Born at 40 with Allen Odvody

0:01Light that spark fire nation JLD here and welcome to entrepreneurs on fire brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals with great shows like Hustle and Flowcharts. Today, we'll be breaking down Born at 40. To drop these value bombs, I brought Alan Arvidi into EO Fire Studios. Alan is a corporate employee with 20 years of experience turned entrepreneur, driven by innovation and creativity, owner of Fiber New San Juan. He's always seeking new adventures and aiming to inspire and make a difference. And today, we'll be talking about being born at 40, transitioning from corporate to ownership, We'll talk about the franchise hunt and the biggest mistake franchisors make and oh, so much more.

0:42And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Alan and our sponsors. The Next Wave, your chief AI officer, hosted by Matt Wolf and Nathan Lanz, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Matt and Nathan are leading AI creators in your guiding light in the AI and technology frontier. AI technology is transforming the way we do business and the media landscape is fragmented. The Next Wave strives to be the leading podcast on AI technology and how you can apply it to growing your business. Listen to The Next Wave wherever you get your podcasts.

1:17NetSuite by Oracle brings accounting, finance, inventory, and HR into one proven platform, helping you reduce costs everywhere. Backed by popular demands, NetSuite has extended its one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. Head to netsuite.com slash fire. Alan, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. What's up, Fire Nation? I hope everyone's motivated and productive today. Thanks, JLD, for having me. I'm very excited about this. Being a new entrepreneur myself at this moment, I know how difficult it can be every day, the struggle, it's real.

1:58So everybody loves to celebrate the success and accomplishments. And I agree that's important, but I believe some may disagree when I say I celebrate the bad days, the days that I don't achieve a goal, the days that just fall apart. I always say we aren't defined by how we do on our good days, but really, how did we do on our bad days? Did we overcome? Did we endure? So sometimes people ask me, how was your day? Like, it was great. Well, what happened? Everything fell apart. And I'm okay with that because I celebrate that I learned something. So let's stay motivated. Let's be productive, even if it's a bad day.

2:38Fire Nation, that is starting this episode literally on fire because we're talking about being born at 40 and being in my 40s right now and having just had my first child, Bo Arthur Dumas. I can tell you, I personally feel born again. So before we dive more into that specific topic, I want to start the episode with a quote. So Alan, take it away. You know, I say that we aren't defined by how we do on our good days. It's how we endure and overcome on our bad days. I think it's so important that we realize what character we have. And as new entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs in general, we have so many bad days or so many questions we have to answer before we get that one success.

3:25So there's so much behind one success that we got to celebrate along the process because the process is not easy. It's messy. Sometimes it's difficult before we can actually be excited about our success. Fire Nation, are you going to outlast your competition? Because man, even if they are far in first place right now, believe me, they are having multiple bad days every single week. They are struggling and things you have no idea about. I mean, man, believe me, can you outlast them? The answer is yes. Can you outlast yourself, your own doubts, your own fears, your own lack of consistency? Like you can win that battle.

4:06Now, I want to talk about being born at 40. Alan, tell us more. Well, there's a lot of times people get to a certain age, a certain place in their life, and they're like, man, I'm 40. I can't just drop what I'm doing and start over. Well, I'm 40. I literally turned 40 last year and I'm starting over. I went from corporate to entrepreneurship and I said, hey, I'm going to take everything I learned the first 40 years and let's talk about, you know, learning to crawl, walk, run, being in organized sports, numerous jobs that I've had, all the mistakes I made. Oh my gosh, so many mistakes. And I'm going to apply them at 40.

4:50and I'm going to say, yeah, I'm kind of being reborn at 40, but I'm being reborn with so many tools that I'm going to apply what I've learned and I'm going to focus it specifically on what I want to achieve. So now it's focused effort with everything that I already have in my toolbox. So that's what born at 40 is for me. What's interesting too is, I mean, we at 40, you know, plus we have like 40 ish more like really good years if we're lucky. I mean, some people will have less, some people will definitely have more. I mean, I'm looking at one 10, one 20 and saying, Hey, that's, that's possible.

5:30I mean, it's unlikely, but man, it's possible. It's definitely possible for my son, Beau. I mean, that kid is growing up at the right time. There's going to be so much exponential anti-aging things for him. It's unbelievable, but man, you're at 40, Fire Nation. Come on. Like we're knocking on the halfway mark. We might be past the halfway mark. So let's end strong. Now, I want to talk about the transition from corporate to ownership because a lot of listeners right now, Alan, they are corporate. They're working the nine to five. They're looking for that breakthrough. They want to break free. Talk to us about that transition.

6:03Yeah, I mean, I started at entry level. I got laid off from a really nice union job and I decided I'm just going to start something I like and move my way up. And for almost 15 years, it seemed like everywhere I went, we would have teams and me and those teams would just put things together and we'd become successful. And then I start seeing that we increase profit of those businesses that we were in every month, every year. And then I'm like, man, I'm working so many hours. I'm handcuffed to providing for others in more ways than it's providing for me. so you know i gotta kind of stop making money for others and start making money for me and my teams so i said what's gonna happen and and but i don't know what i want to own right i'm like well i want to be a business owner i want to make money for me but what do i want to own and magically for some crazy reason i received an email and it was like an infomercial says are you working long hours to benefit others.

7:06I was like, yeah, yeah, I am. And then do you want to own your own business? Yes, I do. And would you like a free consultation to find the right business for you? I said, that's my favorite price to pay free. So I was like, so I wrote back. So what's the worst that can happen? They tell me it doesn't fit for me. Well, guess what? I wrote back and said, tell me more. And this person went through so many franchises, so many questions to know who I am and to see what would actually benefit me and the franchise. Like, you know, getting us married together, which one's going to marry right? And the process was fantastic.

7:47Fire Nation, the process can be fantastic when you align yourself with the right people who have the right information. We have a lot more to talk about all around this topic when we get back from thanking our sponsors. The overwhelm that comes with choosing the right software and tools for growing your business is real. With so many options and so little time, how are you supposed to know which platform is best? You've got your email marketing platform, payment systems, content tools, the list goes on. It can sometimes feel like you're spending more time organizing all the moving pieces and places than actually connecting with prospects and customers.

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10:53Simply check out the list of the most qualified candidates for your job, and then you decide who you invite to apply, making it more likely they'll take action faster. Hiring heroes. Let ZipRecruiter help make your job easier. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. See for yourself. Go to this exclusive web address to try ZipRecruiter for free. ZipRecruiter.com slash fire. Again, that's ziprecruiter.com slash F-I-R-E. Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire. So Alan, we're back. And listen, a lot of our listeners, Fire Nation, they are new entrepreneurs.

11:31They are solopreneurs. They are side hustlers. They're making things happen. Share with us the feeling of the new entrepreneur. Man, it's a struggle. Like I said, there's so many days that aren't going to work out for you. But at the end of the day, celebrate them because you made it to the end. But did you learn something? Did you get to another step? It may not have achieved that entire goal, but are you just a little bit closer? And just the feeling of trying to celebrate is important to being a new entrepreneur for me. I mean, I am fresh new first year. I'm there right now, I think it's so important to get other new entrepreneurs to talk to.

12:15And I have some of those and we're going through the same struggles, whether it's, you know, how do I make sure I have enough money over here? How do I make sure the processes are sealed here? And, you know, there's so many moving pieces and others doing the things right now have that same relation. And then it's important to have entrepreneurs that do have that experience of many years and with some success and reach out to them and saying, hey, maybe not a mentor, but you could do that too. But also say, hey, can I pick your brain once a week, once a month, and just purely talk about business?

12:52And any entrepreneur that has experience is usually open to listening because they've all been there. And that's my experience. Fire Nation, a lot to learn from here. And one thing that I can tell you was so beneficial to me early in my career as an entrepreneur was joining a mastermind. Like this mastermind was with peers. It was with entrepreneurs who were at similar stages in their journey that I was currently at at that stage in my life. And I write about this in depth in my book. In fact, I dedicate a whole chapter in The Common Path to Uncommon Success. I believe it's chapter eight. It's just literally titled Mastermind because that is the power of masterminds that I have found.

13:36When you meet every single week with three or at most four other people total, that's key. And I go through this whole process. I give you the layout, a timeline of what you should be doing every single week, the questions you should be asking. Because when you have the accountability of another two or three individuals, so three people total or four people total in your mastermind, including yourself, when you have that accountability week to week, you will get so much more stuff done. You will bring yourself to new levels of greatness because you are not going to let people in your group down who you pledged and said, I am going to do this.

14:13Guess what? You are going to do that. Whereas if it's just you on this lonely road, you're going to let things slide. You're not going to stay as committed, consistent, and persistent as you would with the right mastermind. Now, I want to talk about your hunt for this entrepreneurship glory. You went the franchise route. So talk to us about specifically your franchise hunt. What did it look like and how did it end? The broker that I used was fantastic and had so many detailed questions. Do you like to work outside? Do you like to work inside? Do you want to work with your hands? Do you like the color red?

14:53Like, there's so many detailed questions that they ask. And I'm like, what is going on with these questions? And I'm like, you know what? I'm just going to follow the process. I don't know anything. So let's just do this, right? And so after all those questions, they came back and said, hey, I just want to verify a few things. And at the end of the day, he came back with five options that would work for me. And when they opened up my eyes to a franchise that is not McDonald's or Chick-fil-A, those big restaurant franchises, they're like, these are actually service franchises that are going to be important to you because these are the things that you like to do.

15:37So I was like, this is great. And basically, I narrowed it down to a couple. And I went the route of making sure I talked to each one about all of the information, the processes, the costs and everything. and at the end of the day I chose Fiber New and Fiber New was a franchise that is it's eco-friendly it's recession-proof and they're the experts in the restoration of leather vinyl and plastic whether it's on your furniture vehicles boats planes medical tables it's like 80 percent of this world which is great having so much potential and customers but really I narrowed it down to, you know, what kind of franchise fit me in my personality and what I like to do.

16:26And then again, a franchise with proven systems for over 35 years. They currently have over 300 locations worldwide. And if that's not enough knowledge, each territory is willing to, you know, chime in and help you if you have questions on something that you're not sure of. or how do I do this because I don't remember or that I don't know. They're such a helpful franchise. And man, I was so happy with my selection that I actually reached out to you and said, hey, everybody needs to look into this franchising. It's great. Your corporate franchising could be for you because corporate is like it's a business that already has kind of all the bells and whistles.

17:13you just apply those bells and whistles to what you know. Well, that's what a franchise is, except you make all the money as the owner. That's what's important. All right, Fire Nation. If you're not a little excited right now with this opportunity, with this process, then you've got to tune in here because if you've been searching for something, there's a reason why franchises have worked for a long time because they are proven systems, they have support, and a lot of times it's a plug and play. Does it take a lot of work? Absolutely. It takes a lot of work. That's a good thing because if it didn't, there wouldn't be an opportunity because everybody would be doing it.

17:49But at the same time, Alan, there are still a lot of mistakes that franchisors make. And you've been able to see those, experience those. So what are the biggest ones that you're seeing as mistakes that franchisors make over and over again? You know, I think you said it. You got to work hard. You got to be involved. if you think you're going to buy a franchise and not be part of it, that's a very low percentage. You really have to put your time and effort in just like you used to with that corporate world. So if you don't find the right franchise that fits you and what you love to do, spending all that time is going to be difficult doing that because you didn't really like it.

18:31And franchises want you to love what they do. Otherwise, they wouldn't be a franchise and vice versa. You need to love what they do. So understand that you're going to work a lot and figure out the systems that work for you. But again, the more effort you put into something, the more you're going to get back. And I think that's what I love the most. Instead of being in corporate, I put all the effort in for them. Well, I put on the effort in today for me and I do it tomorrow for me and then my teams. That's what's so important to me. This is exciting, Fire Nation, because the higher the barrier, the lower the competition.

19:09And a barrier is called work. And so the harder the work, the more work, the more difficult and challenging the work, the lower the competition. Because guess what? People don't like to work hard. People refuse to work hard. And if you are willing to choose the right franchise, the right idea, the right product, the right service, work your little booty off, you're going to rise to the top. I mean, you are going to win at some level. Now, of everything we talked about, Alan, what is your biggest takeaway that you want to make sure our listeners get? What is the thing that you really want to make sure Fire Nation understands from our conversation today?

19:49I think the power of do it is so important. You know, you can be born at any age and that's what's so important. You can do it. It's just, you got to believe in yourself. You've got to have some level of confidence. and just do it. Don't be scared. Make a mistake. Just try not to make the same mistake twice. And guess what? You're going to start growing and you're going to start doing. And it might be hard at first, but everything worth it, it's always hard. Fire Nation, no offense to Alan, but if Alan can do it, you can do it. No offense to myself, because I'm raising my hand. If I can do it, you can do it.

20:26We're just a couple of dudes and we've a lot of mistakes in the past and we've had failures and we've had micro successes. You know, I worked in corporate too and I was busting my butt, you know, for different companies and making them millions and millions of dollars until I finally flipped it on its head and started making myself millions and millions of dollars. Now it wasn't easy and it wasn't overnight, but it did happen. And if it happened for us, it can happen for you. So Alan of Fire Nation wants to connect with you, wants to learn more from you. What is your call to action for our listeners today?

20:58Well, for me personally, if you've got questions or any personal interest that you just want to reach out to me and say, hey, I've got all the social medias and it's just my name, Alan Oddbody. But if you want to start the franchise world, I'm going to give you my favorite price of free consultation to find the franchise that works best for you. Visit pathtofranchising.com. Again, it's absolutely free, pathtofranchising.com. Fire Nation free is probably your favorite price as well. So take advantage of that because you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And you've been hanging out with AO and JLD today.

21:39So keep up the heat. And for links to everything we talked about, visit eofire.com, type Alan, A-L-L-E-N in the search bar and the show notes page will pop right up. And Alan, one more time, what was that URL? It is pathtofranchising.com. Alan, and thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation. For that, we salute your brother and we'll catch you on the flip side. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Alan for sponsoring today's episode. And Fire Nation, what can 4 ,000 of the world's most successful entrepreneurs teach you? How about how to achieve financial freedom and fulfillment?

22:14My first traditionally published book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, is a revolutionary 17-step roadmap that will lead you to the lifestyle you've been dreaming about. This book took me 10 years of accumulating the genius of the world's top entrepreneurs and you can get it all in one place when you visit UncommonSuccessBook.com. I will catch you there or on the flippity-flip side. The Next Wave, your chief AI officer, hosted by Matt Wolfe and Nathan Lanz, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Matt and Nathan are leading AI creators in your guiding light in the AI and technology frontier.

22:54AI technology is transforming the way we do business and the media landscape is fragmented. The Next Wave strives to be the leading podcast on AI technology and how you can apply it to growing your business. Listen to The Next Wave wherever you get your podcasts. Nest Suite by Oracle brings accounting, finance, inventory, and HR into one proven platform, helping you reduce costs everywhere. Back by popular demands, NetSuite has extended its one-of-a-kind flexible financing program. For a few more weeks, head to netsuite.com slash fire.