We recently had the chance to connect with Chris Conner and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I am diligent about getting exercise in the morning before my day starts, then get to emails prior to the kids getting going and make sure I get back to clients and prospects before I get into the morning routine. Night Time is always active and I need to get ahead of my day by clearing out emails and getting to client questions/requests right away. Then, spend some time with my kids, love to have breakfast with them and soak in some family time and send them off to school!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chris Conner, I am the founder of Franchise Marketing Systems. I have worked in the franchise development world since 2001, supporting business owners leverage franchising as a way to grow and scale their business model. In 2009, I started Franchise Marketing Systems as a way to expand the relationship with brands and not only build the franchise platform, but also market and sell the franchise together. The model worked and today we have added 42 franchise consultants and have franchised over 1,000 different brands since that time. All together, we have sold in excess of 10,000 franchise units across the systems we have developed. I still love what I do even after 25 years and with all the new innovations and overall market trends, I think franchising will only continue to expand and grow.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I was and AM a physically small guy and everyone told me I couldn’t play football and that I would get hurt, etc, etc. I put my head down and had determination to not let others tell me what I could or couldn’t do. After endless hours and days training and focusing on it, I was able to achieve all conference honors for my highschool football team. This would less than impressive for most, but for me, it proved to myself I could overcome odds with hard work, consistency and dedication and in my mind could achieve just about anything.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I was in my early 20’s and my father’s alcoholism had become too much for him to hide any longer. He had lost my parents house, he was homeless, my mother had no idea what do do and where to go from here. As bad as it all seemed, it was the turning point in my life and what ultimately made me who I am today. My family’s pain is what drove me to work next level hard, push to build a business and ultimately be able to support people I loved and cared for.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
We work in the business of building and developing franchise models, one of the biggest misconceptions is that you build a franchise and people will show up to invest in your franchise model. The reality is that you need to push, you need to market and you need to really sell the franchise. Our whole model is be not only the strategy, paperwork and filings, but also to implement and execute the franchise system. It is much more than just setting up a franchise, most brands need the support to actually go to market and make it work which is where FMS Franchise has been able to make a difference in the market.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I wouldn’t miss a opportunity to be with my kids for one, every minute with them is the most fulfilling thing in my life. I would also start to find ways to delegate so I could focus on the client relationship and spending more time with the entrepreneurs I love working with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fmsfranchise.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franchisemarketingsystems/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmsfranchise
- Twitter: https://x.com/FranchiseMkting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FranchiseMarketingSystems/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/franchise-marketing-systems-alpharetta-2
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@franchisemarketingsystems3808
Image Credits
All images are owned by FMS
