Your Career Revolution Podcast – Episode #202 (Mike Toper with Co-Host Tamara Loring)

Podcast 202 Your Career Revolution Hosts Mike Toper and Tamara Loring, Interview Cindy Ecleberry and Mark Saunders

Cindy Ecleberry: Career Ownership Coach
As a Career Ownership Coach with experience in counseling and consulting, I help people realize their dreams of self-sufficiency. Through a process of education, awareness, and discovery, I help my clients build rewarding careers, take control of their lives and create the financial freedom they are seeking. By helping my clients understand what motivates them, I help them facilitate a career transformation to put them on track to reaching their goals.

Mark Saunders: Entrepreneur
Owner & Director: Prep Academy Tutors of Boulder and Jefferson Counties
Mark Saunders is a master business storyteller with 15 years of experience turning complex information into easy-to-understand narratives that engage audiences, build trust, and deliver strong ROI.  Prep Academy Tutors is the at-home tutoring company that works around your schedule to teach your child, so you can start looking forward to those parent-teacher meetings.

This podcast is based on our latest book “Your Career Revolution: Reimagine and Reclaim the Life of Your Dreams,” which gives people permission to dream. Terry Powell, Visionary Founder, co-authored this revolutionary book alongside the Career Ownership Coach community. This book is a great guide and starting point for anyone who wants to make meaningful changes in their lives and careers. From the Franchise Source Brands International and The Entrepreneur’s Source.

Transcript

Unknown: 0:21

Welcome to your career revolution presented by the entrepreneur source. My name is Mike toper. And we've got some wonderful people today to discuss everything as far as revolutionising your career right now I'm joined by tomorrow Loring, the chief of ideology for the entrepreneur source. And tomorrow, this is your and I first time doing this together. Are we ready to rock or what? Oh my gosh, I am so excited. Like, Thank you, Cindy. Thank you, Mark for being here. Yes. Being in charge of ideology means that I absolutely obsess over what it takes to be self sufficient. What it takes to take charge of your own destiny and creating long term wealth and equity. So am I ready? Yeah. isn't ready since last week. Oh, yeah. And you heard they're also joined by Cindy jackalberry. And Mark Saunders. And I'll ask you guys, just introduce yourselves a little bit, starting with Cindy. Hi, I'm Cindy echo Berry. I am a ti es career coach. And I've been with TS since I think I started June of 2021. Excellent Mark. Hi, I'm Mark Saunders. And I'm an entrepreneur that had the good fortune of meeting Cindy. And I've been a franchise owner of Prep Academy tutors for a little bit over two months, and we just opened the business in February. So 10 days ago. So it's super exciting, right on the edge just getting right we're gonna dive all into that out there in Boulder, Colorado, where Mark is located. And we're gonna start with Mark actually, right now fairly new business, as you just mentioned, can you tell us a little bit about your career background before you got started as an entrepreneur? How long do you trying to keep it under? It's pretty lengthy. But basically, over the last 25 years, I've been either a college professor, or a director of communications or an entrepreneur. And so I was the PR director for a major sports team in Denver, I was a college professor for about 15 years. And I've been involved in all kinds of entrepreneurial things from publishing my own books to being part of two health startups. And Cindy came along in my life at exactly the right time. And it was you know, I was looking for something and lo and behold, there was so divine timing, diving into that, when, what, at what point or what led to you kind of saying yourself or kind of exploring that you needed to do something different that you wanted to change? The change was handed to me in the form of oblique slit. And so the, the company that I was with, I was the vice president and secretary of the company and on the board of directors and the CEO of the company was, well, let's just say not spending the money the way he should. And so it was brought to his attention. And shortly thereafter, I was asked to go. And so it was a complete and total shock to me, because I co founded the company. And so there I was kind of going whoa, all right. Now, what's next? And so I applied, I was in the process of applying for a whole bunch of positions as communications directors for environmental companies, and then I got a call or kind of, I think I got a LinkedIn message from someone saying, Would you be interested in taking a look at? And I thought, sure, I mean, you know, it's like, I'm a firm believer that divine speaks to you in a bunch of different languages. And so this was one of them. And I said, Okay, I'll give it a shot. Let's see what happens. Nothing from nothing kind of thing. And here we are. Wow, Mark, you know, I'm sure, gosh, that must have been gut wrenching when you got that pink slip. One way, I can only begin to imagine, probably felt like, wow, I'm the only one out there that, you know, that has been affected by that. But, you know, that is one of the reasons we actually wrote the your career revolution book, believe it or not, you're like 75% of the adult population, finding themselves in a position where suddenly they feel like they have to reimagine and reclaim the life of their dreams, right? What does that look like? So it doesn't sound like you were planning to be an entrepreneur or go out on your own, but somehow you'd call it divine intervention. Something sparked the conversation with Cindy does that sound right? That sounds absolutely right. And I'll sort of piggyback onto that. Excuse me. Um, you don't expect things to happen, but then they do. And then when they do, you're kind of like, well, alright, now what am I going to do? And after exploring a lot of opportunities, you know, sending out, I don't know how many resumes, maybe 60, maybe 100 to these, basically, positions that were communications directors, I got a couple of nibbles. And I kind of began to realize that make them be an aged out here. I'm 63. And so it's like, is that part of this equation? And then I thought, I hate to look at that. But you know, it's like, okay, so what am I going to do to secure my future for the next 1015 years? Then inter Cindy? Yeah, well, you're brilliant sign. By the way, we're gonna get that quick plug your career revolution, reimagined and reclaim the life of your dreams, the book that tomorrow just referenced, you can find it most place you can get books right now just released a few months ago. And that's kind of what we're talking about. Cindy, you've been sitting there very patiently for us. Can you talk about what the process was, like? Mark mentioned, kind of how you guys met, but you know, you've got that bonds. With tomorrow, where you guys were both T as coaches and kind of gone through the system? What was the process? Like, in working with Mark? Well, I'll have to say Mark was very easy to work with. From the very camera first conversation that we had, we had a connection. And you don't always get that type of connection with your clients. I mean, I try to be very light hearted and, and put my clients at ease, because a lot of them are, you know, they're skeptical. They're not sure what you're talking to them about. There are a lot of afraid, you know, what am I getting myself into? Mark was so easy to talk with, to connect with. And we just hit it off from the get go. He got a text message or a message through LinkedIn, from the CEC, which is a group at the TTS that that helps us in setting appointments and finding clients. And Jan found mark through LinkedIn, and set he agreed to have the appointment. So we had an initial call on the phone. And after I explained to him the program and what I did, and the coaching process that we go through and the different options that we look at. He said, Sure, let's do it. I said, Okay. So that just started the process. And he was, I mean, he did his homework, he he did what he was supposed to do, he did what I asked him to do, he looked at different options. But this particular option that I selected for him or opportunity that I selected for him to look at was I had a feeling that this was going to be the opportunity he was going to choose. And it was because of Mark's background and because of connections that he had in Colorado, I felt like this was going to be the right thing. We did look at some other opportunities. But when he started looking at Prep Academy, it was that the next phone call we had after he looked at prep, he said that's it. This is the one and I'm like, Whoa, wait a minute, are you sure? Because you know we want to we want them to make the right decision and and he's the guy so that's it and I said well, okay, then let's let's go further. And we did and but but Mark was just he was wonderful to work with. So easy to work with and he and I have we've we've become great friends. We even even after our coaching processes over he has he's opened his business we still stay in contact with each other which I think is is is wonderful and that's the part about my job that I like is forming those bonds with with your client and and being able to continue on with the friendship even after the work is completed. Well it sounds like Mark You are definitely a strong request for coaching is what Cindy and I would refer to that to that she pushed you out of your comfort zone and help you look at things that maybe you never ever would have considered um know that they weren't never Evers but they were there were things like, huh, like for example, I mean, the guys that Mr. Appliance couldn't have been nicer, kinder, more generous sell to the earth. You know, I was really taken with them. And it came down to making a decision. And some of it was financial. And some of it was intuition. And some of it was just like, I think this is what I'm supposed to be doing. So I went and did it. But it's, the whole process was easy. I think that's really, you know, what stands out the most and, and Sydney, I'm going to pay a compliment here, I think is easy, because there are three things that I need in any kind of relationship, friendship, business, personal, whatever. It's trust, respect and reciprocity. And so if you have those three things, I think you're gonna have a meaningful relationship with somebody and I had those things immediately with Cindy. She was reciprocal. I can trust her just because of what she was saying to me because she was extremely honest and laid all the cards out on the table. And you know, we had this immediate sense of respect for each other because, again, it goes back to honesty. And from there, just like Cindy said, it just Blasco. Mark you guys to what you both come a little bit from the corporate world. You were both you mentioned, you had published two books and you worked in publishing, Cindy had published a home and proven magazine and her time. The one thing I noticed a TDS. And certainly tomorrow's seen this is that there were they match people up where sometimes you want more like minded than others. I mean, you mentioned the bond. And those three things that were important to you, did you kind of feel that sense, they you felt a little more connected, because you did have some shared experiences. They all kind of came out in the wash, if you know what I mean. It's like, I didn't know that going in. And you seen it and say, Well, I've done this, and I've done that, you know, it was nothing like that. It was just more like, oh, yeah, well, when I was doing this, but it was all organic. It wasn't like, you know, here's my credentials, or you know, it was on a poster board behind her when we were talking or something. It was just really wonderful. I don't know how else to describe it. And the other thing too, was, I mean, I obviously have a dark but Cindy got a dog during the course of our mentoring process. And so that was another thing I meant, you know, to dog fanatics, you know, talking about their dogs, what could be more boring, but anyway, it was great. I mean, just mean, dogs, Mark, come on, you put a picture of your kid, they're like, Oh, nice. Can you put a picture the hug though everyone wants to see him. So you, you talked about and Mark obviously landed on a Prep Academy tutors, where he's a recently a new business owner, but what kind of factors in working together and you mentioned, finding the right opportunity. But what were some of the things Cindy, that, that you guys either talked about or things that you as a coach kind of landed you on what we decided is the right opportunity for Mark. Um, I think it was smart personality, I think it was the fact that he had been a professor, he knew what was going on, in, in our school system. He has a lot of of friends and colleagues that are in the edge of high, or in education. Some of them are in higher education. And so he knew what the situation was that COVID had brought on that, that has put our students behind because that learning process was interrupted. And so a lot of students are, you know, a year some some even a year and a half behind and where they need to be. And so Mark understood that he got it. He, he had, he has a passion for learning. When you talk to him, you hear about all these places, he's been the things he does things that he continues to do his hobbies. The fact that he had published two books, and was in communications, I mean, he he understood it. And that's why I thought this, I think is really going to be and I didn't push him. I didn't say Mark, I think I found the perfect thing. I don't, I don't say that to my clients. But in my heart, I felt that that was going to be an opportunity that Mark was going to say, I like this, I get this, I can do this. And tomorrow. That's kind of what we talk about with your career revolution, right? The whole reimagining point of view where, you know, like he pointed out and Mark pointed out, it's not maybe not something that he said never, never right, but just kind of a reimagining of what could be. Well, that's kind of what I'm kind of curious about. You took the words right out of my mouth there, Mike. You know, if you rewind before you met Cindy mark, and you've been in corporate before you've been an entrepreneur, you've seen quite a few things. Would you have imagined that not only that you would have gone into the franchise that you went with, but that franchising was even an option. Just kind of curious. No. I jokingly told Cindy, that if you told me that I was gonna buy a franchise, I told you, yeah, have a nice day. I just didn't see it on the horizon at all. And you could call it a total blind spot. And I guess in a sense, it was, I, to me, McDonald's was a franchise, and, you know, I just could never see myself doing that. But there and again, it was like I, Cindy help unpack my understanding of what it was. And so I could Oh, and then of course, he had this epiphany that you realize every second vehicle going past you on the road is a service truck for some kind of franchise. And I was to say, well, they're everywhere. And then it was like, okay, there isn't a lot of money in education, to be honest with you, you know, in unless you've achieved some really outstanding results, or you've gone to a university and you're at the top of the chain, that you can make sufficient amount of money, but most teachers are struggling. And so I didn't want to go back to struggling. And tutoring might be the last vestige of entrepreneurism in education. Because it allows people to make money doing what they love, both the tutors and the the franchise owners, because it's work as much as you want to. And most of all, the tutors are have their own outside positions that they're doing, or they're retired. And this is just a supplemental way to make money. But they're all fantastic. And so going back to your question, Timur, or is it tomorrow or Tamar? Tomorrow, but that's okay, tomorrow. So going back to your question tomorrow. No, I didn't see it coming at all. And then when I saw it, it was like, Huh. And then it was like, Wait a minute. That's a really good idea. So I got on board pretty fast. So what would you say? So I heard you say that, Oh, my gosh, initially, if Cindy had led with franchising, you would have you guys wouldn't have been talking and you said your initial perception was you know, franchising. It's about what fast food and french fries. What is the thing other than that every second vehicle on the road happens to be a franchise? What was the thing that you discovered that you appreciate about what your franchise provides you. Having started a number of businesses, there wasn't that initial having to collect all the marketing pieces and putting them all together and looking at things like branding and colors and you get handed that now, you know, there's pluses and minuses with that, or I wouldn't go with that font or that color doesn't look good on Thursdays, you know, whatever. But bottom line is that's taken off the plate, so you kind of hit the ground running. You don't have to spend a lot of time in development, so to speak. That was one of the key bonuses and one of the best parts about this particular franchise Prep Academy tutors, is that the people who are the franchisors, Carlene Adrian Doherty, this isn't their first rodeo. They've done this before, and they're constantly available. And there's a business manager, Raymond Chima, and so she's always also available and they've got it down. It's a well oiled machine. So I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I don't have to figure out the hard knocks and cheese if I'd only not done that, that would have saved us $100,000 kind of feeling that's taken care of. So I just get out there and hustle, which I'm pretty good. I'm not great. I mean, I my insecurities as well. But I know what to do. And point me in the right direction. Let's go. Yeah, you're part of a proven system. You know what system stands for? Don't you mark, give me the acronym. It stands for save yourself significant time, energy and money. So what you've done is you've seen that there, they have a system, you said it's not their first rodeo, and you get to leverage their system. I mean, could you have created your own system? Absolutely. And you said you've done that before. But it takes a lot of time and, you know, trial and error and money, you know, where here you have a track to follow. So that's one of the things I love about systems. It's the fact that you get to save yourself significant time, energy and money. And if you don't follow this system, of course, you know, that's when you're in trial and error. Again, you may cost yourself significant time, energy and money. So the difference between, I guess, you know, by and large franchise systems versus maybe independent businesses, that you know, it's possible right to get to that point, but you know, you just don't know what you Don't know, right? I was listening in Washington just clipped that that system. acronym right there because as excellent that is an excellent way of thinking about things. Tomorrow, I have to kind of piggyback that, because in talking with clients, you know, they're like, Oh, well, I can do this on my own. And I'm like, Sure, you can. Sure you can do that. I said, but because they don't want to pay the, the franchise fee, they don't want to pay the royalties. And they're like, you know, I can do this on my own, I'm like, Yes, but you're probably going to spend more money than paying a franchise fee and paying the royalty because you're going to have to hire someone, to do all the marketing, hire someone to help you brand your product, hire someone to help you run the business. I mean, there's all these things that that go into creating, and Martin knows very well, creating a business. But that franchise has already done that for you. So you may end up spending more money than what you would if you if you buy into a franchise, pay the fee. With most all of our franchise ORS that we represent. They're there with you, they help you. They train you, they help you market, they help you get business. And so I mean, it's a win win to me, and it's it's and you and I said I know that we could go back and forth forever, right? Because it's about the pros and cons. It's not this is not a commercial for franchising, because quite frankly, not everybody is supposed to be a franchisee there are Mavericks out there that are supposed to, you know, figure it out, because that's what this product or service that they want to take to the marketplace. So, you know, one size doesn't fit all. But really what this journey does, it allows somebody the experience to kind of weigh the pros and the cons and say, what is going to be right for me where I'm at in my life? Do I want to start something from scratch? Do I want to go back into corporate America? Is the opportunity there for me? Or is there opportunity to maybe leverage a system like a franchise so that I can use that as a vehicle to achieve or exceed my goals? My needs? My expectations? I mean, how exciting would it be to generate, you know, the income you desire, while having the lifestyle of your dreams and maybe longer term, be able to create something with wealth, a wealth component, or maybe even leave a legacy? Right? So this is about exploring what's possible, and then reaching a point of clarity really about what's going to be right for you. Mark, would you feel would you say that that's the experience that Cindy was able to create for you? Yeah, well, yes. But of course, it's, you know, having just gotten off the ground 10 days ago, I don't think you know, we're looking at wealth yet, but I'm definitely and the opportunity is there. And also because of who the franchisors are. And it's a Canadian company, they have 23 franchises in Canada and five in the United States. So the old idea of blue water, the United States is Bluewater, and so sky's the limit here. So it's like, how much can I have sold? And how much can I manifest by own opportunity here. And, but I feel like I'm well launched, let's put it that way. I don't feel like there's gaping holes in anything. And I've taken some pages from my old playbooks and inserted them in and brought in different contractors and stuff like that to help get me off the ground. So for example, like with MailChimp with email marketing, to to be an additive or to augment what's already going on the website and social media and those kinds of things. So a lot of the things that were strengths from other experiences carry over here as well. And to kind of tie things up here. Cindy, would you you know, and speaking with Mark, in your experience, and Mark, you know, what kind of advice would you have to somebody like Mark who, you know, as you talked about, it was looking for a change, maybe it wasn't something completely out of the ordinary, but something completely new, you know, looking for a different path, a different direction. What kind of advice would you have to somebody who is seeking a new career opportunity, and that's what we talk about tomorrow, right? A career revolution, if you might say, so what kind of advice would you have? Well, I would, of course, hey, give me a call. I think what we take our clients through is it's a great program for them to be able to talk with someone in a non threatening environment, very safe environment, very honest and open environment to, to map out, you know, what, what is it that I want in my life? Do I want to have the freedom to, to set my own schedule? Do I want to have the freedom with my job with with what I do with TTS, I can go to my son's house in Florida and visit my grandchildren and I can work from there. So it's awesome that I can do that. So I would say you know, get involved with with someone who can guide you through that process. And open your eyes to what you want your future to look like 510 years from now. And also open your eyes to other opportunities that are available, that they're not even aware of. Just like Mark said, Mark said, I had no clue that this companies that he was seeing every day that they were franchises. So you know, be be open, as we say, be open to go through discovery. discover what's out there, and then you'll be able to come to have some sort of clarity as to where you want to go. And that just be open. Yeah, that's x bilities. That's excellent advice, Tamara. Any, anything you'd like to sprinkle on top of the sundae here? Absolutely. I mean, Thank you, Cindy. Thank you, Mark. Mark, thank you for trusting Cindy, in the journey. Cindy, thank you for being such a great steward of the entrepreneur sources that because we have amazing resources, a time tested process, we've been doing this. For almost four decades now. We have literally helped hundreds of 1000s of individuals explore what's possible, and 95% of them end up in something completely unrelated to anything they ever would have imagined. And if I can just read what it says at the back of the book. Dare yourself to dream. When the dream is strong enough. There is a way in Guess what? You don't need to go at it alone. So definitely reach out and take advantage of being able to dream and see what's possible. Right on Cool. Well, thank you again. Don't forget your career revolution reimagined and reclaim the life of your dreams that's available wherever books are sold. I want to thank to Yes coach Cindy jackalberry client and now new entrepreneur here Mark Saunders Of course we wish you good luck on your adventure here. Thank you for joining us and chief of ideology fatigue is tomorrow. Laura. Thank you so much, guys.