Kelsey Stuart on matching people with the right franchise
Kelsey Stuart is the founder of Waypoint Franchise Advisors, a firm that helps prospective franchise owners decide whether ownership fits their lives and compare businesses against their goals. The conversation covers how referrals brought in Waypoint’s first clients, what repair work taught Stuart about downturns, and practical lessons on hiring, AI and franchise research.
A franchise should fit a buyer’s skills, goals and desired life, not a passing trend. Before committing, talk with current and former owners and ask what a normal week looks like and how the business responds when customers spend less.
What’s the short story of how your business started, and what makes it genuinely different from the other options your customers have?
Waypoint Franchise Advisors is a franchise consulting firm in Whitefish, Montana that helps people decide whether owning a franchise fits their life, and which business fits them best. I started Waypoint at the beginning of 2026, after 11 years with Bloomin’ Blinds, the franchise I founded in 2014. When I stepped out of its leadership, I knew I wanted to stay in franchising.
Most people who want to own a business get past the first step, deciding to do it. The second step is the hardest: "What should I do?" That’s where I come in. I help people name their skills, their strengths and the lifestyle they want, then match them to franchises that fit those goals.
What makes Waypoint different is that we match the business to the person, not to the hot topic or the shiny object. My favorite moment is when a candidate breaks out of what society expects of them and bets on themselves.
How did you win your first customers, and where does most of your new business come from today?
Waypoint’s first clients came from referrals. People in my network knew my background as a franchise owner and franchisor, so when I became a franchise consultant, they were quick to pass my name to friends and family.
Referrals are still a big part of how people find Waypoint today.
I learned this in home services. Answer the phone, show up, do good work, and your referral pool grows. My advice for anyone chasing their first customers is to start with the people who already know your work. Tell them clearly what you do now and who you help, and make it easy for them to share your name.
What’s one decision that changed the direction of your business, and one mistake that taught you the most?
The decision that shaped my career was leaning into repair work. At Bloomin’ Blinds we went through several recessions. People stopped buying new blinds, but broken ones still needed fixing, so we chased repair jobs on purpose. That kept customers calling when budgets got tight, and new sales followed once we were in the home.
That lesson is now part of how Waypoint works. When we help clients compare franchises, we look for businesses with both a repair side and a sales side. The question I tell every buyer to ask is: does this brand have an answer for when purchasing gets tight?
The mistake that taught me the most was hiring the first person who interviewed. We were a small family team with no hiring experience and no plan. We got lucky, because he was a dependable grinder. But I learned to interview 5 to 10 people before making an offer, so you can tell who will really show up and do the work.
What has changed in your industry or in what your customers expect over the last couple of years, and how have you adapted?
Two things have changed. The first is AI. When I first brought AI into my work, I expected magic, and instead it became a distraction. So I pulled back. Now I use it every day, but I check the quality of everything it produces and I limit how many new tools I try. AI is a tool, and until you learn what it does well and where it falls short, it can do more harm than good.
The second change is that people want to know who they’re working with before they reach out. They want to see a real face and hear a real voice. So I put my own face and voice on Waypoint Franchise Advisors instead of hiding behind polished ads. Honest, imperfect content builds more trust than perfect content.
If you were advising someone starting out in your industry today, what would you tell them to do first, and what would you tell them to ignore?
First, do your homework before any big decision. If you’re thinking about buying a franchise, talk to current and former owners, read the Franchise Disclosure Document with a clear head, and ask what a normal week in the business really looks like. If you’re hiring, interview 5 to 10 people before you make an offer, and keep interviewing even when you’re not hiring.
Ignore the hot topic and the shiny object. The best franchise for you is the one that fits your goals, your skills and the life you want, not the one everyone is talking about this year. And don’t chase every new AI tool. Learn one well before you add another.
Thank you to Kelsey Stuart and the team at Waypoint Franchise Advisors for sharing what actually worked with Leaders Perception readers.
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