After 15 years of helping Fortune 500 companies solve their biggest business challenges, Erin was ready for something different. She wanted to apply her expertise in strategy and operations to a setting where she could see the direct impact of her work—in her own community, in her own backyard. That’s when she discovered Exit Factor.

Today, Erin owns Exit Factor in downtown Chicago, where she helps local business owners increase the value of their companies and prepare for successful exits. Her journey from corporate consulting to franchise ownership offers a compelling perspective for anyone considering a business consulting franchise opportunity.

Bringing World-Class Strategy Experience to Small Business

Erin spent years at McKinsey doing strategy consulting for large Fortune 500 companies, helping them understand how to grow and optimize costs. From there, she moved into in-house strategy and operations roles at Uber and Microsoft, tackling hard problems and making recommendations on where to invest through M&A or product growth.

“I really loved it,” Erin shares. “I love working across teams. I love working with people. But I’ve wanted to do that in a setting where I could make an impact in my community, and I’ve always wanted to get into entrepreneurship.”

Exit Factor offered the perfect intersection of her skills and aspirations. The Exit Factor business model allowed her to take everything she’d learned in strategy and operations and apply it directly to helping business owners in Chicago.

A Personal Connection to the Mission

Beyond her professional expertise, Erin had a personal reason for being drawn to exit planning. A family member who owns a business had attempted to sell several times over the years, never quite getting the value they hoped for.

“That made me realize that there’s just an opportunity that a lot of business owners go through in terms of when they’re ready to sell, maybe not getting the value they want,” Erin explains. This firsthand observation of the challenges business owners face when exiting made Exit Factor’s value proposition resonate on a deeper level.

Why a Franchise Made Sense

As a parent of two young children, Erin was drawn to entrepreneurship but found the idea of starting something completely on her own daunting. A franchise offered the best of both worlds: the independence of business ownership with the backing of a proven system.

“I loved the idea of being able to join a company that had the support network and the many years of experience to draw on,” she says. United Franchise Group’s decades of franchising expertise meant she could skip the challenging “zero to one” phase and focus on scaling her business.

The success stories from Jessica Fialkovich, Exit Factor’s founder, and other franchise owners across the country also played a role. Seeing that franchisees were gaining traction even as a newer brand gave Erin confidence in the opportunity.

A Thorough Onboarding Experience

One thing that surprised Erin about Exit Factor was just how comprehensive the training and onboarding process turned out to be.

“I am so amazed at how thorough it is and how well thought out and how complete the onboarding process is,” she shares. “United Franchise Group does an amazing job at making everyone feel that they’re set up for success. I’m blown away that not that many people know about it, to be honest.”

The disciplined approach to training franchisees and investing in their success came through clearly during Erin’s discovery process. Despite being a large organization with multiple brands under its umbrella, UFG remained nimble—a combination that was very attractive to someone with Erin’s corporate background.

What Makes Exit Factor Different from Other Franchises

For Erin, Exit Factor’s focus on community impact sets it apart from other franchise models.

“Other franchise models are a bit more transactional in terms of what goods or services they sell,” she observes. “But I think the focus on impact for the businesses and the community—that’s how we measure ourselves, and that’s the standard that we hold ourselves to.”

This mission-driven approach to business consulting creates a different kind of fulfillment. Working one-on-one with business owners, connecting in the community, and building direct impact with real people offers the opportunity to create a lasting legacy—something that motivated Erin to join the brand.

A Growing Industry with Increasing Demand

Erin sees significant growth ahead for the exit planning industry. Demographic shifts are creating new opportunities: more baby boomers are retiring or looking to retire, while millennials are coming of age and seeking to buy businesses.

“There’s going to be a lot more demand for exit planning, but not just exit—also growth and scale,” she explains. This evolution means Exit Factor franchisees may find themselves handling increasingly complex and valuable engagements, from growth strategy to facilitating business transitions between generations of entrepreneurs.

“As younger people are coming of age and wanting to buy businesses, as more and more people are retiring, that’s going to create more opportunities and it’s going to create just more value for the communities overall,” Erin notes.

Creating Wealth and Impact in Local Communities

For Erin, the broader mission of exit planning extends beyond individual business owners. It’s about strengthening entire communities.

“You probably have somebody in your community right next door who could benefit from exit planning,” she points out. “Our communities can all benefit from helping small and medium-sized businesses exit well. It’s a way to create wealth in our communities. It’s a way to keep wealth in our communities.”

This perspective transforms the Exit Factor franchise from simply a business opportunity into a vehicle for meaningful community contribution—helping neighbors and friends achieve successful outcomes with their life’s work.

Is Exit Factor Right for You?

Erin’s advice for anyone considering Exit Factor is straightforward: “If you like creating impact, if you like working with people, and you’re interested in business, you should do it.”

With the exit planning industry poised for growth over the next 10 to 20 years, she believes there’s no better time to join. Whether you come from a corporate strategy background like Erin or bring different professional experience to the table, Exit Factor provides the systems, training, and support to build a successful business consulting practice. Explore the Exit Factor franchise opportunity and see if this could be your path to entrepreneurship.

Ready to take the next step?

Contact us today to learn more about owning an Exit Factor franchise.