Growing a Franchise
The lessons Dan Feltman learned while building The Garage Floor Company into a franchise system reveal the real steps emerging franchisors must take to season their brand and grow with authenticity.
Most new franchisors underestimate how different franchising is from running a successful business. Strong unit economics and a good story matter, but they’re only the beginning. The real work starts when a founder transitions from operating a single business to leading a system of owners who invest their savings, trust the brand’s direction and depend on the franchisor’s leadership.
Dan Feltman, co-founder of The Garage Floor Company, learned that lesson early. His journey from state trooper to franchisor reveals the practical steps every emerging brand must take — and the mindset shift required to do it well. His experience forms a step-by-step playbook other founders can use as they grow.
A brand’s mission is more important in franchising than in any other business model. For Feltman, the reason he pursued entrepreneurship became the reason he pursued franchising.
“I have little kids, and in the beginning, being a state trooper, I missed a lot of their stuff growing up. I always wanted that freedom to be able to go to all their ballgames … and this business actually afforded me that opportunity,” he told GoodSpark Franchise Growth Accelerator CEO Charles Internicola on a recent “Building a Franchise Brand” podcast.
When founders understand why they built their business — and why it matters to others — franchising becomes an act of sharing opportunity, not simply selling locations. Your “why” becomes your brand’s cultural backbone. Articulate it clearly before you franchise.
Many founders mistakenly believe franchising is just a legal step on top of an existing business. Feltman learned quickly that this mindset leads to misplaced spending and slow growth.
“We just thought it was a word… We didn’t understand it to the fullest of what it entails. We figured, let’s get an FDD, throw up ads and we’ll get phone calls. We realized really fast that that’s not how it works.”
Understanding the franchise model — compliance, messaging, development, support, infrastructure — requires a second education. Treat franchising as a new company you are building from scratch. Learn the model before you try to grow it.
“We jumped into franchising a little too soon, thinking we were ready when we weren’t,” Feltman said. “It takes a year or two to season the brand. You really need to get out there, put boots on the ground, make people know who you are and tell your story.”
Seasoning isn’t marketing spend — it’s visibility. It’s consistency. It’s storytelling. It’s founders showing up until the market understands who they are.
“Posting regularly, getting on podcasts, telling our story … It doesn’t cost any money. It just takes time," Feltman said.
Seasoning builds trust, and trust builds pipelines. Don’t rush into franchise sales before the brand identity is clear.
Feltman admits he initially tried to “spend” his way to franchise growth. "We thought money would solve everything … We spent a ton of money, and wasted a lot.”
He eventually learned that the franchise model rewards investment in foundation, not shortcuts: brand identity, messaging, founder visibility, strong FDD structure and a development experience that attracts the right candidates.
Spend to build assets, not to buy speed. Most early-stage growth comes from founder-led activity, not paid marketing.
Many emerging franchisors worry they need a proprietary product to stand out. Feltman has the opposite view. “A lot of people in our industry … we pretty much do all the same stuff,” he said.
Their differentiator wasn’t a coating formula. It was the founders themselves.
“You get the first-line communication with owner-operators as the founders. We came from the bottom up, just like you're getting ready to join us.”
Founder access, founder humility and founder presence remain key reasons candidates choose the brand. In early-stage franchising, you are the value proposition. Let candidates see who they are partnering with.
Franchisee support is not just operational or tactical — it’s emotional.
“People can get down … They need somebody to say, ‘I’ve been in that situation. I’ve made those mistakes. This is how we overcame it,'" Feltman said.
He and co-founder Jeff Gannon personally visit every franchisee and invest deeply in relationships.
“We invite their wives, their kids,” Feltman said. “We want to be part of their family as much as they want to be part of ours.”
Their approach recognizes that a franchise investment impacts entire households, not just an individual owner. High-touch founder support in the early years sets the cultural tone for the system. It’s harder to rebuild later.
Franchising is not a transaction. It’s a long-term, high-stakes commitment.
“People are investing in our brand,” Feltman said. “It could be their life savings. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect our franchisee.”
That level of responsibility requires a mindset shift: from entrepreneur to steward. Treat every new franchisee as a long-term partner whose livelihood is tied to your decisions.
“I always thought I needed to be better than other people,” Feltman said, “but I realized that’s not who I am. People told me, ‘Just go out there and be real.’”
This meant being upfront about his missteps and presenting them as a part of his overall journey. “Had I not made those mistakes, I wouldn’t learn how to make things better,” he said. “It’s how you pivot that matters.”
Authentic leadership creates trust, attracts stronger candidates and builds a healthier brand long term. For founders ready to franchise — or already in their early years — know that the heart of franchising isn’t just the business model. It’s the people behind it.
Watch the full podcast above or on YouTube.
Learn more at goodsparkfranchise.com.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
