Building a Franchise From the Ground Up with Amy Leclerc

Amy’s career began in New York City, where she spent ten years in the media industry, cutting her teeth at Grey Advertising, which led to selling ads for the fashion magazine, NYLON. After a move to Oregon, Amy made a complete career pivot, following her love of exercise into a 10-year run overseeing franchise sales and business development for the boutique fitness brand barre3. At barre3, Amy was instrumental in building the business, scaling it from a scrappy startup into a cult brand with over 170 franchise locations. Today, you can find Amy leading the charge at Sit Still Kids Salon, an experience-driven franchise she and her business partners founded in 2018. Sit Still is disrupting the kid's hair game through a proven model and turnkey blueprint that positions the company for exciting and sustainable growth.   Key Takeaways: [2:50] - Amy started out as a client of Sit Still Kid Salon and realized it was an opportunity for her. [4:27] - She built her career by connecting with brands and concepts and listening to how she feels. [7:01] - Most franchises begin when someone brings the idea to the founder. [9:49] - Located in Portland, Amy explains that the community embraces local businesses and entrepreneurs which helped the business find success. [12:23] - Amy helped build up the barre3 franchise and shares why she felt driven to move on to Sit Still. [14:24] - As a “builder,” Amy loves to take her experiences and apply it to new opportunities. [16:10] - Building a franchise is simple but is not easy. [17:03] - When the clientele is easily identifiable, it is easier to create clear branding. [18:22] - In this case, Amy clicked immediately with the founder of Sit Still, but sometimes founders may be hesitant. [21:27] - It is really important that the founder be involved in franchising. [23:09] - By leaning into the data, Amy knew there was a need for nationwide locations of Sit Still. [26:47] - Amy describes the customer experience at Sit Still Kids Salon and what makes it special. [29:47] - Each appointment’s time allotment is used fully for a memorable experience. [33:01] - Sit Still takes their commitment to being a consistent person in a child’s life very seriously. [35:24] - What type of operators are Sit Still Kids Salon looking for as franchisees? [37:51] - Location is important to think about. Sit Still generally operates best in suburban areas. [39:04] - Data drives decisions. [40:13] - From a growth perspective, Sit Still has 14 locations spoken for and more coming in the next year. [42:15] - Amy shares ways that Sit Still keeps clients coming back by maintaining value and safety. [45:40] - Growing as fast as possible should not be the goal. Find the initial good franchisees and grow from within.   Mentioned in This Episode: Sit Still Kids Website Sit Still Kids Salon on Instagram Amy Leclerc on Instagram