For Sean Jackson, owning a Tint World® auto styling franchise means using all of the lessons he learned during a military career to succeed in the civilian business world.
Jackson, the owner of the Tint World® Mooresville, North Carolina, location spent more than a decade as a commissioned officer in the military after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He retired as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force in 2013, after a career spent flying B-1 bombers, but he wasn’t through leading just yet.
“I went right into corporate America and worked for Wells Fargo,” he said. “It was a nice transition, but it wasn’t a long-term fit. I knew I wanted to do something for myself.”
A lifelong car enthusiast, Jackson had been doing his homework on potential franchise opportunities when he discovered Tint World®. “I was really looking at their business model initially,” he said. “They started franchising in the 2007 timeframe when we had a pretty significant recession going on, but their market trend was strong. They were growing at the right pace, and it all made sense.”
But it wasn’t just numbers that encouraged Jackson. “I went down and talked to (CEO) Charles (Bonfiglio) and the team. After seeing his enthusiasm for the business and really getting to know the corporate team, it sold me right there. I wanted in.”
Jackson realized, early in his transition to the civilian world, that he yearned for the kind of teamwork-based culture he left behind. And, he found it again in Tint World®. “That’s something I missed from the military. Tint World® seemed like a good fit after looking into it.”
“Franchising in general, and Tint World® in specific, is very friendly to veterans looking to transition to a civilian career,” he said. “Franchising is a really good opportunity for veterans because it gives you a proven, tried-and-true business model. You have a directive that you have to follow. You are given your boundaries, but the rest is up to you. There is a support team you can rely on, but veterans are very comfortable being sent forward, alone and unafraid, and franchising is a good fit because of that skill set.”
Jackson’s Tint World® location opened on Jan. 11, 2021. “The biggest challenge has been finding the right team members,” he said. “You can have the best plan in the world and all the inventory and customers coming in, but if you don’t have the expertise to execute your operations, then you’re dead in the water. So, I would tell anybody else who is thinking of joining a franchise to not forget to start on your personnel search early in the process. Start planting seeds and get to know the area and build relationships.”
It’s early in Jackson’s Tint World® career, but he is actively looking ahead. He has a second territory where he will open another location in the years ahead, but he is laying a solid foundation with his initial location first. “It’s important for a location owner to understand that you’re there to work on your business, not in it, if you want to scale. If you are working in your business, all you just bought yourself is a job. So, in the short term, while learning to scale, I really want to branch out into the flat glass and the marine markets here. I want my commercial market to be as equally as successful as my consumer market.”
If you would like to learn more about Tint World® franchise opportunities, download our franchise kit today!
