh planning perfection.

2. Sales-Minded Approach

• [06:45] Everyone in the business should contribute to sales. Even if you haven’t worked in sales before, you must learn to sell your vision and solutions.
  • Cites resources to get the right mindset:
    • Way of the Wolf by Jordan Belfort
    • Sandler Sales Training series
• Understand your market and be okay if your solution isn’t the cheapest—focus on value and fit.

3. Emotional Stability Under Pressure

• [10:28] Franchise ownership is emotionally taxing with constant challenges—from payroll and bills to lawsuits.
  • "You have to be emotionally stable under that pressure. You have to be able to just not react, stay level-headed, and just come up with a solution."
    — Brian Beers [11:01]
• Emotional resilience is developed over time but is crucial for long-term success and team trust.
  • "If you're a total wreck and you react to the stupidest little things, your team's not even going to want to bring you things that really they should bring you..." [12:50]

4. Coachable and Growth-Minded

• [14:45] Being open to learning and copying proven playbooks is essential.
  • "My mindset is: just show me how to make money, and I will do it...All I want to do is be the best at what I can do... Once I figure out the playbook, then I can copy the playbook again and again and again."
    — Brian Beers [15:19]
• The best franchisees network and learn from top performers, resisting the urge to make excuses or claim their market is "special."

5. Leadership Over DIY

• [19:23] To scale, owners must shift from doing everything themselves to building and empowering teams.
  • Describes three phases:
    1. "I do it"
    2. "We do it together"
    3. "They do it"
  • "Once you have the ability to let go and let the team run without your daily involvement...there's nothing that stops you from having two teams, four, eight, sixteen..."
    — Brian Beers [20:00]
• Leadership is about vision, recruiting the right people, and enforcing high standards.

Red Flags: Who SHOULDN'T Own a Franchise?

• [23:00]
  1. Serial New Idea Chasers: Always distracted by the next shiny object or invention.
  2. Hyper Independent Types: Reluctant to follow the franchise's proven systems, overly critical, want to "do it my way."
     • "Franchising is a team sport...If you only care about yourself, like, you should really just have an independent business." [25:23]
  3. People Seeking Passive Income:
     • Brian stresses: "A franchise is an active business...once you get in it and know how to execute, those are not passive results. I'm not passive in this." [27:00]
  • Stocks or real estate are better for those seeking hands-off income.

Mindset Shifts for Former Employees

• [30:00] Transitioning from corporate to ownership requires major mindset changes:
  • Job Security → Cash Flow Uncertainty
    "You are going from something that is completely stable to something that's completely unstable. You have to want that." [30:22]
  • Task Completion → Results Ownership
    "Yes, you made so many calls, did the tasks…but what matters is: did you get the result that we're seeking?" [32:10]
  • Doing the Work → Building the Team
    • To escape buying yourself a job, focus on creating and leading a team instead of being the sole doer.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Franchises are scalable. They should be systematized…But it takes time to get there. It takes years to get there, to be honest. And you have to earn the right." — Brian Beers [00:57]
• "In business, the people who move the fastest, who have the greatest sense of urgency, are the ones who have the most success." — Brian Beers [03:55]
• "If you have that trait and you have this desire to just get it done...you will have success." — Brian Beers [02:49]
• "It's extremely boring...but you stay extremely stable." (On following proven processes rather than chasing shiny objects) — Brian Beers [24:16]
• "If you're doing it just for the money, it's a terrible idea." — Brian Beers [31:09]
• "No one is coming to save you. At the end of the day, you're the business owner, it is your business." — Brian Beers [33:13]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:18] Debunking the "plug & play" franchise myth
• [02:18] The "get shit done" trait and dangers of analysis paralysis
• [06:45] The necessity of being sales-minded (with resources)
• [10:28] Emotional resilience and dealing with business pressure
• [14:45] Coachability and the value of learning from others
• [19:23] Transitioning from DIY to team-building and scalable leadership
• [23:00] Major red flags in potential franchisees
• [30:00] Key mindset shifts when transitioning from employee to owner

Conclusion

Brian wraps with actionable encouragement:
If you resonate with these traits and embrace the necessary mindset shifts, franchise ownership can be for you. But if you're after passive income, hesitant to act, or resistant to proven systems, it's "probably not the right fit." He underscores the rising value of blue-collar, service-based businesses amid AI-driven disruption and invites interested listeners to connect for further guidance.