Former Ford Engineers Transition from Tech to Tees with Big Frog Franchise

After decades of working for Ford Motor Company, Tamara and Alex Turkai decided it was time for a change. With a combined background in technology, lean manufacturing and graphic design, the couple found the perfect opportunity in Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More. Their decision to leave the corporate world behind and embark on this new journey was driven by their desire to create something of their own.

“At some point, I was done working for other people and wanted to manage my own project and career,” said Alex. “Coming from a background in CNC design and do-it-yourself projects, it naturally fed into the production aspect of the Big Frog business model."

Now, as Big Frog franchisees in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Turkais are excited to bring their creativity and customer service excellence to the community, with ambitious plans for growth and expansion.

1851 Franchise spoke with the Turkais to learn more about their backgrounds, their journey to franchising and their plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Alex Turkai: I was an engineer working for Ford for 25 years. At some point, I was done working for other people and wanted to manage my own project and career. My background in engineering, CNC and plasma cutting design and manufacturing, and do-it-yourself projects naturally fed into the production aspect of the Big Frog business model.

Tamara Turkai: I was also at Ford Motor Company, but in 2021, I was ready to move on. I took a remote consulting position in tech, running million-dollar projects and teaching lean, agile, and systems thinking to IT professionals. I am a Lean-Agile SAFe coach, author and IT project manager with over 25 years of experience. However, the tech industry started to decline and I was laid off last November. I realized I never wanted to go back to corporate America. That’s when we decided to start our own business.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Alex: It became a question of whether we start our own business from scratch or go the franchise route. Franchising gives you the blueprints and increases your chances of success. If you follow the model, you will be successful. The rest is up to us and what we make of it. We can be as successful as we want.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Tamara: We were drawn to Big Frog’s culture, their commitment to customer service and the opportunity to be part of our local Albuquerque community. The creativity and technology built into the business model appealed to us, and we loved its simplicity. When we met the owners, who are also a husband-and-wife team, and their leadership team, their care and compassion really put me over the top. It was a perfect fit.

Alex: It doesn’t take much to get into the business from an investment standpoint, and it allowed us to start without huge loans. Plus, Albuquerque didn’t have a Big Frog franchise, which was attractive to us. Initially, I laughed at the idea of changing my whole career, but after talking to the team, I changed my mind. The family feel and the fact that we’re catching a franchise system poised for growth, rather than one that’s already tapped out, made it an easy decision."

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Tamara: I’m already projecting that I want to be one of the top stores in the franchise system, earning over $1.5 to $2 million in revenue in a couple of years. We want to be a leader in this market and expand. Our goal is to dominate New Mexico in a few years.

Alex: We are confident we can achieve that goal.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Alex: We were in Michigan for 25 years, but we decided to pack up and move to New Mexico. We’ve only been here for about two years. I consider myself half-retired, and we absolutely love this area. The combination of being in New Mexico and retiring is a dream come true. This business is like a CNC machine to me — my hobby is restoring old Ford cars, doing plasma cutting, etc. This is just another form of 3D printing, so it matches really well with my hobby and technical background. It’s a match made in heaven."

Tamara: Even though t-shirts may seem different from engineering and technology, Big Frog is actually about those same things. If someone wants a one-of-a-kind t-shirt design, we can do it.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Alex: It might take longer than you think, and it can be nerve-wracking at times, but if you don’t take that first step, you’ll never be able to do it. You have to overcome that initial fear of leaving everything you know behind and embarking on something completely new. As we get closer to realizing this, that fear becomes less and less. No regrets. Working with a coach is very important because it can be hard to make a decision. If you can find a franchise that isn’t a huge organization, you get that comfort level of a smaller brand, as opposed to a major brand like Burger King or Subway.

Tamara: I’m part of the tech world where over 300,000 people have been laid off over the past three years. I know a lot of people who lost their jobs recently, and many are finding it very difficult to find jobs. My advice: you have nothing to lose by researching franchising. You can decide what you want to do. You don’t have to accept bad jobs “just because.” Know what you want and what you are good at. You don’t have to go from contract job to contract job, being laid off, etc. There are so many opportunities out there if you just think outside the box.

ABOUT BIG FROG CUSTOM T-SHIRTS & MORE:

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dunedin, Florida, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts and More, Inc. is an international franchise system with over 75 independently owned and operated stores serving consumers and businesses across the U.S. and Canada. Big Frog specializes in direct to garment printing (DTG) and is a one-stop shop for all custom apparel decorating techniques, as well as branded promotional products. Big Frog offers free design help, no minimums, no art/setup fees, and fast turnaround. Find a store at BIGFROG.COM, U.S. franchise opportunities at BIGFROGFRANCHISE.COM, Canadian franchise opportunities at BIGFROG.CA, and Big Frog on YouTube.