Fola chose a health and wellness franchise because it gave him a proven system to execute, in a field his family already knew. With healthcare in his household and a sister who is a nurse practitioner, the concept was easy to understand. It matters most for career professionals who want ownership without starting from scratch.
Lisa Welko and Cece Welko sit down with Fola, a software technology leader and new IV Nutrition owner, to talk about how he chose his industry and what came next. It’s an honest look at the steps between curious and committed.
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What's covered
1:59 Why health and wellness made sense for him
2:52 Build systems first, then step back
4:42 How he checked that franchising was legit
6:33 Leases, LOIs and the buildout phase
Why would a tech professional buy a franchise instead of building from scratch?
His answer was execution. He saw a franchise as a way to use a system that already works, then add his own grit. That made the choice easier.
From the advisor side, Lisa points out that a franchise still needs an owner who calls the shots. The system gives you a playbook. The business is still yours to run.
How do you pick an industry when you're open to almost anything?
His wife runs a healthcare services company and has a master’s in healthcare administration. His sister is a nurse practitioner. The concept was easy to understand because healthcare was already part of daily life. He also liked being part of an emerging space.
The lesson is simple. Your best fit often sits where your household already has knowledge and energy.
How much time does an owner put in at the start?
Fola plans to step back eventually, but not on day one. He’s putting real time in during startup, because that’s the hard part. His focus is systems and processes, so the business runs well before he hands pieces to others.
“Get that firm foundation, put in the work in the beginning, and earn the right to step back.”
– Lisa Welko
Right now he’s in buildout. He’s worked through a few LOIs, he’s in the leasing process, and he’s walking contractors through the space to plan the remodel. His goal is to get to opening as quickly as possible.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
That’s the kind of thing a 15 minute call sorts out quickly. No cost, no pitch.
Who this is for
This is for professionals with a steady career who want to own something and would rather run a proven system than build from zero. It’s also for anyone curious about health and wellness franchising. It’s not for someone who wants to be hands-off from day one, since Fola’s plan starts with real time in the business.
Questions people ask
How do I know if franchising is legit?
Fola had the same doubt when he started. He called a franchise broker he knew from church and asked her to help him validate it. He also read the information the FTC publishes about franchising. Learning that it’s a well regulated industry calmed his fears, and after that he was all in.
