Episode 285: Creating a Multi-Million Dollar Franchise Business Out of Joy with Rhea Lana Riner
When I tell you, you can start a business out of anything, do you have like an internal eye roll? Today’s guest started a business out of her living room. You can start a business just because you want to help other people. It really is that simple, but simple doesn’t mean easy.
Rhea Lana Riner is the CEO and founder of Rhea Lana’s Children Consignment Events, a national franchise with 120 locations in 26 states. What started as a simple clothing swap in her living room has grown into a multi-million dollar business.
This business empowers moms, it's building communities, and it's providing families with high-quality affordable children's merchandise. Passionate about helping women balance motherhood and entrepreneurship, Rhea Lana has mentored countless franchise owners, guiding them towards personal and professional success.
Listen for the moments of courage and joy – we’re talking about the courage to start small and trying again when something doesn’t exactly work the first time. It takes courage to keep going when you’re not sure what the next step will look like.
Helping moms with secondhand shopping
Rhea Lana was a stay-at-home mom, who wanted to help other mothers. She didn’t have a business background, and wasn’t actually looking to start a business. She grew up in the military. She was an introvert, and according to her, not someone you’d call a leader.
“There was a season in our life where my husband left the corporate world and went into nonprofit work. We moved to another state, and I had these three small children under the age of five,” says Rhea Lana. “And so going from an engineering corporate salary to nonprofit work, we took this big pay cut. And this was in the mid-90s.”
She loved the hunt of secondhand shopping. But the experiences for secondhand shopping weren’t great at that time, from garage sales to consignment stores – Rhea Lana felt there had to be a better way with more accountability.
She took the first step and got 11 women to sign up as consignors. It was a win. But no shoppers came to her first sale. She asked for a second chance and got to work on grassroots invitations. She printed flyers and made yard signs.
“I wanted each mom that was selling her things with me, I wanted her to be able to see exactly what sold and exactly how much so that there would be no questions of just integrity of what happened.”
Rhea Lana wanted to take the consignment industry to the next level. She asked herself what a mom looking for nice things would want for her child.
“Just sort of take it step by step and figure out if there is an audience out there and figure out if you enjoy it,” says Rhea Lana. “I think that's just been part of my journey that's helped make it sustainable for me.”
You really can start with nothing and turn it into something. As women, we’re so creative; we generate idea after idea. It’s so important that we find joy in what we do in business, and we don’t have to take these huge risky ventures. It can be moment by moment by moment.
From growing sales to starting a franchise
Rhea Lana says for that first sale, expectations were low. She remembers when she made $200; it was a win. She went out and bought a fancy purse – the first new thing she’d bought for herself in a long time.
“Because all the money that came in, it went for the kids, or the bills, or the house payment. And I do think that's what women do experience,” says Rhea Lana. “We tend to put ourselves last. And so when I did this little business, all of a sudden, Of course, there was some tension.”
She had to spend money, but also felt the freedom to buy for herself, which was motivating. She says that push for growth helped her narrow her focus to grow and make more money. Her business did grow, gradually with each event.
But with that growth came lessons; from balancing profit with expenses and recognizing how much revenue and income IS possible to make through the business. After working a few years, Rhea Lana realized she was making in one event what a friend made in a year.
“It was just part of the journey of probably giving me the push I needed to kind of take that next step towards franchising.”
She didn’t have the money to hire a consultant; instead, her sister helped her test an event another community. She read “Franchising for Dummies”.
“It just kind of felt manageable. And sure, there's a level of risk, but just a small amount. And we didn't know if anybody would buy it. I had no idea.”
For some women, chasing their dream or finding their purpose in life is about being good at what they do. Success isn’t a cookie cutter. Expanding into your joy and what really makes you happy and trusting yourself to have the courage step after step -- that's a little bit different for everybody.
Seasons of life
Women in particular move through seasons of life change more than men, so finding balance can be elusive, says Rhea Lana.
Seasons might include becoming a mother, or grandmother or caregiver. Some people might spend their whole life in a season and wonder what’s “there thing”? What are they good at? What is their passion?
But there are many women who have started businesses in their 60s or later in life. That freedom can get lost in expectations – you can only start in your 20s, or when your kids are little, or if you’re staying at home – nope. There are no rules. Look not only at what you’re good at, but what brings you joy.
“We absolutely have to keep stepping out of our comfort zone, learning something new,” says Rhea Lana. “If we'll exercise that muscle of taking a small risk or learning a new thing, then when we are in our 60s, we're kind of ready.”
If you can run a household, you can run a business. Women’s ability to multitask translates very well to business.
There is time.
Take the first step towards joy
The first step in business is always going to be to test it out. Rhea Lana says she doesn't think you start with wanting to be an entrepreneur. You start with a need.
“Even for yourself, where do you have frustrations in life because of what's out there with the current businesses or organizations? And figure out how to meet a need. And I think then when you figure that out, that's where you start. And then just keep trying,” she says.
It will take resilience. You will have to pick yourself up and try again.
“Are we complainers or are we fixers? If we have a fixing mindset, how could I fix this if I had the opportunity? Or in my little world, how could I make this better?”
Free gift for listeners
Book a free, 30-minute consult call to women in your audience who would like my insight as to the next step in their journey here. Maybe it's business/entrepreneurial and interest in our franchise system, or maybe it's something else. I will also be sending a free leadership resource to aid them in their journey of personal growth, along with some free Rhea Lana's merch!
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It's time to move from "fingers crossed" to clear and successful.