Building Better Connections: Your Net Worth is Your Network

I grew up in the franchise industry. My dad founded Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, and by the time I was in high school, I was working in the business and training new franchisees who were more than twice my age. I didn’t realize it then, but I was already learning the lesson that has shaped my entire career: Who you spend time with determines how fast you grow.

Today, I run a multi-brand portfolio that includes Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Sweat440, and Drybar. I built it faster than I expected. I get asked how I got here so quickly. The honest answer is that I’m not smarter than the next franchisee, and I don’t work harder. I’ve just been deliberate about the rooms I put myself in.

There’s a quote I come back to often: “Your net worth is your network.” In franchising, that isn’t a cliché; it’s an operating principle. The franchisee three years ahead of you has already solved the problem keeping you up tonight. The handshake at a reception becomes the partner who finances your next deal. One conversation, one introduction, one relationship can change everything.

But networking only works when it flows both ways. The further I’ve come, the more time I spend giving back. I mentor new franchisees considering their first unit, established operators wrestling with tough decisions, or anyone in our community in need of support, perspective, or a little inspiration. That give-and-take is what makes our industry different, and it’s why I’ve spent the past four years on the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference Advisory Board. I get as much from those conversations as I give.

This year, MUFC welcomed 2,600 attendees, including more than 900 franchisees representing 600 enterprises and 22,000 operating units. Somewhere in a room like that is the one person who could change the next decade of your business. Your job is to find them. Your other job is to be that person for someone else.

That’s exactly the theme I want to carry into 2027: Relationships are powerful, and a single new connection can change the entire trajectory of your life. We’re heading to Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, April 27–30, 2027. Save the date, bring your team, and come ready to share what you know and learn what you don’t.

I’ll be in those rooms too, looking for the next person to shape my life. See you in Vegas.

Nicholas Marco
2027 MUFC Chair