1851

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-swackhammer-15869861/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=flipping-the-script-how-mold-medics-ceo-tim-swackhammer-grew-from-franchisee-to-franchisor-2719615" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tim Swackhammer</a>, CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.moldmedics.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=flipping-the-script-how-mold-medics-ceo-tim-swackhammer-grew-from-franchisee-to-franchisor-2719615" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mold Medics</a>, has franchising in his blood. Though he currently spends his time leading the emerging mold remediation franchise and&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/moldmedics/why-mold-medics-ceo-still-gets-his-hands-dirty-2718065#trending">getting his hands dirty</a> with the team, he wasn’t always in charge.Swackhammer’s first introduction to franchising came when he was young, accompanying his father to various family franchises. When he was old enough to work, he became an employee of the family’s Dollar Store.“My experience really starts with the generation before me — it starts with my father,” he said. “My father grew up as one of six children in a single-parent household, living in government-funded housing for most of his childhood. Through entrepreneurship, and particularly franchising, he made it so that my brother and I had a dramatically different upbringing than he did. He was a serial entrepreneur, and that’s why I’m so passionate about this.”As Swackhammer approached the end of his college years, he decided to join his brother and father in growing a number of Verizon Wireless stores. In search of some diversification, the group invested in other franchised concepts. Nearly a decade down the line, Swackhammer founded Mold Medics.&nbsp;After working as a franchisee for many years and experiencing the model, franchising “just made sense” as a method to grow the brand. Though he is not fully removed from franchisee roles, Swackhammer certainly considered his previous experience when building his own franchise opportunity. Now, as an established franchisor, he meshes his knowledge of both sides of the coin to maintain the healthiest franchise possible.“One of the biggest ways my time as a franchisee influenced the foundational levels of Mold Medics was that I knew the attributes that make a strong franchisor. So much of what makes a franchise great is the process and systemization,” he said. “Having, ‘This is the way we do things,’ ‘This is the path we follow’ and ‘These are the systems that we utilize’ so ingrained in my day-to-day operations made it very clear to me that those same things needed to be baked into Mold Medics very early on.”Without these processes, businesses have a challenging time scaling and sometimes even fail.Carrying this knowledge and a few other key sentiments, Swackhammer has built a franchise with a strong core.<h4>Stick to the Plan</h4>“Don’t go chasing shiny objects,” he said. “Having been involved in both franchise businesses and independent businesses, one of the great things about a franchise is that a lot of it is already figured out. There’s already a plan in place.”While franchising can require time and patience, a proven business model has been provided, and a franchisee has chosen to invest because of their confidence in both their personal ability and the brand’s ability to succeed. When putting blinders on and focusing on the plan at hand becomes difficult, Swackhammer says to remember the foundation of franchising.“As a franchisee, you don’t always realize how much of what a franchisor is doing is allowing you to focus on the most important parts of the business,” he said.&nbsp;<h4>Respect the Relationship</h4>Swackhammer explained that having franchisees is very different from having employees, and reporting to a franchisor is not identical to reporting to a direct supervisor.“Having the experience as a franchisee has really influenced my perspective on what the franchisee-franchisor relationship looks like. In many cases, they’ve got their entire livelihood, all their life savings and family time involved in the business. Understanding and respecting the nature of the relationship is absolutely huge.”In some ways, the franchisees within a system are the biggest investors in the company. Because of this, leading in a way that inspires complete confidence in the business plan while maintaining a cooperative relationship is critical.After becoming a franchisor, Swackhammer says, he began to realize just how turbulent franchisors’ relationships with the franchisees can be. On each end of the spectrum, entirely detached franchise systems are no better than heavily involved, highly combative ones. Ultimately, everyone has the same goal in mind.&nbsp;“We’re all rowing the boat in the same direction; we all want to go to the same place,” he said. “Let’s figure out how to get there.”As Swackhammer reflects on his experience, he says he’s in an incredibly unique position. Wearing both the franchisor and franchisee hats allows him to view all business practices from all sides. Maybe this means giving his franchisors a bit more grace, or it might mean providing a clearer vision and plan to his own franchisees.“They influence one another very well because I still get to go to other brands’ conventions and see what they’re doing, take really great feedback from excellent leaders and see what they’re doing,” he said. “Then, I think, ‘How can we implement something like that into our business?’ Or, ‘There was an example of leadership that I saw that I really liked. Let’s take that and implement something similar.’ It’s been really cool to see things from both sides.”

Flipping the Script: How Mold Medics CEO Tim Swackhammer Grew From Franchisee to Franchisor

1851 Franchise

After getting involved in the franchising space as a teenager, Tim Swackhammer continued to grow in the space, ultimately launching his own franchise opportunity. After wearing both hats, here's what he's learned.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

flipping-the-script-how-mold-medics-ceo-tim-swackhammer-grew-from-franchisee-to-franchisor

Layne's Chicken Fingers

image of laynes chicken finger restaurant with 4 hands holding cups in the air to celebrate 

 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Crosses Mid-Year Mark With 11 New Restaurants Opened, Including the First Time the Brand has Seen Two Openings on the Same Day on July 14

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-2025

HomeTeam Inspection Service

image of an employee from home team checking an outlet with an ipad

HomeTeam Inspection Service Franchise Owners Diversify Income With Multi-Service Model

hometeam-inspection-service-revenue-streams

Right at Home

image of jennifer selden right at home franchisee for a webinar with nick powills

Right at Home Franchise Owner Jennifer Selden To Share Franchise Journey, Sparked by Personal Care Experiences

jennifer-selden-right-at-home-franchise-journey-webinar

Paris Baguette Canada

image of a paris baguette bakery cafe latte with delicious food, croissants, and pastries

What Paris Baguette Franchisees Have To Say About Their Experiences

paris-baguette-franchise-canada-eric-chang

image of right at home franchisee gregory brewer for a webinar with nick powills

Gregory Brewer To Share 20-Year Franchise Journey With Right at Home in Upcoming Webinar

gregory-brewer-right-at-home-franchise-winston-salem-webinar

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

AI Is Reshaping Franchising: $100 Billion Valuations and Hyper-Localized Advertising

ai-is-reshaping-franchising-100-billion-valuations-and-hyper-localized-advertising

Mega Franchisee Sizzling Platter Acquired by Bain Capital

mega-franchisee-sizzling-platter-acquired-by-bain-capital

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Unlocking Superpowers: How KidStrong Is Building the Next Generation of Confident Kids — and Thriving Franchise Owners

kidstrong-franchise-confident-kids

Jollibee -Launch-Story-Brand-Page-Deep-Dive-2025

Jollibee Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

jollibee-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025

Picture of kids for franchise business Kidstrong which focuses on child development and fitness

KidStrong Is Pediatrician-Recommended for Raising Confident, Capable Kids and Families Can't Get Enough

kidstrong-child-development-program

Image of a kid growing up, developing with kidstrong, high fiving and smiling. 

How KidStrong has Become the Franchise Disrupting Child Development by Partnering with Purpose-Driven Franchise Owners 

kidstrong-franchise-opportunity-child-development

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Blending Tech, Hospitality and Health Care: How Three Women From Different Worlds Came Together to Build a Paris Baguette Franchise

paris-baguette-franchise-flower-mound-texas

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Sola Salons Franchisee Grows Salon Freedom Into a Multi-State Powerhouse 

Flipping the Script: How Mold Medics CEO Tim Swackhammer Grew From Franchisee to Franchisor

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS