Two Defense Contractors, One Decision
Tara and Kamron didn't come from the franchise world. They came from the defense industry, working at the same company, in parallel careers.
"She was working corporate, same same career as me as a defense contractor, same company," Kamron explained.
Before the defense job, Tara had spent time in sales, including selling business fiber internet. She'd also taken on substitute teaching on the side to pick up extra income.
"I have a background in sales... I came from a background before I went to the... defense company. I was selling business fiber internet and I would pick up substitute teaching like gigs so I can make some additional money here and there."
On the surface, this looks like two people with steady, parallel careers who were making it work. But underneath, there was a growing recognition that working for other people had a ceiling, and a vulnerability. You could do everything right and still be let go. You could work from a hospital bed and still not get the interview.
The layoff in January was the trigger. The hospital moment was the last straw.
"Back in January, she was actually laid off from her job. And that was kind of the trigger point to say, okay, let's let's actually look into doing something for us," Kamron said.
The Challenge
Tara's layoff didn't just create a financial gap. It created urgency. This was a household that had been running on two incomes, and now one of those incomes was gone. Restarting the job search the traditional way had already proven painful: she had been rejected even after working on a company proposal from a hospital bed. The corporate path had run out of goodwill.
"You got to put yourself in our shoes, too... we were used to like two incomes. We lose one income... this was like we need to make this work."
The challenge wasn't just finding a new income. It was finding something that Tara and Kamron could build together, something that wouldn't be subject to someone else's restructuring decision, something where the effort they put in directly shaped what they got back.
The question was what.
Why Franchising, and Why Not Start from Scratch
For a couple looking at entrepreneurship for the first time, the landscape of options can be paralyzing. Starting an independent business from zero means building everything: the brand, the systems, the marketing infrastructure, the customer base. It means learning from mistakes that an established operator already made years ago. And it means doing all of that without a safety net.
Tara framed the alternative clearly.
"She kind of made the point saying that franchises are more likely to be successful because they've done it before. You know, the business model works."
That logic is why thousands of first-time business owners choose franchising over independent startups every year. A franchise doesn't eliminate the work. But it gives you a proven system, a recognized brand, training, and a network of other owners who have already solved the problems you're about to face. You're not reinventing. You're executing.
The challenge is that there are over 4,000 franchise brands in the United States. Navigating them independently, while managing the financial pressure of a lost income and a growing family, is not a realistic project. You need help finding the right fit.
How Franchise Empire Made the Difference
Tara and Kamron found Franchise Empire and worked with their advisor Marc. Founded by Tariq Johnson, a former corporate professional who became a franchise owner himself, Franchise Empire operates on a three-step model: Find a Winning Franchise, Launch and Get Profitable, and Scale Your Locations. The difference from traditional brokerage is that the support doesn't stop when you sign. It continues through every phase.
Most franchise brokers earn their commission from the franchisor, meaning their financial incentive is tied to closing a deal, not finding the best fit. They often have no personal franchise ownership experience, and once the agreement is signed, the buyer is largely on their own for operations, setup, and launch.
What Tara and Kamron experienced with Marc was different in every way that mattered.
"It was nice that he was able to narrow down things for us. It made the process a lot less overwhelming. So basically Marc was like, 'Okay, filter out all of that mush. Those companies aren't worth it anyways. Focus on these ones.'"
That's the job of a real advisor: not presenting a catalog and stepping back, but actively filtering the noise and directing attention toward what's genuinely worth evaluating. The franchise landscape is full of options that look credible on paper but don't hold up under scrutiny. Marc did the scrutiny work first.
The broader Franchise Empire curriculum reinforced every step of the process.
"It was nice having you guys and Franchise Empire basically have a whole list of companies that you vetted already. And that was reassuring for sure."
For a couple making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives, reassurance isn't a soft benefit. It's the thing that allows you to move forward with conviction instead of second-guessing yourself at every turn. Knowing that the options in front of you have already been evaluated by people who know the franchise world is a fundamentally different experience than trying to vet everything yourself.
Kamron also completed the training modules during one of the most demanding moments a family can face.
"We went through the modules, going through them right before our son was born... the modules are very helpful too."
That detail says a lot about how seriously they took the process, and how accessible and well-structured the material was. Even in the middle of welcoming a new child, the coursework was worth prioritizing.
How Soccer Stars Found Them
The franchise they landed on wasn't the result of a generic search. It came from a specific conversation.
"Towards the end of our journey with Marc, we mentioned wanting to do something with kids to him... and he came back and found the Soccer Stars."
Marc listened. He heard what Tara and Kamron actually wanted, not just what they could afford or what was available in their area, but what they genuinely cared about. They wanted to build something connected to children. He came back with Soccer Stars.
That kind of match doesn't happen when a broker is working from a catalog and a commission. It happens when an advisor is paying attention to who you are and what would actually make you happy doing the work.
The Results
Tara and Kamron's Soccer Stars franchise runs two distinct streams of business: open enrollment classes at local parks where any family can sign up, and private programming at daycares and preschools where they bring the coaches and equipment directly to the kids.
"The parks allow for open enrollment. Basically, anyone can sign up for those classes... we also are able to offer the classes privately at daycares and preschools... we bring the coaches, we bring the equipment and everything."
Their fall season launched and the numbers were immediate.
"Our fall season just started last Saturday and we're at what 68 kids and we have some in our the daycares as well."
68 kids enrolled in the first week of their first fall season, with additional institutional enrollment on top of that. For a brand-new franchise owner running their first season, those are real numbers with real revenue behind them.
What Tara Discovered About Herself Along the Way
One of the most resonant moments in Tara and Kamron's story has nothing to do with numbers. It's a realization Tara had about who she actually is.
She had spent years in sales and had come to believe she simply wasn't a sales person. She had moved away from it, gone into corporate work, picked up teaching on the side. But the data never supported the conclusion she had drawn.
"I realized it's not that I hated sales. I hated what I was selling. I did not care about what I was selling at all... but now I get out and I get to sell my own business... I feel like that's what I do all the time now. And I actually enjoy it."
When the product is something you believe in, selling it isn't work. It's alignment. Tara had been carrying the wrong conclusion for years because she had been in the wrong business. Soccer Stars fixed that.
Her long-term vision makes complete sense in that context.
"I eventually would like to just stay home and work on my computer and have other people coach for me."
That's not disengagement. That's the franchise model working exactly as intended: build the systems, hire great coaches, and eventually step into the role of owner-operator rather than owner-doer.
What Tara and Kamron's Story Means for You
The moment that pushed Tara and Kamron into action wasn't a bold entrepreneurial vision. It was a layoff and a company that passed on her while she was in a hospital bed. The last straw is often the thing that finally creates enough clarity to act.
If you have been on the wrong side of a layoff, or if you've been building someone else's business and wondering when it's going to be your turn, their story is a direct answer to the question of what comes next. Not every franchise is for everyone. But the right one, matched to your skills, your values, and your lifestyle goals, can turn a difficult moment into the best decision you ever made.
Hundreds of Franchise Empire clients have found exactly that. Tara and Kamron found it in a children's soccer franchise in their own community. Your answer is going to look different. The path to finding it is the same.
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