Meet the Supplier: Ask April Porter

Ask April Porter is a franchise consulting business that supports franchisees in thinking future-forward and building a pathway in franchising that will empower them to grow optimally and cash in on their hard work. April Porter experienced that same growth trajectory personally, and now she wants to help others in the franchising space “claim excellence unapologetically.”

The History of Ask April Porter

When Porter first began considering her foray into the franchise world, she was working as a criminal prosecutor. After putting herself through law school and diligently working to secure justice for victims of crime in her area, she still felt like something was missing.

“When it got time to make a change, and I was thinking about being an attorney in another realm, everything seemed super boring,” said Porter. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak, and I happened to see a kickboxing gym that had opened across the state. It looked like such a cool concept.”

Porter looked into the model to support her friends, who were opening the gym, and realized that it was a franchise. She was interested in leading the charge for the brand in her own market. She signed a three-unit deal for kickboxing gyms in St. Louis, Missouri with plans to be the first and biggest franchisee with the brand for the market. Within three years, she opened four locations and became a mentor to other owners in the system. Shortly after, she transitioned out of the business and into Ask April Porter.

How Porter Fills a Gap

In her own experience as a franchisee, Porter recognized a major gap. The franchisor’s image of franchisee success is often drastically different from the vision of the franchisee themselves.

After successfully exiting her time as a franchisee, she found a passion to fill that same gap.

“I think there’s a real disconnect between franchisors and franchisees in the understanding of what a franchisor is obligated to provide; what they should be providing; and what they might want to provide but really isn’t a good idea for them to wade into those waters,” said Porter. “Franchisees generally believe, ‘My franchisor is going to give me everything I need to be successful in this brand,’ and the reality is that the franchisor is going to teach you the model that they have established that has been successful for that franchisor and for others.”

The model provides a strong baseline, but the franchisee must also bring intrinsic motivation and a more robust strategy that can be applied to the franchisor’s model to drive the results they personally are seeking. Many owners also need support to overcome limiting beliefs, think like an owner and become more strategic

“I’m the person you should call when you feel like there’s this void in your knowledge, but you don’t know what it is,” said Porter. “Here you are. You’ve made it through your franchisor’s training. And while you know how to operate that model expertly, you still don’t feel whole in your business knowledge, business confidence and leadership ability to take it to the next level. We help you find the answers to the questions you don’t know to ask to fill in all of those gaps and scale.”

Learn more about the consultancy by watching the full interview here.