During his 13 years in the military, Neill rose to the rank of Captain and led operations supporting as many as 4,000 people. After leaving the military, he worked a series of job before becoming a franchisee.

You can have the resume, the title, and years of leadership experience, and still feel like you’re starting from square one. If you’ve ever walked away from a stable career to build something of your own, you know the feeling. It’s humbling, and it’s also where some of the best life lessons begin. Whether you’re a veteran, a career changer, or first-time franchise buyer, these lessons can help you get started with confidence.

Check Your Ego at the Door

You could have had a successful corporate career or led a platoon in the military. Regardless, you’re still new to franchising. A big title and a big team don’t automatically carry over to a new industry, and even your strongest instincts may not hold up in an unfamiliar business. You’ll start near the bottom of the learning curve, and the sooner you accept that, the faster you’ll grow and the better leader you’ll be for your team.

Be willing to take guidance from anyone who has done it. Some of the best advice may come from people who once reported to you. Rank and titles don’t matter when someone knows the field better than you do. Humility isn’t a weakness. It’s how you get answers and grow in a new career.

Build Your Network and Ask for Help

The biggest help can come from outside your own circle. Meet people, learn how the process works, and talk to other business owners about what they wish they’d known before becoming franchisees themselves. If you’re a veteran, connect with other veterans in business, who understand where you’re coming from and are often eager to help.

Prepare for a low response rate. Not everyone will get back to you, but the key is that some will. Those few responses can change your path. Putting yourself out there is the hardest part, and it’s also the part that pays off the most. Once you’re established, look for ways to partner with other business owners and pass the help along.

Keep Looking Until You Find the Right Fit

If you’re considering franchising, be persistent and resilient. You may look at five or ten concepts that don’t work out before you find the one that does. Treat that as part of the process. When a concept fits, you’ll know it: the program makes sense, you believe in the product or service, and you trust the leadership.

Don’t settle for the first option, and don’t give up after the first few. Pay attention to the people behind the brand and how they support their franchisees, because you’ll be working closely with them for years. Ask other owners for introductions, since a referral from someone inside the system is one of the best ways to find the right brand for you.

Have a Plan, and Be Ready to Adapt

Whether you’re launching a startup or buying into an established franchise, you have to adapt and find what works for you, your market, and your company. Going in without a plan is a failure waiting to happen.

Try treating your launch like a 5-paragraph operational order. Break everything down into situation, mission, execution, service support, and command and control so you can see what needs to happen and who is doing it. A plan gives you a structure to adapt from. When the business surprises you, and it will, you’ll know what to change and what to keep.

Grow Your People

If you hire people, your business will be only as strong as they are. Build a training program so team members can strengthen their skills and “grow up” with your standards and expectations. Show up on time and in uniform. Bring a good attitude. Embrace “the suck”, a military term for pushing through the uncomfortable parts of the job without complaining. Take pride in your work. All those actions make a huge difference when you’re in a position of leadership.

Growth isn't simply about becoming bigger. It's about increasing your ability to serve customers, create opportunities, and make a lasting impact.

Take the First Step, Then Keep Moving

If you’re considering business ownership, you probably have more of what it takes than you think. The challenge is believing it, then getting out the door to make the connections that will you move forward.

Starting a new career can feel scary, even if you have years of corporate experience or have led a team in the military. Business ownership is a whole new ballgame. Your skills can position you to succeed in franchising, but stay humble, lean on your network, and trust that the rest will come over time. You don’t need to have every answer before you begin. You need to be willing to take the first step, learn along the way, and keep showing up.

The mission may change, but the purpose doesn’t have to.