Corporate Escapee Pursues Next Phase of Growth with Footprints Floors Franchise

With a long and storied career, Keith Warren has plenty of experience in the corporate space. However, after his most recent role was eliminated following an acquisition, he knew he needed to pursue something different. “I wanted to stay in a service-based business but knew that I didn’t want to continue in the age-old corporate grind,” said Keith. With this in mind, he began researching franchise opportunities, discovered Footprints Floors*, and has now opened in South Miami Valley, serving Mason, Lebanon and Sharonville, OH and stretching west to Greensburg, IN.

Keith’s wife, Shelley, will also be involved in the business as she returns to a professional space after years spent teaching while also taking care of her children and family. Together, the pair aims to provide an unbeatable flooring installation experience to members of their community as they build something meaningful for themselves, too.

1851 Franchise spoke to the couple about their journey into franchising and their 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?

Keith: Being 60 years old, I’ve had a lot of experience, with the majority of my life spent in senior-level sales, operations and IT positions the third-party logistics world. As it sometimes goes with companies, management changed and corporate culture changed to the detriment of our customer base. That led me to take a brief hiatus in the middle of my career and start a home improvement business. I really loved it but wasn’t making a whole lot of money as a one man show. I knew that the only way I could really grow the company would be to expand, and it was around the time that I was gearing up to hire and invest in that growth, I was recruited back into the corporate world, where I spent the last 15 years.

My previous company was acquired and with the typical integration and restructuring plan that frequently follows such an event, my position and others were eliminated which ultimately kickstarted this journey into franchise ownership.  I was looking for what was next and at first, I didn’t know what that would look like, but  I did know that self-employment was the best path towards reaching my long-term goals.

Shelley: When our kids were younger, I worked part-time in the education field to line up with my children’s schedules. Now that we’ve moved here, the kids have graduated and Keith is taking on this new venture, I loved the business model and wanted to be a part of building up our own Footprints Floors operation.

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?

Keith: What really intrigues me about the franchise model is that I’ve started my own business before, and I know the challenges of getting your name out in the marketplace, getting recognized and all of the things associated with growing a business. Not to mention the back office side of the business. With the franchise model, there is a game plan and a set model that’s been established. It’s well-proven, and it gives you a major leg up on starting your business versus just trying to get off the ground yourself.

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

Keith: I’ve always been in a role that involved a pretty heavy sales element, but like many,  I’ve never been a fan of cold calling. With Footprints Floors, I get to meet with customers who are already interested in our service and my job is to create the right solution and close the deal. The fact that we focus on the installation service and let the customer buy the flooring products directly anywhere they choose means that we aren’t like others that push a limited line of products, nor are we adding margin to the material cost which results in a lower end cost to the customer and a more competitive model for us

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

Keith: Certainly, after leaving a professional career, there are financial goals that we’re looking to replicate, but from a longer-term perspective, we truly want to build a legacy business that provides value to our community and a future for our family. We have two sons, both are Eagle Scouts, musicians and just fantastic human beings. Neither of them are very deep into their careers yet, and our hope is that at some point early in the process we can bring them into the business and make it a family business extended beyond ourselves and something lasting that they can take over and build upon for their own future.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Keith: I’ve always been a servant leader. No matter whether it was my leadership roles in the corporate world, Boy Scouts, High School Marching Band Committee or Youth Ministry, my primary focus has always centered on helping others to achieve their goals. I strongly believe in the philosophy that “A rising tide raises all ships”. My management style has always been one of mentoring and teaching more than just holding people accountable to specific metrics and goals.

Shelley: We want to make sure we do a good job. We don’t want to just run a business and have customers… We want to make sure that we are building relationships and treating our customers well so that they’re happy and satisfied. That’s important to us.

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

Keith: Spend as much time as humanly possible on the validation calls, and ask every question that you’ve ever thought to ask.. It’s helpful to be involved in those calls, get to know the people who have been there and gain valuable insight into every aspect of the potential business venture including the mistakes along with the successes. You learn so much about how to lay your path out correctly.

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/.