Would Not Trade This Experience

My name is Joanna Garcia, and I was the Penticton/Summerland franchisee in 2016. Now I’m assuming many of you reading this are in the same situation I was a year ago: it started when you wrote your contact information on a clipboard that was passed around your lecture hall, you then attended a couple of info sessions, now you’re thinking about how this opportunity could change your life and if it’s for you, and you’re scared to death of making the wrong decision. If this is you today, I’ll give you a sneak preview of what could be you a year from now:

Currently, I am sitting at my kitchen table surrounded in mounds of leftover marketing materials, client agreements, and my final payroll package, while snacking on some chocolate chips. As I sit here, I’m reflecting on the amazing summer I’ve had and how I have grown, and truly changed as a person. When I applied to be a franchisee last October, I felt so confident in my abilities to run this business, I thought I had nothing to worry about. That lasted until January after our training weekend. Driving home after training I remember thinking to myself all of the absolute worst possible situations this gig could have: I’m not from the area, who will book with me? What if my painters suck? Will I make any money? Will people take a five-foot-nothing girl seriously? The answer to the above questions are: a lot of people will, some of them will, yes I will, and if I act like I know what I’m doing they sure as heck will. I learned these were minor things to worry about; I ended up having an amazing year. I stayed consistent in my preseason, booking work every week and starting production with a comfortable $45,000 in bookings. I managed to book more work through the production months and ended my summer with over $95,000 in production, enough to earn a trip to Mexico with the other successful franchisees. Now I’d be lying if I said this was a breeze because trust me, over the past seven months I have shed more tears, worked longer days, and been more stressed out than ever before. But what I have learned and what I have accomplished in this time, gives me so much indescribable pride that I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Being able to say that I successfully ran a business at just 18 years old is incredible and I am so proud of myself. Although it has been a lot of work, running a Student Works Painting franchise has been the best experience of my life. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have ran out of chocolate chips.

Still on the fence about if you’re up for the challenge of running a business? Talk to your friends and family and get their opinion on if you’re ready or not. Have questions about what your summer would look like? Call the DM whose business card you received at the info session. There is an endless amount of fun times, reward, and support within the Student Works family, and I hope that you will consider becoming a part of it.