59. Sales Comes First, Even in a Franchise
Jesse Rorvig left school counseling to buy a Fitness Machine Technicians franchise in Portland. He shares how sales, cash flow, and hiring shaped his first seven years.
⭐ INTERESTED IN FRANCHISE OWNERSHIP? Take the Franchise Readiness Assessment at https://athletetoowner.com/fit
🎤 Episode 58 - Alan sits down with Jesse Rorvig, owner of Fitness Machine Technicians in Portland, a franchise that maintains and repairs the small fitness centers found in apartment buildings and hotels. Jesse walks through his path from moving to Oregon to learn to surf, to a decade as a school counselor, to buying into a brand that was still taking shape.
Learn why Jesse says sales had to come before organization, how 200 tiny quarterly maintenance contracts became the foundation of his business, why cash flow forecasting turned out to be very different from budgeting, what it was like to help shape a developing franchise system, and why hiring the right people matters more than any SOP. Whether you're weighing a franchise decision right now or wondering how the skills from your current career might carry over, this is an honest look at the first seven years of building a business you own.
⏱ Video Chapters
0:00 - Meet Jesse Rorvig, Owner of Fitness Machine Technicians
1:24 - Life Before Franchising: Surfing, Jet Engines, and School Counseling
3:54 - Shopping for a Franchise and Landing on an "Unsexy" Brand
9:15 - What Fitness Machine Technicians Does and Who It Serves
13:25 - The First Years: Sales, Cash Flow, and Labor
16:02 - From Counselor to Salesperson: Reframing Sales
18:48 - Part of the First Crew: Building With a Developing Brand
27:56 - The Early Adopter Advantage of a Large Single Territory
29:33 - Hiring, Firing, and Why People Come First
33:58 - What Life Looks Like Now: Sprints, Surf Days, and a Wave Pool Goal
40:25 - Why Franchising Works Like a Working Man's MBA
43:50 - Advice for Anyone Considering Franchise Ownership
48:38 - How an Athlete's Mindset Shows Up in Business
🔗 Resources & Mentions
▸ Athlete to Owner Franchise Coaching: https://athletetoowner.com
▸ Take the Franchise Readiness Assessment: https://athletetoowner.com/fit
▸ Download The Franchise Fit Playbook for free: https://athletetoowner.com/playbook
▸ Interested in learning more about Fitness Machine Technicians? Reach out to Alan for an introduction.
▸ Subscribe to The Franchise Champion Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast platform
▸ Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review if you enjoyed the episode. We appreciate your support!
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⭐ READY TO EXPLORE FRANCHISE OWNERSHIP? Alan helps successful professionals find the right franchise match and prepare for championship-level success. As a franchise coach, he works one-on-one with qualified candidates to navigate the entire franchise selection process, completely free of charge. Take the Franchise Readiness Assessment at https://athletetoowner.com/fit to see if this path is right for you.
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