Chief Change Officer
#362 James Hilovsky: From Pro Athlete to Franchise Matchmaker—Part Two
Sun, 11 May 2025
Starting a franchise isn’t just a business move—it’s a mindset shift.In Part Two, James Hilovsky—former athlete turned franchise consultant—goes beyond playbooks and into the real psychology of success. He explores why some athletes stumble when they let ego overtake strategy, how corporate professionals can regain control after layoffs, and why betting on yourself only works when you’re honest about what kind of help you need.From risk tolerance to leadership, coachability to due diligence, this episode is packed with reality checks and real encouragement for anyone eyeing a second career through franchising. Whether you’re leaving the field or the boardroom, this is your roadmap for moving forward without going it alone.Key Highlights of Our Interview:When Ego Derails the Dream“Some athletes think, ‘I can do it better than the franchisor.’ That mindset usually ends badly.”Coachable or Combative? Know the Difference“If you hated taking advice on the field, franchising might not be for you. Try entrepreneurship instead.”From Control to Chaos: Managing the Transition“Athletes are used to structure. Business is messy. That gap has to be managed with education and support.”Risk Is a Feature, Not a Bug“Franchising reduces risk—but it doesn’t remove it. You still have to lead, decide, and adapt.”Franchisor as Business Partner, Not Boss“The best franchisors act like coaches. They’ll guide you—but they won’t run the plays for you.”Red Flags in the Franchise World“If someone tells you it’s a ‘hands-off’ business or dodges your due diligence questions—run.”Advice for Non-Athletes“If fear is stopping you, ask yourself: what’s the real cost of staying stuck?”Doing the Homework Before the Leap“Talk to existing franchisees. Read the FDD. And never skip the financials.”The Impact That Keeps Him Going“I love helping people find a franchise they didn’t even know existed—and watching it change their lives.”_________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: James Hilovsky --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.18 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1.5% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>170,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<<
Chapter 1: Who is James Hilovsky and what is his role in franchising?
Hi, everyone. Welcome to our show, Chief Change Officer. I'm Vince Chen, your ambitious human host. Our show is a modernist humility for change progressives in organizational and human transformation from around the world. Today at our studio, We welcome James Hilofsky from Riverside in Southern California.
James runs a unique franchise consulting business, primarily serving retired athletes from the NBA and NFL who are starting new chapters in their lives as franchisees. He also helps regular people with their franchise businesses. James believes that using his expertise in franchising to change lives and livelihoods of families and future generations is a dream come true endeavor.
I haven't been a franchisee or franchisor myself, but I do have experience with the franchise business. Many years ago, when my parents immigrated to Canada with zero local experience and connections, they ventured into franchising to make a living. Despite the hardships, using franchising as a means to fulfill the dream of becoming immersed and settled in the community was life changing.
So I have great respect for franchising as a business model that can positively transform lives. Let's discover how James has used franchising for the greater good for both athletes and everyday people.
When you look back at these examples where you acted as the advisor and matchmaker, helping them figure out their plans and goals, what are the three qualities that stand out in these successful individuals? These qualities could be skill, mindsets, psychological traits, or something related to the sports they play.
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Chapter 2: What qualities make athletes successful franchisees?
Can you name some key qualities that are common and contribute to success in franchising for these athletes?
I would say the one and most important quality that athletes bring to the table when it comes to franchising is they are able to take a risk. And what I mean by that, when you get into business for yourself, you're taking a risk and you're betting on yourself. A lot of people have a problem with, Hey, I'm going to step out of the box. do something different and it's going to be risky.
And the athletes are very good at being able to take that risk because at the end of the day, their whole lives, they've bet on themselves. They've used their training and all the skills that they've done ever since they were a child. And it's all been about, Hey, I'm good. I can do this. I'm going to bet on myself much like jumping into business. It's betting on yourself and taking that risk.
And most every athlete has the ability to go out and say, yeah, I have the confidence and I'm going to bet on myself. So I would say that is the number one out there. Number two, the other one that is really good is A franchise system is an athlete is usually really receptive to coaching.
So in business, when you're going to get into any business, you're going to have to take coaching and be able to apply that. So again, anything that in this case, the franchisor will tell an athlete, They will take that to heart and they will try 100% to implement what the franchisor has told the athlete to do.
Much like when they were playing, like the coach says, you need to run a five-yard out and turn here and they work on that. So it's being able to take that risk, take that coaching and apply it. And then really another thing that athletes are really good at, and not just business, They're really able to go out and be leaders.
So some athletes lead by example and naturally in the field and other athletes are vocal leaders. But they all have some sort of leadership kind of quality, even though they're a part of a team, they have that leadership quality. And so they are able to, they're able to take that risk. They're able to take that coaching, but then they're also able to lead teams.
their team or their employees or whatever the case may be into the franchise system that they're able to facilitate and go, okay, it's all on my shoulders. I've got the coaching. I know how to set up the business. And now I'm going to be able to lead and I'm going to be able to put my right players in the position they need to be in to be successful in the business.
So those are just really just three that really just come off the top of my mind that athletes are exceptional about.
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Chapter 3: How does coachability influence success in franchising?
Yes, absolutely. They're very good now. Now, the flip side of that, it sometimes could be athletes are very, they're very coachable. They're very passionate, like we were talking about. Now, sometimes in a franchise system, If they're very... Yes, they may be coachable, but they may be passionate. So maybe they... And remember, they're used to taking risks.
So the flip side could be is, okay, they've been showing how to do the business. They're in the business. They're passionate about it. But now... Maybe they're going to go a little bit off the tracks because they think that in my speed in this play, I can make it better. Like on the field, sometimes they might improvise on that. So they might take it a little bit. Okay, I get it. I know. And...
They just will have this sometimes be invincible and I could go off the rails and take my business this way. And that's where the franchise system is really great because the franchisor will go, you're going off the rails here. Let's turn it back in. and take it back to, let's get back on the road there. We put the guardrails up for a reason and let's get back on the road.
So sometimes that passion could lead to maybe slipping out of the system a little bit. And much like a manager that, or on a team, the franchisor will take it and take them back to center. Sometimes an athlete's so good at those, they go a little bit too far, but the franchisor will always put them back on track.
Would you say ego could be a risk for athletes? What other qualities should athletes watch out for? Looking at the flip side, what traits could counteract success in franchising and leadership?
Really, basically, what we said, it also could be if they go a little bit too far. But the ego is definitely, that's a great way to put it, the ego could get them into trouble. And especially the more famous athletes or the ones that have had more success on the field, they have typically much bigger egos.
And there's not a lot of people in, once you're dealing with an athlete that's dealt with a lot of success, You got to understand too, in their circle, there's not a lot of people that will be, no, it's always going to be, yeah, you're right. You did the greatest thing and you're good at this. And so there's not going to be many people that will say no to him in their circle, him or her.
And the great thing about a franchise or they're looking out just for the business. They don't care who this, what he's done on the field or her. And it's, Hey, let's get back to center. So ego is definitely one that has to be held in check. And then there are athletes that we, even when they played. that they sometimes had some problems with coaching.
And there'd be times when I can talk with an athlete and if I felt that they really had really great egos or they were not going to be coachable, Maybe franchising is not for them. Maybe entrepreneurship is, but maybe a franchise is not a good fit. If I hear the words, why don't I just do this franchise on my own? Why can't I just take that business model and just do it on my own?
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Chapter 4: Can ego become a risk factor for athletes in franchising?
I don't need their help. And because I would want to do it this way and I could do it much better and I could do it cheaper. And why pay those royalties? Then it's okay, let's have this conversation and let's talk about that. Let's talk about why a franchise is successful because they've hit all the potholes. They've set up the business. They've done this from day one.
So if you start out on your own, you're going to make those mistakes and maybe some of the mistakes you make are not going to be recoverable and you'll lose your whole investment. You get in a franchise because they know they have a proven system.
They've been through and made mistakes that you would make into your business and it would save you thousands of dollars or even save your business than if you went off on your own. And that the responses be, I still think I could do it better on my own and I don't need to pay these fees and just think I could do it.
And that's a person that probably athlete or not does not fit into the franchise model.
Yeah, I can tell from your explanation that when athletes transition into the business world, whether as franchisees or stand-alone entrepreneurs, ego can be a risk. But Beyond Ego is also about figuring out what kind of risks they want to take and what costs they are willing to incur. By costs, I don't just mean money, but also learning curves and other challenges.
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Chapter 5: Why might some athletes not be a good fit for franchising?
To me, franchising is a more controllable type of business venture because, like you said, the system is established, risks are calculatable, and there is a track record. In contrast, starting a new business from scratch is riskier. If you are a creative type of athlete, you might want to start something on your own from the ground up. In that case, are you ready to take that kind of risk?
Are you ready to step up and make the best use of your leadership skills? Different personalities and risk tolerance levels come into play during this transition. Let me play devil's advocate for a moment. While you argue that the transition from sportsmanship to franchise leadership has many similarities and seems like a perfect fit, there are hidden areas to consider.
In sports world, everything is clear cut and measurable. For example, in swimming, one of my favorite sports. You know who wins the gold medal because it's the person who finishes the fastest. The timing technology is sophisticated and precise, leaving no ambiguity.
In the business world, however, while we have financial goals and key performance indicators, there are many hidden risks and ambiguities, especially when dealing with people, partners, and employees. Athletes are trained in controlled environments. But when they move into less controlled business environments, even within franchising, they face uncertainties.
How do you help athletes make this transition? Does it involve mindset shifts, education, or more coaching? What do you think?
Yeah, very education. You look in an athlete and you think of business and everything that we've talked about. But one thing really we haven't really hit on is in business, when you're going to go through a struggle period, like you're saying, maybe there's so many moving parts where...
You know, that you're struggling with maybe finding the right employees or you're struggling with the day-to-day operations. And you do know that you can turn to the franchisor for help and all that. But one thing that athletes are another really good trait that they have that it's really great in business is they're used to failure. Not every athlete succeeds at every game.
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Chapter 6: How does risk tolerance affect athletes transitioning to business?
Not every game's played great and they're going to go through ups and downs. In baseball, if you're a 300 hitter, that's outstanding. That means you failed seven times out of 10. So the athletes are used to failure. So it's one of those where... If your business is in a slump, it's okay. I've been used to this before. I've had a slump. I've had a shooting slump. I've had a hitting slump.
I know that this will pass. It's how did I get myself in my athletic career? How did I get myself out of this slump? Or what did I do? I draw back to that of success. I went back to my coach, helped me out. I just had to go to get laser focused and put maybe some extra time in to get myself out of the slump.
So that mindset for a failure of the athlete, I think, is super important in business when all, like you're saying, all those moving parts might be going awry. The athlete is used to failure and has a really great history of being able to pull him or herself out of that.
Yeah, I think this tolerance for failure is very important. It's not something non-athletes are typically trained for. Speaking of non-athletes, this might be a good point for us to step back and look at the bigger picture.
Earlier, you mentioned starting your business around the COVID period, when everyone was stuck at home and started developing different perspectives on their careers and lives. Now, we are back to normal, but the world has changed. and still changing with technology and other moving factors. A lot of uncertainties with layoffs, corporate downsizing, inflation, etc.
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Chapter 7: What challenges do athletes face moving from sports to franchise leadership?
In this kind of environment, you probably get a lot of inquiries from regular people about whether franchising could be the next chapter of their lives. So I have two related questions for you. First, for non-athletes listening who may not have the athletic background, what advice would you give them for making this decision? What factors should they consider?
Second, given the uncertainties in the economy and other factors, When people want to start a new chapter in their lives, they feel the urge, the pressure to do so quickly, which comes with risks. James, you are a nice, incredible person, but that could be others in your business who are not as trustworthy as you.
So once these regular people decide to move into this new world of franchising, how can they be smarter about figuring out who to work with and what kind of business to get into?
Yeah, that's a great question. And I do work with a lot of non-athletes, just great people that have been in corporate America and corporate America has turned their back on them and laid them off or they're just always just will go. I've worked all this time and I really want to have something on my own. So those are the big thing.
Remember I said the best thing about the athletes are they don't really, that fear of being able to step out, they don't have that. The non-athlete, sometimes that fear can be overwhelming. And it is a, just look at... You want to take that shot that's out there to bet on yourself and to get into a business of your own. And time is short.
And I would say, I wish I would have done this many years prior. And I would say, I think most of my clients, when they come from corporate America and they get into their business, they see the freedom that they have. They see the potential for generational wealth of building their business. that they just, they say the same thing. I should have done this a lot sooner for sure.
So being able to take that leap of faith and take the shot and bet on yourself, I think is one for the non-athlete too. That's the biggest part that, that we'd be out there to make that decision. And it just is, I would just advise anyone if you're thinking about that too, really take that shot and bet on yourself and then The other part of the question is who to work with.
I would always say, don't really go on your own looking at websites and putting inquiries into a franchise. Because you don't really know much about that franchise. And if you're not used to looking at franchises, you need to know the steps. Hey, we're going to look at a franchise. We also have to look at FDD. That's a franchise disclosure document that the franchise sends out to you.
So you need to know how to read that. And then how do you, if you're on your own, how do you make sure this is a good franchise? You ask the franchisor, hey, let me talk to franchisees in the system because they're going to be the ones that are going to validate the system and verify it. And really, I would say to pick someone up, I would always look for working with a franchise broker.
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