If you’ve been thinking about leaving corporate but the risk feels too big, this episode gives you a smarter way to look at it.

Brett sits down with Alex Smereczniak, a former EY consultant who left corporate early, built a high-growth business in the laundry space, and later launched Franzy—a platform designed to make franchising easier to research and navigate.

This conversation covers the mindset shift that helps people stop overestimating the risk of leaving, plus why franchising can be an underrated “business with guardrails” path for escapees who want ownership without building from scratch.

What we cover

• Alex’s escape story: college entrepreneurship → EY → leaving after a year and change

• The moment that validated his decision: an EY partner’s biggest career regret

• Why fear is often self-created—and how to get past it

• A practical worst-case scenario exercise to reset your risk tolerance

• Why franchising is a business model, not an industry

• Franzy’s concept: “Zillow for buying and selling franchise businesses”

• How AI + coaching can narrow thousands of franchise options into a realistic short list

• Underrated franchise categories and trends (senior care, home services, turf, and more)

• The “corporate is one customer” reframe—and why ownership builds equity

Key timestamps (approx.)

• 00:00–03:30 – Alex’s corporate stint + why he left fast

• 03:30–08:30 – The EY exit interview story: “It wasn’t my ladder”

• 08:30–12:30 – Why making money outside corporate is more possible than people think

• 12:30–20:30 – The worst-case scenario exercise (the fear-killer)

• 20:30–28:30 – Alex’s journey building a scaled laundry business + why franchising clicked

• 28:30–33:30 – What franchising actually is (and what most people misunderstand)

• 33:30–40:30 – Franchise categories you probably haven’t considered

• 40:30–46:30 – Equity, control, and why “owning” beats “leasing” your career

Big takeaways

• Most people overestimate the risk of leaving corporate. The real risk is staying dependent on one employer.

• You don’t need a perfect plan. You need small wins and momentum—then you adjust.

• Franchising can be a fast path to ownership because you start with a proven playbook, support, and guardrails.

• Ownership builds equity. A job pays you, but it doesn’t typically create an asset you can sell.

Who this episode is for

• Corporate pros who want out but feel stuck because of risk, family, or finances

• Escapees who want a “business with guardrails” instead of starting from scratch

• Anyone curious about franchising beyond the usual fast-food stereotypes

Resources + links

• Franzy https://franzy.com/

• Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/