S2 E7: Sylvan Learning: How Mike Kelley Ditched Corporate And Became a Multiple Franchise Owner

Mike’s franchise journey is a fascinating one. Find out why he left his corporate 9-5 to open multiple Sylvan Learning Center locations, via Chick-a-Fil and senior care. When corporate life is sucking your soul away, it’s time for a change. Now a franchise owner of 10 Sylvan Learning units, Mike shares his story. The Wolf and Mike dive right into how he left his job to work in the family jewelry business, why he turned down a Chick-a-Fil franchise, and how he ran two brands before optimizing for Sylvan Learning. You’ll also hear why being a franchise owner plays into Mike’s ambitions of working less, earning more, and why he values a hierarchical structure. And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much! Follow Mike: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mike-kelley-b84a55132 Check out The Wolf’s newsletter Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

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Most startups are doomed to fail. But there’s an alternative route to financial freedom for hungry entrepreneurs. One that involves far less risk, far more work-life balance, and just as much profit. Franchises. Franchise Empires gives aspiring franchise owners the playbook to build a multi-unit franchise empire of their own. Every episode we hear from guests who are building their franchise empire: Franchisees who started with one unit and aren’t stopping until they get to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands more locations. Hosted by The Wolf, you’ll hear exactly how to turn your ambition into tangible actions and take your first steps up the franchise ladder. We’ll break down the steps you need to take open your first franchise, your second location and beyond, along with the many pitfalls to avoid. Wolf answers all your questions about owning and running your franchise, and interviews guests with first hand experience like Greg Flynn, the multi-billion dollar restaurant franchisee, Jamie Weeks, the largest OrangeTheory franchisee in the world who’s launching his own fitness franchise SweatHouz, and Jason McGowan, Co-founder and CEO of Crumbl cookies. Want to get started on your franchise owning journey? Tune in every Tuesday for a new episode. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Interested in participating as a guest at Franchise Empires? Submit your request here!