Brandon Breath’s goals dramatically changed in 2008. A trip to Rome, Italy, got him and his wife dreaming about what their future could look like. “We were soon to be empty nesters and thought, ‘Let’s move here!’ and we started to look for ways to make it work.”
Up until then, Brandon had worked in multi-unit leadership with a traditional big box retail company. His career was successful. He was good at his job and made a good living, but he didn’t love it. He knew to get closer to their dream of living in Italy, he would have to get out of retail.
Brandon then made the jump to corporate America. He quickly realized he was not built for the corporate environment. “I quickly realized I was not prepared for the politics, micromanaging, red tape and death by meeting that come with a corporate position. I was absolutely miserable for three of the three and a half years I was there,” he explains, “I even developed an eye twitch. It was manifesting in my body how unhealthy the environment was for me. I knew I had to make a change.”
Around this time, Brandon got a phone call from The Entrepreneur Source®. “I had never thought about franchising but the more I thought about it, I realized retail is essentially a franchise. I followed a system. I had help from corporate and my job was to execute the plan. I could do that. I immediately thought this was my path to business ownership.”
Business ownership was always something Brandon had thought about. Once he even tried to figure out a way to sell his dad’s tamales. “I never really got past the idea stage. Business ownership had always seemed out of reach until I started exploring franchising with my coach,” says Brandon.
“I considered a few different franchise options. I looked at a brick-and-mortar travel business. I considered training and development and property management. But it was The Entrepreneur’s Source® that really resonated with me,” explains Brandon, “My skillset and background in multi-unit leadership was also in alignment with being a Career Ownership Coach®. I wanted to empower and lead others to find their path. Plus, being a virtual business, it offered me a path to the lifestyle that Michelle and I wanted to create.”
While The Entrepreneur’s Source® felt like the right fit, leaving the perceived safety of a corporate job made Brandon’s decision difficult. Still weighing his options, the right path suddenly became clear to him. “Right at the point where I felt like this was the right option for me, I went to work and found out that I was being downsized. A huge smile broke out on my face and all I could think was ‘Thank you! I didn’t know what I should do and now I know!”
In June of 2019, Brandon launched his coaching business. “I really enjoy the work and the connection I make with my clients on an emotional level. I truly believe in this organization and the work we do,” says Brandon, “When I first talk to people, they are at some pain point in life that is prompting them to take action but oftentimes fear is holding people back; fear of betting on themselves. I find a lot of people don’t really know where they want to be in 1 year, in 5 years. We start to explore that. I invite them to dream about what they want life to look like and I only have one rule: they can’t be practical about how they get there. The truth is, business ownership is not right for everyone and that’s ok, but you have to explore the option first to really know that. Working with me is a safe place to be curious.”
In 2020, Michelle, Brandon’s wife, stepped into business ownership herself with a Human Resources and Training startup company. “Because of her background and skillset, my wife was able to make her company successful, but she did it without any support. We compared that to how well I was supported within a franchise system, we knew our next business would be another franchise,” explains Brandon.
In 2022 they became business owners for the third time. “We opened a dog training franchise. While it doesn’t seem like it on the surface, there are many transferrable skills from training humans to training dogs. It’s really about training humans to have better relationships with their dog,” explains Brandon. “What’s funny is we don’t even have a dog! The franchise is great and all we need to do is follow the system. At the end of the day, it’s not about what the business does, it’s about using your skills in a way you enjoy. It is rewarding to find new ways to use your skills. This is something I am able to share with my clients because of my experience as a franchisee myself.”
With their businesses off the ground and thriving, Brandon and Michelle began to focus on making their dream to split their time in Italy a reality. “In 2021 we took a six-week trip to Verona as a sort of proof of concept. We wanted to see what working from Italy would look and feel like and if we could continue to grow our businesses,” he says, “Our workday would start at around 3 or 4 and we work until midnight. Turns out we loved the schedule! We spend our mornings taking it slow and going out to the plaza to have coffee or go to the market. We realized we could really do this!” In 2022 they went back to Italy for an eight-week trip and earlier this year they bought a house in a Mantova, a small town in Northern Italy.
Brandon will tell you that The Entrepreneur’s Source® has been instrumental to his success in a number of ways. “The leadership and support teams are fantastic. They truly want all coaches to be successful. They are continually evolving as a business, always growing, and developing new ways to better support the coaches. For example, I needed a new approach to find seekers that fit my personality. They leaned in and we put together a program that we have shared company wide. They are always willing to have a conversation and solve problems collaboratively. They identify needs and solve for those needs.”
Brandon also finds support in the brand’s network of Career Ownership Coaches®. “My peer group is a source of encouragement, support and sharing of best practices. I remember a particularly challenging placement and I was floundering. I told my group, “I need help” and they helped talk me through it and think more strategically. It was a successful placement, and it was that collaboration between coaches that made a difference.”
With the Breath’s dream of moving to Italy finally becoming a reality, Brandon also reached two other milestones recently. He was awarded The Entrepreneur’s Source® 2022 Coach of the Year, as well as receiving the International Franchise Associations highest award, Franchisee of the Year. Of these accolades, Brandon says, “It was very special because Michelle was there by my side. This was the first time in either of our careers that the other was in the room when one of us was honored. It was also very humbling because the award is based on peer recognition. To hear my value and contributions to the company through the words of others was very special and touching. And I feel a responsibility to pay it forward and help other coaches and make our system even better. I am very fortunate to be working with such a great a team, living the life I always wanted, and doing work I love.”
Curious about The Entrepreneur’s Source® and owning your own career coaching business? Schedule a free consultation to learn more here.
