Kitchen Tune-Up Gives New Owner “Control of My Own Future”

After years of spending every workday staring at a computer screen, Howard Rosenman was ready for a big change. Then the pandemic forced his hand: He worked as director of operations for a company developing software for the event industry—an industry “ravaged” by pandemic restrictions, Rosenman says.

The time was right to leave his career. He wanted to be his own boss and get out from behind a desk. “I also needed to expand my horizons and get over the ‘worker bee’ mindset, [and start] relying on myself to take control of my own future,” Rosenman notes. The answer? Kitchen Tune-Up.

Rosenman is the new owner of Kitchen Tune-Up Bothell, WA, serving communities in the Bothell, Mill Creek, Lynnwood and Kenmore area. His interest in franchise ownership started years ago, he says.

Home Office Support

“I had researched franchising many years ago in Florida but decided not to make the move back then,” Rosenman says. “When I started to look for my ‘next act’ I revisited the idea and was quickly drawn to the culture of Kitchen Tune-Up. I’ve led teams for my employers over the years, but this time it’s my business and my team, which makes it both more challenging and more rewarding.”

This time around, he spent another six months investigating franchises before choosing Kitchen Tune-Up. What was it about Kitchen Tune-Up that drew his attention? “Rather than being geared towards extracting every last dollar from every customer and every franchisee like other companies, the Kitchen Tune-Up team made it clear they encourage and support new business owners,” Rosenman says.

Knowing what you don’t want as a potential business owner is important, he notes. “I knew I didn’t want to own a business that dealt with food or employed teenagers. Working with homeowners to improve their homes backed by the support and encouragement of the home office seemed like a good fit.”

Improving kitchens is something he takes personally. “We have lived in a few homes, a couple with great kitchens, and one with a terrible kitchen, and we know the difference it makes!” Rosenman says.

The Learning Curve

The steepest part of his learning curve has been realizing “I can’t be an expert overnight,” Rosenman says. He had expected to do most sales himself, but now knows he needs to find and hire salespeople as well as experienced, talented technicians. “I can’t do it all,” he adds.

“There are days of fulfillment, and days of sheer panic as something doesn’t go as expected. I have been trying to celebrate the former and ride through the latter,” Rosenman says.

Rosenman and his wife, Heidi, moved to the Seattle area in 2016 from Florida. His three adult stepchildren and young grandson joined them. The family enjoys spending time in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and traveling the region with hopes of seeing even more, he says.

To learn more about the new team in Bothell, visit their website today.