From Manager to Owner: How This Franchisee Built a Sport Clips Haircuts Business Without Leaving His Full-Time Job

For many aspiring entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge in business ownership is timing. Knowing when to walk away from a steady career can feel like an all-or-nothing decision. But for Sport Clips* Haircuts franchisee Al Rodriguez, the path looked different.

By leveraging the brand’s manager-driven model and focusing on leadership rather than day-to-day operations, Rodriguez built a multi-unit portfolio while still working full-time, ultimately growing to 36 locations.

His journey is a clear example of how the Sport Clips system is designed not just for ownership, but for scalable, flexible ownership.

A Proven Model Meets the Right Moment

Rodriguez entered franchising after decades of corporate success, but also frustration. 

His drive traces back to Youngstown, Ohio, where Rodriguez grew up one of seven children in a family that relied on welfare. He never went to college and built everything that followed on hard work and instinct.

“I started working for an office equipment company from the age of 12 all the way until my 50s,” he said. “I went through a couple of acquisitions, moved to Cleveland and ultimately ended up running locations and got into the sales side of the business.”

That path led him to a high-level role. “I became a national account manager and sold one of the largest contracts in my company’s history,” Rodriguez said. “But I wasn’t getting paid adequately, so I started looking into other franchises and concepts.”

At the time, Sport Clips was still early in its growth journey, but the fundamentals were already in place.

Today, with nearly 1,800 locations across North America and more than 30 years of operating history, the brand has become a leader in the $100 billion men’s grooming category. That scale is built on a simple truth: haircuts are recurring, essential services. Customers return every three to four weeks, creating predictable demand and consistent revenue streams for franchisees.

For Rodriguez, that combination of stability and scalability stood out immediately. “It was recession and internet proof — it’s about doing a good job and it’s a recurring business,” he said. “If you do a good job, the clients will continue to come back to you.”

Betting Big Early and Learning Fast

Rodriguez didn’t start small. “I took my first commission check and bought five licenses within Sport Clips,” he said.

It was a bold move, and one that came with uncertainty. “The hardest part for me was signing that first franchise agreement,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t know where I was going to get the money from. I was making a commitment to build five locations at a cost of $300,000 or more per location in a five-year period.”

But almost immediately, opportunity accelerated his trajectory. “Right after I signed my franchise agreement, I received a call from the CEO and founder asking me if I would be interested in acquiring the one and only store in Pennsylvania,” he said. “I ended up buying it — and that was my first entry into the concept.”

Today, that same location ranks among the top-performing stores in the system.

Built to Scale: A Model That Works Around Your Life

Rodriguez didn’t have the luxury of quitting his job to start a business. Instead, he needed a model that could work around his existing commitments. “I knew when I made the decision to invest in a franchise that I would end up having to work a day job for two years,” he said. “I needed a concept that would allow me to work on it, instead of in it.”

That’s exactly how the Sport Clips system is designed to function. Franchisees, known as Team Leaders, focus on hiring, developing and leading managers, while licensed stylists handle the haircuts. This manager-led structure can allow certain owners to maintain other professional commitments while building their business.

For Rodriguez, that structure was essential. “Having my day job forced me to work on it, not in it,” he said. “I had to work through people, and hiring a good store manager was a critical component of it.”

That approach aligns directly with how Sport Clips is structured to scale. The simplicity of the model, combined with recurring customer demand, allows franchisees to expand beyond a single unit without being tied to daily operations.

“Opening a brand-new store is a project — you’re acting as a project manager and working on it during the weekends and evenings,” Rodriguez said. “Once you’re past that, it becomes operational. If you have a good manager running it day to day, they handle all those issues.”

His role became streamlined and flexible. “I just process payrolls, pay the bills, manage the insurance, and a lot of that I can do off-hours,” he said. “The only time I would have challenges during the day was if something was happening in the store, and [those instances were] few and far between.”

Scaling Through Structure and Support

As his portfolio grew, Rodriguez continued to build infrastructure. “After I got to five or six locations, I promoted one of my managers to an area manager, who oversaw the stores,” he said. “And from there, we scaled.”

This leadership approach is a common path within the Sport Clips system, where franchisees often grow to operate multiple units, with many averaging around nine locations and top operators far exceeding that.

Equally important was the support network behind the brand. “I had a lot of great people around me, including the Sport Clips network of other owners who helped guide me through and share best practices. And it was never a solo act. My family was behind me the whole way, and my son AJ came into the business early on. Today he's my successor and building something he can carry forward is what it's all about."  Rodriguez said.

That collaborative, “family feel” culture, reinforced by the brand’s independence from private equity, helps franchisees build with confidence while maintaining long-term alignment with the franchisor.

Rodriguez didn’t rush into full-time ownership. Instead, he let the business dictate the timeline.

“After 13 locations, I didn’t need the day job anymore,” he said. “I had enough income to support my family and give me back time. Now I manage my own calendar. I get to decide what goes into it, rather than other people deciding it for you.”

In a franchise system designed for growth, Rodriguez’s journey proves that ownership doesn’t have to be immediate, all-consuming or risky. With the right model, it can be strategic, scalable and entirely on your terms.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://sportclipsfranchise.com/.