Branden Bowden is what we call a “seeker” here at The Entrepreneur’s Source®. Bowden, a husband and the father of two little girls, believes that he always had the entrepreneurial spirit.

“I enjoy spending time with my family, and fishing and hunting,” says Bowden. “I wanted to do the things that I wanted to do, and not worry about asking for time off. And even though I worked very hard during the hours I was on the job, I just couldn’t come up with a profession where the pay would make up for the time I was trading.”

It’s a familiar problem. Every year, our coaches talk to thousands of seekers just like Branden. Many of them are seeking answers to the same question: How much does time lost with my family, my children, even myself, cost? Is this job worth it?

Branden’s TES coach, Debbie Seeman, says she’s seen the burnout before.

“Many of our clients come from a corporate culture that expects them to be available far beyond the typical 8–5 job. Many times, the expectation to exceed normal hours is not written, but is certainly expected, giving the individual worker far too little time with family.”

Seeman says when you add travel into the mix, you end up with burnout and troubled relationships.

“Branden and his wife were expecting their first child, and his inner values about being a good father and being gone most of the time did not mesh. He wanted to be able to plan his own schedule and include family time.”

Many would-be-entrepreneurs are scared of taking that first step. For Branden Bowden, the problem wasn’t fear. He’d taken risks before.

“Through the years, I started various business ventures and always seemed to hit a wall. I felt if I could see the framework of a successful franchise and just duplicate and implement the process, how could it go wrong?”

That’s the beauty of franchising: You aren’t wasting time reinventing the wheel. Instead, you focus on what matters most for your business to have time to focus on what matters most in your personal life. Branden found The Entrepreneur’s Source online and made the life-changing connection.

“I remember the day Debbie Seeman called me. I was working a territory about an hour and forty-five minutes from home. Debbie introduced herself and asked me if I had a minute to tell her a little about myself.”

Bowden was uncertain about the process at first.

“She was creating a profile of my interests, my background, things I liked and what things I didn’t like. She was able to really cut through the time-wasting and get me in front of real opportunities,” Bowden says. “I do know that if she had just put another long list of possible franchises in front of me that I would have moved forward with anything.

Seeman says getting to know clients first is what sets The Entrepreneur’s Source apart.

“We really strive to know our clients well before we show them any business options. Probing to find out not only what franchise opportunities would appeal to them, but finding out their personal goals, needs, and expectations for their whole life, including family and faith, as well as goals and dreams they thought they could never make come true sets TES apart.”

Seeman coached Bowden through the discovery process.

”She explained the process to me , the types of questions to ask, and things to look for. I know if I didn’t have her laying it out in front of me, I would not have become a business owner.”

Making the change wasn’t easy. It never is. But when you make the move from Employment to Empowerment, it’s worth it! Bowden eventually decided to go with Service Team of Professionals (STOP) – a cleaning and restoration service.

“I started with just me and one truck, working out of my garage,” Bowden tells us. “I now have four employees, and I am in a commercial space.”

“The earnings potential is pretty well limitless at this point. I am busy. I do have to spend time away from my family just as I did before. But now, if I want to stay home and cook my kids breakfast, I can. On nice sunny days, if I want to cut out early to take the kids swimming, I do. I don’t just have weekends to choose from anymore.”

Bowden is the perfect example of the success you can achieve if you fight your fear and step out of your comfort zone.

“If you even think you can do it, set a goal, and go for it! Put your fears and negative people behind you and I know it will work out,” advises Bowden. “You don’t need a background in marketing, accounting, or business. There are people everywhere (within your franchise) that will help.”

Are you ready to discover your best franchise opportunities, like Bowden? Get started here today with FranchiseMatch.com!