What Forty Years in Franchising Actually Teaches You

What we talked about.

Sunny Ray sits down with Mike Harley, a four decade franchising veteran and Chief Franchise Officer at GoRx, a pharmaceutical sales franchise built on protected territories rather than brick and mortar locations. Harley traces his path from an airline reservations job in 1983 through building the largest used car sales franchise network in the US, launching a patented parking reservation software company, and eventually running a franchisor advisory practice before joining GoRx full time in 2025. He explains how GoRx blends FDA and FTC regulatory worlds, why communication and structured support systems matter more than technology alone, and how his three bucket approach to priorities, critical, important, and beneficial, keeps the company focused. Harley compares the franchisor franchisee relationship to a pilot and co pilot who must trust each other, and shares hard won lessons about pacing growth, preparing before executing, and knowing where support ends and ownership begins. The conversation offers a candid, practical look at what four decades in franchising actually teaches you.

A 40 year franchising veteran breaks down what real support, structure, and communication look like inside a modern franchise system.

The questions, and the answers.

What is GoRx and what makes its franchise model unique?

GoRx is a national franchise system built on pharmaceutical sales, so there is no brick and mortar. Each franchise owner gets a protected territory, and we provide onboarding, training, and certifications so their sales team delivers what we call the GoRx way. It is different because pharma is regulated by the FDA and franchising by the FTC, so combining those two worlds creates real challenges, but we have great founders and owners who make it fun.

You've worked in franchising since 1983. What drew you into it?

I actually started in the airlines, answering a newspaper ad for a reservations role. I ended up spending 20 years with that company, building a large rental car system internationally and eventually the largest used car sales franchise network in the US. It was a lot of hard work, but I always say what keeps you up at night in franchising is everything, because you're constantly thinking about how to support your franchisees.

From 2009 to 2016 you built centralized parking reservation software. What problem did it solve?

I was in an incubator and got coached to start with a simple question: when's the last time you had a hard time finding airport parking at a good price? Everyone raises their hand. My wife, a software architect, built the platform and we got a patent pending. We grew it across off airport lots, cruise ports, and events, with mobile apps and automatic gate access. It was 18 hour days for a while, but a good time.

You started your franchisor advisory business in 2022. What did founders most need help with?

I came at it from a different angle, helping franchisors rather than people trying to buy a franchise, since I'd been one for over 20 years. I kept preaching that you need a plan, you need to prepare, and you need to get educated before you execute. Founders often want to go from walk to sprint too fast. My job was sitting down with them and making them really think through the next step.

What changed when you took responsibility as Chief Franchise Officer at GoRx in May 2025?

I was actually retired, living in Central America for four years, before coming back and consulting with GoRx starting in 2023. I understood their plan and endgame and it intrigued me enough that I wanted to put my money where my mouth is. Franchising is hard because you're going into business with strangers. I compare the franchisor franchisee relationship to a pilot and co pilot who have to work together, not fight in the cabin.

What does useful support for a franchise owner look like on an ordinary Tuesday?

Support at GoRx is nonstop. We have an operations manual in a flip book format so franchisees find answers in seconds, plus a library of top questions collected over the years. If it's not there, they email, text, or call. With around 58 to 60 territories, I'd say we're actively supporting franchisees 65 to 70 percent of the time every week. We also run a program called Gulp 90, weekly half hour calls for 90 days where the franchisee sets the agenda.

What's the most important thing you've learned about franchising after all these years?

It comes down to one word: communication. If you're a good communicator and willing to be open, even through tough conversations, and the processes are clear on both sides, franchisor and franchisee gel together. That word serves both parties. I've also learned to run my priorities in three buckets, critical, important, and beneficial, which I didn't have the patience or perspective for earlier in my career.

Where do you draw the line between helpful structure and too much handholding?

The old saying still holds: you're in business for yourself, but not by yourself. We're there to support, and that's where the line sits. Franchisees have to run their business and put in the time; success is on them, not the franchisor. The franchisor provides the systems, the brand, the tools, and in our case the product. That's really where support ends and ownership begins.