Mark Ware: Balancing Work and Family
Birmingham, AL; Jackson, MS; Atlanta and Macon, GA Franchises
For many people, the idea of life as a teaching golf pro sounds positively idyllic. But for Mark Ware, it meant long hours, low pay and weekends and holidays away from his family. He knew there had to be a better opportunity, and he found it with Unishippers. Mark purchased his first franchise in 1991, and has since added four more. It was clear to Mark from the beginning that this was something special.
For Mark, the concept of Unishippers just made sense. He states, “I’m not really a salesman, but I am really good at convincing people to do the right things. This was something I could really believe in. It was something I wanted to share, not necessarily something that needed to be sold.”
Mark finds it liberating to be his own boss, and he loves the opportunity to be entrepreneurial. But more than that, he loves the flexibility he gets with Unishippers. He can adjust his schedule around the hectic lives of his wife and four daughters, and get to most of their sporting events and school activities.
Over the past 16 years, Mark has made a few mistakes, but he doesn’t regret a single one. He believes he’s stronger and more successful today because he’s learned from those mistakes. And he’s never let up. He continues to work with the same passion and enthusiasm as he did when he first started the business. And now that he has a team of 20 dedicated people working with him, he makes sure to inject that same excitement into every one of them. Mark has also learned to use all of the resources and support systems that Unishippers offers. “They’re a resource, not an authority figure. They get in the trenches with you and help you with the business. They’re industry veterans, and they bring a lot of expertise to the table.
Mark entered into the business prepared to work hard and sacrifice to achieve success. He’s certainly done that, but he’s also had some pleasant surprises along the way. Recently Mark said, “I thought this would be a small window of opportunity. I thought it would be good for five, maybe eight years. But 16 years later, there’s as much opportunity as there was the day I started. It hasn’t peaked yet in a single one of my markets. I truly believe the best is yet to come.”
> Find out how the Nichols Family turned tragedy into a family success story.
