A word from
Steven Sgroi, MBA, CFE
Founder & Head Franchise Coach
I have always had a strong penchant for business. Whether it be trading baseball cards as a youth, or selling t-shirts in college, I often felt destined to strike a deal. The truth is my earliest experiences involved my family’s business, an insulation company that served the Northeast, where I would often tag along for home shows and do my best to parkour in the warehouse over bales of product. As a business owner myself, I now realize how lucky I was to be able to learn firsthand from my parents, and how much this aided in my seeking of a similar lifestyle, minus the heat of 150-degree attics.
Throughout most of my life, Sports was everything to me. And although I chose not to continue my basketball career collegiately, I still found a way to be a part of the action. Majoring in Sports Management at Florida State and later the University of Central Florida, I was lucky to share the classroom with future MVP’s, National Champions, Scoring Leaders, and all-around great human beings. Whether it be my experience in the Florida League, a wood bat college summer league, where our inaugural 1-and-done team, the Clermont Mavericks, went on to that year’s Championship or an NBA Finals run with the Orlando Magic, I not only had an itch to be around the game but had grown accustomed to winning as well.
As I transitioned my career into a role in Corporate America, not much changed. I was consistently recognized as a top performer, growing into the role of manager and eventually Director of Sales & Business Development for a national franchisor where I would help to on board and support franchisees. There, I valued the nearly 12 years of experience I gained in learning all about franchising; attending numerous IFA (International Franchise Association) conventions, franchise conferences, and supplier shows. In 2016, I earned my certification as a franchise executive. I not only learned what the obligations of a franchisor should be and how they should support their franchisees, but also how similar it was to sports. In fact, I learned that every franchisor has a playbook for how the franchise should be run. If franchisees follow the playbook, then just like in sports, the odds of winning increase. This revelation led me to starting Franthlete, where I married my love for Sport with my newfound love for franchising. Soon after, we began aiding athletes and aspiring entrepreneurs with finding the right opportunities to continue winning as well, just now as business owners. I find myself both very blessed and humbled to be able to wake up every day fulfilling my dream and helping others to do the same.
Steven Sgroi, Founder & CEO