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