Why I Turned Away 25% of People Who Wanted a Franchise | Mike Harley

LEVEL 3: $3–$10M Dollars. Operator, Team & Leadership Stage. On today's episode of The Business Game, we're sitting down with Mike Harley, a franchise specialist with decades of experience building and scaling franchise systems across multiple industries, from car rentals to used car sales to now, healthcare. Mike started his career by accident, answering a newspaper ad that pulled him into the franchise world. He rebuilt Payless Car Rental's software and call center infrastructure, helped grow it into a top 10 car rental company in the US, took another car company public, and built Payless Car Sales into 60 franchise locations in just five years. Now he's bringing that playbook to the struggling US independent pharmacy market through Galt Phranchise Systems, a company betting that franchising can save independent pharmacies from the mounting pressures of reimbursement cuts, PBM control, rising drug costs, and labor shortages. Let's dive in, with Mike Harley: Why independent pharmacies are closing at a "crazy rate" across the US What PBMs, reimbursement pressure, and shrinking margins actually look like day-to-day Why franchising could be the answer for an industry in crisis Inside Galt Phranchise Systems: FDA-approved products, real-time data, and protected territories The pilot & co-pilot analogy: why franchisor-franchisee alignment is everything Regulatory compliance: what happens when you put FDA and FTC in the same sentence The 60–120 day onboarding process and the "look me in the eye" commitment moment What new franchisors get wrong when they try to scale Why the hardest part to systemize isn't the process Ego as the biggest barrier to franchise success Who the ideal Galt franchisee is (and the 5 target markets) Pharmacy business vs. franchise business: why they're two separate things Hiring philosophy: 80% personality, 20% work ethic When Galt isn't the answer: the honest conversation with struggling pharmacy owners Why Mike turned away 25% of franchise applicants in his car rental days The 2 AM phone call that saved a franchisee $2.5 million The vision: building a billion-dollar organization from $100–150M today What keeps Mike up at night (and why it's never corporate, it's always the franchisees) If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or business owner trying to understand franchising as a growth vehicle, navigate regulated industries, or build a scalable system that doesn't depend entirely on you — this episode is packed with hard-won lessons, practical frameworks, and a refreshing look at why the right mindset matters more than the right résumé. Connect with Mike Harley: LinkedIn:   / mikeharley   Galt Phranchise Systems: https://galtfranchise.com 00:00 — Intro 01:30 — From Airlines to Franchising: An Accidental Career 05:00 — The Independent Pharmacy Crisis in the US 08:00 — Why Franchising Could Be the Answer 10:00 — Inside Galt Phranchise Systems: What a Franchisee Gets 15:00 — Protected Territories & Real-Time Data 18:00 — Regulatory Compliance: FDA + FTC Daily Challenge 20:00 — Onboarding: The 60–120 Day Consultative Process 22:00 — "Look Me in the Eye": The Commitment Moment 24:00 — What New Franchisors Get Wrong 26:00 — The Hardest Part to Systemize: Mindset 28:00 — Ego as the Biggest Barrier in Franchising 30:00 — Who Is the Ideal Galt Franchisee? 32:00 — Pharmacy Business vs. Franchise Business: Two Separate Things 34:00 — Lessons from Parking & Recreation Operations 37:00 — Hiring Philosophy: 80% Personality, 20% Work Ethic 40:00 — Trust & Empowerment Over Micromanagement 42:00 — When Galt Isn't the Answer 45:00 — Turning Away 25% of Franchise Applicants 46:00 — What Mike Loves About Galt: The Two Founders 47:00 — What Keeps Mike Up at Night 49:00 — The 2 AM Call That Saved $2.5 Million 50:00 — The Vision: Building a Billion-Dollar Organization 51:00 — The Biggest Constraint: Outside Forces 52:00 — Surviving COVID, 9/11 & Unforeseen Disruptions 53:00 — Quick Fire Round 54:30 — Where to Find Mike & Galt Phranchise Systems The Business Game is proud to partner with HighLevel, the all-in-one CRM and marketing platform built for growing businesses. With CRM, funnel, website, and course builders, marketing automations, email builders, and so much more, HighLevel software will drive your customer retention and your profits through the stratosphere — so click here for your 14-day free trial: https://www.gohighlevel.com/?fp_ref=r... This episode contains affiliate advertising. The Business Game Group is a GoHighLevel affiliate. If you sign up through the link in the show notes, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. 👇 Let us know in the comments: If you could ask Mike one question about franchising, navigating regulated industries, or scaling a franchise system, what would it be?