1851

Veteran Franchisee:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-madden?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=military-veterans-who-became-great-franchisees-jason-madden-the-entrepreneurs-source-2726523" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Jason Madden</a>Franchise:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theentrepreneurssourcediscovery.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=military-veterans-who-became-great-franchisees-jason-madden-the-entrepreneurs-source-2726523" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Entrepreneur’s Source</a>Jason Madden transitioned from a career in military intelligence to becoming a successful multi-unit/multi-brand franchise operator. Initially inspired by his desire to own a gym, he found his path in franchising with the guidance of a franchise coach. So inspired by his experience, he decided to franchise with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-the-entrepreneurs-sources-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2722050">The Entrepreneur’s Source</a> himself and help others follow their entrepreneurial paths to freedom.&nbsp;Since then, Madden’s background in counterintelligence and human intelligence has helped him navigate and excel in the franchising world, eventually leading to partnerships with veteran groups and mentorship roles.“Franchises are systems and processes, and that is something that we are all familiar with in the course of regular duty,” said Madden. “Our jobs as soldiers, airmen, navy, etc. are to make those systems and processes better so that the next person who comes in can fall into that and have an even better experience. There is that personal experience of building wealth, but we also want to give back. That is what is unique with veterans — there is a whole lot of giving back along the way.”1851 Franchise talked with Madden about his journey in franchising, his accomplishments in the industry, and the advice he has for other veterans interested in venturing into franchising.1851 Franchise: Can you tell me about your background? How does military service play into your history, and what was the journey from military to entrepreneurship?Jason Madden: I was interested in franchising as I was transitioning out of the military. I knew I didn’t want to continue on the career path I was on, which was military intelligence. I didn’t see myself doing that long-term, and I always wanted to be a business owner. I looked at different paths, starting a business, etc. I landed on franchising because I always had an idea that I wanted to be a gym owner. The first franchise I contacted was&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-anytime-fitness-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2721087">Anytime Fitness</a>. I liked the brand, but the investment was very high. There was no one there to educate me on franchising or have my back. Plus, owning a gym and being absentee wasn’t the way to go, and the only ones available were not in my area.I got some great advice from an Entrepreneur's Source coach who guided me through the franchising education process. I loved that process, and it led me to become an [Entrepreneur’s Source] franchisee. As a counterintelligence technician, we did a lot of human intelligence — guiding people through the process. This is definitely in my wheelhouse, but this is a little less intense. I also realized that there weren’t a lot of franchise resources available for veterans, and that community was just starting to pick up speed. You knew there was a surgeon or captain who started a&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-jimmy-johns-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2724295">Jimmy John’s</a>, but that's all we knew.1851 Franchise: What made you choose The Entrepreneur's Source yourself?Jason Madden:&nbsp;As a broker, I could leverage that network to find those people who were lost and didn’t know which way to look. That is where I saw that opportunity as an Entrepreneur Source franchisee, which led to partnerships with veteran groups like&nbsp;<a href="https://recruitmilitary.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=military-veterans-who-became-great-franchisees-jason-madden-the-entrepreneurs-source-2726523" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">RecruitMilitary</a>, etc. I taught on Kirtland Air Force Base, and in the veteran transition program, I was able to not only help people look at the employment sector but also think of entrepreneurship as a whole. That really excites me, and I love being able to do that with franchising. The Entrepreneur's Source is a very unique franchise. It gave me a great edge on the other franchises that are out there. I’ve been able to examine many brands across a lot of industries. I can help people turn the stones, turn around and become successful franchise owners on their own. My first franchise led me to owning other franchises as well. I’ve become a&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/mastering-multi-unit-franchise-ownership-2725555">multi-unit/multi-brand operator</a> in franchising.&nbsp;1851: How did the military prepare you for success in franchising?Madden:&nbsp;Franchises are systems and processes, and that is something that we are all familiar with in the course of regular duty. Our jobs as soldiers, airmen, navy, etc. are to make those systems and processes better so that the next person who comes in can fall into that and have an even better experience. There is that personal experience of building wealth, but we also want to give back. That is what is unique with veterans — there is a whole lot of giving back along the way.1851: Looking at your franchise journey so far, what are you most proud of?Madden: I’m proud of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hireheroesusa.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=military-veterans-who-became-great-franchisees-jason-madden-the-entrepreneurs-source-2726523" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hire Heroes</a> partnership that I did — they are one of the biggest non-profits that helps veterans with their job search. I’m also kind of surprised that I won the Marketing Trend-Setter Award in 2018 by Entrepreneur’s Source. That was exciting.1851: What advice would you give other veterans considering transitioning to franchising?Madden: Go into it with an open mind. If you see the social media ads for a specific brand and you think it’s cool, unique and different, make sure to do your due diligence. Measure it against different brands. You have your primary and your favorite picks. Use a coach or a franchise consultant, preferably somebody who has had some experience in franchising themselves. The Entrepreneur’s Source is very unique in that all coaches are franchisees. You may not get that with a regular consultant. You want to have some common interest, not just someone who wants to sell you a business.Also, leave chapter one behind. A lot of the things that make us successful in the military are contrary to what makes us successful in business … It’s the leadership style. You’re going to have to adjust in order to work with the new team as a business owner. Having that awareness to make those constant adjustments — to continue to grow and improve — is something some veterans miss. I leaned on my old formula for success in the beginning, for example, which didn’t help me with the income in my business. Also, spare your genius to the franchisor before making those personalized tweaks. You are buying into a system, rather than starting something from scratch.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=military-veterans-who-became-great-franchisees-jason-madden-the-entrepreneurs-source-2726523" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

Jason Madden: From Military Intelligence to Franchising Success with The Entrepreneur Source

1851 Franchise

Jason Madden transitioned from military intelligence to successful multi-unit/multi-brand franchise ownership and now helps others establish their own entrepreneurial paths. 

Military Veterans Who Became Great Franchisees: Jason Madden, The Entrepreneur’s Source

military-veterans-who-became-great-franchisees-jason-madden-the-entrepreneurs-source

SweatHouz

Science, Wellness, Growth: How SweatHouz CEO Mike Tan is Shaping the Future of Contrast Therapy Franchising

mike-tan-franchising-strategy-sweathouz

Biscuit Belly Franchising

Biscuit Belly Expands Across the Southeast U.S. With Six New Locations

biscuit-belly-expands-across-the-southeast-us-with-six-new-locations

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs Landmark 44-Restaurant Deal, Shatters Records in Monumental Third Quarter

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-records

Children's Lighthouse

Why Children’s Lighthouse Is a Great Opportunity for Swim School Franchisees

why-childrens-lighthouse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-swim-school-franchisees

Children’s Lighthouse Closes the Third Quarter with Record Franchise Signings and New School Opening

childrenslighthouse-q3-2025-growth

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

photo-of-laynes-chicken-fingers-dalton-dennis-southern-oregon

23-Year-Old Entrepreneur Brings Soon to Be Famous Chicken™ to Southern Oregon With 3-Unit Layne’s Chicken Fingers Franchise Signing

laynes-chicken-fingers-dalton-dennis-southern-oregon

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

Military Veterans Who Became Great Franchisees: Jason Madden, The Entrepreneur’s Source

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS