Franchisee Success: How Hollie and Lee Woodham Became Successful with Mosquito Joe

Hollie and Lee Woodham, a couple who met on a Southwest Airlines flight not once, but twice, took their marriage to the next level by opening their own franchise together. With over 30 years of combined experience in the business world, the Woodham’s are looking to their pasts in order to build a successful future as Mosquito Joe owners and operators in the Northwest Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Born and raised in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx., area, Lee has always been a business-minded individual, even running several small businesses during his college years. Owning and managing a sports memorabilia shop in a couple of local malls, Lee financed his entire college tuition to Texas A&M University, where he earned his BBA in Finance in 1994. Lee worked at the City of Hurst early in his career before moving into management consulting. He currently works at a national healthcare Fortune 20 company in an executive level position.

Hollie, also a Texas native, lived in San Antonio and later relocated to North Texas shortly after meeting Lee. With a spark for helping others and beaming with a relentlessly nurturing personality, Hollie flourished in the healthcare industry.

While their two children, Jackson and Ella, took up plenty of their time, Hollie and Lee felt that they needed a new challenge. After combing through several franchise possibilities, the couple finally found a business that combined their ambition with their love for the outdoors—their journey with Mosquito Joe had begun.

“We loved what they were doing, so we flew out to the headquarters and talked with Kevin Wilson about the background of the company and what type of support that they offered to franchisees,” Lee said. “After meeting with him we were extremely impressed with their commitment to franchisees, booking clients and the routing software that is extremely important to us, especially with my consulting background.”

Being in Texas, where mosquitoes run amok and West Nile Virus is a very real fear, the Woodham’s saw their own Mosquito Joe business as a means to give back to their community in more ways than one.

“The families are so grateful to be able to use their backyards and be outside again,” Hollie said. “I also love that entrepreneurs in the area want to help each other grow and be successful.”

Even with growing pains typically encountered during an inaugural franchise unit, the Woodham’s could not be more thrilled with their business venture.

“I think that the concept overall has proven to be effective,” Hollie said. “We’ve certainly seen some tremendous growth this season. We contribute that to the marketing and branding, as well as family and friends in the area promoting by word-of-mouth.”

With four territories under their guiding hands, Lee and Hollie are ready to make 2015 a landmark year for Mosquito Joe. They’re shooting to open a second—and perhaps third—unit next season. After surpassing their annual goals, nothing can stop this power couple.