He Built a Multi-Million Dollar Franchise, Then Sold It — Here's How

After 14 years of building one of the highest-performing ShelfGenie franchises, Alan Regala sold his business and stepped into a brand-new chapter of life. In this episode of Franchise Unfiltered, Alan shares how he went from mechanical engineer to successful franchise owner — and what it really takes to build a business that’s actually sellable.

 

We cover:

✅ The mindset behind long-term success

✅ How to avoid burnout as a franchise owner

✅ The systems that make a franchise valuable

✅ Why most people don’t think about the exit early enough

✅ What Alan is doing now with Athlete2Owner

 

Whether you're considering buying a franchise, scaling your business, or preparing for a future exit, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

 

🎯 Learn how to build a business with freedom, flexibility, and long-term value.

 

Timestamps:

 

00:00 – From Franchisee to Friend: Alan’s 7-Year Journey

03:10 – The Exit Strategy Most Franchise Owners Ignore

05:45 – How to Build a Franchise That Doesn’t Depend on You

08:30 – The Systems That Made His Business Sellable

13:20 – From Engineer to Entrepreneur: Alan’s Career Shift

16:00 – The Book That Sparked His Business Mindset

20:10 – Why Franchising Was the Perfect Fit (And Almost Didn’t Happen)

25:40 – Innovating Inside the Franchise System

44:00 – The Moment He Knew It Was Time to Sell

57:00 – Life After the Exit: Coaching New Franchise Owners

 

7 Steps to Owning a Franchise:

https://path2frdm-1.hubspotpagebuilder.com/path-to-freedom-about-franchising

 

🔗 Want help finding the right franchise? Book a free strategy call with Wes:  https://calendly.com/wes-barefoot/introcallwithwes

 

Connect with Wes:

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/path2frdm/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/path2frdm

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleybarefoot/

 

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