For eight years, he hustled for a large company selling trade show space. As a top salesman, he made a decent living and got to travel a lot, but something was missing. He was clocking in and out, wishing he could find something more fulfilling.

“In my heart, I wanted to be an entrepreneur and I dreamed of owning a business,” he said. But he lacked the funds and know-how to get started.

In 2016, he stumbled upon an opportunity with WOW 1 DAY PAINTING and gave up the corporate grind for a shot at business ownership. Now, Justin is a franchise partner with WOW 1 DAY PAINTING in New Jersey and feels passionate about building something for himself. Most importantly, he has time to be a volunteer firefighter: “When I'm working from the home office or working local and there is a fire call in the middle of the day and I can respond.”

This is his story.

How did you end up becoming a franchise partner for WOW 1 DAY PAINTING?

I was doing well as a salesperson, leading a team, learning marketing and sales, and getting some perks. But I was working hard for someone else; there was no incentive to do any better.

Then, I moved and my job started requiring a three-hour commute. That’s when I started seriously looking for something new. I came across Brian Scudamore’s episode of Power Pitch on LinkedIn, where he describes the concept of WOW 1 DAY PAINTING in 30 seconds. I thought it was a really cool idea.

I saw the video on a Friday, so I filled out a form requesting more information on their website, and went home from work. What I never expected was a call from Managing Director James Alisch the very next day. He said he thought I was the “right guy” and didn’t want to wait for Monday to talk.

Was there a tipping point, where you knew it was time to go all in?

I was so done with busting my ass, but not feeling fulfilled. When people asked me what I did for a living, I often evaded the question because I had no sense of pride.

James shared his own experiences in the painting world and talked about the culture at WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. It didn’t feel sales-y — it just seemed like I’d be joining a team of people like me. It felt like the right fit and I just found a way to make it work.

What do you like best about owning your own business?

I don’t just punch in and out anymore, because I know I’m building something bigger. It gives me a sense of ownership and pride. Everything even says “WOW” on it — and that’s how I feel when I’m driving the truck or wearing the brand.

Best of all, I like knowing that if I put the work in, I truly do reap the rewards for what I am putting in.

What would you tell prospective franchise owners?

As a corporate employee, you take everything for granted — the paycheque arrives, you have insurance set up for you, someone does the hiring, etc. I have a background in business, but actually running one day-to-day is a lot different than a textbook.

What makes the difference for me is the O2E Brands network: weekly meetings with my business coach, the support of our field team, and other franchise partners I can call on for advice. If I didn’t have them, I probably would have given up by now.

If you’re like I was, you might be dreaming of owning a business but not knowing what to do next. My biggest fear was not knowing how to do it. But when I started talking to the team, those feelings went away and I got excited about the possibilities instead.