When pursuing a franchise, entrepreneurs aren’t just investing in a business model. They’re investing in the opportunity to tap into the industry-leading insights and expertise of a strong, successful leadership team.
For Venture X franchisees, that means tapping into a seemingly bottomless reservoir of insights and knowledge, garnered by one of the strongest leadership teams in the business.
While any industry leader should come equipped with an endless depth of expertise, few share the same breadth of experience, knowledge and success as Venture X President, Jason Anderson.
Beyond Diversity in the Workplace: The Benefits of a Diverse Career Path
“I’ve always lived by the philosophy of learning all you can in an industry to become an expert, and working to be so good they can’t ignore you,” Jason said.
One look at Jason’s resume, and it’s obvious he truly lives by that philosophy – fully immersing himself in any given industry to become the best.
Most recently, that meant becoming the president of Venture X, an innovative coworking franchise, and one of nine brands within the United Franchise Group (UFG) portfolio.
But, from real estate to marketing and technology, Jason has ventured into a vast array of verticals. He’s also found tremendous success in every single one of them, armed with insights and experience within a far-from-straight-lined career path.
Shifting Gears from Custom Cars to Homes and Businesses
Before coming to UFG and Venture X, Jason opened a custom auto shop, while simultaneously working in avionic maintenance for the U.S. Air Force.
Soon after, however, Jason was already hungry for his next challenge in business, as well as the chance to become an expert in an entirely new industry. He turned to the booming Dallas real estate market, and opened his own firm, Premier Property Marketing Group.
Four years later, Jason was a top broker in the nation, grew his firm to 200 agents and landed himself countless awards and recognition, including a Relator Magazine cover. He also graced the pages of Forbes, when he was ranked among the country’s top young entrepreneurs on the first “30 under 30” list.
“I am very grateful for the recognition and experience I had in real estate, but the industry was never really my passion,” Jason said. “When I eventually sold the real estate firm, I was approached by UFG to join their company, and I jumped right in. Now, instead of selling houses, I was selling businesses – and promoting business and entrepreneurship was always something I had been really passionate about.”
When Your Product is Your Property: Site Selection in Shared Workspaces
Owning a real estate firm may not have been Jason’s passion project, but his aptitude for the industry is undeniable. And now, his unparalleled level of real estate experience and expertise has made him an invaluable resource for Venture X franchisees.
Just as Jason has tried his hand – and succeeded – in myriad different areas of the business world, he has a hand in every aspect of the Venture X franchise, including real estate strategy and support.
“When you own a coworking franchise, your most valuable asset is your real estate,” Jason said. “You need to be selective and strategic to find a site that has all the right elements – the right location, square footage, layout, ambience and countless other factors – in order to create a space that will attract people to want to work in that space.”
Jason’s wealth of real estate experience and expertise is a readily-available resource franchisees and corporate team members alike can tap into. And, in the coworking business, when your property is your product, successful real estate strategy couldn’t be more important.
Staying Ahead of the Trends – and On the Cutting Edge – with Training and Support
“I thrive in an area of change, which is what led me to pursue so many different interests and business opportunities,” Jason said. “I never tire of the dynamic work environment at UFG. And, as President of Venture X, I’m now able to put all my experience and knowledge toward helping our Venture X franchisees build their businesses within the booming coworking space.”
Jason’s top-to-bottom acumen in diverse business segments has been an invaluable asset for UFG – and it has already proven to be just as advantageous for Venture X franchisees.
From best-in-class site selection and design strategy, to cutting-edge technology, like essensys IT infrastructure, franchisees are fully-outfitted with all the support tools they need to run their business efficiently and profitably.
The latest improvements and innovations to Venture X’s second-to-none training and support were guided, in part, by Jason’s knowledge in a broad spectrum of areas. With a hands-on approach to every area of the business, Jason plays an integral role in finding and vetting the right tools and technology that help franchisees stand above the competition.
The Strength of Two-Way Communication and Hands-On Leadership
After six years of quickly climbing the ranks in UFG, Jason is a fearless leader and fierce force driving the company and portfolio brands forward. Jason’s company roles and responsibilities may have changed, but his insatiable work ethic and strong leadership skills have not.
“I’ve never come into any business with the mindset that I know everything,” Jason said. “When I started my new role at Venture X, I visited a multitude of the franchise locations, asked franchisees what they would change if they could, and I just listened.”
Jason says Venture X franchisees are one of his greatest resources, when it comes to staying dedicated to constant innovation and improvement. Because they’re the ones managing the business every day, they’re able to provide the leadership team with boots-on-the-ground suggestions and insights into the franchise.
Speaking with franchisees directly, and visiting their locations in person, were central to Jason’s initial understanding of the brand – and that strong franchisee/franchisor relationship remains at the core of Jason’s leadership style.
“For me, business is about constantly learning and adapting, and there’s always more you can learn from the franchisees and their perspective within any franchise system,” Jason said. “I’m a firm believer in leading by doing and setting a good example, and part of that is also really working to create strong relationships and constructive, two-way communication.”
Backed by a best-in-class leadership team, with Jason at its helm, the Venture X franchise brand is already in prime position to deliver on aggressive growth plans this year. Additionally, the brand is backed by the franchise powerhouse United Franchise Group, led by founder and CEO, Ray Titus, who has more than 30 years of franchising experience.
The cutting-edge franchise brand is fast-moving along the path of continued, compounding success, and more importantly, so are its franchisees.