Scroll through your feed for five minutes and you’ll see it everywhere: the Me culture.
“Look at me.”
“Buy from me.”
“Celebrate me.”
From influencers to CEOs, even in franchising, the loudest voices often try to outshout each other with personal spotlighting. Ego has become the new marketing strategy.
But here’s the truth: franchising was never built for Me.
Franchising was—and always will be—a We business.
The DNA of Franchising Is “We”
At its core, franchising is the most powerful collective business model in the world. It’s not one person grinding alone in the dark. It’s an ecosystem of people aligned around shared goals, moving in the same direction.
When a franchisee opens their doors, they’re not starting from scratch. They’ve got the strength of a brand, proven systems, national marketing muscle, vendor relationships, supply chain leverage, and a team of peers cheering them on.
When a franchisee wins, the franchisor wins.
When the franchisor wins, the brand wins.
And when the brand wins, entire communities win.
That is the We effect in motion.
Why “Me” Fails and “We” Wins
When we slip into “Me” thinking, everything shrinks. Franchisors who put themselves first lose sight of their franchisees. Franchisees who go rogue and forget the system plateau quickly.
But when we lean into “We,” everything expands. Scale happens. Momentum compounds. Private equity takes notice—not because one lone star broke through, but because an entire system surged forward together.
The greatest empires in franchising weren’t built by lone wolves. They were built by packs. By tribes. By networks of people who chose to row in the same direction.
The Next Level of “We” — Enter Orca
This is exactly why we created the Orca program. Orca isn’t about spotlighting one empire builder—it’s about creating a movement of empire builders.
Orca is the ultimate “We” platform. It aligns ambitious franchisees with proven franchisors, leverages collective strategies, and connects them to private equity exits once reserved only for franchisors.
Think about the shift: for decades, only franchisors commanded the massive multiples at exit—sometimes 20x or more. Franchisees? They got modest valuations. Orca changes that forever.
By stacking the right brands, scaling with precision, and moving as a coordinated force, Orca empowers franchisees to play the same type of game as franchisors. It transforms isolated operators into empire builders capable of private equity-level outcomes.
This isn’t theory—it’s happening. The first wave of Orca candidates is already aligning with curated opportunities, taking their first steps toward outcomes the industry has never seen before.
The Bigger Picture: Why “We” Matters Now More Than Ever
Here’s reality: the world is shifting. AI is rewriting industries. Corporate America is hollowing out. Entrepreneurs trying to “go it alone” are burning out faster than ever. The old model of Me versus the world just doesn’t work anymore.
But franchising—with its foundation in We—is built for this moment. It’s built for resilience. It’s built for scale. It’s built for community.
And here’s the kicker: when we double down on “We,” we don’t just create profitable businesses. We create movements. We create jobs. We fuel local economies. We give families freedom. We give communities hope.
That’s why private equity is flooding into franchising. They see what we see: when you stack “We” businesses, you don’t just create revenue, you create unstoppable platforms.
The Future Is Collective
If you take nothing else from this, take this truth: the winners of the next decade in franchising will not be the loudest Me voices. They will be the leaders, the franchisees, the franchisors, the communities who understand the power of We.
Franchising is not about lone wolves. It never has been.
It’s about pods, packs, tribes, and families.
It’s about locking arms and moving forward together.
It’s about Orca.
It’s about empire building, private equity exits, and generational wealth—achieved not through isolation, but through collective strength.
This is our moment to remind the world:
Franchising is not a Me business.
It is the ultimate We business.
And when we act as one… we don’t just win.
We change the game.
We make history.
And together—together—we are unstoppable.
George Knauf is a trusted franchise advisor with over 20 years of experience helping individuals and companies—from startups to public brands—build success through franchising. He founded MyPerfectFranchise.com, a free service, to guide aspiring owners toward the right opportunities and provided the deep knowledgebase behind AskFranchiseGPT.com, the #1 AI tool for franchise discovery and growth.
Contact the Franchising USA Expert George’s Hotline 703-424-2980.