From Laundry to Franchising| Ep. 185 | Alex Smereczniak,

In this episode of The Girl Dad Show, Young Han sits down with Alex Smereczniak, co-founder and CEO of Franzy, a marketplace designed to democratize buying and selling franchise businesses. Alex shares his entrepreneurial journey — from launching a laundry business in college to building Franzy — and dives deep into the unique challenges and opportunities within the franchise ecosystem.

The conversation explores the balance between business and family, the overwhelming early days of parenthood, and how empathy, grace, and structured family goals play a key role in navigating both worlds. Alex also highlights why happiness is his North Star, the importance of adaptability in parenting and entrepreneurship, and what success truly means to him.

✨ All episodes of The Girl Dad Show are proudly sponsored by Thesis — helping founders go further, together.

Takeaways

1. Franzy is creating a marketplace for buying and selling franchises
2. Alex’s journey started in the laundry industry during college
3. Franchisors often struggle financially until hitting scale
4. Happiness is a guiding principle for both parenting and business
5. Parenthood requires grace, empathy, and adaptability
6. Family goals can be structured like business OKRs
7. Success means building a significant business while being present for family

🔗 CONNECT WITH ALEX SMERECZIAK

👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-%F0%9F%A6%81-40310329/

🔗 CONNECT WITH YOUNG HAN

👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younghan/

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💻 Website: https://www.alwayshan.com

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