E313: From Investor to Franchise Mogul: Bennett Maxwell's Journey with Dirty Dough

Ever wonder how entrepreneurs balance high-growth businesses with personal fulfillment? In this episode, Erik Cabral sits down with Bennett Maxwell, founder of the Dirty Dough cookie franchise. Originally an investor, Bennett took over operations and has grown the business to over 70 locations across multiple states. But rapid expansion came with growing pains. 

Bennett shares valuable lessons learned from legal battles, prioritizing infrastructure over outsourcing, and the importance of slowing growth to properly vet systems. You'll also hear how Bennett prioritizes family above all else, even missing an important business meeting to attend his daughter's kindergarten graduation. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

• Growing a food franchise at lightning speed

• Lessons learned from legal battles and competition

• Prioritizing family over work

Episode Highlights:

[04:20] Slowing Growth for LongevityMassively expanding the franchise too quickly led to issues retrofitting new systems. Bennett wishes he started with a co-packer instead of infrastructure to avoid risks. He now focuses on sustainable growth to continually improve franchisee success.

[13:03] Lessons from Legal Battles in the Cookie Wars

Bennett shares valuable lessons from the legal battles with a competitor, emphasizing the importance of thoroughly vetting branding elements and seeking legal counsel early on. He wishes he had hired a trademark attorney to properly evaluate all aspects of the Dirty Dough name and packaging design to avoid issues down the road, showing other entrepreneurs the importance of protecting their intellectual property from the start.

[20:02] Daughter's Graduation Wins OutMissing his daughter's kindergarten graduation for a meeting wasn't an option. Bennett prioritizes family, setting boundaries to avoid workaholism despite business pressures. His mission is to find joy through challenging times.

[24:59] Embracing Failure to Find SuccessBennett shares how dropping out of premed school to pursue door-to-door sales taught him invaluable business lessons through perceived "failures." Although everyone told him it was a mistake, he saw opportunities to learn from each rejection.

Resources Mentioned:

Dirty Dough

18 Summers

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