When Chris Brown 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 Express Employment Professionals 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.”
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.”
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.”
The breakthrough came when Brown received a call from Express Employment Professionals. “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 the balance between autonomy and support. “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.”
Express Employment Professionals has a well-structured ramp-up plan for new franchisees, 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.
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 — Express’ most recent Item 19 shows that franchise units open more than 24 months in fiscal year 2024 generated average sales of $5,380,571.
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.”
If he could do it again, he’d lean even more on the Express network. “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 https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.
Express Employment Professionals
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From Coca-Cola to staffing success, Brown’s leap into franchise ownership shows what’s possible when determination meets the right system.
When Chris Brown 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 Express Employment Professionals 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.”
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.”
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.”
The breakthrough came when Brown received a call from Express Employment Professionals. “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 the balance between autonomy and support. “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.”
Express Employment Professionals has a well-structured ramp-up plan for new franchisees, 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.
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 — Express’ most recent Item 19 shows that franchise units open more than 24 months in fiscal year 2024 generated average sales of $5,380,571.
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.”
If he could do it again, he’d lean even more on the Express network. “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 https://1851franchise.com/expressemployment/info.
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