High School Teacher Makes Daring Leap from Classroom to Multi-Unit Franchise Success

Peter Griffin, a former high school teacher, made an unexpected move into the world of franchising after years of shaping young minds in the classroom. Motivated by a mix of opportunity and the desire for a new challenge, Griffin transitioned from education to entrepreneurship by investing in a Sola Salons franchise. What started as a leap of faith, with Griffin leveraging his home equity to fund his first location, has grown into a successful venture with multiple locations.

In a recent episode of the “Meet the Zee” podcast, Griffin sat down with Nick Powills, founder and publisher of 1851 Franchise, to discuss his journey from teaching to franchise ownership. Griffin shared the pivotal moments that led him to leave a stable teaching career, the risks he took to invest in his first Sola Salons location and how his skills as an educator have helped him manage and grow his business. He also highlighted the importance of a strong network and how his connections played a crucial role in his transition to franchising.

A summarized transcript of Griffin’s interview with Powills has been included below. It has been edited for clarity, brevity and style.

Nick Powills: So, take me back to before you became a franchisee. What inspired you to go down the route of becoming a franchise owner?

Peter Griffin: I’ve been with Sola for a long time, almost 18 and a half years. The franchise just celebrated its 20th anniversary, so I’ve been here for most of it. I knew some of the original founders. My career path was a bit unusual — I was a high school teacher. I didn’t originally have an entrepreneurial mindset, but I used to go mountain biking with my friend Todd Neel. He would tell me about his work before Sola, and I found it fascinating. Eventually, they left ARC and founded Sola. It was a great story, and they quickly realized they could solve a lot of the problems in the salon world with some additional design choices. The business was wildly successful from the start, with their first store having a waitlist in just 30 days. I was living in Denver but grew up in Indianapolis, so Todd and I talked, and I began looking for teaching jobs while also doing site selection for our first salon. We joked that if this didn’t work, I’d be working until I was 90. The first stores were around $750,000 to build, now they’re closer to a million and a half. But over and over, people showed up. We’ve built our eighth store and plan to keep going.

Powills: Was there any entrepreneurial background in your family, or was this entirely new?

Griffin: No, my mom was a retired second-grade teacher, my dad was a fifth-grade teacher and I was teaching too. My sister taught, and my brother still teaches. We’re a family of teachers, which I think makes us pretty risk-averse. But I have an attention to detail and an electrical engineering degree, a business computer science degree and a teaching license. I taught in the business realm in high school, including entrepreneurship. Doing it is way different, but I finally retired from teaching in 2019. For the longest time, I did both — building stores and managing them — until we eventually hired a manager.

Powills: This might sound like an odd question, but teachers usually align with franchises like Goddard School or Sylvan Learning. Was Sola the only franchise you considered, or did you look at others? And how did you manage to fund your first store, given that teachers aren’t paid particularly well?

Griffin: Good questions. No, I didn’t have a passion for hair or being a landlord; it was all based on networking with friends. I think a lot of people get into franchising this way — they see success and want to join in. As for funding, I always paid extra on my mortgage. Our biggest asset was our home, and in Colorado, you could build equity quickly. We bought our first house for $58,000 and sold it for $145,000 three years later. So, I took out a second mortgage and my partner did, too. He had extra funds available and funded the rest. Typically, you can’t get a bank loan right out of the gate; you need to be established for three-plus years. So, it’s usually friends and family and second mortgages that fund businesses.

Powills: I understand where the financing comes from, but more complex is the emotional currency. How did you handle the stress of taking out a second mortgage and the risks involved?

Griffin: Years of being in the classroom have made me pretty unflappable. I taught inner-city students, and the number one rule is to never elevate the emotional level of a situation. That skill has served me well in business. We’ve faced crises like floods, but I just move into problem-solving mode. It doesn’t affect me much.

Powills: That’s a great insight. Educators often have to maintain calm under pressure, which might make them well-suited for entrepreneurship. Do you think there’s a connection there?

Griffin: Yes, I think being unflappable and comfortable with chaos are essential traits for entrepreneurs. I also have an attention to detail that’s helpful. I’m good with finances and bookkeeping, which are crucial in business. When I taught entrepreneurship, I always emphasized calculating risks ahead of time. If you can do that, you’re in a good position.

Powills: In teaching, you follow a system — a curriculum. Franchisors often say military veterans follow systems best. But teachers, like you, also follow systems. Do you think that’s an advantage in franchising?

Griffin: Absolutely. Teachers have the emotional component that’s crucial, especially in the salon world. We have a golden rule mentality: we treat every stylist as if they were our own family. That connection is important.

Powills: When you’re at a cocktail party, do you identify more as an entrepreneur or a teacher?

Griffin: Up until I retired, I’d say more as a teacher. Now, I’m semi-retired, though I still work. But the teacher identity is still strong.

Powills: Did your family think you were crazy for doing this?

Griffin: My mom definitely thought I was crazy. My dad had an entrepreneurial spirit and believed in me. At one point, we borrowed money from my parents for our second store after exhausting our equity. We didn’t tell anyone what we were doing until we opened. Our first store opened 80% occupied, and the second store opened at 95%. The concept was so popular that everyone who walked in wondered why it hadn’t been done before.

Powills: With eight locations, I imagine you have a lot of predictability in your model. Does that prevent you from considering another brand?

Griffin: I’ve never considered another brand. I spoke with someone who got out and hasn’t found anything that matches Sola’s success, so they haven’t invested in anything else either.

Powills: Where does the dream go now? Are you still dreaming?

Griffin: I’m getting older, but I’m not quite ready to exit yet. We might build one more store, but I might transition into a more consultant role — helping with site selection, building models and getting stores up and running. I’m not sure if that will be part of a partnership or something else. We’re a very lean company, so we may need to hire another manager.

Powills: One of the advantages of a franchise is that you’re building an asset you can eventually exit from. I think franchisors don’t celebrate resales or exits enough. Exiting means you did something right. It’s a testament to the success of the franchisee.

Griffin: I agree. And with construction costs rising, the value of stores built five to ten years ago has gone up. Sometimes, it’s cheaper to buy an existing store that’s already proven successful.

Powills: I’ve loved all conversations with franchisees, but this is the first time you’ve made me think differently about educators as potential franchisees. Maybe the industry has missed out on this group.

Griffin: It’s funny — I read a Dave Ramsey article that said teachers are among the top five in net worth. It might be because they often marry engineers, but there are definitely teachers with the means to pursue franchising.

Watch the full episode above or on YouTube. 

For more information on investing in a Sola Salons franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons.