A state trooper for 13 years who guarded governors, Sean McKay sits down with Dan Feltman to trace a jump from law enforcement to co-founding a franchise built on garage transformations. Dan shares a hurry up and wait moment that led to searching franchises, flying to Nebraska, and learning the craft while still on duty. He talks about test marketing in Indy, helping people find freedom for family, and why support means making franchisees successful from day one. Expect candid lessons on hiring the wrong lawyer and FSOs, choosing specialists, avoiding all-in-one promises, and why dealership models hurt the industry. Mindset comes through again and again: success leaves clues, mentors tell you to stop, failure is part of winning, and quitting is the only real failure.

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👤 Guest Bio

Dan Feltman served as a state trooper for 13 years and guarded governors. He learned the garage coatings business under a partner with a firefighter background, worked part-time for five or six years, and helped test market Indianapolis for viability as a franchise. Today he focuses on helping people find family time and financial freedom through a slow growth franchise model built on real support and partnership.

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📌 What We Cover

• A 13-year path in law enforcement and guarding governors that sparked a desire for control and owning a business
• The moment of “I’ve had it” that led to searching franchises during hurry up and wait and finding garage coatings
• Flying to Nebraska, learning the trade, and running part-time for five or six years before test marketing Indy
• Why freedom for family guided early sacrifices and still anchors franchise decisions
• Hiring the wrong lawyer and FSOs, wasting time and money, then finding the right franchise lawyer and specialists
• The danger of all-in-one providers and why networking and relationships matter
• Real support defined: make franchisees successful, not just take calls; invest royalties to keep people involved
• Dealership models that sell product with zero royalties versus a franchise focused on running a business
• Common franchisee gaps: QuickBooks, CRM, and behind-the-scenes work versus doing the job
• Mindset principles: success leaves clues, mentors and coaches, failure is part of winning, quitting is the real failure
• Lead sources and selection: broker network, networking, and slow growth to bring in the right partners