The “Express” Route to Franchise Success with Stephen Shields

The Incredible Story of Stephen Shields: The multi-unit Express Employment Professionals Franchisee put everything on the line at 26 years old. He moved to Joplin MO (where he knew nobody) and built the American Dream. Listen to this episode to hear his playbook. Share it with someone you know! This story needs to be told. Episode Summary: In this special edition of Modrn Business Podcast, Ryan Hicks sits down in person with Stephen Shields, a multi-unit franchisee and area representative for Express Employment Professionals. Steven shares his incredible journey coming from a small town in Missouri, moving to Joplin with a loan from family and friends to buy the territory and build an empire. They discuss the importance of following proven systems, staying disciplined, and "doubling down on the hustle" during tough times. Key topics include: - The early struggles of entrepreneurship and how Steven overcame them. - The value of the franchise support system and how Express University shaped his success. - Insights into what makes a successful franchisee in both good and challenging times. - The importance of giving back to the community and the lives impacted by franchising. - Personal stories of team development and the pride of seeing employees grow. Sponsor Shoutout: This episode is brought to you by Voxie, a cutting-edge conversational texting platform designed for franchise businesses. Voxie offers two-way conversational texting, powered by AI, and has been a leader in the space since before most people even knew about OpenAI. "The only Texting software built for franchise systems to boost revenue" Learn more at www.voxie.com. Special Announcement: We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the Franchise America Docuseries! Ryan Hicks is diving deep into the world of franchising through the eyes of operators. Be sure to catch teaser clips with the full series launching in October. Follow Ryan on LinkedIn and Twitter at @RyanThomasHicks for updates. Register now for Franchise Springboard, taking place September 18-20 in Philadelphia. It’s a can't-miss event for anyone in the franchise industry. Learn more at franchisespringboard.com.