Dedicated Mother Ditches Corporate America to Become a Patrice & Associates Franchisee

Corina Mack is a seasoned recruiter who has worked in corporate jobs for the better part of her professional career. Despite becoming an expert in her industry, in 2015, Mack realized the path she was on wasn’t as fulfilling as she had once envisioned for herself. As such, she began to explore new business opportunities. Through her search, she was introduced to Patrice & Associates, a recruiting franchise that helps thousands of managerial- and executive-level candidates every year find rewarding jobs in the hospitality industry and beyond. 

Mack was enamored with the prospect of being her own boss and operating her own recruiting franchise, an industry she was all too familiar with. In 2015, she took a risk and invested in her own Patrice & Associates franchise, where she serves the Greater Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota area. 

Why Franchising? 

Mack’s professional journey began soon after she received her master’s degree in hospitality and tourism from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Once out of college, she worked for restaurants and several corporate companies, where she was a service manager, recruiting and training manager, human resource manager, and recruiting and sourcing specialist. These positions resulted in the mother of two not spending nearly as much time with her children.

Additionally, she kept experiencing layoffs and corporate restructurings. Those moments made her question whether she was on the right path and empowered her to begin searching for something new. Since she wanted more family time, she knew she would need to become her own boss. Looking back, Mack believes her introduction to franchising was fate. 

She attended job fairs regularly in one of her former jobs as a recruiter. Through one of those events, she met and befriended a franchise coach. The coach invited her for coffee to discuss the possibility of franchising, but Mack admitted she was hesitant at first. 

“I almost didn’t go to that meeting because [franchising] felt so insane to me compared to what I was used to,” said Mack. 

Despite her mixed emotions, she returned and spent the next two months researching as much as she could about Patrice & Associates. She met with other franchisees and quickly came to appreciate the culture that Patrice & Associates had cultivated. In her opinion, the brand’s “very team-focused” culture was impressive for the volume of training and support that new owners receive. 

“The leadership team is there to help you grow and is there to support you throughout the journey,” she said. “I really thought I could earn the income that I wanted and also make an impact in people’s lives in an industry that I enjoy.”

As a result of these offerings, Mack trusted her gut, invested in Patrice & Associates and has been a franchise owner for the last eight years, which has helped her rekindle her love for recruiting. 

“It hit me at the right time in my life,” she said. “If it hit me one year earlier or later, I don’t know if I would have been in the right mental space. Personally and professionally, I’ve really evolved and grown.” 

A Successful Venture 

Since launching her franchise in the Greater Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota area, Mack has found remarkable success. In the beginning, she had a mentor to help her get acquainted with the role of owner and operator. But by the third month of her role as a business owner, she realized it was the right path for her. More impressively, Mack said that she saw a return on investment by the end of her first six months of operation. 

“I paid for the franchise fee, which drained my savings account basically,” said Mack. “I told myself, ‘There’s no way I’m not earning that money back.’ I ended up earning back my initial investment within the first six months.” 

Mack’s success as a franchisee has encouraged others to follow her path. She said she has inspired at least two other entrepreneurs from Georgia and Missouri to join the Patrice & Associates family. Mack also frequently finds herself recommending franchising to her friends and family, who have hit a professional roadblock and want to do something different with their lives.

“I always suggest franchising,” she said. “There are so many franchise opportunities out there.” 

Reflecting on her journey, Mack likened the process of investing in a franchise to getting a tattoo. 

“When you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, you spend a lot of time considering it, looking at different options, shopping around and asking your friends who have a tattoo,” she explained. “You save up money, get the tattoo and then realize it’s not as big of a deal as you thought. You then start wondering about the next one you’ll get.” 

Looking to the Future

Mack is convinced that she has discovered her ideal path with Patrice & Associates. Following her intuition paid off, and she firmly believes she has found her calling. The experience has convinced her that she will never return to a traditional office setting and has officially left corporate America behind. 

“I don’t want to go back to being just a cog in the wheel,” she said. 

Content with her current position, Mack has her sights set on maintaining her ongoing success. In the future, she aspires to expand her franchise further and is considering the possibility of establishing her own office and hiring multiple recruiters to work under her, aiming to scale her franchise to new heights. 

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/patriceandassociates.