Fly fishing on a Montana river

I am Kelsey Stuart

Hear it from Kelsey directly

Before you book a call, here's a 3-minute conversation that might answer most of your questions.

Kelsey Stuart on what honest franchise consulting actually looks like
Read the transcript
First off, a little context: my family and I started a franchise brand called Bloomin' Blinds about twelve years ago. I was the founder and the CEO, and my family and I ran that company for about twelve years. And then last year, I got tired of being an expensive paperweight. We had hired all the positions and all the jobs that I normally do, so I went to the family and said, "Hey look, I want to go do something else." And so I moved into this role that I am currently in now, which is called a franchise consultant. It's the early, aspirational, kind of dating phase of franchising, and it's my favorite part. Since I had the freedom to choose, this is where I chose to play. Overall, as a franchise consultant, I am a matchmaker, or a realtor for franchising is another way to say it. I connect with individuals, take some time to listen and learn the criteria that you want for a business, not the widget. I am not concerned at this point if you want to sell popcorn or if you want to run a senior care business. What I am concerned about is what do you want in that business? How do you want it to operate? Hours of operation, types of employees, number of employees, investment level, the different things that you would love about the criteria behind the curtain. Once I know that information, then I can use it to filter through the two hundred and fifty different brands that we work with, and I can bring back brands that match the criteria. My overall thought is, if I can help you find a business that is a perfect match to your lifestyle, to your goals, to your dreams, to your scale ambitions, does it really matter if you are scooping poop or selling popsicles? To some it matters more than others. But the general concept is, let's find a business that actually matches your life and your desires, and let's choose the widget last. That's how I think franchising goes really well. People who find businesses that they love operating, that's usually how it happens. I get to do the service for you for free. The brands pay when there is a placement of a buyer who is educated and properly vetted. They would much rather pay us to bring a really qualified candidate than simply run their marketing on Google and sift through the piles of people that come from that. So you don't pay me, you would never pay me a dime. If you decide not to buy anything, then no one pays me anything. The cool part is, I already have a franchise brand that I still own and my family still operates, so I don't have to do this from a financial perspective. I get to do it because I want to, because I love it. And I think that's a great scenario, because you are never going to catch me trying to push you or anyone else into something that may not be a good fit. I decided to just do a video instead of typing up an email or sending you to my website. In the long run, this is me, this is what I do, and I absolutely love it. So if you want someone with deep knowledge and lots of roots and history in the franchising space, I'm interested in getting to know you and seeing if I can be helpful. Okay, here's my elevator pitch. Hope you have a great day, and hope we get in contact. Bye.

The Short Version

I live in Whitefish, Montana. I fish, I ski, and I hang out at the local tap house after a day on the mountain. I got into franchising when I helped take a family business and turn it into a real competitor. Then we franchised it as Bloomin' Blinds and grew it to a $40 million system with over 200 locations.

After that I went the other direction and became a franchisee. Honestly, I was terrible at it. We made a lot of mistakes and we lost money.

That combination is why I can look you in the eye and tell you whether this is a good idea for you or not.

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Credentials & Background

RoleOwner & Founder, Waypoint Franchise Advisors
NetworkFranChoice affiliate
LocationWhitefish, Montana
Service areaAll 50 United States
Franchisor backgroundBloomin’ Blinds: grew to $40M revenue and 200+ locations
Franchisee backgroundOperated a franchise unit; experienced failure and financial loss
Concepts in inventory250+ franchise brands screened
Candidate conversion rate~30% of candidates become franchisees

“Roughly 7 in 10 people I work with decide not to buy a franchise.”

That's not a failure. That's the point.

Kelsey Stuart with family and friends in Montana

How I Work

I do not pitch brands. I do not have a quota. I match real people to validated franchise models based on their actual situation: their skills, their capital, their risk tolerance, and the life they want to build.

If the fit is not there, I will tell you. If the timing is wrong, I will tell you that too. I would rather you walk away than buy a franchise that does not work for you.

Why I Do This from Montana

I could live anywhere and do this job. I chose Whitefish because it fits the life I have always been trying to build: one where you are accountable to your own decisions, not someone else's calendar. My entire adult career has been self-employed. Every chapter has been my own business, my own risk, my own call.

Kelsey Stuart on a Montana trail overlook

How I Get Paid

Franchise consulting is free to you. If you buy a franchise, the franchisor pays me on that placement. What you pay the franchisor does not change if you go to the brand directly.

Some advisors charge the candidate a fee for their time instead. That is a different arrangement. I do not charge you.

Ask any advisor who pays them, and whether they will tell you when a concept is a poor fit. I will.

What I Am Not

I am not a corporate recruiting firm. I am not going to send you a slide deck full of logos and ask you to pick one. I am not going to pressure you into a timeline. I am one person who knows this industry inside and out, and I treat every conversation like I am talking to a friend who is thinking about making a big life change. Because that is exactly what this is.

Want to have a real conversation?

30 minutes. No agenda. Just an honest back-and-forth about where you are and what makes sense from here.

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