Week 0 – Signing on the Dotted Line (With Shaky Hands)

What happened this week:

I signed the franchise agreement. For real. After weeks (months?) of circling the decision like a hawk unsure if it was prey or a trap, I finally put pen to paper and made it official: I’m launching a home inspection franchise with Inspections Over Coffee.

This week was mostly quiet on the outside—just me, my laptop, a DocuSign link—but inside? Internal fireworks. The kind that alternate between celebration and panic. I sat with that agreement open for over an hour before clicking “sign.” Then I stared at the screen, waiting for some cosmic sign to appear. Instead, I got a confirmation email and a sudden, very loud voice in my head that said, “Oh no. What did you just do?”

The biggest challenge:

Fear. Pure, old-school, keep-you-up-at-night fear. What if I fail? What if I’m not cut out for this? What if this franchise doesn’t work in my city? I wasn’t afraid of the work—I’ve always been willing to hustle—but the weight of commitment hit differently when it’s your money, your name, your future.

There’s something uniquely vulnerable about going all-in on yourself. The minute I signed, the safety net vanished. There’s no corporate job to fall back on, no manager to point fingers at if things go sideways. It’s just me and this business now. That’s both terrifying and oddly empowering.

What I didn’t expect:

How much emotion would come up. I expected logic—spreadsheets, pros and cons lists, market research. I didn’t expect the swirl of nostalgia (thinking about my dad fixing things in our garage), the flash of pride (imagining my kid seeing me build something from scratch), or the weird moment where I got choked up talking to my spouse about the risk and their faith in me.

This wasn’t just a business move. It was a life move. That hit me harder than expected.

What I learned / What I’d do differently:

I learned that no amount of spreadsheeting can substitute for a gut-level decision. At some point, you have to stop researching and start acting. That said, I’m glad I didn’t rush. I gave myself space to ask every single question—sometimes twice—and that made the decision feel less impulsive and more intentional.

If I had to do it again, I might bring someone into that decision room with me—not to decide for me, but just to reflect back what they hear. Signing alone made it feel heavier.

Franchise system or support I leaned on:

Curt. Honestly, Curt Kloc was the single biggest reason I felt brave enough to sign. We had a handful of real-deal conversations before I committed—no sugarcoating, no slick pitch deck, just a guy who’s built this thing from the ground up telling me exactly what to expect.

He walked me through what the first 90 days would look like, answered every question (even the embarrassing ones), and didn’t flinch when I said, “What if I suck at this?” His response: “We don’t let you suck alone. You’ll have a system, a coach, and someone who’s walked this exact path. You just need to show up and try.” That stuck with me.

Next week’s goal or focus:

Now that I’ve signed, it’s real. Next week I start digging into the onboarding process—territory orientation, meeting the support team, and probably being overwhelmed in the best (and worst) ways. I’m reminding myself: I don’t need to master everything in a week. I just need to keep moving forward.

What would I repeat because it worked:

Taking my time and leaning on conversations with people who’ve done it before. If you’re considering starting a home inspection franchise, don’t underestimate the power of a 1:1 call with someone who’s been through it. Those calls are better than any brochure or webinar. Trust me.

→ Curious what happens after signing? Read Week 1: Territory Orientation & “I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know”

Curious what it takes to build a home inspection business from scratch?