Jeff Dudan

rising stars or whatever in the in the field and they wanted 51 of the business and my sense of it was we shouldn't do that because we're going to lose control so i said look it's a 50 50 business it's 25 four ways and we'll let you brand the company in the florida gator colors So I traded that for that 1%.

But it's actually, now if you think about the succession of the negotiations that went on, that was really important percent because it wasn't a year and a half later where one of the partners just wasn't showing up and was one of the older guys. And he was getting into it with the other guy and it wasn't working. So we had to buy him out.

But it's actually, now if you think about the succession of the negotiations that went on, that was really important percent because it wasn't a year and a half later where one of the partners just wasn't showing up and was one of the older guys. And he was getting into it with the other guy and it wasn't working. So we had to buy him out.

And then my partner that I started with, it was the same thing. It was a lack of alignment, lack of performance, lack of showing up. And the reality of it is we didn't negotiate who was responsible for what before we started. People just act in the way that they perceive that they were going to have to contribute. And then there becomes these disagreements. So

And then my partner that I started with, it was the same thing. It was a lack of alignment, lack of performance, lack of showing up. And the reality of it is we didn't negotiate who was responsible for what before we started. People just act in the way that they perceive that they were going to have to contribute. And then there becomes these disagreements. So

If you want to have a professional outcome, you've got to design professional partnerships. And if you're not going to operate the business, then don't even pretend that you're going to operate the business and make sure that the business has the operators that it needs and the contingencies that it needs. And people are agreeing.

If you want to have a professional outcome, you've got to design professional partnerships. And if you're not going to operate the business, then don't even pretend that you're going to operate the business and make sure that the business has the operators that it needs and the contingencies that it needs. And people are agreeing.

Another problem you get into with partnerships is if money needs to be put in. If there's three people, you're reaching for your wallet and they're reaching for your wallet. You know, that's the problem. Like, you know. The rubber hits the road when it's time to write a check. That's when it really, do you really believe in this? Are you really committed? Are we really all aligned?

Another problem you get into with partnerships is if money needs to be put in. If there's three people, you're reaching for your wallet and they're reaching for your wallet. You know, that's the problem. Like, you know. The rubber hits the road when it's time to write a check. That's when it really, do you really believe in this? Are you really committed? Are we really all aligned?

So now what I'll say is if you forward that to today, I've made a study and I made a point of partnerships and collaborations more specifically. And, you know, I have a great friend who has really made a science of collaborations. You don't have to just start a business by yourself to take advantage of a known market opportunity. You can create a collaboration. You can name that collaboration.

So now what I'll say is if you forward that to today, I've made a study and I made a point of partnerships and collaborations more specifically. And, you know, I have a great friend who has really made a science of collaborations. You don't have to just start a business by yourself to take advantage of a known market opportunity. You can create a collaboration. You can name that collaboration.

And now everybody gets the benefit. And if you look at it, and I know you were an investor and you made a lot of investments. And I also got into that after I sold my business. I mean, I got very diversified and lots of investments and partnerships. But the challenge was that some of them expected a lot of me because they wanted to trade on my reputation and my background.

And now everybody gets the benefit. And if you look at it, and I know you were an investor and you made a lot of investments. And I also got into that after I sold my business. I mean, I got very diversified and lots of investments and partnerships. But the challenge was that some of them expected a lot of me because they wanted to trade on my reputation and my background.

you can be a partner, but you've got to be out front of this business because you're going to give people comfort that if they join this franchise, then it's going to be built properly. And that was never the agreement. It was like, well, you're going to invest and you're going to advise. So you have to get those clear expectations up front.

you can be a partner, but you've got to be out front of this business because you're going to give people comfort that if they join this franchise, then it's going to be built properly. And that was never the agreement. It was like, well, you're going to invest and you're going to advise. So you have to get those clear expectations up front.

And you really have to be careful about the things that you get involved with to make sure it's something that you can carry it through. And then you have to do scenarios that say, if everything goes as worse as it possibly can, Who's going to step in?

And you really have to be careful about the things that you get involved with to make sure it's something that you can carry it through. And then you have to do scenarios that say, if everything goes as worse as it possibly can, Who's going to step in?

I hired my first franchise attorney in 1997 because coming out of the hurricane, I realized that it was the franchise businesses that were dominating. And observationally, the ServPros, the ServiceMasters, the Paul Davis, it was really First General Services, which was a dealership model. Observationally, they were the ones that were able to bring the resources.

I hired my first franchise attorney in 1997 because coming out of the hurricane, I realized that it was the franchise businesses that were dominating. And observationally, the ServPros, the ServiceMasters, the Paul Davis, it was really First General Services, which was a dealership model. Observationally, they were the ones that were able to bring the resources.

And I realized that that industry was very heavily controlled by franchise systems. So I'm like, well, then we should be a franchise system. We shouldn't join a franchise. We should be a franchise. So I hired our first one in 97, just got some education on it. I actually created our franchise company in 2000. But, you know, lack of focus leads to a lack of greatness.