In this episode of Chasing the Insights, I talk to franchise guru Max Emma.

Max talks to us about Gaining your Freedom by buying a franchise.

Max Emma came from the former Soviet Union at the age of 18 without friends, money, or English and had to start his life from scratch. Supported himself through college and graduated with honors from SDSU with a degree in finance.

After 4 years of a corporate finance life (realizing that this is clearly not for me), I gave my 2-week notice and joined a family landscape maintenance business. Within a few years, I made it mostly a landscape construction firm and grew it from 3 to 96 employees, and it was going great until it wasn't...

I was so busy growing the company that wasn't at all paying attention to the financials of my own business (the irony was that I'm a finance guy), and then 2008-2009 came and the builders stopped building tract homes, and at the same time, we had all the equipment, vehicles, and loan payments due. So, bankruptcy was my only option.

That was when I told myself that my purpose would become to provide every business owner with financial statements on-time and on-budget, so they wouldn't repeat mistakes I made, and that's how BooXkeeping was born.

Now BooXkeeping is the Preferred Bookkeeping Provider for over 100 franchise brands in the US and has clients in all 50 states.

Being around other Franchisors, gave me the idea to become one myself, and so now we sell BooXkeeping Franchises to others empowering them to become entrepreneurs. We now have 12 franchisees in the US and the number is growing.

Recently I've opened my own franchise brokerage where I help individuals to pursue the American Dream by owning a franchise. With a choice of over 600 franchises, I'm proud to say that my services are COMPLETELY FREE TO ANY CANDIDATES!

When I don't work, I love travelling (44 countries and 26 US States so far and growing), reading, and spending time with my two kids. I also love live theater, working out, spending time with friends, and a good single malt scotch with a Cuban cigar.