Hey folks,

This may sound obvious, but stick with me: 

You don't need to be passionate about what your business does.

In most industries, actually, caring too much about "the thing" can actually hold you back.

I wrote about this before. The TL;DR is: your passion should be building the business, not your actual service or product. 

Except for three industries.

If you work in any of these three industries, you have to care. 

So if you genuinely enjoy working with kids, this could be your ticket.

If you don’t, a franchise in this space will eat you alive.

Here’s why.

1. Parents have zero tolerance for mediocrity

In a window cleaning business, if you leave a smudge on a window, the customer might mention it. Maybe they don't hire you again.

In youth enrichment, any imperfection can feel like a disaster to a parent.

Every parent thinks their child is exceptional. They're constantly evaluating whether your business is helping their child or holding them back.

That means the quality control standards in this business are sky-high and incredibly subjective. You're not just judged on whether you "did the thing." You're judged on whether little Timmy is now a future Olympian or whether Emma's confidence improved.

If you don't genuinely care about the kids and their development, you're going to resent this level of scrutiny real fast.

2. You benefit from the "passion premium"

Here's the flip side: when you do care, it creates a massive advantage.

Because passion attracts passion.

A lot of the best instructors in youth enrichment aren't doing it for the money. They're teachers looking to make extra income. They're former athletes who want to give back. They're people who just like working with kids.

And they'll work for you, sometimes for less than they could make elsewhere, if they see your passion. 

That's not something you get in most industries. But it only works if your passion is genuine. 

If you're just optimizing for profit, the best talent will smell that a mile away.

3. Relationship-building is the job

Youth enrichment is about community.

Your customers aren't just individuals; they're families. And families talk.

If one parent loves your program, they tell five other parents. If one kid has a great experience, their friends want to join too.

But that only happens if you're genuinely plugged into the community. If you're showing up to the local pumpkin festival with a booth. If you're partnering with schools and churches. If you're building real relationships, not just transactional ones.

You can’t run this business through digital ads and outsourced customer service. You have to show up… and care. 

Here's my honest take: if you’re exclusively focused on maximizing financial upside, you’ll probably find opportunities in other industries with higher ceilings.

But if the idea of helping kids develop skills, build confidence, and grow into better versions of themselves sounds fulfilling to you, this could be an incredible fit.

Because in youth enrichment, passion is table stakes.

It doesn’t mean every youth franchise is a lock. 

But when you find one with the right curriculum, training, tech, etc, you get the best of both worlds. 

It’s a rare combo, but powerful. 

And it all comes down to finding the right franchise system.

If this sounds like you, and you want to talk through your options, I’d be happy to help. 

Book a free strategy call with me.

Talk soon,

Connor

P.S. If you want to dive deeper into youth enrichment as an industry, I just did a full webinar breaking down the economics, business models, and key considerations. You can watch the whole thing here (it’s free!).