Entrepreneurship can open the door to freedom, but only if you build it with clarity and intention. For social entrepreneurs, the challenge is even greater: creating meaningful impact while maintaining personal well-being. When growth becomes constant and every decision seems to serve the mission but drain the person behind it, one raw question remains: What does freedom really look like?
In this episode of Avant-Garde Entrepreneur, Dr. Trisha Bailey sits down with Bennett Maxwell, serial entrepreneur, franchise mentor, and mental health advocate. From selling knives and solar panels to co-founding Dirty Dough, Bennett has built, scaled, and sold multiple businesses while learning firsthand what happens when success comes at the expense of health, relationships, and peace of mind.
Bennett now helps entrepreneurs build wealth and freedom through franchising, while keeping mental and physical health at the forefront. He explains how franchising can be a powerful way for impact-driven entrepreneurs to scale sustainably without burning out, and why success depends on creating a business that is structured, replicable, and simple enough for others to run.
Tune in and listen to the seventy-third episode of Avant-Garde Entrepreneur to hear how Bennett redefined success, protected his well-being, and turned franchising into a platform for freedom, purpose, and joy.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- (3:00) How Bennett’s early sales experience and mindset shaped his path to entrepreneurship
- (6:30) What inspired him to move from sales to co-founding and building his own companies
- (9:20) How mental exhaustion from overwork reshaped his approach to business
- (11:50) The turning point that shifted his focus from chasing money to prioritizing health and fulfillment
- (17:00) Why therapy and emotional awareness are powerful business tools
- (20:30) Why mental health must be part of every entrepreneur’s growth strategy
- (24:50) The basics of franchising and how to know if your business is franchisable
- (29:00) The biggest misconceptions entrepreneurs have about franchising
- (32:40) Why every entrepreneur should “run it like you’ll franchise it”
- (33:30) Smart, creative ways to expand without raising large amounts of capital
Connect with Bennett Maxwell:
Resources:
- My new book! Mindset Matters
- Quiz! What’s Your Social Entrepreneur Style?
- Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy Waitlist
Let’s Connect!
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