FEATURED FRANCHISE CONSULTANT
After learning that Domino’s franchises promoted from within, Matthew Esterline began delivering pizza at the age of 25 in hopes of working his way up to manager and eventually franchisee.
“I was young, just out of college and I heard that company managers could become franchisees if their restaurant was successful financially as well as operationally,” Esterline said. “I knew if I spent time learning and making my mark, I could make it happen.”
And that’s exactly what he did: Climbing the ladder from driver to manager, he spent seven years supervising his local store before being offered a core territory in Macon, Georgia.
“I was a Domino’s franchisee for 23 years,” he noted. “I learned so much during that time and really enjoyed that career. But working in the food industry is taxing; long hours, seven days a week.”
So Esterline completed the sale of his stores in 2015 and took 30 days off to regroup. He’s been working as a FranServe affiliated franchise consultant ever since.
“I felt as though I had something to offer thanks to my experience as a business owner,” he said. “I now lend my knowledge to future franchisees as they embark on the journey of owning their own business.”
Esterline says his mission is to help people find the business that matches their lifestyle, experience, and goals.
“There are over 2,800 different brands in 28 categories to choose from,” he said. “This is very overwhelming and can cause people to get discouraged by the process. It is my job to guide them to the perfect match that will best fit their needs.”
Operating under the banner of 2020Franchising LLC, Esterline says he has built success as a franchise consultant thanks to a stress-free approach.
“I don’t have a background in sales, I was an operations guy. With Domino’s I didn’t have to convince anyone to buy a pizza. If they were hungry, they called us because our product and our marketing was good.”
So Esterline uses those same tactics in his role as franchise consultant.
“When you first get into this portion of the industry it’s tempting to become a salesperson and use tactics that salespeople use,” he said. “But because of my background, I don’t believe in that. My big differentiator is that I spend my time and energy pulling people through. I don’t chase or apply pressure. I give clients permission to take their time, a chance to breathe, think and explore.”
He stays engaged with each client through the whole process and remains in touch as they’re developing their franchise.
“That’s probably the best part,” he said. “I meet so many people who are burnt out in their current jobs. They make this change and they’re so happy and fulfilled.”
Esterline even served as a trainer for FranServe for several years, mentoring new consultants on a one-on-one basis.
“I love this job,” he concluded. “I’m constantly working with different industries, brands and franchisors. It keeps the job interesting and allows me to interact with so many different people. Plus, the lifestyle is great – who wouldn’t want to set their own hours and work from anywhere you choose? This is hands down, the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Jessica Petrucelli