The Underrated Business Model That Creates More Millionaires Than the NFL | Entrepreneurship | How We Profit | E3 | Part 1

Young and Profiting with Hala Taha (Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing)

YAP Media Network | Hala Taha

Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2026

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Starting a business from scratch is not the only path to entrepreneurship, and Alex Smereczniak learned that through franchising. After building and exiting his first franchise business, he saw how confusing, outdated, and commission-driven the franchise-buying process could be. Spotting those gaps led him to build Franzy, a data-driven marketplace that helps aspiring entrepreneurs buy franchises with more transparency. In part 1 of this How We Profit episode, Alex breaks down the realities of raising capital for an unsexy business, why franchising creates more millionaires than most people realize, how he sold 118 franchise locations in a year, and the lessons he learned from scaling. In this episode, Hala and Alex will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (02:26) Franzy: The Zillow of Franchising (06:49) Why Franchising Creates More Millionaires (12:30) Starting a Business vs Buying a Franchise (16:08) Is Franchising Really Passive Income? (19:09) Alex’s Franchising Journey (35:13) Raising Millions for Unsexy Businesses (39:24) Stepping Down as CEO: The Real Story (45:42) The Cost of Starting Franzy (56:10) Using Data to Create Entrepreneurs (58:32) Franzy’s Revenue, Marketing, and Operations Alex Smereczniak is the co-founder and CEO of Franzy, an AI-driven franchise discovery platform that helps aspiring business owners find and evaluate franchise opportunities. Before Franzy, he co-founded 2ULaundry and LaundroLab, a tech-enabled laundry delivery and laundromat franchise business. He has experience building marketplace businesses, raising venture capital, and scaling franchise systems. Sponsored By: Indeed - Get a $75 sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com/profiting Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/profiting. Quo - Run your business communications the smart way. Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/profiting Remitly - Transfer money internationally across 100+ currencies with no hidden fees. Download the Remitly app or visit remitly.com to get started. Use code BUSINESS to get a $100 bonus after you send $300 or more. New customers only. Prolon - Reset your body with Prolon’s five-day plant-based program. Go to ProlonLife.com/PROFITING for 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program. Northwest Registered Agent - Get a complete business identity with Northwest. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/YAPFree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Cash App - If you’ve been curious about bitcoin but haven’t made the jump yet, Cash App makes it easy. Sign up at https://click.cash.app/ui6m/qmgmlraz For a limited time, new customers can get $10 added to their balance. Just use code CASHAPP10 when you sign up, and—don’t forget this part—send at least $5 to a friend in the first two weeks. Terms apply. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Bitcoin services provided by Block, Inc. brand. For additional information, see the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast Resources Mentioned: Alex’s Platform, Franzy: https://franzy.com/ Alex’s Instagram: instagram.com/alexfromfranzy/ Alex’s Twitter: x.com/AlexfromFranzy Alex’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329 Active Deals - youngandprofiting.com/deals Key YAP Links Reviews - ratethispodcast.com/yap YouTube - youtube.com/c/YoungandProfiting Newsletter - youngandprofiting.co/newsletter LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/htaha/ Instagram - instagram.com/yapwithhala/ Social + Podcast Services: yapmedia.com Transcripts - youngandprofiting.com/episodes-new Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Podcast, Business, Business Podcast, Self Improvement, Self-Improvement, Personal Development, Starting a Business, Strategy, Investing, Sales, Selling, Psychology, Productivity, Entrepreneurs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Marketing, Negotiation, Money, Finance, Side Hustle, Startup, Mental Health, Career, Leadership, Mindset, Health, Growth Mindset, Online Business, Solopreneur, Networking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today's episode is sponsored in part by Shopify Quo, Indeed, AT&T business, prolon, cash shop, and Northwest registered agent. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you grow your business. Start your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash profiting. Quo is an AI-powered phone system that brings your calls, texts, and contacts together in one place.
0:22.9	Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to Quo.com
0:27.7	slash profiting.
0:29.0	Indeed helps you attract interview and hire all in one place.
0:32.7	Get a $75-sponsored job credit to boost your job's visibility at Indeed.com slash podcast.
0:39.4	AT&T Business delivers reliable business-grade connectivity that gives your team a competitive advantage.
0:45.9	Switch to AT&T Business at business.ATT.com.
0:50.4	Prolon helps you reset your body and reverse your age with a five-day plant-based program that mimics fasting while still nourishing you.
0:58.4	Go to prolonlif.com slash profiting for 15% off sitewide, plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe.
1:05.6	If you've been curious about Bitcoin but haven't made the jump yet, Cash App makes it easy.
1:10.4	For a limited time,
1:11.5	new customers can get $10 added to their balance. Just use code Cash App 10 when you sign up.
1:17.9	Northwest Registered Agent gives you the tools and guidance you need to build a complete business
1:22.7	identity. Visit Northwest Registeredagent.com slash Yapfree and start using free resources to build something amazing.
1:31.1	As always, you can find all of our incredible deals in the show notes or at young and profiting.com slash deals.
1:40.3	Hey, Yapam, we're about to launch something that might be my favorite thing we've ever done on the podcast, a brand new series called How We Profit. Now, I've been doing Young and Profiting Podcasts for eight years and my listeners are successful. We are real entrepreneurs with real businesses and a lot of you guys are crushing it behind the scenes. You may not be super famous.
2:02.2	You may not be a billionaire yet,
2:05.2	but you've got a business that you've learned how to scale.
2:06.9	And we want to hear from you.
2:10.8	One of the best ways to learn as an entrepreneur is from your peers.
2:14.8	And I found it super helpful to be in these peer entrepreneurship groups and learn from other entrepreneurs who are at my level, but just in a
2:18.6	different industry. So that's what I want to bring to this podcast. I want this to be our own
	...

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