Charles Stovall · Charleston / Mt. Pleasant, SC
Keep the W-2. Buy a model that can run without you.
I built 30 locations and sold into private equity. Now I help executives match capital to a franchise model — then read the FDD like an operator, not a tourist.
Semi-absentee only works if the labor, the cash, and Item 19 agree. Most decks skip that part.
How the assessment works
- Capital and calendar — what you can write, and what you can manage while the W-2 still pays.
- Match the model — unit economics that survive a normal month, not a perfect ramp.
- Read the file — Item 19, Item 7, Item 20. Then you decide.
Proof I actually operated: 30 locations. A PE exit. Charleston / Mt. Pleasant, working with executives nationwide.
Executive Access FAQ
- Can I keep the W-2 and still buy a franchise?
- Keep the W-2. Buy a model that can run without you. Semi-absentee only works if the labor, the cash, and the file agree.
- What does reading the file actually mean?
- That's Item 19, labor, and occupancy — not a highlight reel. Item 19 if they give it. Item 7 versus the cash you'll actually need. Item 20 for who left. Then validation calls. Then you decide.
- Why does the labor model matter for semi-absentee?
- The question is whether the franchise can stand a normal month without you behind the counter. If the only way the deal works is a perfect ramp and a cheap manager, you didn't buy a business.
- How does the executive assessment work?
- Capital and calendar — what you can write, and what you can manage while the W-2 still pays. Match the model — unit economics that survive a normal month, not a perfect ramp. Read the file. If those numbers don't fit, we stop early.
- Where do you work from?
- I still live in the Charleston / Mt. Pleasant market I send people into. Proof I actually operated: 30 locations. A PE exit. Working with executives nationwide.