Amanda Nutt learned early on that she had a big place in her heart for the special needs community. We’re excited that her journey led her to Special Strong, and we look forward to seeing how she grows the Special Strong community in North West Houston.
Tell me a bit about yourself – what does your background look like?
I got into working with adults with disabilities right out of high school. I started working in a group home and honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into! Fast forward to a few years later and the people I was working with became part of my wedding day. They became family. I just love every part of this community.
What were you doing in your previous career?
I got my special education degree, moved to Texas, and taught special ed for five years in the Aldine School District. I fell in love with working with the kids and then became a stay-at-home mom after that.
How did you end up here? Why did you pick Special Strong?
My husband and I talk about this a lot. It really was kind of a godsend moment for us.
My husband works in the oil and gas industry. He was working on LinkedIn for a project of his and out of the blue came across an advertisement for a Special Strong franchise. We started looking into everything, got really invested in it, got to meet Daniel and Trinity, and really fell in love with every part of the company.
Were there any concerns that you had going into this process?
Not really – once we started rolling with the process, the question wasn’t whether we had concerns, but more along the lines of what can we say no to? Honestly, every step we took was a big “yes.” It got to a point where we started wondering what’s our reasoning for not doing this – and there wasn’t one.
From start to finish, what was the process like of becoming a franchisee?
One of the biggest things that we liked is that Daniel isn’t a founder who’s going to invite anyone who filled out an application to go ahead and jump on board. There were two things that were really appealing to us. The first was that it’s all faith-based. We absolutely love that part of it. But also, his process of getting to know people, getting a good feeling about them, and really wanting to know them on a personal level and not just seeing it as another potential opportunity for him to grow was really appealing as well.
When we met Daniel, even that first interview was just all of us getting to know each other, which said a lot to me. They’re all about family and putting their franchises and their owners first before anything else.
During the process, what did you learn from talking with other franchisees?
Daniel does a discovery day, which I got to come to. I met Daniel and several of his upper management team, as well as one of the franchise owners that is close to us.
The discovery day was really helpful in terms of getting a basic overview of the business itself, but we also went into the gym setting and got to work with some clients, which was super fun.
It was a little intimidating because you’re thrown in a bit so that he gets to ask you how you’d handle certain situations, but I loved that element. They’re just seeing and getting a feeling of how you’re going to interact. There’s no right or wrong to it by any means, but it’s a way to make sure that you’re the right person for the job.
What would you tell someone else who is considering becoming a franchisee?
If you have the heart for this community, do it. There’s no reason not to. Just do it. Take the leap of faith. Changing lives is such a blessing to you personally. Knowing that you’re helping so many individuals is the best thing you can do in this world.
What were some of the most attractive components of the business model?
Everything that Daniel has mapped out from their core values to the representation of themselves is very defined and there’s no leeway around it. Each franchise is the same, the simplicity behind it is phenomenal. From day one, everybody was on the same page. With each person we spoke with, there was no need to check with someone else to see if it was okay or track down the right answer. Everybody knew everything, which made things really easy.
He’s obviously growing this business right now, and if we want to present new ideas it’s really easy to get ahold of the management team. There’s the opportunity to have some input and think about testing certain ideas within your own business and bringing them to the other franchises to see if it’s something they would like to do as well. Daniel is very open to ideas while holding true to those core values and his mission statement.
What made Special Strong different from other opportunities you were looking into?
The only thing we did in terms of looking into other franchises was to do our own investigating to see what costs were and how other options compared to Special Strong. My husband is very into investing, so this was appealing to him because he knows growth and investment is going to profit and benefit you later in life.
Once we met Daniel and realized everything that he and his company were about there was no turning back.
What was your biggest fear about saying YES to Special Strong?
Taking the actual leap. I was more reserved than my husband. I was brand new to the business world. I came from being in education and then shifted to the business world so I’m learning things every day.
There also is the consideration that you’re putting down a chunk of your own money for this investment. You want to look at profit costs and whether or not you can make money, how it might benefit you, and how that all works. It was a minor hesitation for us – and mostly on my end because I had never been in the business world.
What made you overcome your fears and say YES to Special Strong?
The faith-based element was really important to us. We also really liked that this is an up-and-coming new business. There’s not a lot of competition when it comes to this, and that is appealing in itself. There’s a lot of opportunity for growth.
The great thing about Special Strong is that they offer support daily if I were to need it. Every time I reach out, there’s always someone that gets back to me within an hour. They’re always available. Even with our hesitations, there was a lot of clarity and understanding from Daniel. He would acknowledge any concerns that came up and was great about further explaining the process to us.
What did you think about the start-up costs and fees with Special Strong?
It was super appealing to us. The initial franchise cost is an investment for sure, but when you look at some of the other franchising opportunities, they’re through the roof with costs. This is something that people can afford, and it encompasses more than what you would get with other franchises because of their investment in you personally.
If you would like to learn more about owning a rewarding Special Strong franchise, we encourage you to reach out to us today for more information.