Ed: "We started looking at different business opportunities and, quite frankly, All County was the one that made us feel like at home, felt like they were part of the family, like we knew them through the interview process and everything. So, it just felt like the right fit at the right time and they were able to provide everything that we were looking for from our goals and I think we were able to provide everything that they were looking for in a franchisee. So, it just was a great match."

Christy: "We looked at a lot of franchises and this one, we were not just, you know, a little number... Really you are doing it on your own and they give you so much room to grow and make it yours, but also you just have a huge, huge support behind you."

Christy: "Well, the first 20ish years of my career, I was an office manager, executive assistant. I worked at an escrow company for a long, long time. So, I had knowledge of the real estate market. When we lived in Southern California, we had our first baby and we ended up moving to Georgia. And I was a stay-at-home mom for five years... because he's so sales and marketing and I'm so office admin, it was just a really good fit."

Ed: "I was working full-time as a territory sales rep at the time, traveling the Southeast. So, you know, once COVID had kind of started to roll out, traveling stopped and we just didn't really know if the position was going to still be there. You know, we didn't know how long it was going to last. So, this was kind of a backup plan, you know, to say, 'Hey, just in case.' And what do you know? It worked out for the better and we've been so blessed to be able to stop doing that and kind of really focus on doing our own thing."

Ed: “We used the small business loan which entailed us, you know, coming up with a game plan and presenting it to the government and the banking authorities and them allowing us to qualify for that. It was in the 150k express SBA loan."

Christy: "I think the flexibility is the biggest thing. Also, just being able to grow it from the ground up and it's ours and it's our baby... having its own freedom to do what you want to do, but also staying somewhat in their boundaries because it works. Um, so I think that has been really a huge benefit for us."

Ed: "I think now being in the fifth year kind of looking back and, you know, as a business owner you're always kind of looking, you spend a lot of time looking at the day-to-day, but when you can take a step back and look at the macro and see your growth and your acceleration and then say, 'Wow, we're actually a business and we're actually professional.' I think at the end of the day, you look back and say, man, that that's some huge individual growth, you know. Um, and to see where we are now from where we started."

Ed: "I read a book I thought that really helped me through the first couple years was Think and Grow Rich. And I think that book really illustrated a different mindset to start thinking about, you know, when you're when you're small, you're thinking small, right? And so it was like start thinking big, you know, set yourself a daily reminder... at least helped my mindset going into the day.

And then also being part of a franchise group, Sandy actually wrote a book and reading her book really helped too because she was in the same boat. You know, she had young kids, she was starting a business, it grew quickly, and so she had to learn how to balance a lot of things. So, it really helped us early on just being able to piggyback off some of the successes she had with her personal life while we're in this business."