For Julie Goldberg, the best part about being a franchise consultant is meeting new people, forming solid relationships and ultimately connecting clients with the right path. By Jessica Petrucelli
Turning Aspirations Into Ownership
For Julie Goldberg, the best part about being a franchise consultant is meeting new people, forming solid relationships and ultimately connecting clients with the right path.
“I love it when the lightbulb goes off and the client finds exactly what they’ve been looking for,” Goldberg said. “It’s so rewarding. I love being part of someone’s journey and it’s such an important milestone when someone connects with the right brand.”
Goldberg should know. She founded Evergreen Franchise Advisors in affiliation with FranServe, Inc. almost a decade ago and has been successfully assisting franchisees ever since.
“I had worked for several different franchises early in my career,” Goldberg explained. “I worked in the accounting division at Papyrus and with the management group at Best Western.”
So, after taking a short professional hiatus in the early 2000s to raise her family, it was that experience that inspired her to pursue franchise ownership in 2012. But the franchise consultant she was working with never made the right connection.
“I didn’t want a brick-and-mortar, and I didn’t want employees, but the consultant recommended ice cream and sandwich shops,” Goldberg said. “I said to myself: ‘I can do better.’ And that’s how I fell into consulting.”
Goldberg connected with FranServe and the rest is history.
“It was exactly the kind of position I was looking for,” she said. “You have the freedom and flexibility to control every aspect of business ownership. You don’t own a franchise but it’s similar to franchise ownership because you have the training, support and framework – all you have to do is use the tools they give you and do what you do best.”
Goldberg, who is based in Marietta, Georgia, says her secret to success lies in the details: She conducts personality investigations of future franchise owners through a series of conversations and is extremely thorough on the possibilities before ensuring that the franchise is the right fit for the client.
“I am a talker so there are a lot of phone calls,” she laughed. “I spend a lot of time getting to know my clients – what are their hopes and dreams, why do they have a pit in their stomach when they go to bed on a Sunday night – and that deep dive helps me make a match that truly makes sense.”
And when the final decision is made, Goldberg loves to celebrate their success.
“My involvement doesn’t stop when the deal is done,” she said. “I go to the grand opening; I visit and bring a cup of coffee after they’ve been in business for a few months. Those are things that I simply love to do.”
She credits FranServe with all her successes.
“FranServe changed my life,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without this company. I’ve been given so many benefits and opportunities to grow not just as a consultant but as a member of the FranServe family.”
And she loves the work/life balance that this position affords.
“I can honestly say that I am thrilled with where I am in life,” she concluded. “I have a fabulous work/life balance that allows me to travel regularly but also be home with my family the majority of the time. I couldn’t have imagined a better career path.”
Jessica Petrucelli