Oh $h#t We Bought A Franchise: From Corporate Executive to Senior Care Champion - Hector Munoz's Journey

Ever wondered what it takes to jump from the corporate ladder straight into the entrepreneurial pool? Hector Munoz, a former marketing executive turned franchise owner, joins us to share his unparalleled journey from leading marketing efforts  at Burger King and Popeyes, to creating an impact in his community as the owner of Senior Helpers Orange County. Munoz's story isn't just inspirational—it's a masterclass in aligning business savvy with a heartfelt mission to serve. His candid revelations about the transition to franchisee, the strategic thinking behind choosing a senior care business, and the powerful lessons learned along the way offer a unique perspective for anyone considering a similar path.

Within this episode, Hector doesn't shy away from the harsher truths of owning a franchise, including the sweat equity and patience required before reaping the rewards. He emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction, recognizing how reviews can make or break your business, and discusses the humility needed to succeed. Furthermore, his insights into the growth phase—highlighting that the real profits begin in year two and beyond—provide an honest look at the timeline to success. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned pro, Hector's expertise in franchising, combined with his dedication to improving lives, makes this an episode you won't want to miss.

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From your pals in franchise ownership, Jack and Jill Johnson.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Hi everyone, I'm Jack.

Speaker 2: 0:12

And I'm Jill.

Speaker 1: 0:13

And welcome to the we Bought a Franchise podcast. Today we have a very special guest with us, our good friend and client, hector Munoz. Hector, great to have you on the show.

Speaker 3: 0:23

Thanks for having me, jack and Jill. I appreciate it. I'm a big fan. I know your show's fairly new your podcast but I'm a big fan. I've listened to all the episodes. I think you guys are on to something great.

Speaker 1: 0:34

We really appreciate that you guys. Hector is a fountain of franchise knowledge. Not only is he a kick-ass senior helpers franchise owner, but Jill, listen to this Hector was the VP of global brand image and new concept strategy for Burger King. He was the chief marketing officer for Popeyes. He was chief marketing officer for churches, chief marketing officer for Apoyo, Loco. Hector, what could this resume?

Speaker 2: 1:02

do, it's amazing. And a lot of chicken.

Speaker 1: 1:05

A lot of listen. Who doesn't love chicken? And Hector now is a kick-ass franchise owner for Senior Helpers in Orange County. He's been growing his business like crazy. Hector, why did you buy a franchise?

Speaker 3: 1:19

Great question. So obviously, based on the resume you just read off, I've been in the franchise business model, if you will, for over 25 years Five years on the franchisee side, 20 years on the franchisor side and so, when I did a lot of time to reflect, I wanted to understand okay, what are the things I really like to do? And no, it's not market chicken right, it was really more about building something, fixing something, having competition, beating the competition, being in service to others and really working with franchisees. I really enjoyed unlike most chief marketing officers, I really enjoyed working with franchisees and I just took a step back and I said, okay, what are some of the things that I've learned over the course of my last 25 years? And one of them was the franchise business model.

Speaker 3: 2:10

I've seen a lot of wonderful, great, successful franchisees and I've seen a lot of really bad, unsuccessful franchisees and everything in between.

Speaker 3: 2:21

And I think to me that's a gift right that I've been able to accumulate over the course of the last 25 years and I said I'm going to put it to use.

Speaker 3: 2:28

I know what a good franchisee looks like and what they do and what they don't do, and the benefits that receive and, ultimately, the success that they can achieve. And I said I want to be that good franchisee. And I just felt, you know, after making a lot of franchisees on the other side of the table very wealthy, it was now time to bet on myself and really all the things that I've learned over the course of time, all the talents and skills, to put them to use to build my legacy, my company, the way I want to build it, the way I've seen it being built and the way I've seen it not being built. And so that's why I said you know, I want to become a franchisee and, quite frankly, it's something I've always wanted to do for a very, very long time. There were times where I had second thoughts about that, and that was based on the franchisor. So it's really important to partner with a great franchisor, because if you partner with a bad one, you're going to be very unhappy.

Speaker 1: 3:28

Well, and that's kind of what brought us and Hector together is that? I'm sure most of you who are listening know Jill and I are franchise consultants and so we met Hector, I think it was 2021.

Speaker 3: 3:40

Does that sound right, Hector? It was about 2000. Yeah, maybe early 2021 or late 2020, something like that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:48

Yeah, okay, you know, you're right, maybe it was late 2020. So you know again, here comes Hector with this incredible resume, and I'll always remember this Hector said again, here comes Hector with this incredible resume and I'll always remember this.

Speaker 1: 3:57

Hector said listen, I don't just want to to buy a franchise. You know that I want to do something that matters right, I need to do something that helps people and you know, clearly, being in the business season in senior care, it just screamed at me and I think Hector even said senior care is where I want to go. And uh, so of course he's in orange County. He had just moved from Florida and um, I just started thinking I'm like gosh, you know, you know who has, who still has territory there.

Speaker 2: 4:27

Because it's such a tough yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:29

I mean it's, it's what we talked about, right? Hector said I'm not sure who's going to have your territory and we're not going to name the first company that I sent you to. I don't know if you remember this I do, but my initial thought was, hey, Hector's kind of a, he's kind of a rock star. I should find him a franchise that has lots of room to grow, but maybe it's early on and, Hector, when we sent you over there, it wasn't really a fit. Do you remember why?

Speaker 3: 4:52

Yeah, it was a startup and they didn't have a lot of systems in place, a lot of processes in place, and I figured, for the investment that I was going to make, that I wasn't going to realize the return immediately as far as the level of support, the level of guidance, the level of structure, the level of brand awareness, you name it.

Speaker 3: 5:18

And I just didn't. I didn't feel that it was. It was right for me at that time to be part of something that I, quite frankly, have to build with the franchisor. Given, obviously, to your point, we want to build a company and be in a space where we're building a company with a purpose, where we're giving back and doing good things. And, given it was so different from my previous experiences, I just didn't feel that I was in a position where, again, I would be part of the building process. I'd rather go to an established company who had a business model process. I'd rather go to an established company who had a business model, the support in place, so that I can quickly learn and hit the ground running. And that's why it just wasn't the right fit for me but for others absolutely.

Speaker 1: 6:05

Yeah, no, and it's, you know, it's we always talk to people about when we begin the franchise search. We may not always get the perfect fit right away, but if we hang in it and we work together and we talk like we did, I mean I'm sure, hector, we were talking two, three times a week, right? So once that wasn't a fit, you know, I was just like I'm going to just I'm going to call my buddy, rob at senior helpers and I'm going to see what's left there, what could. We tried not to set Hector's expectations too high. Look, we may not be able to get our dream territory, but it just so happened that you know there were these, this, these great territories in orange County. And here's this franchise, senior helpers, which, by the way, hector, the new FDD numbers show average franchisee grossing over a million four per year and the top this is your goal, by the way top franchisee doing over, I think, 10.8.

Speaker 3: 6:54

Yeah, maybe. Yeah, without getting into too many numbers, I think it's going to be north of that after this year's over.

Speaker 1: 7:01

So yeah, Incredible, yeah, I mean. And as you're doing all this to have a franchise where you know that that possibility exists, that I mean. That has to make you feel so good, because all of us have days right. We have days that are harder, we have days that oh, man, this is so easy. You know, we're just making money hand over fist and then other days it's like, oh, not quite as easy. So for you, you know what was it about? Senior helpers and our camera is not wanting Jill to be in the picture here.

Speaker 1: 7:33

So, Hector, for you. What was it? What was it about Senior Helpers?

Speaker 3: 7:38

Yeah, no, absolutely so. As you know, I'm a big brand guy, right, that's what I've spent my career in. And when you and I, when you introduced me to Senior Helpers and we started kind of talking about the brand, we went on their website. We started looking at how they position themselves. You know, obviously, the logo, the name, you know the, the, the, the brand colors, the tone, the voice, the attitude. It's a brand that didn't even come across like they. They took themselves overly serious, right, and, and that's what I like, because, being a brand guy, it's like you know, I'm not going to put just any name on my chest. Right, it's got to be the right name. And a lot of these other brands that I was looking at, I won't name them.

Speaker 3: 8:24

My analogy, or my comparison is they felt very Mayberry, right, they just did, and it's like that's, that's not. I mean, I'm already venturing so far out of my space, right, which is restaurant marketing, so to get into a space here and to not feel really good about it, I wasn't going to do. And so when you introduced me to Senior Helpers, again from a brand perspective, it just felt right for me. It just felt right for me. But then, when I got a call from their CEO shortly thereafter and just out of nowhere, just really expressing you know, not trying to sell me on anything just really expressing the gratitude for me even to consider his brand went a long way, because I've worked with a lot of CEOs really really great ones and really really, really bad ones and I've seen what the great ones do. And for Peter for him to call me, that was a great move. I really felt that. So I felt really good about that.

Speaker 3: 9:32

And then when I met some of the other senior team leaders during the discovery day, I just fell in love. I said, okay, these people are like me. Right, this is the right fit, because, again, if I'm going to venture out of my comfort zone which I did I need to work with people that I can relate to, like me, and I just felt that these folks did that for me. So, between just the brand in general, how it positions itself, how it comes out to the marketplace, and the leadership team, it felt right. I mean all, if you look at all the, the item 19s, they're all kind of similar. There wasn't a whole big difference between all the different ones. So it really wasn't about that it was really about the right fit and and I felt Senior Felpers was that right fit and they have not disappointed.

Speaker 1: 10:17

Yeah, I mean. You know what, Hector, you're exactly right. I mean most of the established senior care franchise or senior care. The average senior care franchise is doing north of a million. Most systems have a $10 million location. My family we built a 100 unit system called Home Care Assistance. We had a $10 million unit in our system system. So it's a great business for those. And you brought up something really important earlier and this is something we're seeing as franchise owners ourselves good franchise owners, French and it doesn't mean you have to be this the most talented person on earth. I think it means you've got to be a good leader. You've got to be someone that can follow the game plan and someone that has urgency to grow and, of course, deliver the service the right way. And for us, I look at it when we look at our local competition, Like we are, we are so driven by getting Google leads from all of our clients, Right.

Speaker 1: 11:17

We just perform the service, please give us a Google review. And I would say every day if we're not adding two or three Google reviews, we're not happy. And then now, when I talk to clients as a franchise consultant, who might call me and say hey, I'm two years into franchise ownership and my business isn't growing as fast as I'd like, and I'll go check out their, their Google reviews and I'm like dude, you have six reviews, you should have 600.

Speaker 1: 11:42

And it's almost the easiest way for me to tell if someone's operating the business model effectively, which is follow the game plan and, in today's day and age, having that proof of concept from your clients, that's currency. So yeah, and you? I mean you've already become a fast, you know, top performing franchisee. How are you able to do it? How have you been able to be so successful, so quickly?

Speaker 3: 12:05

Yeah, well, I mean, thank you for that, and I just, I just, you know exclamation point, if you will on the Google reviews. They're so, so important. We're a five-star rated agency with 56 reviews over the course of the last two and a half years and more and more clients are telling us that. You know, it's like yeah, we heard about you, we looked you up, you're a five-star rated, we love your reviews, we want to work with you, you know so. So now it almost feels like it's knock on wood, turning into a waiting list that they want to work with us because because of our reviews, um, so, yeah, yeah, absolutely super, super important, and it's not hard, but yet many don't take advantage of that.

Speaker 3: 12:48

But, as far as what's led to our apparent success is that, you know, at the end of the day, there's a couple of things that come to mind. One you've got to leave your ego at the door. Right, you really do. You know, I've been a C-suite executive for the last 10 years, right, and you know, regardless of who you are, your ego gets pumped. Right, because everyone wants to work with you, everyone wants to talk to you, everyone wants to sell you something, and when you turn it on and you're on the other side and you become the franchisee. It's very different, right, you don't. You don't get those hey, join me at the Super Bowl this weekend calls anymore. You just don't happen, right, and so, and so you got to leave your ego at the door. You have to, and if you can't get past that, you're likely not going to be successful.

Speaker 3: 13:35

But I think the one thing that I tell operators owners is you get what you put into it. It's the bottom line, right. If you want to mail it in, you're not going to get successful. If you're looking for a nine to five job, you're not going to be successful. Maybe you will over time, but not quickly. And so you got to put in the effort, right, and if that means 12, 16 hour days, seven days a week, whatever that is, you will reap the benefits and you'll get the rewards quickly. But it's really all about what you put into it. You know, and you get what you put into it. That's what I tell operators and you know some folks aren't in a position where they can do that. You know, sandy and I my business partner and spouse we're empty nesters. We have two Frenchies, but other than that, we're empty nesters, so we have the ability to put it all in, and because of that, I think that's what's led to our accelerated growth. I really do believe that.

Speaker 1: 14:50

Yeah, it's having that. To me it's that urgency and it's that desire to build and you're building equity, which is so great. I mean it's with Jill and I adding, you know, pinks into the equation. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a. It's now two, three more hours a day that we we've got to make sure we're we're, you know, running our business and taking care of and leading our employees. But it's added something really fun.

Speaker 1: 15:16

It's like before we got onto this call, we had our weekly pinks franchise owner um conference call. Right, everyone's on video and I've said this before, they're almost in a good way of noxious in their support and they're pushing of us to grow the business. Here's the things we need to do. This week, Everybody go out and get 15 new assessments and you'd think, gosh, that doesn't seem very complicated. But to me it's like, okay, those are easy, actionable things that we can do and I mean, we're all so busy. It's great to have that support.

Speaker 1: 15:49

And then the other thing was what you were saying. The thing that attracted us to owning Pinks is for our home services franchise. Our marketing is so good. I don't know, hector, if you've seen any of the video ads that pinks does on Facebook. Um, but it, it. There's nothing else like it, which is people ask all the time why did you guys buy this franchise? And it really it comes down to the brand and to the marketing, because we knew we could come into a you know, just like what you and it's similar to what you said with senior helpers.

Speaker 2: 16:19

It has to be a fit. You have to be proud to wear the name.

Speaker 2: 16:23

You have to be proud of the company and the management and the structure, and I love what you said about having to check your ego at the door because we can come in. You can come in as this amazing C-level executive with this, all this experience. We can come in as, as you know, successful franchise consultants and business owners, and we're all now the same level. We're all doing the same thing. So we all I'm, I'm. I don't know about you, but between us two there's a lot of times where we kind of think we know it all and we know what we're doing but.

Speaker 2: 16:56

But you know, it's a franchise for a reason. They're giving us the blueprint, they're giving us the direction, and so we do sometimes really have to check our ego at the door and listen to them and put our trust in them that they know what's right for their business and their company. So I love that you said that, because we're going through that now and it's very, very true.

Speaker 3: 17:15

Yeah, no, it really is, and it's not easy. It is not easy, I mean, and one thing I'll, I'll, I'll, I repeat this a lot, jack, thanks to you and and you know you walk me off the ledge a couple of occasions and you always months, 18 months, hector, 18 months. And when you hit that 18 month mark, you're going to look back and you're like, okay, now, now everything's starting to really work and it's starting to roll and the business is now starting to to really um, head in the right, you know right, uh, trajectory, if you will, and that's important, that's what I tell a lot of other franchisees. It's like, you know, because, again, when you're new and you don't know this business, you know because, again, when you're new and you don't know this business, you know four months in, you're like, okay, what's going on? You know I'm not making the kind of money I thought it was. It's like just keep going. And then, and then look, you take it up to 18 months and then look back and then you're going to start likely, if you're doing all the right things, you know, you know, be, you know, be headed in the, in the, in the direction that you're looking for.

Speaker 3: 18:17

But I, I'll tell you, just going back to pinks, I, I, I love that brand. That's cool, I mean. I think it's again it's being a marketer. I always look at brands that are fun, that that don't take their their, their themselves that serious and and then are full of energy, that are sticky and and I think a brand like Pink's fits all those things. Again, it's fun, it's sticky, you know, it doesn't take power washing and window washing overly serious. You know it's a really fun brand and it's high energy. I love. You know. Some people can say, well, you know, color schemes and colors don't really matter, they do, you know they really do. Schemes and colors don't really matter, they do, you know they really do. And to see kind of the color scheme and again just the overall voice and tonality of that brand makes it fun. It's like you want to just be around it. You know what I mean and that's, I think, one of the things obviously in delivering on the service. But that's cool that you guys did that.

Speaker 2: 19:13

That's important too, yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:16

Exactly, I mean that you guys, yeah, exactly, I mean that's huge, it's, it is, it is a customer service marketing business. Um, that happens to wash windows and and power wash.

Speaker 1: 19:25

Um, it's. It's cool because also and not to turn this into a pinks commercial, but you know, just working, I think this speaks to kind of where this is going now. So we're pinks. Pinks is is a part of a company called Rezzy Brands. Rezzy does all the support and all the training and their original brand, that One Painter which is pretty much sold out most of the country.

Speaker 1: 19:47

They were here first and so I spoke to the local, that One Painter, franchise owner on Monday and he's like how can we, how can we work together, how can we benefit each other? And so we're just talking about what we do and he said you know, it's interesting, you guys do the, uh, the, the pressure washing on the pavers. We could seal those papers when you're done and, Hector, you lived in South Florida I mean pavers we get all kinds of plants and stuff like that growing through our papers if we don't pressure wash them. So I'm like that's a great thing and it's a great way to kind of co-brand both services. And then we figured out that once they finish a painting job, hey call Pink's in and they'll clean up the windows. So it's nice to have that kind of built-in synergy which has been it's, you know, every week, just brings a new sort of learning experience.

Speaker 3: 20:31

You know, that's fun, that's cool, that's cool. Congratulations, you guys.

Speaker 1: 20:35

Thank you, yeah, congrats to you.

Speaker 3: 20:37

Yeah, congrats to you.

Speaker 1: 20:38

So you know, Hector, for anyone else listening, we're at the 20 minute mark, which tends to max our audience out For you. And I'm so glad you mentioned that 18 month mark because anyone that searches a franchise with us and they're like how soon can I make money Year two, really, it's safe to really plan on that.

Speaker 2: 21:03

You, I make money Year two. Really it's safe to really plan.

Speaker 1: 21:04

On that, you've got to have patience. It's a good reminder for us too. I mean, we're itching to grow and we have to remind ourselves of it too. Yeah, but what else would you say now that you're as far into this as you are? And someone was to ask you hey. Hector in one minute. I want to become a franchise owner, and you're doing it right. How can I do that too?

Speaker 3: 21:18

I mean, I think the four things I would say and it really depends on the background is one strap up. It's going to be an emotional roller coaster, it just is. You're going to have your good days and you're going to have your not so good days. As long as you have more good days and not so good days, you're doing okay. So just get ready for that. And I do talk to a lot of franchisees from senior helpers and outside of senior helpers that I've worked with in the past and I tell them that it's like it's going to happen and when you're having a not so good day, call me. Okay, Because I wish I had that, but it's like, call me because we'll get through this together.

Speaker 3: 21:56

Again, you get what you put into it. Like I said earlier, leave your ego at the door is absolutely important. Invest in your business. You really need to do that. A lot of franchisees they're just concerned that they're not making the money, so they fail to make the necessary investments so that they can get ahead of the growth curve. Right, Because if that growth curve comes and you're not prepared, guess what? You're missing it, You're not taking advantage of it. So you got to invest ahead of that, because ultimately you can't cut your way to profits. You just can't.

Speaker 3: 22:31

But once you get past all this, I think it's great because you're building a legacy, You're investing on yourself, and what I tell folks is I'm no longer at the mercy of anyone else's schedule. You know what I mean. I'm not. Yeah, were we working harder than ever before? We absolutely are.

Speaker 3: 22:52

Can I say can I make time to go golf if I need to? Can my wife make time to go take her mom to the doctor and spend the day with her? Absolutely can. So we control our own calendar, we control our own destiny, and that freedom is priceless. It just really is. And as we continue to grow this and build it and structure it right again, invest in people to get it organized the right way, we'll then be in a position and we're already starting to feel it where we can elevate ourselves Right. And I know, Jack, you always say this you know you're, you're on your business, not in your business, Right, and when you get on your business, you're in a very different place. And I'm not saying you know, you know, just come in and stroll around the office and then leave.

Speaker 3: 23:40

No, I mean you're still going to invest time and energy and effort, but are you going to be able to do other things? Maybe invest in other opportunities, maybe invest in your health or whatever those things are. You're going to have that opportunity if you want it right. And that's the beauty of it, because it's up to you, it's up to the individual on what they want to use their free time. I think for me, once we get to that point, I'll be calling you guys and say, okay, what's next? What are we buying next? Right, Because that's just the kind of person I am, whether it's good or not.

Speaker 2: 24:14

That's the way to do it honestly.

Speaker 1: 24:23

Can't beat it. You know, just as a quick follow-up to what you said, one of the biggest wake-up calls in my career was it used to be like you said before with marketing, how some people kind of they, they focus on their burn rate, um, and I'd say, okay, I have, you know, uh, 3000 a month I can spend on marketing. That's once it's out, it's out. Then one day I said, wait a second, what is my, what's our average client worth? Okay, what's the number we want to get to? And we, we had this conversation. I'm like what if we changed the advertising budget to be not just this fixed 3k per month, but do it based on lifetime customer value to hit the goal that we want? And, hector, within 12 months? We did that, and so I love that advice from you that you know what you can't. You have to do the things to grow your business. You have to feed your business.

Speaker 2: 25:09

You have to invest in your business. Yes, yeah, and it's scary at the time, but you can't move forward and if you do the bare minimum, you're going to get the bare minimum back.

Speaker 3: 25:18

I love it? No, absolutely. And the other thing I would just add, Jack, I know we're out of time, I apologize, but just to piggyback on one of your points is the metrics and the analytics are king. You have to look at that. You have to have KPIs, you have to look at that stuff. And I get the first year.

Speaker 3: 25:39

Okay, you're building a business, You're trying to get clients, You're trying to get employees and maybe, okay, maybe that's not the time right Because you're focusing on, ultimately, the drivers of the business but absolutely, year two, you got to start looking at those metrics. You know, the middle of the PML, you know, because that's what's going to get you to profitability, and we're big on that. We look at metrics and we're always not that we're like you know, metrics are us or anything like that, but we're always looking at different metrics and then identifying okay, what are those 10 key metrics, or 10 KPIs, if you will, that we're going to have the team focus on metrics. Or 10 KPIs, if you will, that we're going to have the team focus on. And the real nice thing and a very smart lady I'm going to mention her name, Cheryl Batchelder she was the CEO at Popeyes told me, you move what you measure and you know what she is. So so right.

Speaker 1: 26:38

So now we're tracking certain measures and guess what? We're moving them in the right direction. So, no, I mean, that's it. So I mean, I think, to put a bow on it for this episode successful franchise ownership know your numbers, have patience as the business grows, check your ego at the door and and learn, always be learning, be growing, be be evolving and get your Google reviews.

Speaker 3: 27:01

Get your Google reviews Very important.

Speaker 1: 27:05

Awesome, hey, hector, this has been awesome connecting with you. Thank you for being on our podcast. We can't wait to continue to watch you grow and stay in touch. And for this episode, I'm Jack.

Speaker 2: 27:17

I'm Jill and I'm Hector All right.

Speaker 1: 27:20

And we all bought a franchise.

Speaker 2: 27:22

We did. Thanks, hector, see you guys.