Franchise Business Review Logo
  • Print Editions
  • About FBR
  • Franchisors
  • Search
  • Search
  • Reviews
  • Awards & Ratings
      • Featured
      • Top 200 Franchises
      • Top Low Cost Franchises
      • Top Food Franchises
      • Top Franchises for Women
      • By Investment
      • Under $50K
      • $50K to $99K
      • $100K to $199K
      • Over $200K
      • Special Interest
      • Most Profitable Franchises
      • Top Home-Based Franchises
      • Franchise Culture100
      • Rock Star Awards
      • Recession Proof Franchises
      • Second Career Franchises
      • Top Franchises for Veterans
      • By Industry
      • Advertising & Sales
      • Automotive
      • Business Services
      • Child Services
      • Cleaning & Maintenance
      • Education
      • Financial & Tax
      • Fitness
      • Food & Beverage
      • Home Services
      • Pet Services
      • Retail
      • Senior Care
      • Services
      • Sports & Recreation
      • Technology
      • Travel
  • Learning Center
Free Subscription

Michael Rauen & Jason Jackson, Franchisee Rock Stars, TSS Photography

  • Share Post

What advice do you have for someone considering investing in a franchise?

Do your homework! Know your market, know your finances, and know yourself! You have to be willing to invest--not just money or time--but yourself into the business!

What are you most proud of when it comes to your career in franchising?

We started this while serving on active duty in the Navy and were able to transition into this business somewhat seamlessly. Our military training has been invaluable to us having a "can do'" attitude. That got us noticed by our peers and franchise leadership very quickly!

What was your career path before you entered franchising?

Jason was an active duty (now retired) Navy Chief Petty Officer. He was a career recruiter, who taught his junior sailors sales techniques, and how to talk to with businesses and applicants.He also did quite a bit of sports photography on his own, and then later for a TSS Photography franchise in Florida. Michael works as a network engineer in his civilian career and as a Navy Reserve Supply Corps Lieutenant Commander. He dabbled in photography during his military service in foreign countries. Jason was looking for a career after the Navy, and Michael was looking to re-enter the civilian workforce after a four-year return to active duty (where he ran two recruiting divisions with Jason). Their combined talents made owning a photography franchise a great fit!

As a business owner, what has been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome?

The biggest challenge to overcome isn't rejection. Rejection is easy - you know where you stand and can move forward. The biggest challenge is trying to land a client who won't respond.The second has been the challenge of keeping a new business going during a business lockdown. Creativity and patience have been key to staying positive and finding work!

What do you like most about your franchise organization?

Working with Candid Color Systems, TSS Photography Franchising, and Glamour Shots Licensing has been amazing! The owners are genuinely concerned about every franchise owner! The corporate business employees treat the franchise owners as friends and not as separate businesses. And, working with the other franchise owners is definitely like working with great friends and family, rather than strangers or competitors!

TSS Photography is the nation's leading photography franchise, specializing in sports, school and event photography services. Learn more about them here. 

What is one of the biggest mistakes you made when you were first starting your business? What was your biggest takeaway from it?

Buying equipment too soon. We'd see a deal on equipment and buy it, thinking we would use it--and then end up going in a different direction. It taught us to slow down and really think about what we were buying, what its benefit was, what was its return on investment, and how did it fit with where the industry is going and where we want to go.

Is there a book or podcast you've read/listened to that has helped you in starting or building your business?

Both of us have different experiences and ideas that we've picked up from books, articles, and from our local Small Business Development Center at our local community college (Thanks to Del Mar College and Jamey Jones, our advisor). It's hard to pin down one source - but the SBDC has definitely been invaluable!

How do you think your military experience has helped you as a business owner?

We were both enlisted in the Navy and learned to follow orders, delegate, and to get the job done. We eventually rose through the ranks into leadership positions. Jason achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer and Michael became a commissioned officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. We worked together managing eight Navy recruiting offices throughout South Texas and mentored about 30 recruiters and 250 recruits monthly. We learned to trust one another’s judgment and to build cohesive teams--since each office had different personalities, communities, goals, and customers. The sales aspect to recruiting--along with having a shared market (high schools and their contacts)--made for a smooth transition to operating our franchise!

What leadership qualities are most important to you and your team?

Hands down, it’s trustworthiness. Your team has to trust that you mean what you say and that you’re looking out for them. As leaders, we need to be able to trust that our team is going to perform and uphold the values we present to our customers.

What are the biggest work related challenges you are facing during this pandemic? What have you done to address them?

Retaining staff, finding new customers, and retaining existing customers have been our biggest challenges. We hired one person just as this pandemic hit. We made the decision to lower our salaries to ensure that the person could continue working. Our other employees are contractors, so we made sure to keep in contact with them and keep them updated. Finding new customers was a matter of finding new ways to freshen our social media content every day, sometimes 2 to 4 times a day. This meant sometimes photographing our own family members! We created new flyers and emails and did targeted mailings, too.  We did the same thing to market to our existing customers. We kept in touch with them and reassured them that we would be able to transition to new rules and standards quickly and efficiently--bringing our forward technology advantage that TSS Franchisees get with Candid Color Systems!

More About TSS Photography 

TSS Photography is the nation's leading photography franchise, specializing in sports, school and event photography services. TSS Photography franchise owners enjoy the flexibility of the home-based system, as well as the low overhead costs and the comprehensive training, support and technology the corporate office provides. 

Learn More About TSS Photography here. 

Award-Winning Franchises

Precision Concrete CuttingLogo

Precision Concrete Cutting

Cash required:
    $72,000


Initial Investment:
     $155,000 - $181,500


Learn More
Creative World SchoolLogo

Creative World School

Cash required:
    $400,000


Initial Investment:
     $2,445,300 - $5,206,000


Learn More
The Learning ExperienceLogo

The Learning Experience

Cash required:
    $150,000


Initial Investment:
     $544,419 - $3,586,419


Learn More
  • Share Post

Related Content

Why Two Men And A Truck is a Top Franchise Brand

Why Two Men And A Truck is a Top Franchise Brand

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK are among the best in franchising. They made FBR's Top 200 Franchise list in 2020 with a franchisee satisfaction score of 89!

Lost Your Job? Franchise Ownership Could Be Your Next Career Move

Lost Your Job? Franchise Ownership Could Be Your Next Career Move

Sometimes losing a job can be a blessing in disguise, offering the chance at a new opportunity and a fresh start.

Minuteman Press Franchise Owner Peter Castorena Grows Sales During COVID-19, Sends Giant Thank You Gift to Franchisor Minuteman Press International

Minuteman Press Franchise Owner Peter Castorena Grows Sales During COVID-19, Sends Giant Thank You Gift to Franchisor Minuteman Press International

Peter Castorena owns the Minuteman Press printing franchise in Lancaster, California. Already a member of the President’s Million-Dollar Circle for achieving yearly gross sales of at least $1 million, Peter has continued to grow his sales even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cal and Lenka Pascanu Discuss Franchise Ownership with Christian Brothers Automotive

Cal and Lenka Pascanu Discuss Franchise Ownership with Christian Brothers Automotive

Name: Cal and Lenka Pascanu Location: Peoria and Surprise, AZ  Franchise Owner Since: 2018 1. What was it about the franchise model and/or leadership that led you to purchase it?

Want to be the first to know when new ratings and reviews are released?

Subscribe Now
  • Reviews
  • Awards & Ratings
  • Learning Center
  • Print Editions
  • About FBR
  • Franchisors

Contact FBR: [email protected] | 866.397.6680


DISCLAIMER: The information contained herein has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed, and does not constitute any investment recommendation. A franchise investment requires a personal assessment of your objectives, financial situation, skills, goals, and many other factors. Before making any investment decision, you need to consider whether this information is appropriate to your situation and needs.

Copyright © Franchise Business Review by Franchise Business Review. All rights reserved. Terms | Privacy Policy