Musician-Turned-Entrepreneur Brings Footprints Floors Franchise to Los Angeles

Adam Cola, a former musician and executive producer, is taking his entrepreneurial talents in an exciting new direction with the launch of Footprints Floors in the LA/San Fernando Valley community. Known for his creative pursuits, Cola was ready for a change after several years in the music industry and saw franchising as the perfect way to pair his artistic sensibilities with a scalable, customer-focused business model. Now, backed by Footprints Floors’ unique culture and rapidly-growing franchise system, Cola is poised to bring a new level of care and quality to the flooring market in his community.

1851 spoke with Cola to learn more about his background, his path to Footprints Floors and his 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?

Adam Cola: My background was actually as a musician and an executive producer of musical productions. For about five or six years, I had my own company doing that — recording albums, shooting music videos, performing live. Everything involved in putting out musical projects. But I’ve always been very entrepreneurial. I’m very self-motivated, and I love being my own boss.

I was ready for a change, so I enrolled in business school and started researching companies to invest in or buy. That’s when I started to look into franchising.

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?

Cola: I never really thought of going with a franchise until I saw what it could do for a new business owner like me without decades of experience. I was really attracted to the idea of being my own boss but having the guidance and support of people who have been doing it much longer than me.

I thought it was the perfect way for me to get my feet wet and be successful sooner rather than later.

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

Cola: This franchise allows me to still exercise my creative passions — I get to transform people’s homes. I love being on my feet and moving around. Footprints gives you the opportunity to work on new projects every week, meet new people — and it seemed like a perfect fit.

The company culture was really what drew me in. It’s a franchise that is growing so rapidly, yet it still has that small, family-owned vibe. That was really nice and aligned with my values. After meeting with the executive team, it further solidified that feeling.

I also found it to be an approachable initial investment but something I can grow quickly if I follow the direction and guidance from the franchise. I liked that compared to going with a brick-and-mortar storefront with huge overhead costs and initial investments.

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

Cola: What sets Footprints Floors apart is that they are so customer-service focused. Those are the things I want to bring to this market and make Footprints Floors a household name here in California. I’d love to be able to serve more territories in the future.

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

Cola: It’s really important to talk to as many people within the system as you possibly can. I spoke with 10 to 15 other owners to see what their experience was like and to get that real-world insight.

Also, don’t be too afraid to take a leap of faith. There has to be a level of risk. You can get scared of certain things, but it’s important to trust yourself and listen to the advice that is given to you.

The owners that are most successful are the ones who know they don’t know best. They listen to what they’re being told and are humble.

For more information on franchising with Footprints Floors, visit: https://1851franchise.com/footprintsfloors/.

ABOUT FOOTPRINTS FLOORS:

Upon his return to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, Bryan Park noticed that Denver’s flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication. So, in 2008, he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in installing hardwood floors, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 150 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for work-life balance and a low cost of entry with outstanding economics. For more information about the Franchise Times Top 500 brand, visit https://footprintsfranchise.com/.