1851

George and Paula Rolfe began discussions with the <a href="http://sylvanlearning.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-sylvan-sets-franchisees-up-to-successfully-retire-from-franchise-ownership-2706531" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sylvan Learning</a> brand back in 1983 before becoming Louisiana&rsquo;s first franchisees with the opening of their Shreveport location in 1984.

Now, more than 30 years later, the Rolfes can&rsquo;t imagine having done anything else with their careers.

&ldquo;This is undoubtedly the most rewarding thing I did with my life,&rdquo; said Paula Rolfe, who was a teacher before becoming a <a href="http://sylvanfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-sylvan-sets-franchisees-up-to-successfully-retire-from-franchise-ownership-2706531" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sylvan Learning franchisee</a>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen so many children turn their lives around. The success they had with us led to other successes.&rdquo;

For Paula, it didn&rsquo;t matter if she was helping enrichment students or students in remedial programs. She says that leaving an impact on the lives of local families made 34 years as a franchisee fly by.

&ldquo;Parents have always been so grateful,&rdquo; said Paula. &ldquo;Some have said that their kids wouldn&rsquo;t have finished high school, let alone get to college if it weren&rsquo;t for Sylvan Learning. Success breeds success, and once these kids pick up skills during our programs, they always want to do more.&rdquo;

The Rolfe&rsquo;s passion for impacting students in the local community led to longstanding success with their Sylvan Learning franchise. They eventually opened a second center in Louisiana, and they ultimately ended up teaching the children of children that were students early on in their careers.

&ldquo;Working with Sylvan was extremely rewarding both economically and professionally,&rdquo; said George Rolfe who was a civil engineer before becoming a Sylvan franchisee. &ldquo;When we did decide that it was time to retire, Paula and I were definitely nervous.&rdquo;

It would be understandably difficult to transition from a life of helping children achieve academic goals far beyond what they and their parents might have imagined possible. Just like how kids develop a drive to learn more after finding success in school, the Rolfes never wanted to stop helping kids find that drive.

&ldquo;It was hard to retire in 2018 because this brand has meant so much to us,&rdquo; said George. &ldquo;We made 90 percent of the Sylvan conferences in our 30 plus years with the brand, and we always loved talking to members of the corporate team. We also loved our staff, many of whom were with us for over ten years. But Sylvan corporate team members Georgia Chasen and Courtney Wells have made the transition a smooth one.&rdquo;

The Rolfes give Chasen, the Vice President of Franchise Development for Sylvan Learning, and Wells, a Franchise Development Manager, a lot of credit for making it possible to retire from such a fulfilling career.

&ldquo;The transition team at Sylvan did a great job of not only generating interest in our locations, but also made sure that we approved of the people who would be taking over for us,&rdquo; said Paula. &ldquo;We ended up selling to two local residents from Shreveport. One was a former principal, and the other a former assistant principal.&rdquo;

When you work with a nearly 40-year-old brand basically since its inception, you&rsquo;re bound to see a lot of changes. While the Rolfes certainly experienced the franchise system&rsquo;s evolution, they said the thing that mattered most never changed.

&ldquo;Kids are still kids, and parents are still parents,&rdquo; said Paula. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re passionate about making an impact, that&rsquo;s all that matters. Sylvan invests in franchisees because we have the passion for our local communities, and that drives us.&rdquo;

As they&rsquo;re now enjoying retirement, the Rolfes have no regrets from their time with Sylvan Learning. While it was hard to transition after so many years with the brand, Sylvan put their minds at ease knowing that their location is in good hands.

To learn more about Sylvan Learning franchises, visit <a href="http://www.sylvanfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-sylvan-sets-franchisees-up-to-successfully-retire-from-franchise-ownership-2706531" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.SylvanFranchise.com</a>.

Longtime Sylvan Learning Franchisees George and Paula Rolfe

How Sylvan Sets Franchisees Up to Successfully Retire from Franchise Ownership

1851 Franchise

With nearly 40 years of serving students, the leading education brand helps franchisees transition into retirement

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

how-sylvan-sets-franchisees-up-to-successfully-retire-from-franchise-ownership

Express Employment Professionals

Shaping the Future of Work: Melissa Davis Leads the Charge in Express Employment Franchising

shaping-the-future-of-work-melissa-davis-leads-the-charge-in-express-employment-franchising

Caring Transitions

The Benefits of Buying an Existing Caring Transitions Territory vs. Starting From Scratch

the-benefits-of-buying-an-existing-caring-transitions-territory-vs-starting-from-scratch

petbar

petbar Franchise - Marc Hildebrand - Nicole Baptiste - San Antonio - 1851 Franchise

Spreading Bark-Side Joy: How Nicole and Marc Bring Trust and Canine Bliss to San Antonio

petbar-franchise-alamo-heights-san-antonio-nicole-baptiste-marc-hildebrand

Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Company

How Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. Built a 23-Year Brand That Empowers Veterans Through Franchising

wild-bills-craft-beverage-co-veteran-franchise-opportunity

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers Franchise - St. Louis Expansion - 1851 Franchise

Why St. Louis Is the Next Major Growth Opportunity for Comfort Keepers®

comfort-keepers-st-louis-franchise-opportunities

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

Photo of Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza franchisee Lily Wilford

Entrepreneur: This 18-Year-Old Saves Babysitting Money for College — Then Decided to Buy a Business Instead

18-year-old-franchise-owner-lily-wilford

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

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

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

image of bryan horton from laynes West Texas - Abilene, Wichita Falls, Stephenville 

Former Real Estate and Beverage Entrepreneur Signs to Develop 8 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations in West Texas, Securing One of the Final Major Markets Available in the State

laynes-chicken-west-texas-expansion

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

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

How Sylvan Sets Franchisees Up to Successfully Retire from Franchise Ownership

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS