For most of us, the answer to this question has something to do with my favorite F word... FREEDOM.

At some point we decided that we didn't want to spend the best years of our life putting in 50+ hours/week, working to build somebody else's dream in exchange for a paycheck.

We decided that we wanted the freedom to control where and how we spent our time and effort - to build our own dream according to our own lifestyle. We decided that instead of spending long hours chained to a desk, we would rather spend more time creating memories with our family and friends. And instead of executing endless tasks that we can't stand doing, we would rather work on something more meaningful and rewarding.

But somewhere along the way in our journey as a franchise owner, you (like me) probably came to a pretty big realization...

- Work as many if not MORE hours than before

- Have tasted a measure of freedom and now you want more of it

- Know you can generate more revenue, but don't have a network that can help you get there faster

- Be thinking about where to invest your money, but are too focused on your operations to find and research new opportunities

- Have read tons of books and attended events trying to figure out how to become a master at franchise ownership

- Are more stressed than ever

- Haven't had a real vacation in a long time

- And are lonelier than anyone knows

Here's how I know that...

Erik Van Horn here. I remember when I got my start in franchising about 20 years ago. It was a HUGE leap of faith for me to buy a franchise. I invested all of my savings into a tax franchise plus a loan. In my mind, my business had to succeed, because there was no alternative. And at the time, that pressure made me feel somehow invincible - like I failure wasn't even an option.

I worked my tail off in that business. Early mornings, late nights, going the extra mile in everything we did. I didn’t have much of life outside of work, and I felt alone and exhausted. But in one sense it paid off, because I became a top performer in the brand. I was able to scale, and become a regional developer too.

I had nothing left in the tank mentally or emotionally, and I was stalling out.

And that's how I learned a lesson that has shaped how I do everything in my life since...

Like I said, I didn't have anybody in my immediate circle who could truly help me figure out what do to do know that I'd stalled out.

So I had to expand my circle.

Quickly, whether the lessons were taught or caught, I started to learn:

- How to hire A-players who can run day to day operations for me

- How to network in and outside of franchising, to learn from the brightest minds in marketing, sales, tax strategy, investing, etc.

- How to build to my franchises to sell from day one

And to my surprise, I actually began to develop strong friendships with the people who were teaching me! I'm still friends with most of these folks to this day.

We currently have over 60 members in the Franchise Tribe, with franchisees from every industry. Many of whom (like me) are multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees who have been doing this for years!

But the thing I love most about the Tribe is that the members who are doing $10m+ in revenue have the same generous, enthusiastic attitude as the ones who are doing $200k in revenue. And that's because we believe that everybody can learn from anybody.