When Julie Goldberg realized she didn’t want to return to the office after her childcare leave ended, she sought to invest in a franchise to start her own home-based business. Having started her career in the accounting department of a national retail brand that was a franchise, she knew first-hand that her chances of success would be greater if she invested in a proven business model rather than launch her own independent company.
Goldberg didn’t hear encouraging advice from people she knew in the business world, however. “I was told that stay-at-home moms would never be successful in this business, that I had been out of the workplace too long, and that my experience and my connections were not relevant,” she said.
By pure coincidence, Goldberg was at a training seminar when she was first introduced to Alesia Visconti, CEO of FranServe, Inc., the world’s largest franchise consulting organization. That chance meeting transformed Goldberg’s outlook and career.
Visconti offered Goldberg an opportunity to become a franchise consultant for FranServe, and it turned out to be a perfect fit. Under Visconti’s direction, Goldberg now helps women (and men) realize their dreams of franchise ownership while she achieves professional success as well.
“I’ll always be forever grateful to Alesia because she changed my life. She pushed me out of my comfort zone,” Goldberg said.
“As a female, I understand the challenges facing women in the workplace because I’ve lived them,” Visconti said. “I’m also living proof, as a female CEO of global companies, that success is within the grasp of women. They just need the support, direction and encouragement to get there.”
Visconti said a career in franchise consulting is a perfect fit for working moms because of its flexibility. FranServe consultants can work from anywhere in the world, and they can work entirely from a home office if that’s their preference.
Like Goldberg, Jorgette Krsulic found success as a FranServe consultant. When Krsulic decided to wind down her successful career in real estate, she researched franchise opportunities. Early in her search, she contacted FranServe for assistance to find the perfect franchise. Her experience with the company, was so positive that she passed on investing in a franchise to pursue a career as a franchise consultant.
“For me, whether it’s real estate or franchising, it’s about the relationships. It’s about helping people make the right choices and feeling good about them,” Krsulic said.
Krsulic wants budding female entrepreneurs to know that any industry is open to them, and franchising provides the training and support to help make them successful. “There are very few franchises that actually require experience in that field. The biggest thing for women is that there’s no ceiling,” Krsulic said.
Visconti echoed that sentiment: “Women can be – and are – very successful in franchising. There’s plenty of room for growth, and it’s enormously satisfying to help people achieve their dreams.”
For more information about FranServe, visit franserve.com, or call 800-206-5454.
– Rochelle Miller