From Burnout to Balance: How Teresa Hartsfield Found Freedom in a Coaching Franchise

What happens when someone who has spent her whole career building businesses for everyone else finally finds the model that lets her build one for herself?Teresa Hartsfield knows exactly what that feels like. A first-generation American, daughter of Vietnamese immigrant entrepreneurs, and a woman who has founded, led, and sold multiple businesses (including a top-performing franchise), Teresa spent years achieving everything from the outside while her personal life paid the price. She was gone. All the time.Now, as a Focal Point Business Coaching franchisee, Teresa coaches executives and entrepreneurs to do what she wishes someone had helped her do sooner: align vision with execution, build great teams, and stop being so buried in the business that you forget to live.In this conversation, Phyllis and Teresa go deep on imposter syndrome, the one question every franchise buyer should ask before signing, why "semi-absentee" is the most misunderstood term in franchising, and what it really looks like to invest in yourself after years of investing in everyone else.If you're a woman in transition, an empty nester, or someone who is ready to stop working for somebody else and start building something that's actually yours, this episode will meet you right where you are.What We Cover in This EpisodeTeresa's origin story: growing up first-generation American, watching her parents run restaurants, and where her entrepreneurial roots really beganWhat the restaurant life actually looked like (and why it shaped everything she did next)Why servant leadership is at the core of who Teresa is as a coachThe biggest struggles Teresa sees in the women she coaches, including imposter syndrome, mom guilt, and the fear of being "too aggressive"How the Focal Point model gave Teresa her mornings, her afternoons, and her family backThe one question she tells every franchise buyer to ask before they sign anythingWhy franchise culture matters more than the product or the modelThe kaizen philosophy: how working 1% better every day compounds into massive growthA real, unfiltered look at what "semi-absentee" actually means (and why you should go in full throttle anyway)Why women who've been stay-at-home moms are better prepared for business coaching than they thinkThe truth about franchise partnerships, conflict, and what makes them succeed or failWhy following the proven system is always the right first move, even if you eventually reinventGuest BioTeresa Hartsfield is a seasoned business and executive coach known for helping leaders break through overwhelm, scale with intention, and build performance-driven teams. With over 15 years of real-world experience building, operating, advising, and successfully exiting businesses, Teresa brings a rare mix of operator grit and strategic clarity to every client conversation. She's founded and led multiple companies, led turnarounds, and built and sold a top-performing franchise. As a Focal Point Business Coaching franchisee, Teresa focuses on strategic leadership development, co-founder alignment, building cohesive teams, and helping owners work on their business, not just in it. Her husband, Brian Hartsfield, is the Chief Development Officer for Focal Point Business Coaching.Connect with TeresaLinkedIn: search Teresa Hartsfield - https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresahartsfield/For coaching inquiries: connect via LinkedIn or reach out through Focal Point Business CoachingReady to Explore Your Own Franchise Journey?If today's episode sparked something in you, even just a little flicker of "what if," let's talk. Book your free Freedom Clarity Call with Phyllis at: franchise4u.com/calendarNo pressure. No pitch. Just clarity.Timestamp MarkersTimeTopic0:00Intro and show welcome1:00Teresa's bio2:30Growing up first-generation American, watching her parents run restaurants4:00The reality of the restaurant business and what she learned from it5:00Why servant leadership drives everything Teresa does6:00What she loves about the Focal Point model compared to brick-and-mortar businesses7:00The women Teresa coaches: imposter syndrome, mom guilt, and the fear of being too aggressive9:00Phyllis on curiosity, her career, and being the first woman in the room10:30Wells Fargo study: women now make up 43% of global entrepreneurship12:00Teresa on the power of women in business and doing it unapologetically13:00The kaizen philosophy: 1% better every day13:30A day in the life as a Focal Point franchise owner15:30Morning devotionals, mindset, and showing up grounded for clients16:00The one thing Teresa wishes she had known before buying her first franchise: culture17:30What it's been like to watch Focal Point's growth alongside her husband, Brian18:30The increasing number of women joining Focal Point as coaches19:00AI, the future of middle management, and why a franchise structure changes everything20:30How Teresa builds her client base: network, referrals, BNI, and the power of presence21:30Advice for the empty nester or stay-at-home mom stepping back into business24:00What Teresa wishes she had been asked: lean on the Focal Point network25:00Entrepreneurship is hard, but women are built for it27:00The truth about semi-absentee franchising: go in full throttle first29:30Franchise partnerships: what makes them work and what destroys them31:30Follow the system before you reinvent it33:00Why working with a franchise coach like Phyllis shortens the whole process35:00How to reach Teresa and what she can do for you - https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresahartsfield/