Hosted by Jeff Walter, Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning
What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and a more fulfilling career isn’t a lack of opportunity, but the belief that entrepreneurship requires a groundbreaking idea, specialized expertise, or an extraordinary tolerance for risk?
For many professionals, the possibility of business ownership never becomes a serious consideration because they assume entrepreneurship is reserved for people who invent revolutionary products or launch technology companies. Yet some of the most rewarding entrepreneurial opportunities exist within established industries, familiar services, and business models that have already demonstrated their ability to serve customers successfully.
In this conversation on the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter welcomes Tamara Loring, Chief Brand Ideology Officer at The Entrepreneur’s Source, to explore how coaching, franchising, and structured learning can help individuals discover career opportunities they might never have considered independently.
With nearly 25 years of experience at The Entrepreneur’s Source, Tamara brings a perspective shaped by her own career transformation and her organization’s commitment to helping people explore possibilities beyond traditional employment. Throughout the discussion, she challenges conventional assumptions about entrepreneurship while explaining how proven systems, supportive communities, and a willingness to learn can create new pathways toward professional independence.
For franchise leaders, learning and development professionals, business owners, and individuals considering a career transition, the conversation provides an engaging examination of how education and coaching can help people move beyond limiting beliefs and make more informed decisions about their futures.
Tamara’s professional journey began in hospitality, an industry she initially embraced for its opportunities to travel, experience different cultures, and build a rewarding career. Although she enjoyed many aspects of the work, she eventually recognized that the lifestyle and career trajectory she had chosen no longer aligned with what she wanted for her future.
Like many professionals who reach a career crossroads, Tamara initially struggled to imagine what might come next because her education and experience appeared to point toward a relatively narrow range of opportunities. She understood hospitality, but she did not see herself as the type of entrepreneur who could invent a product, introduce a revolutionary concept, or build a business entirely from scratch.
Her perspective began to change when she connected with Terry Powell, founder of The Entrepreneur’s Source, who introduced her to a different way of thinking about entrepreneurship and career ownership. Rather than focusing on what she already knew how to do, the conversation encouraged her to consider what she wanted her life to become and which opportunities might help her get there.
What began as an exploration of her own professional future developed into a long-term commitment to helping others navigate similar transitions. Today, as Chief Brand Ideology Officer, Tamara champions the organization’s belief that individuals should not abandon their aspirations simply because they cannot immediately identify a conventional path toward achieving them.
Her role centers on reinforcing the ideas, values, and possibilities that guide The Entrepreneur’s Source, particularly the belief that entrepreneurship can take many forms and that meaningful career ownership begins with a willingness to challenge assumptions.
One of the conversation’s most compelling themes is the distinction between being entrepreneurial and having an original business idea.
Tamara recalls initially dismissing franchising because her hospitality background led her to associate the industry almost exclusively with fast food and restaurant operations. After spending years working in hospitality, she had little interest in pursuing what she believed would be another version of the same career.
That perception changed when Terry challenged her to explain what she actually knew about franchising. Through that discussion, Tamara began recognizing that her assumptions were based on a limited understanding of the industry rather than a comprehensive evaluation of the opportunities available.
She discovered that franchising extends across numerous business sectors and allows individuals to operate businesses without necessarily having previous experience in the specific industry. Instead of developing every process independently, franchisees can enter an established system with operational guidance, brand recognition, and access to specialized expertise.
Jeff reinforces this idea by sharing examples of entrepreneurs who built successful businesses without inventing anything revolutionary. He describes a former director of an entrepreneurship center who developed his business portfolio by acquiring existing small companies, demonstrating that entrepreneurship can involve identifying and serving market needs rather than creating entirely new products.
Together, Jeff and Tamara challenge the assumption that successful entrepreneurs must resemble high-profile technology founders. Their discussion reframes entrepreneurship as the process of recognizing opportunities, organizing resources, and delivering value to customers.
For individuals who feel constrained by their professional backgrounds, this perspective can significantly expand the range of possibilities worth exploring.
At The Entrepreneur’s Source, career exploration begins with the individual rather than a predetermined business opportunity.
Tamara explains that people often approach career decisions by focusing on familiar industries, existing qualifications, or products they personally enjoy. Although these considerations may be relevant, they do not necessarily reveal which opportunities best support someone’s financial goals, lifestyle preferences, or long-term aspirations.
The Entrepreneur’s Source encourages individuals to evaluate opportunities through a broader lens that considers what they want their careers and lives to provide. This approach helps distinguish personal interest in a product from the underlying characteristics of a business that could make ownership attractive.
During the conversation, Tamara uses an unconventional example involving portable sanitation services to illustrate the importance of separating emotional reactions from practical business evaluation. A person might initially dismiss such an opportunity because the product or service seems unappealing, yet a closer examination could reveal a business model capable of meeting their financial and lifestyle objectives.
The point is not that any particular industry guarantees success, but that premature judgments can prevent people from evaluating potentially suitable opportunities.
Jeff expands on this idea by distinguishing passion from the satisfaction that comes from providing meaningful service. A business owner may not feel personally passionate about dumpsters, cleaning services, or another everyday industry, but they may find tremendous fulfillment in building a successful organization that solves real problems for customers.
This shift in perspective encourages people to evaluate entrepreneurship according to the value they can create and the future they want to build, rather than relying exclusively on personal enthusiasm for a particular product.
A defining characteristic of The Entrepreneur’s Source is its emphasis on coaching rather than simply matching prospective buyers with available franchise opportunities.
Tamara describes the organization’s clients as “seekers,” a term that reflects the belief that individuals may be exploring possibilities without having already decided to purchase a franchise or pursue business ownership.
Through its Journey of Discovery coaching methodology, The Entrepreneur’s Source helps people examine their assumptions, clarify their objectives, and consider options that may fall outside their existing understanding of career possibilities.
Rather than beginning with a specific franchise concept, the process encourages participants to remain open-minded and postpone major decisions while learning about potential pathways.
Tamara explains that many people initially seek coaching because they believe they need another job, yet the discovery process may introduce them to opportunities they had never considered. She notes that, according to the organization’s experience, 95% of coached clients who ultimately enter business ownership select an opportunity they would not have independently pursued.
Jeff connects this approach to what he calls the corridor principle, an analogy describing how new opportunities become visible only after someone begins moving toward an initial goal. As individuals gain knowledge and experience, they encounter alternatives that were impossible to recognize from their original starting point.
This comparison captures the value of structured career exploration because the process does not require someone to know the destination before beginning the journey.
For learning and development professionals, the discussion highlights the importance of creating educational experiences that expand understanding rather than simply confirming existing assumptions. Effective coaching provides the structure, questions, and support needed to help people recognize opportunities and make decisions based on greater clarity.
Another central theme is the role of established systems in reducing the complexity associated with starting and operating a business.
Tamara describes franchising as an opportunity to be in business independently while benefiting from the knowledge, experience, and support of a larger organization. Instead of developing every operating procedure through trial and error, franchise owners can apply processes that have already been tested within the brand.
She shares an acronym used by The Entrepreneur’s Source to explain the value of a system: saving significant time, energy, and money.
The principle extends beyond franchising because organizations of every size benefit when successful practices are documented, taught, and repeated consistently.
Jeff reinforces this concept through a story about a former LatitudeLearning software developer who left his position to pursue ownership of a kickboxing franchise. Although the employee’s professional background was in technology, he had spent years observing how businesses use training, processes, and operational systems to support growth.
Those experiences helped him recognize how transferable his knowledge was to business ownership, and Jeff explains that the former employee eventually became a successful multi-unit franchise operator.
The story illustrates how structured learning and exposure to scalable business practices can prepare individuals for opportunities beyond their original professional responsibilities.
It also reinforces the value of franchise systems that combine operational frameworks with practical training, allowing owners to concentrate on executing the business model and serving their communities rather than continuously reinventing fundamental processes.
As the conversation develops, Jeff and Tamara explore the connection between entrepreneurship, customer service, and the trust required to build lasting business relationships.
Both emphasize that successful businesses ultimately exist because they provide something customers need or value. Whether an organization delivers a specialized professional service or an everyday convenience, its long-term prospects depend on consistently meeting customer expectations.
Tamara connects this philosophy to her hospitality background, explaining that entrepreneurship involves recognizing how a business can contribute positively to another person’s experience.
She introduces the platinum rule, which encourages people to treat others the way those individuals want to be treated, rather than assuming everyone shares the same preferences.
This distinction is particularly relevant to coaching and training because effective support requires understanding the needs, motivations, and circumstances of the person receiving it.
A career ownership coach who begins by promoting a predetermined opportunity may overlook the individual’s actual goals. By contrast, a coach who listens carefully and adapts the process to the client’s priorities can help establish the trust necessary for meaningful exploration.
Jeff extends the discussion to brand reputation, noting that trust is built through consistent behavior and that organizations must deliver value in ways customers can recognize and rely upon.
For franchise systems and training leaders, the takeaway is that trust should be treated as an operational responsibility rather than merely a marketing objective. It develops through everyday interactions, reliable service, thoughtful communication, and a genuine commitment to understanding customer needs.
Tamara also addresses a common misconception about the relationship between franchising and small business ownership.
Consumers often associate familiar franchise brands with large corporations, overlooking the fact that many individual locations are owned and operated by entrepreneurs who live and work in the surrounding communities.
She explains that franchise owners frequently have the same local connections, responsibilities, and aspirations as other independent small business operators, even though their businesses operate under a nationally recognized name.
Jeff illustrates this point by discussing his daughter’s experience working at a regional coffee franchise. Although the brand had a broader presence, the individual locations were owned by a local entrepreneur who managed a small group of stores.
The experience helped demonstrate that a franchise location can simultaneously belong to a larger brand and function as a locally owned business.
This distinction matters because it changes how people understand the economic and community impact of franchising. Franchise owners contribute to local employment, serve neighborhood customers, and participate in the same communities as other small business owners.
For people considering entrepreneurship, the model also presents an alternative to building an independent business entirely from the ground up.
While independent ownership may offer greater flexibility in developing a unique concept, franchising can provide established processes, training resources, and access to a network of people facing similar operational challenges.
One of Tamara’s most enthusiastic observations concerns the value of belonging to a franchise community.
Although she initially focused on the benefits of established systems, she eventually recognized that the relationships within a franchise network can be equally important.
Franchise owners can exchange ideas, discuss challenges, share experiences, and learn from people operating similar businesses in different markets. This collaboration provides access to practical knowledge that an independent business owner might otherwise need to develop through personal experience.
Tamara explains that participating in a franchise system also reduces the expectation that one individual must possess expertise in every business function.
An owner may excel at leadership, customer relationships, or operations while relying on other specialists for marketing, technology, training, and business development.
Jeff describes this collaboration as a multiplier effect in which the combined value of the participants becomes greater than their individual contributions.
For emerging franchise brands, creating opportunities for collaboration can strengthen the entire network by helping successful practices spread between locations.
For established organizations, community-based learning can provide an additional way to reinforce operational standards while encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.
The broader lesson is that a franchise system should be understood not simply as a collection of operating procedures, but as a network of people whose collective knowledge can support individual and organizational growth.
As The Entrepreneur’s Source prepares for its upcoming conference, the organization is bringing together career ownership coaches, franchisors, funding members, and strategic partners for an exclusive event focused on strengthening relationships, sharing knowledge, and creating new opportunities throughout the entrepreneurial community. More than a traditional industry gathering, the conference represents an important part of The Entrepreneur’s Source’s mission to build a collaborative ecosystem that supports both individuals exploring business ownership and franchise organizations pursuing sustainable growth.
During the conversation, Tamara Loring explains that the conference provides a unique opportunity for career ownership coaches and franchise leaders to develop a deeper understanding of one another’s goals, challenges, and capabilities. Coaches gain valuable insights into participating franchise brands, their expansion strategies, and the characteristics they look for in successful franchise owners. At the same time, franchisors learn more about The Entrepreneur’s Source’s patented Journey of Discovery coaching methodology, which helps individuals explore career ownership possibilities they may never have considered on their own.
What makes this gathering particularly valuable is its emphasis on developing meaningful relationships rather than simply generating franchise leads. As Tamara explains, The Entrepreneur’s Source refers to the individuals it coaches as “seekers” because many begin their journey without knowing whether business ownership is right for them. By helping people clarify their goals and remain open to new possibilities, career ownership coaches create opportunities for more informed conversations between prospective entrepreneurs and franchise organizations.
The conference also highlights the important role of strategic partners in supporting franchise growth. Emerging and established franchisors face challenges that extend well beyond identifying prospective owners, including developing scalable operations, strengthening training programs, and building the infrastructure necessary to support expanding franchise networks. By connecting these organizations with trusted industry resources, The Entrepreneur’s Source helps create an environment where franchisors can access expertise and solutions that support their long-term objectives.
Jeff Walter reinforces the value of this collaborative approach, noting that it is one of the reasons LatitudeLearning is proud to partner with The Entrepreneur’s Source. For organizations focused on franchise training and operational consistency, opportunities to connect with franchise leaders and understand their evolving needs are essential to helping them build successful, sustainable systems.
As the conference approaches, the broader message is clear: successful entrepreneurship rarely happens in isolation. By bringing together the people who guide aspiring business owners, the franchise organizations that provide opportunities, and the strategic partners that support their growth, The Entrepreneur’s Source is creating an environment where collaboration, education, and trusted relationships can help strengthen the entire franchise community.
The conversation also touches on how technology, including artificial intelligence, may influence the future of work and business ownership.
Tamara approaches these developments with optimism, suggesting that tools capable of handling certain tasks may create opportunities for people to focus more attention on strategic thinking, creativity, and service.
Her perspective reflects a broader theme throughout the interview: individuals and organizations benefit when they use systems and resources to reduce unnecessary complexity.
For franchise operators, technology can complement structured processes by helping organizations manage information, coordinate activities, and support repeatable business practices.
However, the conversation also reinforces that systems are most valuable when people understand how to use them effectively.
Training remains essential because business owners and employees must translate available tools into consistent actions that serve customers and support organizational objectives.
The Entrepreneur’s Source applies a similar principle through its coaching methodology, using a structured process to help individuals develop understanding before making important career decisions.
As technology changes how work is performed, the ability to learn, adapt, and evaluate new opportunities may become increasingly important for both entrepreneurs and employees.
Several practical lessons emerge from Jeff and Tamara’s conversation, particularly for organizations focused on business development, training, and franchise growth.
One is that professional experience often creates transferable capabilities that individuals may not recognize until they explore unfamiliar opportunities. Training and coaching can help people identify those strengths and apply them in new environments.
Another is that established systems provide value only when individuals understand how to use them. Documented procedures, operational frameworks, and franchise resources need to be supported by effective learning experiences and practical guidance.
The conversation also highlights the importance of curiosity and open-mindedness. People who evaluate opportunities exclusively through existing assumptions may overlook business models capable of supporting their long-term goals.
For franchise organizations, the discussion reinforces the value of community and collaboration. Owners benefit from shared knowledge, access to specialized expertise, and opportunities to learn from others within the network.
Finally, both Jeff and Tamara emphasize that successful entrepreneurship is fundamentally connected to serving others. Business models, systems, and technology provide important capabilities, but lasting success depends on creating value and building trusted relationships.
The conversation between Jeff Walter and Tamara Loring offers a thoughtful perspective on entrepreneurship as a journey of discovery rather than a destination reserved for people with extraordinary ideas or specialized backgrounds.
Through its coaching philosophy, The Entrepreneur’s Source encourages individuals to question limiting assumptions, explore unfamiliar opportunities, and identify business models that align with their personal and professional goals.
Tamara’s experience demonstrates that career ownership can take many forms and that the right combination of education, coaching, established systems, and community support can help people recognize possibilities they might otherwise overlook.
For franchise leaders and learning professionals, the discussion reinforces the importance of building environments where individuals have access to the knowledge, guidance, and relationships necessary to make informed decisions and grow with confidence.
Ultimately, The Entrepreneur’s Source illustrates how structured discovery and collaborative support can help people move beyond what they already know toward a more intentional approach to their careers and futures.
Learn more about The Entrepreneur’s Source, its career ownership coaching approach, and its entrepreneurial resources at https://entrepreneurssource.com/.
If you’re interested in their book, Your Career Revolution, you can find it here.
For more from the Training Impact Podcast, follow us on Social Media – https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/trainingimpactpodcast
Jeff Walter* (00:00)
Hi, I’m Jeff Walter and welcome back to the Training Impact Podcast. Today I’m joined by Tamara Loring. She’s the Chief Brand Ideology Officer at the Entrepreneur Source, and she has more than two decades of experience with the organization. Tamara brings extensive experience in training, operations, and helping franchise owners and career ownership coaches build their businesses.
Tomorrow, welcome to the podcast.
Tamara Loring (00:23)
I appreciate it, Jeff. Thank you so much for having me here today. I am so excited to start this conversation with you.
Jeff Walter* (00:30)
me me too. you know the the the Entrepreneurs very interesting organization. We’re very happy and proud to be a a partner of yours, so thank you very much. because you do some really interesting work. But let’s start with your journey. Chief Brand Ideology Officer, how what was your journey there and what exactly does a chief brand ideology officer do?
Tamara Loring (00:52)
Yeah. That title always cracks me up, and I’d be happy to share more about how I earned that title. But what brought me here is I I think a path similar to what many other people can relate to. I for many, many years felt like there has to be a better way. Yes, I went to school, I went to college, and then before I knew it, I thought my early twenties, I’m like,
Is this what the rest of my career is gonna look like and feel like? Now I picked hospitality and my parents did warn me. They said, hospitality, you realize that you’re working when other people are having fun. You realize it’s a 24-7
Jeff Walter* (01:29)
Ha.
Tamara Loring (01:30)
type of thing. You’re willing to give up your holidays. Yes, yes, yes, I want to do all that. And look, I loved it. It served me well. got to see amazing places, got to live in amazing countries, but one day it didn’t serve me anymore. And then I felt like I was.
Typecast it, right? I was in this box. This is what my resume said. And then my parents, good for them, encouraged me. They said, do something for yourself. Do something entrepreneurial. And that’s where I came up empty. I didn’t feel like this entrepreneurial maverick, right? This person who has this idea or this product that they want to take to the marketplace. And therefore I made it mean that I will have to work on somebody else’s dream for the rest of my life. And that wasn’t awe inspiring.
And so to this day I thank my lucky stars because somehow, some way, our founder and I got connected and he started talking to me about possibilities, options, and dreams. I mean, to this day, Jeff, not only can I not believe that I live in one of the most amazing countries on the planet, right, where we get to pursue our freedoms, where we get to pursue our dreams, but that I in my twenties had the opportunity to
be with someone who’s all about possibilities, options, and dreams. So quite honestly, I didn’t seek out the entrepreneur source. They found me. And to this day I always said I was bold enough to tell a founder this will be the last job I will ever have.
Jeff Walter* (02:59)
Ha ha ha.
Tamara Loring (03:00)
Right? Because I figured how long is it going to take me to figure out what it will take to become self-sufficient.
What I didn’t expect was that I would fall in love with what we get to do here at the Entrepreneur Source. As a matter of fact, I don’t know whether you’ve read our book or not, but we wrote a book called Your Career Revolution, Reimagine and Reclaim the Life of Your Dreams. So while I was working on just figuring out who I wanted to be and become when I grow up.
What an amazing service to help others who are at a career crossroads, who got right size, downsize, capsize, laid off, call it whatever you want to. It stinks and people are suffering from batter career syndrome, helping them reimagine what a better and brighter future could look like. So yes, it’s been next year it’s gonna be twenty-five years and
Jeff Walter* (03:51)
my lord.
Tamara Loring (03:51)
I am just having the time of my life. I always say, look, what I do is not rocket science, or nor am I a doctor, nobody’s gonna die on the operating table. But we provide hope as an organization and help people see that just because you’re not a Jeff Bezos or an Elon Musk, that doesn’t mean that you should give up on your entrepreneurial dreams, right? Entrepreneurship is not a checkbox, yes or no, right or wrong. It spans the gamut and
Franchising honestly is one of the things I discovered where you get to be and anybody in franchising has heard this said many a time, where you get to be in business for yourself, but not just by yourself. So that’s a little bit about my origin story and how I got connected with the entrepreneur source.
Jeff Walter* (04:32)
Well, I it well it’s it’s really interesting because I I think there’s a a a a cultural belief that unless you have the next, you know, big idea, the next Amazon, the next Google, like these, you know, unicorn ideas. You know, those are the real entrepreneurs that and and it was interesting. back in my twenties I I was I was at Wharton to get my MBA and I was studying entrepreneurship.
And the entrepreneurial center was run by a guy, Ed Molt, who was working, so he ran the Wharton Entrepreneurial Center. And and when he was 39, he was selling suits at a department store, men’s suits at a department store, and it was laid off. And now he was in his 60s, and he had to to your point, he discovered entrepreneurship through acquisition, buying small companies.
Ne never had a big idea, but his entrepreneurship was I’m gonna buy a small company, and then he just bought another one, another one, another one, another one. Next thing you know, twenty years goes by, and he’s director of the entrepreneur center for one of the major B schools in the country. he bought so many little businesses that he bought a bank. This is all this is all before the internet, right? He bought a bank so he could track the the cash flow of all of his l of all of his businesses. It was just crazy. Yeah, and that was
So like I love that you like I think there is that that that that sense that unless you had the unless you have the next big idea, you’re not an entrepreneur. But there’s so many paths to to entrepreneurship. And then there’s even entrepreneurship within the corporate within corporate. Because an old mentor of mine went, you know, I forget where I heard this, but he’s you know, you’re the CEO of your own life. Right? And so
Tamara Loring (06:17)
Yes, exactly right. Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (06:21)
you can you can
the entrepreneurial anywhere, even within a corporate structure. So it’s very interesting. So but shifting a little, chief brand ideology officer. So you’ve been there a while. What does a chief brand ideology officer do? It it’s a that’s a new title for me.
Tamara Loring (06:36)
Yeah, I love that you asked
me that. Because I mean, I I don’t know about you, Jeff, but I’ve never heard anybody with the title. I get a CFO, I get a CEO, I get, you know, the director positions, but ideology. So when our founder said to me, I want you to be in charge of ideology, I I still giggle to this day because what does an ideologist do? Always say, Well, I do have the signs in my office, right, that say never stop dreaming or
Risk more than others think, is safe, care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, right? Expect more than others think is possible. But I don’t just sit in my office and dream big all day. Really, I I think it the ideology is recognizing the possibilities.
that we have at our disposal, kind of like what you were talking about, right? Many
Jeff Walter* (07:30)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (07:30)
of us have these limiting beliefs, thinking that I either need to check a box or I don’t, right? I’m either entrepreneurial or I don’t. I’m not. I either have this big idea or I d don’t have it. And my life forever changed when I was at least open to learning what I don’t already know. I don’t know about you, but the first time when Terry Paul spoke to me about franchising
he actually started off by saying, You strike me as someone who has an open mind. And I’m like, Clearly you have met me. And he’s You strike me as somebody who is possibilities driven, right? Stroking my ego. I’m like, Absolutely. Until he then started speaking about franchising. And I’m like, Yeah, I’m not interested in that. And he leaned in and he’s like, What do you know about it? What specifically are you not interested in? Now, me coming from the hospitality industry, I was confused.
I thought it was
Jeff Walter* (08:23)
Uh-huh.
Tamara Loring (08:23)
about fast food and french fries and I was burned out. That was the last thing I wanted to be a part of, right? And I think a lot of people have these misconceptions about what they think is real, right? And so I thought franchising is about fast food and french fries. It wasn’t until I realized that it’s actually a way of being in business for yourself, but not by yourself, where you get to tap into someone’s
proven system and you get to pull some levers, right? What does system stand for? Save yourself significant time, energy, and money. So once I realized that wait a minute, I had it all wrong, right? I too can be an entrepreneur. I and
Jeff Walter* (09:02)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (09:02)
I don’t need to have this best next idea, kind of like the story that you were sharing, right? where seemingly unsexy businesses, right, could be a stepping stone towards building wealth and equity.
Once that clicked in my mind, I’m like, all right, so franchising is not what I thought it is, what it was. Then the second thing I learned, which still blows my mind to this day, was that everything I had learned in school, work hard, study hard, build your resume, that is what they’re gonna value in the workforce, turned out
Jeff Walter* (09:35)
Uh-huh.
Tamara Loring (09:35)
not to be true in franchising, right? If I had too much experience, a franchiser would not want me.
Potentially because that could be a liability, right? The example that my coach would mention is like if I was a Cullen Institute
Jeff Walter* (09:48)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (09:50)
grad, right, McDonald’s probably would be very hesitant because they’d be concerned that I’d want to perfect a burger. They’re not about perfecting their burger, they’re in the speedy service business. But once I click that,
Jeff Walter* (10:02)
Right.
Tamara Loring (10:03)
I realize that wait a minute. So that then means if I don’t need
Industry experience, I can now participate in over 60 or 70 or 80 different industry sectors, and suddenly
Jeff Walter* (10:14)
Uh-huh.
Tamara Loring (10:15)
the world of possibilities opened up, right? Now I don’t need to feel like there is not an enough opportunity out there. There is so much opportunity for the average person out there. It’s truly been democratized, right? Now I just need to make sure I don’t suffer from SOS, shiny object syndrome.
So because I’ve become such a big defender and believer of the American dream, because I’ve become such a big defender and believer of entrepreneurship, right, I believe that is the next wave. You and I were talking about that last week when we were talking about the industrial age and so forth. So the ideology is really about if you have a dream, you have something worthwhile pursuing. Don’t give up on that. And so it’s a great honor to me that that is the spark.
That our founder saw me that he felt that that is the title that best describes the energy and the passion that I have, not just for my own freedoms and my own dreams, but I believe everybody has a dream within reach. They may not know how to quite, you know, tackle it. They may not know exactly what it looks like, but that is where coaching can be so incredibly valuable. As a matter of fact, 95% of the people who’ve been coached by us who end up in a business end up in something they never would have looked at.
On their own, but looked at and prematurely dismissed, right? Because everybody thinks that you need to fall in love with this product or service, right? In the book, we talk about what if somebody and you know suggests that maybe entertaining the porta potty business, right? And most of the time people are like, Are you freaking kidding me? The porta potty business? I mean, excuse
Jeff Walter* (11:50)
Uh-huh.
Tamara Loring (11:51)
the pun, but that seems like a crappy business to be in. And we we we get that, but what if you recognize that
When you really looked at the facts and not emotion, that that business maybe has the potential to generate more income than you’ve ever imagined, maybe gives you flexibility and control over your lifestyle, maybe longer term has the potential for both wealth and equity for yourself and your family, and maybe even turn it into a legacy business. Is it still such a crappy business or is it at least worthwhile?
to look at whether it has the potential to meet your goals, needs and expectations. So
rather long story about how I earned the
title of ideology, but as you can tell, man, I get not only passionate about it, I obsess over it.
Jeff Walter* (12:34)
Well and you know, I I thank you for sharing that. There’s so much in there I want to unpack. And and and one thing, and and it I think it gets to the ideology, is is how I define an entrepreneur. And it’s it’s anybody that finds a need in the market
Tamara Loring (12:56)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (12:56)
and sat and and and and assembles the resources to satisfy that need, which could be
a dry cleaner putting a a a dry cleaner on a particular street corner because
Tamara Loring (13:08)
Right.
Jeff Walter* (13:08)
there’s a need there. Right. Like it’s it’s it’s finding that and and it’s interesting, especially what’s going on in the world today with different with socialism regaining some momentum. It’s like the beautiful thing about the market system is it’s it’s all about serving the people. What
Tamara Loring (13:26)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (13:27)
do they need?
What does this what does this consumer need? What does this business need? If there’s no need, there’s no business. And and it’s it’s very to me like it’s very service oriented. Because if you can’t find a need, you have no business.
Tamara Loring (13:43)
Exactly. It’s about the value creation, right?
Jeff Walter* (13:45)
Right.
Tamara Loring (13:46)
How can I be of service and what value can I provide? And I think people confuse that with, you know, passion and purpose, right? Thinking
Jeff Walter* (13:54)
Right.
Tamara Loring (13:55)
that if I find what I’m passionate about, I’ll be successful. Well, you and I spoke about another one of my favorite books. gosh, as you can tell, I’ve I’ve always got a stack hand,
Jeff Walter* (14:04)
Yeah.
Tamara Loring (14:05)
but you the emit revisited, right?
Jeff Walter* (14:08)
Yes.
Tamara Loring (14:08)
Nobody starts a business not thinking it’s gonna succeed, but there’s more to business ownership than just pursuing your passion, right? You could be really good at I don’t know, the best being the, you know, c best dry cleaner or baker or whatever that is, you know, but you could still fail at being a good business owner.
Jeff Walter* (14:28)
Right.
Tamara Loring (14:29)
Right,
because there are more aspects to it. And I think what I love, especially you and I are gonna be, or at least your team will be among amongst like minded individuals this weekend, where we’re with franchise concepts, right? With people who have been able to not only pursue the ideas but
proven that they can scale it and replicate it and have predictable results and then bring in operators to do that nationwide, some in some instances even globally, right? And what is the magic there, right? It is because it’s serving the greater community. There’s a need
Jeff Walter* (15:05)
Exactly.
Tamara Loring (15:06)
in the community. Now, I don’t necessarily need to have a love affair with it, like people think like, well, pursue your passion, right? Do I need to
be passionate about eating donuts in order to have a successful donut business. Not necessarily, right? If there is a need and a demand for it in the marketplace, I can capitalise on it, whether I personally consume the donuts or not, right? So I I think it’s just separating the two and not con confusing the opportunity to serve the community versus pursuing something you love. When you serve the community, what I have found out is you end up loving what you do anyway.
Jeff Walter* (15:43)
Well it well, you know, it’s it’s it’s yeah, ex it’s interesting because I don’t think of it as passion, I think of it as joy. Does it bring you joy? And that’s very different than is it your passion? Like you were talking about the porta potties, and I think I don’t know if it was at the World Franchise show that I was just at or something I just recently read, but it was one of the one of the hottest growing franchise oars right now.
I forget the name of the company, but they combine porta potties with dumpsters.
Tamara Loring (16:14)
Yes, yes. I actually think we have that concept in our network.
Jeff Walter* (16:17)
That we do was you
Tamara Loring (16:18)
I yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jeff Walter* (16:19)
Yeah, and it’s and and and then the and yeah, and it was and it’s taking off because of roofers. Right? Because there are municipalities that are like, okay, you’re doing a roof, you need a dumpster, but you know, there are certain municipalities that say you also have to have a port pike so that you know people, these guys that are working hard have a place to go. And and it’s like it’s like one of those niche needs. Like, who would have ever thought that?
Right, that that because there’s plenty of dumpster places and there’s plenty of like, but this one concept was no, there’s a need here, a one stop need, make it easy for the contractors. They get there and and and and it’s like taken off. And I’m like, and you don’t have to be passionate about dumpsters and you don’t have to be passionate about porta potties, but you’re helping roofers put roofs on homes so that
Tamara Loring (17:09)
Yes.
Jeff Walter* (17:09)
the homeowner had like you’re making it better and easier for that to happen.
So that people can have a literally a roof over their head. And and
Tamara Loring (17:18)
Exactly.
Jeff Walter* (17:18)
it’s it’s a beautiful, like to me, it’s a beautiful thing. And you might sit there and go, that’s silly. It’s garbage and poop. Right. And and but it’s like,
Tamara Loring (17:25)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (17:27)
yeah, well, you know, we’re humans, right? So, you know, there’s a book I remember reading to my kids when they were young. Everybody poops, right? Like, we
Tamara Loring (17:33)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (17:34)
got to do something with this stuff. And and what a beautiful like like I I look at that and go, there’s joy in that to me.
that you can provide this sanitate you know, sanitary environment for people to for roofers to to get rid of the garbage and to, you know, and I’m like to me so to me it’s joy. I I I I I think of what brings you joy and to your point, it’s like when you find the joy in that, then all of a sudden you you begin to love it because you’re bringing this joy to the you’re you’re serving this need in the community. And it’s a beautiful thing, I think.
Tamara Loring (18:09)
And I I think, you know, most businesses are actually like that, right? Yeah, you have the outliers there, right? And and those are the ones that hit celebrity status or you know, that people are talking about. But I would say the average business on Main Street is exactly what you’re talking about, fulfilling a need in the marketplace. And so for somebody who is not happy with the trajectory of their career, or for someone who feels like they have limited options, I would challenge them and encourage them to maybe look
at things from a different perspective, whether it’s reading a book, you’re all about training, right? It’s really pr pressing outs looking beyond your current comfort zone. That’s really where the learning occurs. Because again, you know, I know it sounds almost almost Pollyanna ish, but I feel like
With technology the way it is today, and you know, especially with us living in the United States, you know, we have the opportunity to pro pursue our dreams unlike anybody else, prior to us, you write in human history. I mean, a hundred and fifty years ago, five hundred years ago, a thousand years ago, the things that are accessible and available to the average person like you and me today, I mean, it’s just, you know, it’s a great equalizer. But
It’s not in these shiny objects necessarily.
Jeff Walter* (19:27)
Right.
Tamara Loring (19:28)
It is, you know, the services that we offer or that we consume on Main Street every single day. That’s where the opportunity lies.
Jeff Walter* (19:35)
Well and and and and the it it’s funny you not funny, ha ha, but that you say, you know, the main street every day, it’s it’s it’s the day to day stuff that determines the quality of your life. Not the not the extraordinary thing you do once or twice in a lifetime. It’s the eat and it’s that it’s that experience of like, was it good food at the restaurant? Was it a nice boutique? Was I able to get my car you know, is my car when I go to the car wash? Did it get clean? Do I like
Like all these little daily things just build up to having a a wonderful life. But the beauty is on the entrepreneurship is y you have to be of you have to be of service. Like your hospitality background, I think is spot on with what you’re like I can see the path now because hospitality is all about service. Well, entrepreneurship is all about service. Like if you’re
Tamara Loring (20:24)
Yes.
Jeff Walter* (20:25)
if you don’t have a service mentality, then I’m serving my clients, I’m serving my customers, I’m finding this need, this
this thing they need that they don’t have, then you’re not gonna be successful. It just doesn’t work.
but I also believe it’s not only of the service thing, but it’s also you know the golden rule. Right? Like I can’t try and I I I can in the short term cheat and lie and steal.
But my brand, and this goes to your brand I we’re still on brand ideology and the entrepreneurship. My brand is gonna fail unless it’s trusted. Like so
Tamara Loring (21:02)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (21:03)
much goes into building brand trust and trust and and and and and consumers want to trust that they’re getting, you know, the well not just getting a good product, but the entire supply chain for that product is aligned with their values.
Right? And it’s anyway, it’s just I I get off my soapbox now.
Tamara Loring (21:25)
Well no, and I agree with you because you know, I hear so many
stories where you hear the opposite, right? Where you hear about the snake old salesman and everybody’s out to enrich themselves, right? And I mean y you and I’ve probably experienced it too, just you know, the amount of times we get spammed and junk mail and phone calls that aren’t for us and you kind of wonder
what the business model is behind that, right? And and so if you can earn someone’s trust, I believe it was Napoleon Hill who said that if you help enough people get what they want out of life, you will get what you want out of life. And I 100% believe
Jeff Walter* (22:01)
Yes.
Tamara Loring (22:01)
that. And I believe in today’s society where there is so much information, where it’s so hard to distinguish, where there’s so much fatigue, right, if we can earn someone’s trust, that that is part of the value pro.
pro proposition. And I I love the golden rule, but we actually even talk about the platinum law at the entrepreneur source. So the golden rule I always say is what grandma taught me. You know, it’s like treat everybody the way you want to be treated. But what if we could one up that and make sure that I treat you the way you want to be treated, right? Then yeah, yeah. And and so, you know, whether it’s exactly exactly.
Jeff Walter* (22:35)
yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Instead of projecting your own wants onto the other person. So that’s the platinum
law. I like that.
Tamara Loring (22:44)
That is
the platinum lawn. I didn’t make it up. I don’t know who needs to get credit
Jeff Walter* (22:46)
I like that.
Tamara Loring (22:47)
for it, but I do think about that often because, you know, I agree with you. You know, it’s funny that you made the connection between my hospitality background and what entrepreneurship is really about. It’s in service of others. It’s about providing value. It’s about being the better part of someone else’s day. Right. And then if you do enough of that.
Right, the compounds over time, right? A lot
Jeff Walter* (23:10)
Yes.
Tamara Loring (23:10)
of the stories that you’ve been talking about, right? A lot of franchisees, right? Initially their families and family members think like, my gosh, you know, you are a PhD, a highly educated engineer. What on earth possessed you to leave corporate America or leave the C suite and pursue
Whatever business it is, it’s usually not glamorous, right? It’s whether it’s roofing, whether it’s residential cleaning services, whether it’s you name it, right? And yet slowly but surely those people were able to create something for themselves and their families, maybe even greater than what they could working on somebody else’s dream on somebody else’s term somewhere else.
Jeff Walter* (23:51)
Yeah, yeah. I don’t think I I mentioned this story to you, but one of my bac back in the day, it’s been fifteen years, but one of my senior developers, one you know, one of my senior guys, he comes into my office one day, kinda and he he he’d been with me from the beginning. You know, we’ve been together like ten years. And he kinda comes into my office one day kind of sheepishly. And he’s like, you know, we have a very strong culture here, type culture. And he’s like, Jeff, you know,
Yeah, no, I tell you this, but you know, I’m gonna I’m gonna be resigning. you know, I I I my wife and I are opening up a kickboxing franchise. And
Tamara Loring (24:26)
No kidding. Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (24:28)
and and he he’s he’s one of my top developers, right? He’s a software developer. Kit to your point, kickboxing, right? And
Tamara Loring (24:37)
Right? Excellent.
Jeff Walter* (24:38)
and and I turned around and I had that book, the E Myth Revisited, on my
on
my bookshelf back here. And I took the copy I had and I said, here, this is yours. You’ve got to read this. And he just his whole demeanor changed. He he thought he was like letting me down. You know, we’ve been through a lot together, you know, you know, building the company. And I’m like, that is awesome. Congratulations. Read this. Well he owns and that was like I said 15 years ago, tremendously successful.
Well,
everything that we learned here he applied to his business. You know, you’re talking about like you just don’t realize you that you have all these skills that are not necessarily on the resume, like y y filling that need, right? Like he was an excellent, excellent senior developer, right? But he also had all this analytical. He saw what our clients did in terms of training and and and and and scaling. And and today he owns he’s a multi unit operator.
You know, and and
Tamara Loring (25:37)
my gosh.
Jeff Walter* (25:38)
he’s done exceedingly well. And it was so it was so cute. I was on social media the other day and I saw one of his posts for for the kickboxing and he and his daughter was you know, on there with him. And it’s like, yeah, I haven’t seen a picture of her in like fifteen years. You know, she’s an adult now and it was just really cool. I was like, my gosh, they’re done so well and it’s so so proud of him. But but to your point.
Tamara Loring (26:01)
And you know, your story,
I I I love that too because I want to touch on, you know, people are so scared that they’re gonna disappoint. But what I have found is entrepreneurs and are are true visionaries, right? And they delight in the fact when someone has the courage to do what they did, right? And and seek out and do a different path. So usually I don’t find that people are disappointed, but people are, you know, think it’s
It’s a matter of time. I mean, you’ve seen what can be done. Why wouldn’t you want to work on your own dream? So it’s a little bit counterintuitive, but I’ve seen it so many times where and I’ve experienced it myself too. I mean, sometimes for self serving reasons, right? I’m like, that was a great team member, but who would I be if I stood between them and the dreams that they want to pursue? So it’s always followed by joy and happiness. Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (26:46)
Exactly. Yeah. I mean
he was shocked that I gave him that book. Right. I was like, like here, boom, you go. Well
Tamara Loring (26:51)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (26:53)
and and and it’s funny because I talked to him years later and he was like between that and model you know and the kind of a culture we tried to build here at latitude, you know, and and and that platinum rule. I like the platinum rule. We were using golden rule, but and
Tamara Loring (27:08)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (27:09)
and and then what he’s learned from our clients in in in terms of how you scale stuff, how you
proceduralize, how you you you put all that in place so that it can replicate. yeah, he goes, I like all those lessons that as a developer, that’s not part of your your narrow path, right? But he’s like, my God, I w once I had that entrepreneur hat on, there were all these lessons I learned over the years from Latitude, from our clients, from what they’ve done, that he just applied them to his business and it was tremendously successful. True he’s he is tremendously successful. It’s really cool.
Tamara Loring (27:42)
And I think this is exactly
what you’ve created too, right? With latitude learning. It’s creating that framework, that system, right? So that other people
Jeff Walter* (27:50)
Right.
Tamara Loring (27:50)
don’t have to reinvent the will over and over again. I think that’s one of the other misconceptions too. People really think that they have to be exceptionally smart or they have to have this crazy new idea. I certainly used to feel the pressure of having to come up with that next new idea. And then what I realized was, you know, motivation is fleeting.
But it’s being able to tap into a system yourself where you can create the daily habits and the daily disciplines that then over time take hold, right? It’s the the basically the magic of c compounding.
Right, whether
Jeff Walter* (28:25)
Yes.
Tamara Loring (28:25)
it’s compounding in finances or compounding in habits, compounding in health, right? and a framework like yours really gives somebody to tap into something where they don’t need to waste mental energy on some on reinventing something or trying to figure it out anymore. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite acronyms is what our founder calls the system, but it stands for save
yourself significant time, energy and money. So whether it’s somebody tapping into a system like yours or tapping into franchising, really what a franchise is, is a proven system, right? So
Jeff Walter* (28:59)
Right.
Tamara Loring (28:59)
that you can have predictable results once you’re in a good rhythm there. And then there’s always more room for creativity. And that’s how I feel about AI also, right? People are so worried whether it’s going to take your job, whether it’s going to do things better than you could. Yes, it will, right? So that
Once again you can tap into that entrepreneurial spirit we spoke about
Jeff Walter* (29:21)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (29:21)
of how you can be of service, how you could do deeper thinking. So I’m actually really, really excited about what the future holds, not just for you guys, for us, but you know, for humanity.
Jeff Walter* (29:31)
Yeah, I I I I think it’s well, i it when you get back to that thinking of the entrepreneur is what is you’re thinking about that that platinum law. You’re thinking about what does that person need that they don’t have access to conveniently today, right? That doesn’t change. That like like it that and and like you said, what and you know what? I love franchising. Every
I’ve never experienced this in my career. I’ve been around the block a couple of times. and I’ve every time I go to a franchise show or or or conference or I’ve been to a million conferences in my careers in all different industries, software, health insurance, you know, just like a lot. Every time I go to a franchise conference, it is electrifying to me.
I like I just like, I it it just does something to me. I get like the joy comes out out. You know, I was at the the World Franchise Show down in Port Lauderdale just the other day, or a coup a couple of weeks ago speaking down there, and it’s just there’s just so much energy there and and hope and dreams. I was at IFE this year, I was at the I IFA’s annual convention. Like just every time I go, I just get such great energy.
Because it’s because of what you j what you said, right? It’s like it’s that ideology. It’s it’s it’s that these people in this are either they’re entrepreneurs trying to grow their brand and find others to come on, or they’re people looking for the right brand for them, right? And and and tr and all in service of the customer. It’s just it’s a beautiful thing.
Tamara Loring (31:12)
And I think the other thing that people often overlook, I I I sometimes consider franchising America’s best kept secret because there’s confusion about franchising and corporate, right? What many people don’t realize, even many of my family members initially didn’t realize that franchising is really small business owners under a national brand, right? So when you talk about just that energy and that spirit, because I feel like
Franchising attracts hardworking individuals who have you know some grit and a dream and a passion for you know they they don’t shy away from hard work, but people forget that they’re actually small business owners in our local communities,
Jeff Walter* (31:52)
Right.
Tamara Loring (31:53)
right? So many times when you hear, you know, support your local small business.
They’ll overlook the franchise and the franchisee is like, wait a minute, I am part of your community. Don’t confuse what seems like a national brand with, you know, a corporate entity. Right? My kids go to the same schools as your kids go. Right. This is a small business serving the community. And it’s just interesting to me that most people or the general public, by and large, unless they’ve been involved in franchising.
Don’t think of a franchise like that, right? That it’s really a small business owner in your local community under a national brand or even international.
Jeff Walter* (32:32)
Yeah. But yeah, it’s interesting. What my when my daughter was in high school, she she went to work for Big B coffee, one of the you know, their their headquartered here in Michigan. And you know, and so it’s a pretty well known name here. But then like it’s like, no, she went to work for this woman who owned three of Right. And then it’s like and
Tamara Loring (32:50)
Wow.
Jeff Walter* (32:51)
then it’s like, and and it was the you know, this this small team and you know, she had one up on you know, stadium and one, you know, one over here on Michigan Avenue.
One over like and and it was like, it it was really interesting to see through the eyes of like a sixteen, seventy year old. It’s like, to your point, right? She was like,
Tamara Loring (33:09)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (33:10)
it’s not big be you know, it’s it’s not big B. You know, this this
Tamara Loring (33:14)
Right.
Jeff Walter* (33:14)
big regional coffee chain. it’s it’s you know it’s it’s this brand, but this woman own I I could own a coffee shop. Actually it’s one of her dreams on a on a coffee shop. So yeah.
Tamara Loring (33:24)
There you go.
Jeff Walter* (33:26)
yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. As soon as she gets that consulting thing out of her out of her she’s she’s doing
Tamara Loring (33:27)
Never too late to pursue that dream, right? But and it just shows you. Yeah. You know,
but but you know, what a gift for somebody to be able to compare and contrast versus the independent, you know, owned coffee shop where you know nothing again, like I always say, every
great business or great franchise on earth today started off with somebody’s crazy idea. But where on the entrepreneurial life cycle did you enter it, right? Like the the person who starts from scratch needs to kind of figure out things by trial and by error. And some things are going to work and some things are not going to work, right? Two steps forward, three steps back, right? Where once you plug in as a franchisee, a lot of that legwork has already been done. Now it doesn’t mean that the economy doesn’t change or that systems don’t change.
But now it’s not only the system that I realized that is such an upside of a franchise. For many, many years I underestimated the power of being part of a community. I mean, when you’re
Jeff Walter* (34:26)
Right.
Tamara Loring (34:27)
part of a franchise system, right, whether it’s a coffee shop or you name the industry, suddenly, even if it’s an emerging brand, you are connected with similar individuals who face similar, you know, challenges and opportunities nationwide, and you get to
collaborate with them. You get to learn from each other. one of the things our founder will always say is a rising tide raises all ships. And in franchising, I’ve absolutely seen that to be true. Right. So it’s the system and the framework that you tap into, but also the community, which is just again, you know, I don’t know why even after twenty five years, I’m still so surprised. But I just feel like because nobody told me that as a kid or going to school or even to college.
Jeff Walter* (35:11)
Well I the thing I well I I yeah, I I love talking to you because I feel like kindred spirits here on on the
Tamara Loring (35:17)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (35:17)
whole entrepreneur side is it’s real to me it’s like it’s really magic. Right? It’s like this magic occurs where one plus one equals three. It’s the it’s the strangest
Tamara Loring (35:27)
Yes,
Jeff Walter* (35:29)
thing. It like it’s it you know, it’s like y you take a bunch of stuff and you take a bunch stuff, and then the like and and then all of a sudden it’s like the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
And and
Tamara Loring (35:39)
Sure.
Jeff Walter* (35:40)
the cool thing about franchising is that’s the system. Somebody has figured out for this particular segment of the market, for these particular types of customers, if I take one plus one, I get something that’s worth three. And here’s my system of how you do that. And the people that and and it’s like magic. It’s just it blows me away every single time. I’ve been doing this for decades. It’s just so cool. It’s so cool.
Tamara Loring (36:04)
Yeah. I I know, I
know, right? It’s it’s so easy to geek out on that. And then the other thing
Jeff Walter* (36:09)
I know.
Tamara Loring (36:10)
that we have not even mentioned, you know, it also takes the pressure off of having to be the person who’s the expert at everything and have all the answers, right? I I I feel like for myself, I now, having been enfranchising so long, I admire people
Who are the lone wolves out there trying to figure out the the resources and the community and the tools that they need to start something off? Because man, that does take a very special person. But what I have realized about myself, I’ve got some things that I would consider superpowers, and then man, I have so many things that I am average or mediocre at. But when you plug into a franchise system, you get to surround yourself with a group of people, some other superheroes who are quite frankly
better than you at so many other things. And I love the fact that I don’t necessarily need to be the marketing genius, right? There’s
Jeff Walter* (37:02)
Right.
Tamara Loring (37:02)
somebody who does that better than I do. I don’t need to be the IT genius, right? There’s somebody who quite frankly does it better than I do. But we get to do all these things together where like you said, one plus one then no longer equals two. But it is, you know, the multiplier effect really takes off, which is so, so exciting.
Jeff Walter* (37:21)
It
it’s very cool. I mean, I love that I love your acronym. You know, it i it with franchising, you’re buying a system and system is save yourself time, energy, and money. Like I’m gonna remember that. That’s that’s that’s beautiful. Now, we were talking about co conferences and how you get energy out of that. You guys have a conference coming up very shortly, I believe, like next week. So tell tell
Tamara Loring (37:40)
That’s true. Yes. And
Jeff Walter* (37:42)
us a little bit about that conference.
Tamara Loring (37:44)
yeah, you know, this is one of those unique conferences. It’s actually closed to the public and the conference exists. The sole purpose is for career ownership coaches
And the franchisor community and funding members to get together to start collaborating. Because one of the things that our funding not our funding members, our franchisor community and our strategic partners love about our coach community is that we bring them what we call seekers, right? who under normal circumstances never would have considered the opportunities. and so you wonder how that is, right? And I say, you know, typically it must be very challenging for a franchiseur to say if
This opportunity sounds like nothing you ever want to do. I would encourage you to stop by and have a conversation with me, right? People dismiss it out of hand. And so why the business community loves us so much is because of our patented coaching methodology. We will invite someone to go on this hero’s journey with us called the journey of discovery, where if all they know that they want a better future.
And they’re open to at least learning, we’ll take them through these thought exercises. And for a certain percentage of people, that then means that they’ll start being at least intrigued or interested about business ownership and franchising. And then by the time they connect with the franchise or community, we have something, somebody who’s at least open-minded and wants to learn how they can leverage the system and plug into it. So the sole purpose of the conference is for us to get together to better.
get to know each other, for our coaches
Jeff Walter* (39:18)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (39:18)
to understand what the franchisor’s aspirations are,
Jeff Walter* (39:22)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (39:23)
right? As far as growing their national brand, who an ideal candidate would be for them, and vice versa, for the franchisor community to understand our methodology, right? So the reason we call people seekers and not leads, we don’t pre-qualify somebody in or out trying to figure out whether they’re hot or not, whether they have already made up their mind to to buy or invest in a business.
We really are more like the farmers where we cultivate the seeds of possibilities, options and dreams. And what I love is when I get to speak to a room full of business owners and I always say, think back maybe two years or three years from now, ago, right? If I had asked you then, who of you would have raised their hands if I said you always, always wanted to be be a business owner?
And usually maybe it’s ten percent of the audience will say, Yeah, no, I’ve I’ve
Jeff Walter* (40:12)
Uh-huh.
Tamara Loring (40:12)
always had this entrepreneurial itch, this entrepreneurial dream. I’m like, huh, that’s interesting. So if ten percent raised their hand, ninety percent of the people in the room didn’t have that desire. And yet we’re a room full of business owners. Then I follow up that question and I say, Okay, so if you think back to that time, how many of you then would have thought that you would be part of a franchise?
Almost nobody ever raises their hand. And I’m like, isn’t that interesting?
Jeff Walter* (40:37)
Right.
Tamara Loring (40:38)
And yet, not only are we a room full of business owners, we’re a room full of franchisees. And then I go down to the specific brand and I’m like, I get it. I bet you’ve always dreamt of being part of XYZ franchise and the room chuckles, right? They’re like, No, not in a million years would I have thought that I would somehow be affiliated with XYZ brand.
And yet they are there today. So that is the power of coaching. And this is what this conference is about just really helping people reimagine what could be possible. So I love you know that we’re in it together, talk about that community, right? Our coaches alone,
Jeff Walter* (41:10)
Right.
Tamara Loring (41:12)
they don’t have franchises to offer or business opportunities, but in collaboration with the franchisors or the franchise community or with suppliers, right? We have the opportunity to be.
one part of a three legged store and create an amazing experience for the general public where they too are amazed at what they discover if they keep an open mind.
Jeff Walter* (41:32)
Yeah, you know, that’s so so the so the conference here is really kind of the gain that knowledge at the coach level. you know, and what I love about you guys is and one of the reasons we’re partners is is it’s not just trying to, you know, like you said, hook up a lead to a brand, like a lot of brokers out there, but but you really are building this entire infrastructure or and and and when you look and I love your that you chose the name entrepreneurs because
the entrepreneur source because you’re also helping growing brands, those entrepreneurs grow, in addition to the seekers looking for a franchise opportunity. And it’s just it and therefore that’s where you get that network of of of guys like us that can that can help that. And so it’s that’s that’s and so next week is is about getting all those pieces of the stool together so that when they go when the coaches go out to the marketplace they are
They have a better understanding of what’s available. Is that the idea or what the journey looks like? Is that the right way of thinking of it?
Tamara Loring (42:35)
Depending on who you are, right? Like with your franchise or a supplier, because you’re absolutely right. Terry Powell’s dream was to be become the one source, resource for all things entrepreneurial. So what we are building is this ecosystem, right? So on the one hand, our coaches do service the general public. On the other hand, another one of our clients, if you want to call it that, is the business community and the franchise or community that, you know, whether they are an emerging brand or an established brand, right, trying to scale.
then, you know, is how can we also be a resource and this is where you fit in to the business community, right? So that they don’t
Jeff Walter* (43:11)
Mm-hmm.
Tamara Loring (43:11)
have to reinvent everything themselves. So if we’re a trusted source, h it’s so easy for them to plug into something like latitude learning, right? Because they know that this is a trusted source and this could help them with some fun fun fundamental and foundational pieces in
their business, right? So it it just it’s really that multi prong approach where we get to lift each other up. and this conference is really about building relationships, building momentum so that we can feed
Jeff Walter* (43:41)
Okay.
Tamara Loring (43:42)
that ecosystem, that entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Jeff Walter* (43:45)
Yeah. It it it’s really I mean, other thing just I want to go back to and and touch on just a a little bit, the the the C it’s I mean, words are important, right? So
Tamara Loring (43:53)
Yes.
Jeff Walter* (43:54)
the fact that you’re using like seeker instead of lead, right? It it changes the emphasis. but when you were talking about the discovery journey, it reminded me, again, I go back to grad school that w we were taught something like that’s called the corridor principle. and it’s like you’re at the end of a court a hallway, a corridor.
And you know, you’re at one end and you see the other end and you think that that’s your goal. Right. And and and you know, if anybody asks you, you’re like, that’s my goal. It’s right there at the other end of the hallway. And then you start your journey, that discovery journey, and you start going down the hall.
And next thing you know, you see a hallway to the left that you didn’t know existed when you were standing at the other at the end of the hallway. And you look down that hallway and you see this other goal at the end there, and you go, hey, that’s a better goal. And you make a left and you start heading down that goal. And then you get like halfway down that hall and you see this other hallway to the right. And it’s like it’s got a better goal. And next thing you know, you’ve you’ve gone down this. this is what I love about your discovery journey for the seekers, is you’re going down that path and you’re making these lefts and rights.
And I love what you said about when you ask people how many businesses, only 10%, how many franchises, how many the brand, and they laugh. Well, it’s because they did that, they did that journey. They went down, they saw something, they made a left, they made a right, they left, right, right, left. And next thing you know, there’s some place where they that they love that is bringing them joy, that they’re serving the community, that they didn’t even know that they had no clue existed when they were all the way back at at the end of the first hallway.
Right. Like they they didn’t know this thing existed. And the beautiful thing about what the entrepreneur source does is it’s that ecosystem. You’re you’re creating that labyrinth of hallways for people to take that journey through. And it can be and and there’s no dark hallways because it’s all a trusted environment. So it’s very cool. It’s very, very cool. Very, very cool.
Tamara Loring (45:49)
I appreciate
it so much. I I think it’s cool too, right? Because like I said, you know, we we always tell challenge people, we’ll say, Well, work with you under two conditions, keep an open mind, right? And we all think we have an open mind until we’re challenged to leave our current comfort zone. And then the other thing is to make no decisions. Let’s just go out and educate ourselves and see what’s possible. And you’re absolutely right. Once you see what’s possible.
The pathway that you started off pursuing may actually pivot in a completely different direction. And we’re not here to judge one pathway or another, right? Because one size doesn’t fit all. But if you have clarity about what your why is, what that North Star is, it will be amazing how you recognize how the different vehicles can better serve that path. And it may not be the one that you started off. I mean, the vast majority of our
Jeff Walter* (46:34)
Exactly.
Tamara Loring (46:35)
clients would start off telling our coaches, I need a job.
And then they end up somewhere completely different.
Jeff Walter* (46:41)
Right. That’s beautiful. That’s really very cool. And so Tamar, you know, we’re we’re coming up on time here. I just it’s been really interesting. And I I I I love the entrepreneur source. It’s a different type of organization and you’re attack and and and you’re addressing the market and the market need in a very unique way. So it’s very cool and so
Tamara Loring (47:01)
Yes.
Jeff Walter* (47:01)
thank you for allowing us to be a part of it. And
For
any anybody listening out there, is there any other anything else you you you share you care to share?
Tamara Loring (47:10)
I love that question and I should have been very prepared for it. But depending on the listener, right?
Jeff Walter* (47:16)
Yes.
Tamara Loring (47:17)
One, tap into a community. You don’t need to go at it all by yourself, right? Whether it’s tapping into a framework like yours, Jeff, right? Whether it’s tapping into a franchise community, and at the very least, dare to explore, right? It’s what you learn after you think you know it all.
that really, really counts. And I didn’t come up with that quote. I don’t even remember who to give credit to. But there there’s a world of possibilities out there. If you’re not feeling it right now, my gosh, you could definitely benefit from working with somebody at the entrepreneur source, like one of our career ownership coaches. Just to at the very least explore what’s possible.
Jeff Walter* (47:54)
Yeah, and I would and and and for anybody there that out there that might be thinking of pursuing this, and I’ve said this at every show I I present that. You may not know this, but but the coaches are you you don’t have to pay the coaches for this journey.
Tamara Loring (48:09)
That’s true.
Jeff Walter* (48:11)
you know, you you you do have to pay coaches in a lot of other things in life,
Tamara Loring (48:16)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (48:16)
but not on this journey. And and and so if you’re thinking about it, I I would I
Yeah, when I was at the IFA World franchise show, I I was I was part of a panel A to Z of buying a franchise and you know, we had a couple dozen folks there, dozens of folks and and then talked to them afterwards and they’re like, I you know, I I I want to do something, I don’t know. I’m like, go find a franchise coach. Go find a firm that you feel com there’s that you feel comfortable with. I named, you know, you guys and a and and a couple others and said, but you know, don’t take my word for it. Go explore. These coaches,
They’re they’re free to talk to and they’ll take you on your journey. And and and there are a couple of good ones. And I said, you know, and I go, the the way I looked at it, it’s kind of like real estate agents. You’ve got some
Tamara Loring (49:03)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (49:03)
real estate agents that are just want to flip that house on Main Street that’s been sitting there for a while, and they just want to get you into a house as quickly as possible. And then there are other ones that want to put you in your dream home, your forever home. And like there’s folks like the entrepreneur source.
They want to put you in your forever home. Right?
Tamara Loring (49:20)
Yeah.
Jeff Walter* (49:21)
And and and so like go go talk to them. And you’ll know soon enough talking to these guys, whether they’re there to just flip a house or whether they’re there to get you into your forever home. and and so that’s so so I I I when you when you said you know, you know, start the journey with the open mind, I’m like, just want to remember.
remind people, it’s like, look, this you can you can do this with no commitment. It’s you know, without without having to write a check. And I would I would suggest it, especially if you’ve got that kind of a propensity that you want to do something. And and to your point about the why, like to me that’s the joy. The why is the joy. This is the thing that brings me joy. It’s not necessarily my passion, but it’s my why. It might be financial, it might be service oriented, but but that
It it brings you joy. And and it brings joy if it hits a bunch of those things. So it’s very, very cool. So thank you, Tamar, for everything. And one one less guess. If if folks want to get a hold of you, or the entrepreneur source, what’s the best way to get a hold of the entrepreneur source for you?
Tamara Loring (50:27)
Many different ways, but easiest probably the entrepreneursource.com. That takes you right to our website and from there you can fill out different assessments. We can connect you with the coach. Or if you’re so inclined, if you want to read or listen to us before, maybe pick up a copy of your career revolution. It’s available on Amazon. It’s available on Audible. And that may be a great way to start and explore, you know, am I open to learning what else is else?
Jeff Walter* (50:54)
Tamar, th thank you so much for joining me today. and good luck with the conference next week. And thank you for taking
Tamara Loring (50:59)
Thank you.
Jeff Walter* (50:59)
time. You know, this is prep week and you you’ve taken
Tamara Loring (51:02)
Business.
Jeff Walter* (51:02)
time out of your day to talk to me. So I greatly appreciate that. I know how prepping for these things can be very time consuming. So I do appreciate your time today. Thank you. And we’ll make sure we get that URL in the show notes.
Tamara Loring (51:13)
Appreciate it. Thank you, Joe.
Jeff Walter* (51:15)
And to everybody out there, thanks for joining us and we’ll look forward to seeing you next time. Take care.