Sound BITES Podcast: E52 - Chris Hilgers | Founder of Peak Franchising

Derek: Today's episode is brought to you by our company, nanochomp Marketing Strategy and Analytics. We help product and marketing teams solve problems and experience growth using data and approachable AI. Visit nanochomp.com to learn more. Hey, everyone. Today on the Sound Bites podcast, we have a really great guest, Chris Hilgers. He's the founder of Peak Franchising. Chris, uh, is helping business professionals and high achievers find opportunities and elevate their performance that can change their lives. He's a business coach and he's been helping with franchise matchmaking and franchise ownership matchmaking. So really interesting story. Great background. Uh, you used to work at a company that was kind of in my backyard up in Michigan. So we'll talk about that at some point. But really great to have you on. Thanks for joining us, Chris.

Chris Hilgers: Thanks. Thanks, Derek. Thanks, Lauren. Appreciate it. I'm glad to join you today.

Derek: Uh, thanks for coming. And let's start at the beginning. Like, what started you on the journey? Like, what's your origin story as a superhero?

Chris Hilgers: So, my origin story, I grew up in family businesses in the Midwest. I grew up in retail, appliance, electronic stores, hardware stores. And it just. For me, I've been involved with businesses my whole life and so grew up in those businesses working all different functions within those operations, had some ownership stakes. And then, um, went to college, decided I wanted to spring out on my own, do things that were, um, you know, things that I was. That I was doing, the things that I just wasn't really ready to be within my family, uh, business having, having the, uh, growing roots, etc. So. So for me, what happened was as I went to college, then I started in the corporate world. May take Toro and Electrolux is really where I spent my time in the corporate world, you know, running brands and businesses for those companies and, and uh, you know, I just had. Had a really good run. Um, got to a point though, in my career where I'm like, you know what? I kind of feel like it's, you know, rinse and repeat, kind of continuing to do the same things and, um, maybe different roles within the companies and things like that. But I was just ready to kind of come full circle, I guess, and just do do different things on my own. Um, and that's where I, you know, had had a good friend that I looked at buying some businesses with, and it was in the corporate world, kind of helped him make a move. And then, um, I followed maybe a year or so later and, you know, got involved in, within the franchise world, um, with With a company called Franchoice. I created my own company, but I'm affiliated with the group called Franchoice, where I have my own business and then I have an ownership stake in our parent company as well. Um, the biggest thing was just businesses and really kind of getting a feel for, um, you know, running those businesses in growth and personal growth. You know, where am I at now? Um, where, you know, where do I want to be? Um, you know, for so long and earlier on in my career I felt like I was taking jobs and positions that somebody else thought I should take. You know, somebody that was a mentor that, oh, ah, that'd be a, that, that would be something that you would be good for you for your next step. And for me it was kind of, you feel like you're on a, on a, kind of a fast track and you feel like if you're not making that next step within a certain period of time, you feel like you're behind and things like that. So for me it was, you know, it was, it was working, you know, over a period of time, growing and then really kind of doing some self reflection in terms of, you know, where am I at? And you know, I had very good, you know, mentors, et cetera, had really nice opportunities. But I just really decided to take a, um, take a change m. Make a change. And that's where kind of, you know, I got started, you know, at peak Franchising. And um, my boss that I had worked for was the CEO for North America for the company that he had worked for, you know, $16 billion company. And he thought I was crazy to, you know, to make a move. And so that was something that um, for me, it's something I really use when I'm working with people now in that, you know, what, yeah, it might sound a little off from what you've been doing before, but guess what, it's your life and we only have one to live, you know, and that's the thing where, you know, to me it's all about stories and you know, what's our story been, you know, what is it now and what do we want it to be going forward? So, so that's that to me and I really kind of, um. Well, I was with Electrolux at the end of my corporate career and you know, they did a nice job with, with personal development and really kind of creating not only personal development, but team development, things like that. And um, that really was kind of something that, that got me into really taking a step back and think, you know, looking in the mirror and say, what do I want life to look like? And that's really, when I work with people now, that's the first question I ask them is, what do you want life to look like? You know, what's it been, what's it now? And really, what do you want it to be? And, you know, then we start to talk.

Derek: Yeah, I think there's a ton there. Like, you had a really interesting background and you had a, gosh, you worked at really great companies. You were part of companies that were merging together. So you saw M and A activity coming up. You had really a significantly stable role where you were at. Like your friend said, like, why would you want to, why would you want to leave? This is crazy. So what was that transition like for you when you were going to leave the corporate world and strike out for entrepreneurship?

Chris Hilgers: You know, it was scary at first, you know, because, because you think about that. You, you, you know, okay, so I ran the Jenn Air brand, uh, for Maytag. And, and then, which is now Whirlpool, which is your, your neighbors up in Michigan. Um, and then, and then I think about, uh, you know, you know, a dream job was because I had a background where I went, went to school in Germany and while I was in college, and I had a lot of, lot of exposure internationally. And so then I was responsible for Toro's international consumer business. You know, on paper, those, those were things that, you know, and then with Electrolux, I ran different businesses for them. And on paper there were things that I, obviously they were really helpful for me from a development perspective. But, and on paper it was great. But I got to a point where I'm like, you know what? I really want to do something for myself. And really everything that I'm doing right now, the commuting from Colorado to New York, LaGuardia, Sundays and Fridays over about a two year period of time. Got to be a little bit of a grind. And so that was something that, um, I looked at and gosh, if I put this much effort into something that's, that's my own, you know, I feel like I'll feel much more rewarded. And so that was something that, you know, I guess I really, um, you know, it's on paper on, you know, fundamentally, it seemed like it was something that was, was happening and going in the right direction in a lot of ways it was. But then I just really wanted more and I, and I think that's, that's the thing when I, when I talk to people that I'm dealing With today, I look at their, I look at their resumes and I look at their track record and, and, and it looks like everything's going in a great direction. And why are we talking, you know, um, what is it that you're looking for? That's, you know, that's really what I'm after. And it's just again, you know, what, what is, what do you want life to look like?

Lauren: Do you feel like this sort of career, uh, revelation that you had, did that, um, was that mirrored in other parts of your life? Did you like, what maybe once you made this big job changed other. Your eyes open to other places and that sort of had a ripple effect?

Chris Hilgers: Yeah, I mean, I had a lot of. I had different things going on in my personal life at the time too. So I think that kind of stirred things up. That was like, gosh, you know, I need to take a step back and I need to make sure that I, that I'm doing the right things. You know, I'm a dad and, and stuff like that too. And I'm just like, you know, I'm spending all this time doing, you know, away and it really, it's hard. I think every time I was traveling internationally, my son would get sick. And you know, so from a personal perspective, I think that that's the big thing with, you know, to me, you know, I think, I think companies can be very good, but also companies are very one dimensional and they want you to be singularly focused. And I think that's what a lot of us realize over time. That, you know, gosh, you put all that time and effort into something, you know, are you getting what you want back out of it?

Lauren: Yeah, because it's not realistic to be singularly focused. It's like we have, there are, obviously we have a job, but then there's a life outside of that job. And it's hard when you work for a large corporation to kind of be that present parent or spouse or whatever, dog, mom or dad. It's hard to do all of those things. And so do you. Have you found like a sense of balance and has kind of running your own business, provided that?

Chris Hilgers: Yeah, I mean, I still work a lot and things like that, but then all of a sudden, you know, I decided to, um, leave the corporate world and pursue my own path. And then uh, all of a sudden, um, I'm coaching my son's baseball and I get to see that all the way through. He just graduated from college about a year ago and he played baseball through and you know, and I had a chance to spend time there and just, you know, doing different things, you know, now, you know, I don't have any status in airlines anymore. You know, you know, uh, I tell people, but that's okay, because if I want to. Yeah. And if I, If I wanted, If I want to sit in a nicer seat, I pay for it. And I'm fine with that because. Because you know, to me, you know, getting, you know, you think that there's a fear factor that, that you. That happens. And, you know, it's like, gosh, is, you know, what's going to happen? Well, I tell everybody that I work with, you know, and I, and I, you know, I'm. I don't just say this. It's just, you know, you've been successful all of this time throughout your life and throughout your career. That's not going to stop. And that. Because what it tells me is, is that. And I, and I, you know, he's mentioned that baseball is a big. All sports, but baseball, you know, what I tell people is, is that people that are successful can play in the rainy days, just like they can play on the sunny days, because anybody can play in the sunny days. It's just, it's working through challenges and things like that. And when you're in business for yourself, you've got plenty of challenges. I mean, even, you know, we just. Before we get on today, we had, you know, a couple of little things we had to, we had to work through to make this come together. And it's just staying with it and it's being persistent and patient at the same time.

Derek: No, I think that's great. I really love that sentiment. Right. I think one, uh, Lauren and I had to go through a training at one point, and they talk about how, um, in your typical day, you're going to face about a hundred problems. Right? And then it's like those problems, they change in complexity, they change in style over time. And it's like how you learn and evolve and grow and are able to solve and face those types of problems is what's going to make it important and how that's going to determine your growth. And it's, uh, you know, hearing it from your perspective too, kind of re. Solidifies that. And you'd mentioned your, um, airline status. And it's like, I think Lauren and I were just talking about this the other day. Like, at some point, you know, we have the platinum status. You get the metal card hanging off your bag when you roll through, but then you do the math and you're like, I had to sit on an airplane for 1800 hours to make that true. Is that okay? Is that success? Is that winning? I don't know.

Chris Hilgers: There's, uh, a trade off for that, no question.

Derek: So what are you working on now? Um, let's talk through your business. Let's talk through peak, ah, franchising and talk through what it looks like, how you acquire customer base and what those engagements look like and what the outcomes are.

Chris Hilgers: I mean, there's not one path. It's going down multiple paths. The first thing is that, um, is taking a step back and really understanding what is it that I bring, what is the package that I bring to people and what's important. Because, um, and it's not just me, it's what they need. And so to me, it's so important that people understand that, yes, I've got a skill set that can help them, but most importantly to help them. And so it's helping people, it's understanding my motivation. I have a very, very good business. Um, but if I just chase the business, that's not getting to where we need to go. What's important is taking a step back and learning the people's stories and really getting a feel for where they've been, where they are, and where they want to go. So I think when I look at my business, um, we're going down different paths. Um, you look at referrals. It takes some success stories to get referrals. However, um, you know, you're. You're marketing. You're. You're marketing to the, uh, you're looking at, like, I work with a large group of companies, all different types of businesses. Um, and I, and I tell people, but the most important thing is you and taking a step back because you can have the best business in the world. Um, but if it's, if it's not the right one for you or me, you shouldn't do it. And so that's where, you know, but, but really, I think one of the books that I, that I, that I like that is the compound effect with, uh, Darren Hardy, um, talks a lot about, you know, incremental, um, growth. You know, we're, you know, we feel like you want to hit the home run, but you can't hit a grand slam with. The base is empty. You know, you've got it. You have to, you have to get, um, you have to have some wins. And so to me, it's okay, first and foremost, understanding. Okay, so what is it that I'm bringing to the table then, then how do I do things, um, from a step by step basis to make sure that I'm buttoned up? Because, you know, yes, it's the conversations I'm having with people and the work that we're doing with those people, but they need to see incremental growth, and I need to make sure that I'm buttoned up in helping to show them that, hey, this is, you know, number one, you're not. You've been in, say, you've been in the corporate world. It's not, not crazy to want something more, want something different, and not be satisfied with where you're at. And so to me, it's building that foundation first and foremost with the people that I work with, and then really building a personal plan with each of them and then, uh, identifying companies that make sense and then putting a coaching hat on that, uh, helps them navigate. I'm not in a selling function. And so what's really important is, is that they see me as a resource and as somebody that's helping them, you know, navigate. And then it's also on the other side with the companies that I work with, it's important that they understand that, you know, when I'm, when I send them a candidate that, uh, they're getting somebody that's been vetted, that understands, um, they've got the right skill set. It's not just about, you know, matchmaking and somebody pulling out a checkbook and buying a business and then good luck, we see where things can go. It's really important to help make that all happen. So, um, referrals are a big thing. Um, marketing. I do a fair amount of marketing, um, with people. I've got some other, uh, third parties that I use that help to identify people through LinkedIn and through, um, other methods there too, to kind of identify people. Because people aren't just out there waving their hand, hey, I want to quit my job today. You know, even if they say, even if somebody comes to me and says, I hate my job, I said, well, that's not a reason to buy a business. Um, that might be a reason for us to have an initial conversation. Let's talk about that. And let's, let's, let's understand, um, why you might be motivated to buy a business. Because there's one thing that I can't do for anybody that I work with is I can't make you want it. And that's, you know, you think about, you know, coaching and you think about, um, sports, sports teams and things like that. You know, the players have to want it. You know, look at the Olympics. You know, both the women's and men's teams win, win the gold medal in the hockey. What a feel good story. You know, in, in one case, I think like the men's probably, they weren't the better team. They wanted it though, and they won. The other, the other, the other one. The women's had to kind of get over the hump, um, because Canada still had their number. And so. But in both cases they wanted it really bad. And so for me, when I'm, when I'm, when I'm working with people, it's, you know, I can tell right away. Um, do they, are they sincere? Do they want it? Sometimes they want it, but there's such a fear factor that there's something that's holding it back. And it, then it's, then it's up to me to work with them there too. And so, yeah, what are some of

Lauren: those indicators where you say you can tell right away that they want it or that they want it, but they're really scared to make a move. What are, what do you see that maybe others don't see?

Chris Hilgers: Well, the first thing, the first thing is, is that, you know, and I respect this. A lot of times people don't really know me from, from Adam, you know, and so they're a little bit guarded. And so for me, it's kind of, um, it's important to. Kind of what I, what I do is I open up with them a little bit up front. And it's not a, this is not about pushing somebody into doing something that they're not comfortable doing. So let's take a step back and let's, you know, why don't you just tell me a little bit about yourself, if you don't mind. And you know, if somebody, somebody might be kind of hard hitting right away where they, where they're like, they want to get into financials on a business and I'm like, oh, timeout. Let's not even, let's not even talk about that right now because don't, don't get me wrong, we're going to, we're going to cover that quickly. But you know, we need to understand why we're here in the first place. And so that's where, um, you know, people will be kind of guarded and then, then they also will be, uh, pointed in some of their questions. And so for me, it's kind of, you know, taking a step back a little bit and really kind of help them to understand, hey, I'm not, I'm not here to try to sell you something, um, because nobody wants to be sold on anything. And so that's the big thing, is that sometimes there's just a takeaway. And I say, you know what? Maybe we aren't at the right place in the right time right now. That's fine. Because respectfully, um, I have a very good business and I'm going to be doing. And I've been doing this for about 15 years now, and I'm going to be doing this for quite a bit longer because I like what I do. Ah. And actually I love it when I, when, you know, as people grow, um, and build on their businesses.

Derek: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense and I think drawn a blank. Like one thing you said resonated with me and then I just lost selling. Yeah, you're like, oh, I'm not in the selling business. You know, I think you're. A lot of what you do is your trust development. You're building as much trust as possible really, really quickly. And, and then you're in the awareness game. And what's funny, like, when we were talking about this this last week, Lauren and I had been talking about this a lot for years now that, like, we're not trying to convince anybody of anything. We're creating awareness now and then giving people the options and showing what's available without trying to just sell, sell, sell and push a solution down somebody's throat. And I think when you do that, like in your case, you end up developing a lot more trust with that person and you can have deeper relationship and you can have better outcomes because, because of it.

Chris Hilgers: The last, the last two or three businesses that, that, that people, um, bought, um, through my services were people that I met three or four years ago. So they, they weren't ready at the time. And then they, then they came back and um, in fact, some is talking to somebody last night. Um, that's work, you know, that's moving forward on a business. And I met him in 2023. And so it was just timing wasn't right and, and that, that happens. And there's some that I've met sooner. I mean, you know, one of the things that I think that's, that's really hits home with me. And there's two, two main, two main mentors that I have. One is Tony Robbins, the other one is, is Darren Hardy. Um, they both are kind of disciples of Jim Rohn. They, they take different approaches. Uh, Darren Hardy kind of hits you right between the eyes, uncertain things. And Tony Robbins does the same thing. He does it sometimes in a, sometimes in a little bit nicer way. Um, but, but both of them have genuine good, good intentions and they've done a lot of, a lot of positive things. A comment that's made, um, that I, that I think is so, so important is the quality of my life, is my ability to be comfortable with uncertainty. You know, we don't, you know, the more you are okay with, you know, within your own skin, the better off you are because we know that we're going to make mistakes. We know that, you know, just keep plowing forward. You know, think about it this way. In baseball, if you, if you're, if you fail seven out of ten times, you're, you're a Hall of Famer. And, and so that, that, you know, think about that in life

Lauren: from a marketing perspective. I'm curious because you said something earlier that interested me. You, you said most people aren't on LinkedIn saying, hey, I'm looking to like, leave my, leave my business. I'm getting out of here. What are some effective, uh, I'm, as you said, referrals are great, which make a lot of sense. You can kind of, um, some risk reversal is already there when someone who's worked with you and recommend you to somebody else. But for maybe some of those other marketing tactics, LinkedIn is big for you. You said, what are you saying to people? Or how. What does that outreach look like to maybe get them to have that initial conversation with you? When, to your point, I think you said earlier they don't know you from Adam. So it's, how do you go and get them on the phone?

Chris Hilgers: I think the big thing is, um, when you reach out to somebody, um, again, it's not a hard sell. It's just say, hey, you've got a great background, um, something similar to what mine was in the corporate world. Have you ever thought about diversifying? Have you ever thought about, in a lot of cases, people, they don't want to leave that. The comfort or the thought that they're comfortable in it. Yeah, safety. Because safety, you know, it's, you know, it's not necessarily there. We all know that if you've gotten to a certain point in your, in your career, you've been affected, uh, one way or another. And whether direct was, whether it been directly or indirectly. So for me, it's kind of, it's reaching out. A lot of times it's, you know, I'll still use that even if it's like, say it's on LinkedIn. It's, it's probably somebody that, that knows. Somebody that, that has. Knows what my background is, et cetera. And then it's, then it's beyond that too, is, is that there's, there's certain, there's certain types of backgrounds that are, that are more, um. M. They're more apt to. To look to. To. To, you know, to build. To look to build a business. Um, I'll look to see if they've, if they've ever owned businesses before, because a lot of times people, um, have owned. When they own a business and then you go back to work for somebody else, that's pretty hard, you know?

Lauren: Yeah.

Chris Hilgers: Um, so, so for me, it's, it's. It's really kind of. It's. It's looking at what their background is and really targeting, putting some profile profiling together and then, then doing. Reaching out. Um, and I've got some people that work for me that, that are pretty good with that. Um, and they, they. They know, um, they, they know who. There's a lot of people that the idea of owning your own business sounds good, but then when it really, when it gets down to it, they're not really that serious about it because they, because, you know, that safety factor a lot of times is, is the key.

Derek: Yeah. I think, um, there's this, there's this Instagram versus reality thing too, where what people see or what they think being a CEO or a business leader is, is very different. Really, really different from, from the reality of getting in there and moving the shovel. And it starts to change your perspective. And it's like, this. Is this what I wanted? You know, I think that starts to. There's someone that, I don't know, used to always say, like, you know, sometimes as punishment, when we wish for something, we get it. I'm like, yeah, it's. I think about that. You know, some of the things you want, once you get it, it's like, oh man, I wonder if this is the right path. Um, what are some of those. What's that?

Chris Hilgers: I've had jobs that way. You know, you think on paper it's, it's everything you wanted and you get there. Like, this is a little different than I thought it was going to be.

Derek: Yeah, this is. Yeah. As punishment for your good work, you, uh, you get what you want, which is, uh, not always a great thing. Um, so really interesting path, really interesting ability to screen people, figure out who is a good fit to work with. But what are some of the other challenges you mentioned timing, you know, sometimes just the timing doesn't work or it's not the right fit. But what are some of the other challenges that come up and why is this top of mind for me is, you know, Lauren and I, well, my doctor actually brought this up to me. He's like what they're calling the Silver Tsunami, right. A lot of baby boomer generation is retiring and so they have a lot of these businesses they built in, a lot of them, their children that they would think to pass it down to, don't want the business. So a lot of businesses are starting to become available. So two questions, I suppose. What are the challenges you face and how are y' all approaching that element?

Chris Hilgers: Um, I would say that the, the first thing is, is that when, when you think about. So that, okay, Silver Tsunami, that, that's one thing, the other repeat the other one again, I lost it.

Derek: Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. Um, I tied two things together on you. The first one was like, what are the, uh, what are the big challenges you run into, um, with your engagements? You know, like, I know one of them was, ah, timing isn't right, so you have to worry about that. But like, what are the bumps that y' all run into as your business and then what are y' all doing with this new cohort of businesses that are coming into market?

Chris Hilgers: Well, the first thing is, is, um, when it comes to the business, you've got it as hard as it is. Sometimes you do have to look at the long term play because you're going to have ebbs and flows in your business. Okay. And then, so that's a big thing that I see personally in the business that I have. It's just like some, there's, there's, there's pro, they're projects and you don't, you don't control timing on everything. And so, so I think that's, that's a big thing to understand and that's something that I work with, with the people that I work, work with a lot of times because they want to know, you know, numbers and they, and justifiably so because you want to make sure, you want to get a feel for. Is this going to be a good return on investment? Um, once you get into that, um, you know, you're still, it's that compound effect where you're just, you know, it's, it's, it's step by step and, and you know, you don't, you're not going to hit a grand slam until you get on first base, second base, third base. And so to me, it's. It's. It's understanding, you know, the. The, um, key performance indicators, all of those types of things. So you can kind of m. At least I can feel like I'm. I'm doing some things that I. That I really, um. Um, you know, that's. I can feel progress and then also, um, being able to show that. And then all of a sudden. So I would tell you that the, you know, understanding that there's going to be bumps in the road, as long as you've. In my mind, I'll give you another way I explain it to people is it's kind of like when you've got a. When you know where you're going and you've got a picture of where you're going, and you had a bump in the road, um, you know, it bumps your car around a little bit, but if you have no idea where you're going, you're in the ditch and you can't get out. And so for me, it's really having an idea of where you want to take that story going forward again and understanding where you're at. Um, that's a key now. So I think that's the first part of it is just there's having a plan and then working your plan, because, um, you know, another, um, thing that I've really heard a lot about lately is that, you know, all these. All these strategic business plans, by the time they're. By the time they're written, they're obsolete. And so it's like, you know, the thing that. The thing you need to be really focused on right now is action, you know, because if you're still. If you're still at the starting line and you got this great plan but you never took off, nothing's ever going to happen. So you need to have action. You need to have momentum. Momentum is. Momentum is a key because that's how that helps our energies, too, on a daily basis, whether it be. Whether it be through work or personal. We need to have momentum, and we need to be building on that all the time. So that's. That's going to help us through a lot of those bumps, and that's going to help us through the rainy days as well as the sunny days. And so. So for me, um, building that momentum because. Because I, you know, we all get stuck. We all get stuck. And it's just like. So in. You alluded to this before. Um, when we have. When we have. When we get stuck or when we have failures. Winners respond, winners come back and they figure out how to, you know, that's one thing that, um, uh, a Tony Robbins thing, you know, limiting beliefs. You know, I'm not good enough, I'm in a bad spot. It's just, I'm stuck. That just means you're not being resourceful enough and you've got head trash that's holding you back. And I think just a thing that really can help to drive through that too is proximity, being around people or things that help, you know, pull you through. And to me, I'm a big believer in that. You know, you don't have to invent everything. I mean, that's what, you know, that's why people get into franchising, is that they don't have to start it by themselves. And I think it's really key, you know, to align yourself with people that can help, um, help carry you and help you draft them, so to speak, in a race. Um, even when you think about it, you're sitting there on a Saturday afternoon in raleigh and it's 90 to 120 degrees with lots of humidity, and you see somebody sitting, you're at the stoplight, you see somebody there that's uh, they got a sign out there, help as you can. And you look down and you grab a bottle of water and you give them a $20 bill. Who did you help out more there? You were. Them. Because it's like that to me is about momentum and just feeling, doing some of the right things for the right reason. Sometimes we have to. Sometimes, um, we want the end result, but sometimes we don't. The journey to get there is really what's the most important in working through those big bumps, etc. So, so the, the, the next part of that, um, this, the silver, um, uh, this. So what did you say? The Silver Tsunami.

Derek: Silver Tsunami is what my doctor's been calling it.

Chris Hilgers: Yeah, there's a. We're start. We're starting to see quite a bit of that. And I was, you know, when you think about it, a long time ago. Um, I decided as when I was younger that I didn't want to be part. That I was going to move on from my family business and I had siblings that decided to do the same thing. Um, I would tell you that there's definitely opportunities that are out there like that. And I would tell you that, um, It's still evolving because a lot of these people aren't. Some of them retired a long time ago. Um, but then there's other ones that are still holding on because they're still working through things. They aren't quite, quite where they want to be yet. And so that's something that, um, you know, to me, uh, you know, I look at some of the people that I started working with 15 years ago. Now some of those people are moving on. And so there's some nice opportunities out there for people. There's a, there's, you know, um, but they have to, you know, no matter what age you are, you still have to, you still have to run through the finish line if you want to sell your business and if you want to. And so there's opportunities for people that are out there to buy what we call resales. In the franchise world, you do see people that are selling business off to private equity. Um, like I get big in the health and wellness world and you get these, um, whether they be individuals or private equity or small groups, what they're doing is they're building empires and they're adding on to that, to their businesses that they have. They're adding on additional locations, they're adding on additional zip codes, things like that. You see a lot of that happening, um, with the, um, baby boomers now, etc.

Lauren: Well, it'll be interesting to see where that goes and kind of how that nets out. Um, as we look to wrap, there are two questions that we like to ask every guest. I like to ask this one because it's my favorite. Um, if you could have dinner with the 18 or 25 year old version, you get to pick version of yourself. Knowing what you know now, knowing what you've been through, everything from corporate America, starting your own business. What advice would you give that version of yourself?

Chris Hilgers: Well, the big first thing is think big. Think big. How do you, how do you, how do you maximize your life? Think big. You know, when you, somebody, uh, asked me a long time ago, what's your dash gonna say? And I said, what do you mean, what is my dash gonna say? When you die? And on your gravestone, you've got the day you were born, the day you die, and the dash in between. So what do you want that, you know, think about what you want that to say and think about, um, you know, be big, Be big. Don't you know, you're, you're, you can, you can build something fan that's just fantastic. And, and do it your way. Um, persistence and patience at the same time. Once, um, you figure that one out, you know, you're, you're in a good spot. But I, and I also Mentioned before about just being able to live with uncertainty because I, because I go back and if I, if I could change some, something it would be that, uh, being, being impatient when I was younger and feeling like I wasn't enough, you know, because I didn't get to that point. And that's that limiting belief thing. I'm not enough because I didn't get there. That's all that, that's, that's head trash. And that's something that, you know, working through, working through it and building, um, and continuing to build and really, um, finding people that, that are good mentors, people that, that have got good messages for you. You know, you want, you want people that are real with you, but you want people that are helping you, uh, with energy in the right type of energy. Momentum. Momentum is everything. And, but like I said before, moment just because you don't have to be going forward at 150 miles an hour. Um, because think about it, in football, some of the best running backs aren't the fastest on the, on the field. They're the ones that know how to pick their holes and how to pick their spots, things like that. So, so to me it's, it's really, um, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's dreaming big, thinking big and you know, what do you want, what do you want your dash to say?

Derek: Yeah, it's interesting perspective. I never really looked at it that way or heard it said that way, but it's, it's definitely something I'm going to be thinking about now. That's really good. And in the history of uh, doing this, we've never really gotten the same answer twice. And that still, uh, goes unbroken. So the last question that we've got would be what, what's got your attention as far as books, podcasts, movies, media? What's in your, um, what's in front of your eyes these days?

Chris Hilgers: Well, I mean, I, um. Everything from a sports perspective. I mean I just, you know, everybody, I think everybody's watched, you know, we watched Miracle a couple weeks ago live, but then we probably watched that movie before that, you know, leading up to the Olympics so we could enjoy it again. Um, to me, um, like some basic things, a lot of, a lot of self improvement kind of books are, you know, the compound effect is something I always go, I go back to because it's just, it reminds me that, you know, that incremental growth, incremental growth. And uh, then you look back and you've, you've climbed, you've You've been able to climb the mountain. That's part of the reason, you know, I live in the mountains. And, and that's why my business is called peak franchising. And you see all this stuff about climbing mountains, uh, you know, because that's, that's the messaging that I, That I want people to understand. Especially when you can get to the top of the mountain, you look around and how beautiful it is, and that's what. That's when you think about life. But, but I think, you know, the big thing there is just is continue, I think, growth. Um, and I think I, you know, I go back and I. The podcasts, you know, the Gary Brackas of the world, the, you know, that that's the, you know, ultimate human. And that's, again, that's, that's. Those are incremental things that we're doing. And, you know, we're measuring our. Measuring what we're putting in our bodies and how we're treating ourselves and things like that. And that, to me, how you live your personal life is the way you live all of your life and your business life too. So that's what's really key. When I think about. You asked me about making my move, and I felt like I was unbalanced. And now, to me, it's making sure that we have that balance and we're looking at each area of our life incrementally. And how can we, how can we, um, continue to build? Because either you're growing or you're dying. And so, and you can grow. You. You can be, you know, a silver tsunami and you could be growing forever. You know, that's the, you know, or you or you or you, or you're stuck when you're 24, and it's just like, that's when you have to figure out how to create that momentum and get around the right, right, right energy to help you through that.

Derek: Yeah, I love it. Like, Chris, really good advice, really good nuggets in there throughout the whole, whole, uh, whole conversation, really. Uh, I'm glad that we got a chance to meet with you, chat with you, and, um, learn about how you got to where you are, learn about your business, and hear, uh, some of the advice and wisdom along the way. So where can we find you? Where can people find you?

Chris Hilgers: Um, Peak franc www.peak franchising.com um, they can. They can see this particular podcast on, um, podcast. Uh, peakfranchising.comSB for sound bites.

Derek: Oh, great. All right, great. I think that's we'll make sure we link that in the description so we can add access to it. And, you know, Chris, thanks so much for joining. We really appreciate it, and we can't wait to talk to you again.

Chris Hilgers: Thanks. If I can add one other thing. Yeah, the other thing is when you, when you go to that, to the podcast part, there's a, there's an offer that on there that you can make. People can do a survey, um, or I'll build a personal model and just really. And then also have a franchise quiz that kind of gives you an idea of readiness. So there's some options there for you to take a look at as well.

Derek: Awesome. We love when we get resources for the audience. So really appreciate that. Really appreciate the effort. And, um, thank you so much for joining today.

Chris Hilgers: Thank you. Appreciate you guys.