Some people have a loud voice in their head. Lisa calls it Mr. Ego. Mr. Ego talks big and pokes holes in everything. Every model looks flawed, every brand seems to have a catch, and every number looks wrong. Lisa gets it. The work is to dig a little deeper and find the real fear underneath.

If it’s money, start with the facts. Look at the investment. Look at the support system. Then talk to owners who are already doing it. They have already had their own shaky hands write the big checks, some a few months ago and some years ago. Ask them what they were afraid of and how they worked through it. Every franchise, owner and market is different, and experiences vary.

Then the question is why. Maybe you watched someone close to you lose a business. Maybe someone told you that you’re not the business type. Or maybe it’s more about what other people will think.

Once you name the real fear, you can usually work through it. Education helps, and so does finding the gaps in what you know.

Please don’t think about fear as a stop sign. Think of it as a yield sign. – Lisa Welko

A yield sign asks you to slow down and look, not to quit. Maybe you’re assuming something. Assumptions aren’t facts. Facts come from doing the work.