Alex Smereczniak

2010: Bought my first business, Wake Wash. Learned seller financing + DCF before I knew what to do with them. Life changed. 2014: Graduated from Wake Forest. Sold Wake Wash for multiple 6 figures. Joined Ernst & Young. 2016: Quit EY. Started 2ULaundry with childhood friends, 5 guys, 3-bedroom apartment, mattresses on the floor, doing deliveries and laundry ourselves. Raised $400K on a $2M valuation. 2017–2019: Techstars → Atlanta. Built our first laundromat in an old McDonald’s. Raised $8.9M (seed + Series A). Thought we’d “made it.” We hadn’t. 2020: Launched Raleigh… shut it down 60 days later due to COVID. Laid off people I cared about. Rebuilt the model and planted the seeds of LaundroLab. 2021–2022: Franchising took off, sold 100+ licenses, raised $20M Series B. Learned that growth only matters when incentives align with the people building alongside you. 2023: A year of pain: dad’s cancer, COO’s passing, ruptured Achilles, wife’s immigration challenges. Realized nothing matters more than health and loved ones. Stepped down as CEO. 2024: Focused on myself. Then teamed up with Chris Wright to build @franzyinc, an idea from 2021 to democratize franchising and empower operators. 2025: Fully launched Franzy. Raised $3.6M. Became a dad to Luka Mateo. None of this makes me “successful.” It just means I’ve stuck around long enough to learn what actually matters: Build things that help people Work with aligned incentives Don’t lose yourself in the process 34 years in. Many more miles to go. If you’re betting on yourself this year, I’m rooting for you.

@sodacitysimpson Well said, Cole! Thanks for sharing the ep!

Franchising is awesome It can be: 1. A great entry point to entrepreneurship 2. A playbook that allows you to scale much faster 3. A built in peer group Are there bad actors? Of course, there are bad actors in everything

@JustinWaltz @mhp_guy Thanks @JustinWaltz trying to get the word out!

@mhp_guy Nice work @AlexfromFranzy 😊

Not everyone is ready for full-fledged entrepreneurship. There's real risk to working for yourself. Risk you might not be comfortable taking. But you also don't want a boss. You don't want to clock in and out every day. Maybe you're looking for something in between. A sweet spot. And that's where this video will blow your mind. It can be the best of both worlds. You still have accountability. You have someone holding your hand But you're a business owner. You own equity. And most importantly, you own your time. This one is a banger. I talked to Alex who is an expert with all things franchise. I told him, "Alex, bring me your three best franchises that are very approachable, affordable, but still can scale to millions of dollars a year in revenue or profit." And he did not disappoint. I was shocked by how much these random franchises make. Check this out.

@ChrisHinze @Codie_Sanchez SBA lending/private lending + home services businesses w/o storefronts. You can buy and start a franchise with less than 25k down

@Codie_Sanchez A lot of these will remain and be fantastic cash flowing assets. The issue will be who can afford to pay for it?

The best cash-flow businesses of the next decade are already built, already profitable, and already for sale right now: - Laundromats - Car washes - Plumbers - Roofers - Electricians - Painters - Landscapers - Cleaners - Pool service - HVAC service - Pest control - Tree service - Auto repair - Tire shops - Self-storage - Dry cleaners - Pressure washing - Window cleaning - Gutter cleaning

@mhp_guy Thanks for having me on Chris!

Owning a franchise is what people concerned about AI eliminating their job should do.

Franchising isn’t one thing… it works for builders, operators, and people who want freedom with a playbook. The real unlock is finding the right fit, not the “right” brand.👇

The first time someone buys into your vision, it hits different. That moment of validation is a high you never forget, and never really stop chasing.

School teaches you to fear failure… Entrepreneurship teaches you to learn from it. This mindset shift changed everything for me, and it can change your trajectory, too.

My mom always said, “roots and wings.” Here’s why growing up in a small town made leaving feel necessary and inevitable.👇

I used to think franchising was just McDonald’s, Subway, or something I could never afford. Turns out, it’s not about the brand… it’s about finding the right partner and the right fit for you.👇

Franchising wasn’t just a new chapter, it was an entirely different universe we had to learn from scratch. Most people have no idea how expensive and complex it really is until you’re already in the deep end.

How does one person run 100 franchises without losing their mind? It’s systems, layers of leadership, and a playbook that turns chaos into scale.

Not all franchise news is created equal. The Franzy Five newsletter cuts through the noise and brings you: • The week’s biggest franchise stories • Our expert analysis on what it means for operators • All in a quick, 5-minute read Join below: newsletter.franzy.com

Big franchise growth doesn’t always start with hundreds of stores. Sometimes it starts with the right operators. Lola Beans, a drive-thru coffee concept founded in 2020, just signed the largest deal in its history. Kirk Jeter and Coleen Jeter committed to developing 120 units as area reps across Texas. The couple initially signed a 15-unit agreement through the Jeter Group and will now recruit and support additional franchisees as the brand scales. Lola Beans only began franchising earlier this year, proof that with the right partners, growth can accelerate fast.

New on @franzyinc : Seattle Seahawks $624M in annual revenue Built in 1976 Strong brand recognition Downside: SBA lenders are being weird about this one.

The Seattle Seahawks will go up for sale after Super Bowl LX, league and ownership sources familiar with the arrangement tell ESPN, ending years of questions about when the team would seek new ownership following the 2018 death of former owner Paul G. Allen. spr.ly/6015hEjAd

Learn more about them on Franzy below: franzy.com/franchises/cit…

Most people think recession-proof businesses are boring. They’re wrong. One of the most compelling franchise models right now looks like Goodwill, except instead of donated clothes, it resells electronics, secondary metals, and precious metals. That’s City eWaste (@cityewaste). It’s a purpose-driven, first-to-market franchise with multiple revenue streams, global demand, and strong sustainability tailwinds. Inventory is often acquired at little to no cost, margins are high, and operations are simple. With a sub-$200K investment, $75K minimum cash, and the ability to operate while keeping your job, this is a rare mix of impact, resilience, and scalability, built for where the economy is heading next.

What if buying a business were as easy as browsing Zillow or booking on Expedia? Franchising turns entrepreneurship into a shortcut… proven brands, real data, and a faster path to ownership.