Express Employment Professionals

When&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-brown-csp-4778922b/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=betting-on-himself-how-chris-brown-built-an-express-employment-professionals-franchise-from-the-ground-up-2730230" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chris Brown</a> left behind a steady six-figure corporate career, he wasn’t chasing a title or a paycheck — he was betting on himself. Today, as the owner of an&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=betting-on-himself-how-chris-brown-built-an-express-employment-professionals-franchise-from-the-ground-up-2730230" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Express Employment Professionals</a> franchise in Abilene, Texas, Brown is proof of what can happen when grit, experience and the right franchise model align. “I decided I would only ever bet on me,” he said. “Failure was not an option.”<h2>From Corporate America to Staffing</h2>Brown spent over a decade with Coca-Cola, running a facility and building his career inside a massive corporate structure. But he admits staffing wasn’t even on his radar at the time.“I had never used staffing and didn’t really understand the industry,” Brown said. “One day, I got a phone call from a recruiter asking me how I felt about staffing agencies. After that conversation, I quit Coca-Cola and started as a branch manager for a staffing agency.”What he discovered was an industry he quickly fell in love with. “I felt at home dealing with people, but selling a service to me was different than selling a product,” he said. “It was fun how I could work with people across dozens of industries.”&nbsp;For the next 14 years, Brown built a successful career, but when the company he worked for was acquired, the culture shifted. “Our values didn’t really align anymore,” he said. “I thought I would try to open my own staffing agency, but I never had a big enough bank account to do it. Still, I always wanted to be my own boss so I could treat people the way they wanted to be treated and stop making other people money.”<h2>Choosing Express Employment Professionals</h2>The breakthrough came when Brown received a call from&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">Express Employment Professionals</a>. “The first thing they asked was: have you ever thought about starting your own staffing agency?” he said. “We started talking and he recommended I look into the franchise. Other people from a Coca-Cola background came to Express. After about a month, I quit my job and opened my office in February of 2023. It’s been a crazy journey in those two and a half years.”What sold him on Express was&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/how-express-employment-professionals-empowers-franchise-owners-through-training-and-development-2729221#featured">the balance between autonomy and support.</a> “When I was talking to the people from Express, they really focused on how this would be something that is mine. I would have the resourcing of an international company behind me, but I can still do what I need to do for my clients,” he said. “I didn’t have any cap on my income, and I had the backing that I’ve always had, but I make the rules.”Walking into Discovery Day sealed the deal. “I was nervous to leave a six-figure job that I had been at for 15 years, but they believed in me,” Brown said. “Having that autonomy to be my own boss and make as much money as I wanted to, but also having the resources and the help and an amazing culture — I was sold the minute I walked in.”<h2>Hitting Milestones and Building Toward Growth</h2>Express Employment Professionals has&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/how-express-employment-professionals-offers-a-scalable-business-model-2727618">a well-structured ramp-up plan for new franchisees</a>, and Brown took full advantage of it. “Express really has all the milestones in place — they have it down to a science. We hit Fast Track in 11 weeks, and that might have been a record,” he said. With over 850 locations and decades of proven results, Express offers franchisees a business model that scales because it combines consistent market demand with world-class support. Staffing is a relationship-driven industry with recurring client needs, meaning owners can grow their revenue streams by building long-term partnerships with local businesses while also helping more job seekers.&nbsp;On top of that, Express has refined a coaching and training system that ensures franchisees are never building alone. From day one, owners are paired with dedicated developers who provide step-by-step guidance, helping them hit early milestones and create long-term growth plans. This intentional structure allows franchisees the opportunity to expand from a single territory to multiple offices, knowing they have the systems, resources, and the reputation of a global brand behind them. And the results speak for themselves —&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/whats-in-the-2025-fdd-a-closer-look-for-express-employment-professionals-franchise-buyers-2729718#stories">Express’ most recent Item 19</a> shows that franchise units open more than 24 months in fiscal year 2024 generated average sales of $5,380,571.&nbsp;Now in his second full year, Brown has his sights set on further growth. “My goal was to hit the Circle of Excellence because I want to own multiple territories,” he said. “There’s one that borders my territory and is in a town I grew up in, so my goal is to expand there. I want to give those opportunities to people like I was given. This is something that people like us, who bet on ourselves, can do. It’s really just been an awesome journey.”<h2>Advice for Future Franchise Owners</h2>If he could do it again, he’d lean even more on&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/the-express-employment-professionals-story-a-legacy-of-helping-people-succeed-2729487#featured">the Express network</a>. “I should have been a little bit more open to asking for help and leaning on tenured franchisees,” Brown said. “I could have saved some money and known how to approach people with better questions. I didn’t have to feel like I was on an island all by myself — there are people there to help. We are all in the same brand, so if one of us fails, it’s not good for everybody else. It gives you a lot of confidence knowing that someone has your back.”For Brown, Express Employment Professionals is a perfect vehicle to live out his values and create opportunities for others. “I was tired of corporate America where it didn’t feel personal anymore,” he said. “Now, I get to build something that matters. I’m building my own future, but I’m also helping people in my community build theirs.”For prospective franchise owners, the initial investment to launch an Express traditional model ranges between $144,000 to $220,000, inclusive of a $40,000 franchise fee. More details regarding franchise costs can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.">https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info</a>.

Chris Brown's Journey from Coca-Cola to Staffing Success

1851 Franchise

From Coca-Cola to staffing success, Brown’s leap into franchise ownership shows what’s possible when determination meets the right system.

This brand page has been paid for by EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS. 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

Betting on Himself: How Chris Brown Built an Express Employment Professionals Franchise From the Ground Up

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For most of his career,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-minkowicz">Martin Minkowicz</a> worked on the sales side of workforce solutions, helping companies solve hiring problems at scale. Business ownership was never part of the plan. But within his first year as an&nbsp;<a href="https://expressfranchising.com/">Express Employment Professionals</a> franchise owner in Union, New Jersey, Minkowicz not only built early traction, but he also earned back 100% of his franchise fee through the brand’s Double Fast Track sales program.<h2>From Corporate Sales to Local Ownership</h2>Minkowicz spent most of his career in sales, starting in commission-based mortgage work before transitioning into finance and later recruiting-adjacent roles in job board and internet marketing sales. His work put him in front of large national brands, selling at scale and often over the phone.But after being laid off in mid-2024, he revisited an idea he had first considered years earlier: owning an&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">Express</a> franchise. “I never thought that I could be an actual business owner,” Minkowicz said. “But the support that Express gives showed me that I don’t have to figure this all out by myself.”That support was a key factor in his decision to move forward. After attending Discovery Day in August, he signed his franchise agreement and officially opened his Union office on January 6, 2025.“It was kind of a blessing that we opened up in January,” he said. “Fresh start, new year, got through the holidays and it was like, all right, let’s start working.”<h2>Building Early Momentum Through Face-to-Face Sales</h2>From day one, Minkowicz leaned into what he knew best: getting in front of people. Rather than spending his early months behind a desk, he focused on meeting local business owners face-to-face, building relationships across small and mid-sized companies in his territory.“I’m not really a business owner type who wants to sit in the office,” he said. “I like talking to people in person. I like walking in and saying, ‘You’re a business owner. I’m a business owner too. I get how hard it is.’”Instead of relying on phone calls or scripted outreach, Minkowicz got out into the territory, walking into businesses and speaking directly with owners about the realities of running a company and managing hiring.<h2>Fast Track Goals as a Motivator, Not a Shortcut</h2>As a new Express franchise owner, Minkowicz was eligible for the brand’s Fast Track program, an incentive designed to help new owners build early traction.Under the program, franchisees can earn back:<ul><li>50% of the franchise fee by either billing 16 clients in one week or reaching $65,000 in gross margin within the first 26 weeks.</li><li>100% of the franchise fee by achieving both benchmarks, known as Double Fast Track.</li></ul>For Minkowicz, Fast Track didn’t change how he sold. Instead, it gave him a clear scoreboard.“As a salesperson, I’m always measuring myself against something,” he said. “Having that number motivates me to beat it.”By week 26, his Union office had reached 17 active clients, surpassing the required threshold and qualifying him for Double Fast Track. He had expected to hit the gross margin goal, but the client count milestone came together at the same time.The moment landed on a personal note. He found out the same day he had planned a long-scheduled dinner with his wife.“It ended up being on the day that I found out,” he said. “I didn’t think we were going to be celebrating anything, and it turned out to be awesome.”<h2>Hands-On Support That Reduced the Learning Curve</h2>Throughout his first year, Minkowicz leaned heavily on Express’s support structure, especially his franchise developer.“He’s been a wealth of knowledge,” Minkowicz said. “He’ll pick up the phone anytime and say, ‘Let’s talk about it. What can I help you with?’”In the early months, questions came up fast. Minkowicz said having someone he could call for operational or technology issues meant problems didn’t linger and he could keep the business moving.As his office grew to include additional staff, that support became part of the workflow, helping his team solve problems and build confidence independently.<h2>A First Year That Reinforced the Model</h2>By the end of year one, Minkowicz had not only earned back his full franchise fee but also hit every performance goal set by Express, including reaching 26 clients by week 52.Now focused on growth and potential hiring, Minkowicz often talks with prospective franchisees who come from similar sales-driven backgrounds.“If you’re a salesperson, you can figure everything else out,” he said. “This feels like business-ownership lite, because there’s so much support there.”For him, that structure turned what once felt out of reach into a sustainable path forward, one built on relationships, consistency and a system designed to reward early effort.For more information on buying an Express Employment Professionals franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info">https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info</a>.&nbsp;

Hands-on developer support and clear early benchmarks helped Express franchise owner Martin Minkowicz hit his sales goals and recoup his full franchise fee in the first six months.

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Betting on Himself: How Chris Brown Built an Express Employment Professionals Franchise From the Ground Up

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