Sophie Jennings had always been a steady, middle-of-the-pack franchisee. No major complaints, no glaring red flags - just quiet consistency. Her Shine Like a Diamond domestic cleaning franchise kept the lights on, paid the bills, but she never seemed to really thrive.
The truth? Sophie wasn’t failing. But she wasn’t flourishing either. And something told me there was so much potential under the surface.
That’s when I asked her Franchise Support Manager, Dan Whiting, to take a closer look.
Dan was thorough and experienced - your classic franchise operations professional. He conducted a virtual franchise audit: booking volumes, conversion rates, client retention, Google reviews, profit margins. The picture was clear. Sophie was coasting.
On their Zoom call, Dan laid out practical next steps: reconnect with lapsed clients, improve social media, revisit her pricing, introduce referral incentives. Sophie listened, nodded, made notes. They agreed to review progress in 90 days.
But when that day came, not much had changed.
Sophie spoke brightly, but quickly. She offered reasons - family illness, school holidays, a VA who didn’t deliver. Dan stayed professional, but left the call disheartened. His report read simply:
“Low accountability. Barriers acknowledged, but not acted on. No mindset shift.”
That was when I realised - this wasn’t a performance issue. It was a perspective one.
So I asked Sarah Jacobs, another member of our franchise support team, to connect with Sophie.
Sarah had a different gift. Where Dan analysed, Sarah empathised. Where Dan advised, Sarah coached. She brought warmth, curiosity, and a calm confidence that encouraged openness.
Their first meeting wasn’t a review. It was a conversation.
“What made you choose Shine Like a Diamond?” Sarah asked gently.
Sophie paused. “I wanted flexibility. Something that worked around the kids. I wanted to feel in control of my life again.”
“And do you?” Sarah asked.
The silence that followed said everything.
Over the following weeks, Sarah didn’t offer quick fixes - she asked powerful coaching questions that shifted the lens:
What does success really look like for you?
What’s the story behind the strategy that didn’t happen?
What would the most confident version of you do in this moment?
What small win can we aim for this week?
They met via Zoom for short, regular sessions. Gradually, together, they peeled back the layers. Sophie shared her fears - decision fatigue, visibility anxiety, uncertainty in leading her team. Sarah didn’t rush to fill the space. She helped Sophie navigate it.
Together, they created rhythm, clarity, and confidence. Sophie rebuilt her client strategy in her own words. They worked on mindset, self-talk, and emotional resilience. No jargon. Just grounded, practical franchise coaching that made Sophie feel capable again.
By the 90-day check-in, Sophie wasn’t making excuses - she was making progress.
“I’ve just hired a new cleaner,” she said, smiling. “And I reactivated ten former clients. I just… asked.”
Revenue was up 38%. Client retention had improved. New leads were arriving through word-of-mouth - because Sophie had changed how she showed up.
Sarah simply nodded.
“That’s what happens when you start believing you are the kind of person who grows a successful business.”
Later, one line from Sarah’s report stayed with me:
“Sophie didn’t need more advice. She needed better questions. Now, she’s got both the answers and the confidence to act on them.”
Sophie’s journey is still unfolding, and her progress continues. But Sarah? She’s become our blueprint for franchisee support - empowering, insightful, human.
Because in franchising, growth doesn’t always come from knowing what to do.
Sometimes, it starts with believing you can.
The Coaching & Mentoring Skills module is just one small part of The Bridge Programme - a franchise support development programme that equips franchise support teams with the human skills proven to drive franchisee performance.
Delivered by Franchise HQ, The Bridge has been designed specifically for franchisors who want to improve franchisee engagement, mindset, and financial results across their network.
If your franchise support team is ready to go beyond advice and start asking the questions that change everything, contact us today.