How a Franchise Collapse Built a Better Leader w/ Ciara Stockeland

What happens when the franchise you built, the one that looked wildly successful from the outside, starts quietly falling apart behind the scenes?

In this powerful conversation, entrepreneur and author Ciara Stockeland shares the unfiltered truth about the rise and unraveling of her retail franchise brand, including the moment she sensed something was wrong long before anyone else did. From early wins and national recognition to a full-blown franchise mutiny, lawsuits, overwhelming debt, and ultimately bankruptcy, Ciara takes us inside the emotional and financial reality that most founders never talk about. Her transparency about identity, pressure, intuition, and accountability is rare and deeply needed in franchising today.

Ciara also reveals the turning point that helped her rebuild a profitable business from day one, why paying yourself is non-negotiable, and how understanding your numbers will save you from the traps that take down so many emerging brands. Whether you’re franchising today or still deciding if you should, this episode is a masterclass in avoiding the biggest (and most expensive) mistakes founders make.

Ciara Stockland is a third-generation entrepreneur, profit strategist, speaker, and author of The Inventory Genius and Profit Genius. After franchising her first retail brand and later building and selling a first-to-market wholesale subscription box in just 18 months, she now coaches inventory-based business owners nationwide. Ciara works alongside her husband in their C-Suite consulting program, helping founders restructure operations, improve profitability, and regain control of their businesses.

Connect with Ciara:

Website - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/

Inventory Genius - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstore

Profit Genius - https://www.ciarastockeland.com/bookstore

Episode Highlights:

• Ciara’s entrepreneurial roots and early businesses
  
  
• The transition from founder to franchisor and the blind spots that hurt her
  
  
• Early warning signs that something was wrong
  
  
• The franchise mutiny and the unraveling that followed
  
  
• Lawsuits, mounting debt, and losing her home
  
  
• Rebuilding from scratch (and what she did differently)
  
  
• Why profitability must come before growth
  
  
• How failing publicly reshaped her identity and purpose
  
  
• The importance of understanding numbers as a founder
  
  
• Paying yourself and breaking harmful small-business myths
  
  

Connect with Tracy

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-panase/

JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale

JBF Franchise System - https://jbfsalefranchise.com/

Email: [e-mail]

Connect with Shannon

Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/

JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale

Website - https://shineexecutivecoaching.com/

Email - [e-mail]