How many times did you see Little Caesars on Sunday night (Superbowl)?

I’m more interested in another question.

Can I get rich selling $7 pizzas . . . ?

Little Caesars is one of the lowest-cost ways to feed a family.

Their model is very simple: no order ahead, no delivery, no dine-in. All the food is hot and ready.

They use the same core ingredients in all their products: the same cheese, dough, sauce, pepperoni, etc.

You may be surprised by how much they make.

What’s even more surprising is how many locations some franchisees own.

There are 3,500 stores in the US owned by 740 owners.

Average 4.7 stores per owner.

There are dozens of owners that own 10, 15, 20, 30 40+ locations.

Most of these are just ordinary people like me and you, not big corporations.

That’s what I love about franchising.

Once you can figure out the model then you can duplicate it over and over again.

The hardest part has nothing to do with pizza.

It all comes down to your ability to build the teams and implement systems to scale it.

But none of it is rocket science.

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Being rich is better than being poor… but your REAL REWARD is to be happy.

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One of the biggest differences between owning a business and owning a job comes down to one thing:

Processes.

If something in your business lives only in your head, it’s not a system — it’s a risk.

Here’s a simple rule I love:

If a task happens more than 3 times and has more than 3 steps, it needs to be documented. (We call it the 3×3 rule.)

Write down:

• The task

• The numbered steps to complete it

Congratulations — you’ve just created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Drop it into a shared folder. Revisit it as things improve. Repeat.

What happens next is powerful:

• Your business becomes easier to run

• Growth becomes possible

• And yes… the value of your business increases

Simple doesn’t mean easy — but it does mean scalable.

Next week: a conflicting thought.

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. I got so much procrastinating done today.

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Conflicting thought from last week…

A business absolutely needs to systemize its basic functions and processes.

But systems do not set you free… systems stifle creativity.

Successful businesses are built by intelligent people who hire intelligent people to use their creativity.

The ‘Influencer’ on your FB page is a salesperson… not a legit business owner with many staff and a real business.

Zuckerberg, Blakely, Gates, Jobs, Dell, Musk, Buffett, Dalio and Sheryl Sandberg aren’t clogging up your FB feed.

What do these folks all have in common?

They’re insanely intelligent people who hired more intelligent people and subsequently built great companies.

Don’t give intelligent people too regimented of systems to follow.

They’ll leave.

16 year olds at McDonalds are different.

Here it is in a single sentence for you:

‘Large successful companies are built by intelligent people and intelligent people want to use their intelligence in a creative way.’

You heard it here first.

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker 😊 helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Hire intelligent people… give them a desired outcome and then get out of their way.

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Happy New Year!

As this year comes to a close, I keep thinking about a moment from a few years back.

I was hiking on some steep mountains with my son. The trail was narrow, carved into the side of a red rock cliff. We stopped for a moment to take it all in — endless blue sky, red earth stretching for miles. It was breathtaking.

And if I’m honest… a little unsettling.

I remember looking down and thinking, that drop isn’t forgiving.

After a quiet moment, he looked at me and asked,

“Why do we do things that are scary?”

It’s a question that sticks with you.

Because right on the edge of fear is where growth tends to begin.

As we head into a new year, I’m reminded that the moments that changed my life the most didn’t come from staying comfortable. They came from saying yes when I wasn’t fully ready. From exploring something new before I had all the answers. From leaning into uncertainty instead of avoiding it.

The edge can feel uncomfortable.

But it’s also where the view changes.

As the clock turns and a new year begins, here’s a question worth sitting with:

What uncomfortable thing have you been avoiding that might actually lead you to your next level?

You don’t have to act on it tonight.

You just have to be honest with yourself.

Wishing you clarity, courage, and a year ahead that feels aligned.

Happy New Year

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
— Neale Donald Walsch

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Constructive criticism can be very powerful.

Problem: It’s rarely used correctly and therefore criticism is often, dangerous:

Creates negative emotions.

Makes people feel inferior.

Injures pride.

Creates resentment.

I’m still working on this myself, but I’m learning that if I want a better outcome, I need to rely less on criticism and more on communication, thoughtful questions, metaphors, pausing, silence, examples, and patience.

Especially this time of year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Quickest way to get over others… get over yourself.

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Welcome back and hope you’re finally over the turkey hangover!

My big “ah ha” from going around the table and giving thanks:

You only need three things to be truly happy in this world. Someone to love, something to do and something to hope for.

Now on to the regularly scheduled program . . . .

Your work ethic will offend lazy people in your life.

Your happiness will offend them also.

Careful of who you surround yourself with.

Here it is in a single sentence for you:

‘As you develop into an elite individual… you’ll outgrow people and that’s OK.’

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker 😊 helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. They were never your real friend unless your Momma cussed both of you out together.

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When it comes to building a business, there’s always one golden rule:

People don’t buy the thing — they buy what the thing gets them.

It’s the same loop every entrepreneur lives in: problem → solution → new (better) problem.

I know someone who sold his company for a fortune… and his new “problem” became boredom and lack of purpose. (When you no longer need money, meaning becomes the next mountain.)

That’s the real secret behind business ownership:

• People don’t want a franchise… They want control of their life.

• They don’t want an LLC… They want optionality and breathing room.

• They don’t want “to be their own boss”… They want time back — and the choice to say yes or no.

Same idea with AI.

The smart way isn’t to “sell AI.” It’s to sell what AI makes possible — freedom, speed, leverage, peace of mind.

Just like franchising isn’t about the business, it’s about the life the business funds.

That’s why so many people dream of owning a business… but stall when it comes to choosing one. They’re looking at the drill, not the hole in the wall.

The real question is:

What outcome are you actually trying to buy?

Because once that gets clear, the right business becomes obvious.

And, yes, of course I’m here to help you with that 😉

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker 😊 helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Excuses make today easy but tomorrow harder. Discipline makes today hard but tomorrow easier.

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You do not decide your future.

You decide your habits.

Your habits decide your future.

Read that again.

Act accordingly.

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Kids don’t say, ‘Dad, I had a tough day, can we talk? They say, ‘Dad, will you play with me?’

P.S.S. I won’t be publishing the newsletter next week. I’ll be cooking for Thanksgiving. My guess is most of you will be checked out anyways, as you should be.

P.S.S.S. I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU!

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1. The number one mistake of investing is not investing.

2. People lie but numbers don’t.

3. More of your procrastination equals more of your suffering.

4. Poor people sell their time and rich people buy their time.

5. You’ve heard number four but probably still aren’t doing it.

You heard it here first.

Any others you’d add to the list? Let me know.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy. 😊

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Last week I went to a seafood restaurant. The food? Fantastic. The service? Brutal.

Late drinks, missing silverware, and a waiter who clearly wanted to be anywhere else.

It was a bad experience.

Then I joined a coaching call. The content was gold — practical, actionable, exactly what I needed. But the coach showed up late, kept glancing at his phone, and background noise made it feel like he was broadcasting live from a food court.

Again, bad experience.

And then — because apparently I was on a roll — I attended a live event. Great content. But the directions were wrong, the room setup was chaos, and no one seemed to know who was running the show.

You guessed it… bad experience.

Here’s the thing:

Your content might be amazing. Your product might be bulletproof. Your offer might be the best in your market.

But if the experience sucks — none of that matters.

People remember how you made them feel more than what you said or sold.

So when you start looking at what might be the PERFECT franchise for you… ask yourself:

What’s the experience like — not just the content?

Because that’s the difference between a customer who buys once… and a believer who stays for life.

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Being wealthy is not about what you know…. its about how you behave.

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Networking is a critical skill of being uber successful in business.

Not the lame BNI style name badge on your chest and speak for 2 minutes when it’s your turn while meeting broke people distracting themselves from hard work.

Networking will help you:

- Find prospects

- Find clients

- Find referral partners

- Find partners

- Find key relationships

- Find value

…

Read more

You probably didn’t know but I’m in the process of getting my house ready to put on the market. I think it’s one of the top 5 stressors in life, especially when you’re doing it with your spouse. Figured this is appropriate no matter what stressors you’re going through in life or relationships.

This is straight from multi-billionaire Ray Dalio, author of Principles.

1. What creates and sustains truly great relationships (like great marriages and great partnerships) is the unwavering belief that nothing is more important than the relationship.

2. If you need to assess the value of the relationship, think hard about whether your most important values and principles are aligned, putting the really important ones ahead of the not so important ones.

3. The key to all good relationships is to A) be in sync about how you should be with each other, especially how you should disagree and get past your disagreements, and B) give far more than you demand with those who will do the same with you.

You heard it here first.

Kinda.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker 😊 helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. Most SUPERSTARS are found rather than created.

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My friend’s daughter recently turned 7… and she was EXCITED! 🎉

Why wasn’t I that excited when I turned 47?

Two reasons:

1️⃣ Psychology

2️⃣ Math

For a 6-year-old, turning 7 is a 15% gain. For a 46-year-old, turning 47 is just a 2% gain. One feels big. The other feels… flat.

That’s what I call relative gain—and it’s the same thing many professionals feel in their careers.

Landing your first job, getting your first raise, your first big promotion—EXCITING. 🚀 But 10–15 years in, the “gains” feel smaller. Another 2% raise. Another year grinding it out. It starts to feel like a plateau.

That’s often when people start asking the question: “Is this it?”

Here’s the truth: chasing “shiny new things” (another job, another title) rarely solves it. What does? Reframing what growth and lifestyle could look like—sometimes that means owning a business, creating freedom, and building something that’s YOURS.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about math—it’s about meaning.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker 😊 helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. We were born to win but we’re being programmed to lose.

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Near term, your success in business ownership comes down to drive. Long term, it comes down to consistency.

Here’s the truth in one sentence: Franchise success isn’t about being the best… it’s about being consistent.

Consistency is what builds systems, attracts customers, and keeps revenue flowing.

So here’s the real gut-check question for any business owner (or future one): Where have you been showing up in the past 7 days?

• Reaching out to customers?

• Building community connections?

• Learning from your franchisor?

• Following the playbook?

• Taking daily action toward your goals?

The answer tells you everything about your future stability.

Franchises give you the model. But the consistency? That’s on you.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you “do what you love, love what you do”!

P.S. It’s an apple a day keeps the doctor away… not 7 apples on Sunday because you forgot.

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Here’s a short synopsis of some magic from the master of being revolutionary, Jeff Bezos…

Let me know which is most helpful to you.

On Innovation:

“It’s Not an Experiment if You Know It’ll Work” and “I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate.”

On the Future:

“If you think about the long term then you can really make a good life decisions that you won’t regret later.”

On Opportunity:

“If you decide that you’re going to do only the things you know are going to work, you’re going to leave a lot of opportunity on the table.”

On Life:

“I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.”

On Frugality:

“I think frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints do. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out.”

On Relationships:

“Life’s too short to hang out with people who aren’t resourceful.”

On Regret:

“I knew that if I failed, I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I’d regret is not trying.”

Some reasonable words to live by there…

Might be some magic for you as you head towards the weekend.

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you "do what you love, love what you do"!

P.S. Today’s athletes talk about rights and privileges the players 50 years ago talked about obligations and responsibilities. ~ Lou Holts

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1. Don’t live for your presence to be noticed but your absence to be felt. ~ Bob Marley.

2. Buying a new car for that “new car smell” is idiotic. Three of them is a cottage on the lake for your retirement.

3. Stop trying to find the right person… become the right person. The sky is not your limit… your belief system is your limit.

4. More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.

5. The best teachers tell you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.

6. Do not underestimate the difficulty of getting people out of their comfort zones.

7. When your emotions go up… your intelligence goes down.

8. The loudest Boos come from the cheapest seats. People who invest the least in you will have the most to say about you.

9. Your new life is going to cost you your old one.

10. How many ‘average people’ with ‘monster success stories’ do you need to see and hear… before you start creating your own!?

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you "do what you love, love what you do"!

P.S. I forgive you for treating me the way you were feeling about yourself.

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Bears are attracted to bears…

Dogs are attracted to dogs…

Monkeys are attracted to monkeys...

Goldfish are attracted to goldfish…

Pessimists are attracted to pessimists.

Smokers are attracted to smokers…

Drinkers are attracted to drinkers..

Negative people are attracted to negative people.

Victims are attracted to victims.

Recognize a trend..?

It’s simply ‘like attracts like’ and it’s been the same since the beginning of time.

Stock take:

When you look at the circle you spend the most time with…

What are they attracted to?

Surround yourself with people that are:

• Kicking ass

• Taking names

• Setting goals

• Starting businesses

• Building businesses

• Learning new skills

• Demonstrate passion

• Adventurous

• Dreaming BIG

• Talking about the above

Sounds obvious but these traits are insanely rare and it’s even more rare for someone to change their immediate circle.

Time for you to change yours?

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you "do what you love, love what you do"!

P.S. A ship in the harbor is safe… But that’s not what ships are built for.

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I’d imagine you've set some goals for 2025.

The outcome you are looking for likely comes down to one word:

FREEDOM.

There are different types of freedom:

Financial Freedom.

Time Freedom.

Location Freedom.

Health Freedom.

Lifestyle Freedom.

Get very clear with what it is that you want…

… and you are far more likely to get it.

I go deep on this with those who reach out wanting to explore business ownership. Everyone wants "Freedom", but what it means to YOU - is what matters and will help you find the PERFECT business match to achieve it.

You heard it here first.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you "do what you love, love what you do"!

P.S. Let your weird light shine so the other weirdos know where to find you.

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A powerful quote:

“Brilliant thinking is rare but courage is in shorter supply than genius.” ~ Peter Thiel

Five more quotes around being courageous:

1. Courage is being yourself when everyone is trying to persuade you to be someone else.

2. Courage doesn’t mean you’re not afraid… it means you keep going anyway.

3. Your life will shrink or expand… in proportion to your courage.

4. One man with courage equals a majority.

5. It’s not your fear of failure… its fear of looking like a failure that’s stopping you.

Have a courageous end to your year.

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you "do what you love, love what you do"!

P.S. Be, Do, Have, Give. In that order.

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If you’re like me, you love a good business movie.

Here are a few I’ve enjoyed:

1. Founder

2. The Real Founder

3. Joy

4. Adidas vs Puma

5. The Social Network

6. Saving Mr Banks

7. Walt Before Mickey

8. The Inventor – out for blood in Silicone Valley

9. The Aviator

10. Jobs (Ashton Kutcher one)

Any that you would add to the list?

#YouGotThis

Stacey Riska, your lifestyle matchmaker helping you "do what you love, love what you do"!

P.S. When life blesses you financially… raise your standard of giving before you raise your standard of living.

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