Ep 7.2 Bold Bets & Boutique Brands: Why Market Uncertainty Creates The Best Investments In Franchising
Release Date: 05/15/2025
Ep 7.29 Bootstrapped and Still Standing
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
Matasha didn’t fast-track her way into entrepreneurship — she played the long game, rebuilding her skills and timing her move while carrying the full weight of being the only income. Her story is one of patience and calculation, proof that steady planning can matter just as much as the dream itself. For anyone wondering how to start something with the skills they already have and almost no extra resources, this episode shows one of the many real paths forward.
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Ep 7.28 The Beauty of Subtraction: Why Freedom Begins with Less
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
Government shutdowns? Market shake-ups? Forget the panic. Meg and Chari talk about the real flex: letting go of what doesn't serve you. Because freedom doesn't come from adding more; it starts when you finally subtract.
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Ep 7.27: When the Paycheck Ends and the Real Work Begins
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
When the paycheck ends, the real work begins. Nail artist, Thasia Williams, shares what it really feels like to bet on yourself when the safety net disappears. From crying through uncertainty to finding purpose in creativity, she and Meg unpack what it means to lead yourself when no one’s watching. This episode flips the fear of losing security into the truth about ownership — it’s not the paycheck that defines you, it’s the power to keep going anyway.
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Ep 7.26 Turning Beauty into Freedom
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
She's not waiting for permission — she's building her own stage. Instead of chasing overnight success—Josalyn’s chasing proof that betting on herself is worth it. This episode is for every high achiever who’s tired of talking about freedom and finally ready to get their hands dirty.
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Ep 7.25 Freedom Without the Freefall
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
In this milestone episode, we celebrate one year of IMAGE Studios Wauwatosa—a hub where beauty, wellness, and entrepreneurship collide. 🥳 But this isn't just about a grand opening. It's a spotlight on what happens when bold vision meets real opportunity. Makayla, a first-time entrepreneur, shares her leap from stylist to studio owner—navigating the fears, the wins, and the freedom that comes with building something of her own. Standing right beside her is Meg Schmitz, who isn't just coaching others into franchise ownership—she's in the arena herself, leveraging her own...
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Ep 7.24 Running from pain toward legacy
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
When the system breaks you down, some people shrink. Others rise. Samantha is walking away from a healthcare career that's eating away at her time, her health, and her spirit. She's building Skinship Esthetic Spa inside IMAGE Studios Wauwatosa — creating a future where beauty professionals don't just survive... they own their freedom. This isn't a story about chasing money. It's about reclaiming time, rewriting the rules, and building a legacy that outlives the pain. This special episode highlights emerging entrepreneurs in the beauty and wellness...
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Ep 7.23 Truth Over Optics: Marriage, Money, and Meaning
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
Behind the polished brand lives the mess—marriage stress, deal drama, and founders numbing instead of feeling. Meg and Jaime White strip away the armor to discuss "divorce version one," choosing each other again, and reordering their lives as: self → partnership → business. Trade optics for alignment and watch profit follow meaning—this episode is your mirror and your map.
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Ep 7.22 Think Big, Plan Bigger: What Meg's Learning in Year One of Franchise Ownership
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
Life doesn't wait for your business plan— and business doesn't stop for life. In this episode, you'll hear Meg describe her upcoming surgeries, dealing with aging parents, and the biggest shock of putting her beloved young dog into hospice care. Personal issues have collided with Meg's empire-building, and they are unavoidable. In this raw update, she reveals how personal storms mirror the chaos of scaling multiple franchises. The takeaway? Dream big, plan bigger, and keep moving forward—because this too shall pass.
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Ep 7.20 Candor Over Hype: The Free-Agent Mindset for Building Saleable, Resilient Brands
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
In this episode, Meg Schmitz and PR legend Rhonda Sanderson cut through the hype and dig into the hard-earned lessons of business ownership and franchising. From Subway's scrappy beginnings to AI's looming future, they unpack how candor, care, and year-one grind transform shaky startups into resilient, saleable brands. If you're tired of recycled success clichés and ready for raw insight that actually moves the needle, this conversation is your wake-up call.
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Ep 7.19 Build or Buy? The Brutal Truth About Control, Cash Flow, and Courage
Free Agent with Meg Schmitz
Is it smarter to buy a business with "instant" cash flow or build one from scratch? In this episode, Meg Schmitz and Josh Skolnick expose the brutal truth about control, risk, and what really drives long-term freedom. If you're wrestling with self-doubt and searching for the most reliable path to ownership, this conversation will flip the way you think about your next move.
info_outlineWhat do high-performing investors do when the market turns shaky? They double down on what works. In this episode, Meg Schmitz talks with JetSet Pilates head of development, Sara Buie and franchisees Andrea & Carlos Ponce about why luxury fitness is attracting serious capital—and how franchising can offer both freedom and security in uncertain times.