How Bass Brothers Fishing Started

What does it really take to scale a franchise from scratch to 1,500+ locations?

Scott Abbott has built, sold, and reinvested in some of the biggest names in home services—and in this episode, he shares the raw truth behind what works and what fails in franchising. From his first business at 15 to navigating a private equity roll-up, this conversation is packed with insight for any entrepreneur or franchise rookie.

🚨 Whether you're exploring your first concept or already scaling, this is a masterclass in long-term growth, leadership, and living a life by design.

⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Snowboarding Story 01:08 – Scott's First Business at Age 15 04:37 – Cold Calling Retailers as a Teen 06:17 – The Birth of "Bass Brothers Fishing" 09:22 – First Lessons in Value Creation 10:05 – The Business That Failed (And Why) 11:58 – How Five Star Painting Was Born 13:26 – What Made Their Marketing Work 14:57 – Scaling Through a Call Center 16:49 – The "Feed What Works" Philosophy 17:56 – How Many Units Before Franchising 18:08 – When Scott First Learned About Franchising 19:22 – Selling Five Star Painting 21:47 – Navigating the 2008–2009 Crash 23:12 – Why He Sold to Neighborly 24:35 – Building a Franchise Platform 26:23 – "I Became Grandpa, Not Dad" 28:15 – Current Portfolio Breakdown 29:13 – System-Wide Sales & Unit Count 29:41 – Why Most M&A Deals Fail 32:18 – What Makes a Great Leader 34:26 – Aaron on Hiring Ahead of the Curve 36:26 – Should You Step Aside as CEO? 37:04 – Scott on Personal Growth 40:27 – Doing Standup Comedy to Face Fear 41:56 – How Scott Scaled His Life Alongside Business 46:02 – Planning the Next 10 Years with His Wife 47:54 – Creating a Family Mission Statement 50:44 – Building Intentional Family Traditions 55:15 – Money & the Power of Shared Experiences 58:56 – Aaron on Becoming a Ski Family 01:01:16 – Defining Great Partnerships 01:04:26 – The Watch Story: How to Celebrate Wins 01:07:57 – What's Really Enough? The Wealth Trap 01:08:51 – Final Thoughts on Purpose, Happiness & Building for the Long Term