On today's episode of Franchise Secrets, Erik Van Horn sits down with Nick Najjar—Cutco alum, Real Producers franchisee, multi-business owner, mobile home park investor, and all-around deal maker.

Nick breaks down the real roadmap from franchise operator… to entrepreneur… to true wealth builder.

You'll hear:

• How Cutco shaped some of the greatest operators in franchising

• How Nick launched multiple Real Producers markets

• Why his entire wealth journey changed the day he hired the right operator

• The truth about "passive investing" (and why it still takes work)

• How he bought a roofing company at a great multiple

• Why masterminds outperform mentors

• How to evaluate ANY home-services business—franchise or not

• What franchise buyers MUST compare: industry vs. franchisor

• His mobile-home-park deal flow (and how he wholesaled for massive assignment fees)

• Why your exit plan should be the FIRST question you ask

This episode is packed with strategy that applies whether you're a franchisee, an entrepreneur, or looking to acquire your first company.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Why You Shouldn't Invest Too Early

06:06 – How a Franchise Became His Wealth Vehicle

08:40 – Hiring the Operator That Changed Everything

11:06 – Nick's Superpower: Deal Making

14:56 – Leveraging Offshore Talent to Scale Faster

18:37 – When True Mental Freedom Finally Clicked

22:03 – Why Masterminds Beat Mentors

25:46 – The Home-Services Deep Dive

33:32 – Operator Alignment vs. Industry Choice

47:27 – Your Exit Strategy Must Come First

Connect with Erik Van Horn:

🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/

📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/

👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/

💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/

Best Franchise Starter Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL

#Entrepreneurship #Franchising #Wealth

Running a franchise is hard… but starting inside one of the hardest businesses in America?

That's where grit is forged.

In this episode, Erik Van Horn and Jeff Herr go deep into their early days inside the tax business — the chaos, the break-ins, the angry customers, the 20-hour days, the software failures, and the pressure of thousands of franchisees depending on them.

These are the stories no one tells about franchising.

And these are the lessons that built the problem-solving, strategist mindset they bring to the franchise world today.

Whether you're a franchisor, franchisee, or someone thinking about buying a franchise for time and financial freedom, this conversation will show you the real skillset that separates the pros from everyone else.

Key Takeaways:

-Why the hardest businesses produce the best franchise operators

-Real war stories from the tax industry that shaped Erik and Jeff

-How to build grit, resilience, and problem-solving ability

-Why chaos teaches you more than comfort

-How franchisees can think more strategically

-The simple market test to measure your local brand awareness

-How to stop living in the weeds and start thinking at CEO level

Timestamps:

00:00 – The Hardest Business We Ever Ran

03:00 – The Horse Story & Neighbor Garbage Lesson

04:41 – Early Tax Season War Stories

06:21 – Break-Ins, Exhaustion, and Chaos

07:32 – Jeff's Holiday Scar Tissue

09:11 – When Systems Break and Everyone's Angry

15:11 – Customer Pressure & Creating Raving Fans

17:21 – Stepping Back to Become a Strategic Entrepreneur

19:27 – Jeff's Evolution Into a Strategic Thinker

26:55 – Franchisee Strategy: Visibility, Local Branding & Market Penetration

Connect with Erik Van Horn:

🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/

📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/

👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/

💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/

Best Franchise Starter Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL

#Franchise #Business #Leadership

Most businesses give you time to adjust.

Seasonal businesses don't.

In this episode, we go deep into the reality of high-pressure seasonal franchises, where 80–90% of revenue hits in just weeks—and one bad decision can sink the entire year.

We unpack:

-Why "working harder" isn't enough

-How seasonality magnifies mistakes

-What actually drives customers through the door

-The grassroots strategies that outperformed paid ads

-Lessons learned from opening hundreds of locations

If you've ever considered a seasonal franchise—or already own one—this episode will change how you think about time, marketing, and execution.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why seasonal businesses punish mistakes fast

04:45 – The myth of "you can fix it later"

10:30 – 90% of revenue in six weeks: why timing is everything

18:40 – Why most franchisees work hard… and still lose

27:15 – The moment we realized marketing was the real bottleneck

36:50 – Grassroots marketing vs radio ads (what actually worked)

46:20 – The hub-and-spoke kiosk strategy that changed everything

58:05 – First-year franchise mistakes you can't afford

1:09:30 – Why seasonal businesses forge elite operators

1:18:40 – Lessons that still apply to franchises today

Connect with Erik Van Horn:

🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/

📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/

👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/

💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/

Best Franchise Starter Playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL

#Franchise #SeasonalBusiness #Business