Happy June!
We're halfway through the year. This is the month where January's energy is long gone and you find out what you're actually made of.
I found out last week. The hard way.
The Match I Didn't Want to Play
Last week I played the 45s Grass Court National Tournament near Palm Springs.
Grass is a different animal. The ball dies when you expect it to bounce. You can't wear shoes with traction nubs, so footing is tricky. I slipped and went down a couple of times just moving around the court.
I made the singles semifinals. My opponent was someone I knew but had never played. Same style as me. We both like to serve and volley and crowd the net.
First set, I came out flat. Lost 6-2.
Second set, my serve clicked. I started hitting cleaner. Won it 6-4. I had real momentum heading into the third.
Then we took a 10-minute break to cool down. By the time we walked back out, I could feel the twitch starting.
I have a history of cramping in the heat. I'm a heavy sweater. I lose a lot of electrolytes. I thought I had prepared well. I had not.
Early in the third set, my right calf seized completely. I was frozen, standing straight up, unable to move. My opponent ran across the court to hold me up so I could take the pressure off and release it.
He was beating me. He was also my friend. He helped me anyway.
I kept playing. I modified everything to use my muscles as little as possible. Lost 6-0.
Here's the strange part. Some of those points were my best of the day. With nothing left to protect, I stopped worrying about winning. I just hit the ball. My groundstrokes were cleaner than they had been all match.
It would have been easy to retire. Call it a day. Nobody would have blamed me.
But I figured I had nothing to lose. So I stayed out there.
The real test came the next day. Bronze ball match. Third and fourth place.
I prepared differently this time. More water. More electrolytes. Real food. I told myself one thing. Get out there and keep going.
I started slow again. Got broken early. Then I loosened up and found it. Won the first set 7-5. Won the second 6-1.
I took home the bronze ball in singles. My partner Josh and I took the bronze in doubles too.
I'll own this. I could have done better in that semifinal. I might have won it if I had prepared right on nutrition. That's on me.
But grit isn't what wins you the match when everything goes to plan. Grit is what gets you back out there the next day when your body failed you and you don't even want to play.
I'm glad I did. I walked away with two trophies and something more useful. Proof that I can still compete when I'm not at 100 percent.
🎯 HiPer8™ Principle: Grit
"I view setbacks as necessary steps toward mastery."
Grit is not motivation. Motivation shows up when things feel good. Grit shows up when they don't.
It's the determination that outlasts the excitement. It's treating failure as feedback, not a verdict. It's understanding that effort, applied consistently, compounds more powerfully than talent ever will.
Most people quit a business pursuit somewhere around the halfway mark. Not because the goal stopped mattering. Because the early energy wore off and the work got hard.
The franchise owners who succeed are rarely the most talented. They're the ones who keep showing up after a rough month. After a bad hire. After a slow quarter. They treat the setback as information and get back out there.
You don't need to feel ready. You need to keep going.
Try this: Think about the goal you set in January. The one that excited you then and feels heavier now. Ask yourself one question. Are you stuck because the goal was wrong, or because the work got hard? Be honest. If the goal still matters, your job this month is simple. Get back out there.
📍 Quick Updates
The channel is growing: We just crossed 91 YouTube subscribers and more than 38,000 views. Still early, but the momentum is real. If you haven't subscribed yet, now's a good time.
Scale to Exit pilot is done: The first pilot cohort of the Scale to Exit course wrapped successfully. The feedback was excellent and genuinely useful. I'm using it to plan the next version now.
New franchisor training booked: I signed on to lead training at two regional meetings for a franchisor this summer. One day on leadership, the other on sales. Should be a good time. More to come.
🎙️ This Month on The Podcast
Episode 32: From "Dead Inside" in Banking to $3.5M in Revenue - Ryan Colburn Ryan Colburn felt dead inside working in corporate banking. So he signed with a franchise and bet on himself. One year later he's at $3.5M in revenue with a 20-person team. This is what the right fit can do. Listen Here
Episode 33: The Business Most People Never Think About - Cindy Thompson What happens after the police leave a crime scene? Someone has to clean it up. For Cindy Thompson, that someone is her. A look inside a franchise that serves people on their worst day. Listen Here
Episode 34: Zero Business Experience to $1M in Year One - Lauren and Trevor Tatko Lauren and Trevor Tatko had zero business experience when they opened their gutter franchise. Then they hit $1M in their first year. Proof that the system matters more than the resume. Listen Here
📚 Free Download: The Franchise Fit Playbook
Not sure if franchise ownership fits your goals, skills, and capital? This free playbook walks you through the questions worth answering before you go any further. No cost, no pitch.
Ready to Talk?
If you've been sitting on the idea of business ownership since January, this is your mid-year check-in. I help successful professionals find the right franchise match and prepare for it properly. My coaching costs you nothing. I'm only paid by franchisors after you find the right fit and move forward.
Thanks for reading. The first half of the year set the table. The second half is where it gets decided.
-Alan
Alan Regala
High Performance Franchise Coach
Former Multi-Million Dollar Franchise Owner
Athlete to Owner
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