Fatherhood, Franchising & Other Bad Decisions: September 2026

In short

After six months without an edition, Rob Lancit returns with three sections. The first covers a summer on the road: the NEM Franchise Show in Rhode Island, Franchise Mastermind in Portland, Maine, which he calls one of his favorite events, and the International Franchise Expo in New York. His conclusion has little to do with the events. After more than 30 years in franchising, the people he met at conferences have become close friends and trusted advisors, and a few act as what he calls his unofficial, unlicensed therapists: the ones who challenge him and say what he does not want to hear.

The second section is about the book, Take My Advice, I’m Not Using It. He says he never set out to be an author. He set out to write something for his kids, so they would know the stories behind the lessons he has tried to teach them, including the decisions he got badly wrong and the losses that shaped him. Partway through he saw that the mistakes and regrets were not unique to him. He states that it is not a franchising book, that one is coming, and that this one is about fatherhood, family, relationships, careers, money, loss, success, failure, regret and perspective.

The third section is a progress report. He closed two Stratus Building Solutions master franchise deals in the quarter, which puts him three short of 100, the goal he set at the start of the year. He declines to celebrate before the contracts are signed.

Summary by the editors of this site. The original is Rob’s own writing; read the edition at the source.