I didn’t set out to become a franchise due-diligence advisor. I became one the hard way. After eight years as an investment banker advising private equity firms and billion-dollar companies on acquisitions, I decided to buy a boutique fitness franchise for myself. On paper, it looked perfect: strong brand, fast growth, confident franchisor projections. I did diligence—the same kind I used to run for Wall Street clients. But I didn’t have the experience as an operator at that time, and didn’t know what to look for… it cost me nearly $1 million in avoidable mistakes.

That experience changed everything.

I saw firsthand how differently franchising works compared to real M&A. Most franchise buyers are not given the information they need—only the information the franchisor wants them to see. No true unit-level data. No downside scenarios. No real owner-to-owner conversations. And definitely no unbiased financial modeling. I realized the average buyer is making a six-figure, often life-changing decision with a pitch deck and a dream.

So I created Franchise IQ to fix that.

I’m one of the only people who has lived on both sides: Wall Street-grade due diligence and real-world franchise ownership. I know how to build the financial model, read the FDD like a deal document, run expert calls with current owners, pressure-test assumptions, and spot the red flags before they turn into losses. My goal isn’t to scare people away from franchising—it’s to help the right people invest in the right franchise for the right reasons.

Franchising can be an incredible wealth-building vehicle when done intelligently. But the industry needs higher standards. I’m here so no one else writes a six-figure tuition check to learn what I learned. If franchisors start trembling when they see Franchise IQ coming, good—because that means the bar is finally being raised.