1851

<p>Alison Friedman was so inspired by the work her daughter-in-law accomplished with early-childhood education daycare and development brand <a href="https://1851franchise.com/lightbridgeacademy/info"><u><span class="brand-highlight">Lightbridge Academy*</span></u></a> that it motivated her to go into franchise ownership with her husband, Joe, in Charlotte, North Carolina.</p><p>The duo will open two Lightbridge Academy locations to serve the Greater Charlotte area. The Friedmans, who are passionate about supporting their community and local families, are committed to serving the area by offering mission-driven, innovative child care services.&nbsp;</p><p>Alison and her husband will start opening their education centers starting in September of this year.</p><h4>1851 Franchise: Tell me your story – what did you do before franchising?&nbsp;</h4><p>Alison Friedman: We’re all from New Jersey, and we work for All American Poly. They’re a polyethylene extruder and large packaging provider. Joe and I oversee the sales organization. He’s been with the company for 41 years, and I’ve been there for 13. To put it simply, we supply packaging, but we’re in the business of people. That’s really the All American Poly brand — taking care of people. We work for a family. We value that — they take care of their people. It’s been a great place for us to thrive. Joe’s daughter, Dana, worked in early child care, and she worked up from teaching to directing. Dana has turned around a number of centers and had opportunities to launch a couple of centers. One was a Lightbridge Academy in New Jersey. She did that and did very well.</p><h4>1851 Franchise: How did you initially find out about franchising?&nbsp;</h4><p>Friedman: So, we were watching Dana be very successful with what she was doing. We were all at a salon getting ready for a wedding and talking about how things were going. Joe and I were talking about investing and expanding and franchising with Lightbridge Academy just clicked. What better way to invest than in our future?</p><h4>1851 Franchise: Why did you pick franchising over starting your own business?&nbsp;</h4><p>Friedman: We’re not looking to leave our current jobs. We think this is a perfect formula with a great brand —the Lightbridge brand. Their values align with ours. We appreciate that support. We moved to Charlotte five years ago, and the growth here is just incredible, but there's a strong need for child care centers. All the demos show that too.</p><h4>1851 Franchise: What types of brands did you look at?</h4><p>Friedman: We did interviews with other major competitors in the industry, and it just had that kind of feel of, “We’re the biggest, we’re the baddest.” That’s not us. On the other hand, Lightbridge Academy is a solid organization, but it still remains flexible with a level of personalization. There are growth opportunities. After meeting everyone at the corporate office it just felt right. We just knew we were a match. When I was up there and we were first vetting out the partnership, I mentioned that we had just completed our branding work at All American Poly. If you swapped the names in all of the branding and purpose statements, they’re almost exactly the same. We liked that.&nbsp;</p><h4>1851 Franchise: Why did you pick Lightbridge Academy? What excited you most about the brand’s potential?&nbsp;</h4><p>Friedman: Really, the excitement comes from the opportunity to offer solutions to working parents and make an impact for families and children. We want to give the children in our community the best start possible by offering a warm, welcoming environment for clients and employees. Taking those ideas as far as we can take them is most exciting.&nbsp;</p><p>We want to promote ourselves as a brand of trust. We want to know everything we can know about the families we’re serving. We want them to know they can trust us. The cameras in the facilities speak to that. Lightbridge Academy is essentially a home away from home and an extension of our family. Really, it’s the trust that’s most important when you’re leaving your child with someone else.</p><h4>1851 Franchise: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?&nbsp;</h4><p>Friedman: We already have our team together but no building quite yet. We’ve been doing some light marketing and social media posts. We do want to get out in the community and see what kind of events we can get involved in.</p><h4>1851 Franchise: What value do you see your business providing to the greater Charlotte community?</h4><p>Friedman: We’re an innovative child care center. We’re a solution for working parents, which means we have extended hours, having cameras with virtual access. Full transparency. The curriculum is expansive and covers a wide domain. It covers many different ways children learn.</p><h4>1851 Franchise: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?</h4><p>Friedman: I would say definitely do your research in vetting. It’s a commitment. It’s important that your values align.&nbsp;</p><h4>1851 Franchise: What do you do in your personal time?</h4><p>Friedman: I’m into Zoomba! I nearly have my Zoombeanie certification. I didn’t get to finish because of COVID-19, but I think it would be cool to bring that into the centers. We’re pretty active people. We’re into the gym and sports. Lightbridge Academy offers those kinds of activities. It won’t just stop at Zoomba — it will include all kinds of sports and activities.</p>

The Great Franchisees: Joe and Alison Friedman, Lightbridge Academy, Charlotte

1851 Franchise

After seeing the success her step-daughter had operating a Lightbridge Academy franchise, Alison Friedman and her husband Joe decided to bring the business to Charlotte, North Carolina.

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

the-great-franchisees-joe-and-alison-friedman-lightbridge-academy-charlotte

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue Home Service Ally Celebrates Major Milestone With Opening of Its 100th Franchise Location

trublue-home-service-ally-celebrates-major-milestone-with-opening-of-its-100th-franchise-location

Children's Lighthouse

Children’s Lighthouse Named Among the Top Franchises in Entrepreneur Franchise 500® Ranking

Children’s Lighthouse Named Among the Top Franchises in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® Ranking

childrens-lighthouse-named-among-the-top-franchises-in-entrepreneur-magazines-franchise-500-ranking

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Four Layne's team members stand in front of a wall decorated with artwork from the community

The Easiest $10,000 Made in a Day: How Layne’s Built Operations for Volume

the-easiest-10000-made-in-a-day-how-laynes-built-operations-for-volume

Pet Wants

Why Pet Wants Is Perfect for First-Time Franchise Owners

why-pet-wants-is-perfect-for-first-time-franchise-owners

Griswold

7 Winter Safety Tips for Seniors: Staying Safe During National Winter Safety Month

7-winter-safety-tips-for-seniors-staying-safe-during-national-winter-safety-month

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 Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

Login

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Yum Brands - KFC - Pizza Hut - Terminates Franchise Agreements in Turkey - 1851 Franchise

Yum! Brands Terminates Franchise Agreements in Turkey Due to Non-Compliance

yum-brands-terminates-franchise-agreements-in-turkey-due-to-non-compliance

Recent Franchise News - Why Franchisors Churn Through Marketing Suppliers - 1851 Franchise

Forbes: Four Reasons Why Franchisors Churn Through Marketing Suppliers

forbes-four-reasons-why-franchisors-churn-through-marketing-suppliers

QSR Magazine: Big Chicken Targets Global Expansion

qsr-magazine-big-chicken-aims-for-global-growth

Starbucks Strike Brews Opportunity for the Next Coffee Franchisee

starbucks-strike-brews-opportunity-for-coffee-franchise-hopefuls

I Heart Mac and Cheese - Franchisees Sue I Heart Mac and Cheese - Franchise News - 1851 Franchise

Restaurant Business Online: Franchisees Sue I Heart Mac and Cheese

restaurant-business-online-franchisees-sue-i-heart-mac-and-cheese

Two Attorneys, Restaurant Professionals To Serve Germantown Community With New Paris Baguette Café

two-attorneys-restaurant-professionals-to-serve-germantown-community-with-new-paris-baguette-cafe

Newk's Eatery - Magee, MS - Skip Russell Franchisee Profile - CI

Former Popeyes Franchisee Builds on Decades of Success with Newk's Expansion Plans

former-popeyes-franchisee-builds-on-decades-of-success-with-newks-expansion-plans

How This Franchise Owner is Revitalizing Seniors Helping Seniors® in Lebanon, Pennsylvania

how-this-franchise-owner-is-revitalizing-seniors-helping-seniors-in-lebanon-pennsylvania

Former Stay-at-Home Mom Finds Passionate Second Career with Senior Care Authority Franchise

former-stay-at-home-mom-finds-passionate-second-career-with-senior-care-authority-franchise

The Great Franchisees: Joe and Alison Friedman, Lightbridge Academy, Charlotte

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS