--- title: "Former TAB Employee Finds Success as Franchisee" url: https://burnaze.com/article/40770740-ed93-488b-805c-2c0a5f4da531 source: "Franchise Wire" original_url: https://www.franchisewire.com/former-tab-employee-finds-success-as-franchisee/ author: "Mary Vinnedge" category: "Franchise Industry" industry: "Franchise Industry" published: 2026-10-21T12:21:31.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T13:19:13.923Z image: https://www.franchisewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Phil-Schwolert-.jpg --- # Former TAB Employee Finds Success as Franchisee **TL;DR:** Phil Schwolert, a former TAB employee, has found success as a franchisee of The Alternative Board (TAB) business coaching franchise in Northern Colorado. TAB has been helping entrepreneurs succeed since 1990 and has grown into an international franchise with over 340 offices across 27 countries. *By Mary Vinnedge, originally published in Franchise Wire on 2026-10-21. [Read the original](https://www.franchisewire.com/former-tab-employee-finds-success-as-franchisee/).* ## Story Phil Schwolert benefited from a lengthy preview of The Alternative Board (TAB) business coaching franchise and its culture before partnering in the franchise’s Northern Colorado unit. That’s because he previously had worked as a field trainer, membership sales director and franchise developer at TAB International. “I onboarded new TAB business owners for 10 years,” says Schwolert, who visited nearly 20 countries to help launch franchises that offer executive coaching and develop advisory boards serving small and mid-size business owners. He admired the culture. “I saw how the sausage was made, and I valued the franchisor’s candor and commitment to equipping its franchisees to succeed. When Schwolert decided to invest, he says, “I needed to be equipped, trained and supported. The rest was on me, and I was willing to bet on myself.” The supportive culture also permeates his Northern Colorado TAB, which served Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Boulder and Estes Park for several years before he joined as a partner. “TAB NoCo leans heavily into candid camaraderie. We work hard to provide something that very few business owners have in their lives — a safe place to be honest with themselves and others.” Schwolert, whose career also included work as a corporate executive and at forestry agencies in Texas and Colorado, praises TAB’s support from top to bottom. “The TAB model equips each franchise owner to build as simple or complex a business as their personal ambitions desire. They receive the tools, training and support to deliver one-on-one coaching services, peer group facilitation, strategic planning services and leadership training. All of that is backed by an online operating platform that enables me and my customers to comprehensively assess, plan and track business-building activities. I wanted to build my own business. I just needed the right model to help me do it. “TAB equipped me to do the work I love with the people I want to help succeed,” he adds. “Having sold franchises as well as trained and coached new franchisees, I’ve seen when the fit is not right. For me, the core of ‘fits’ is to be doing the work you love with the people you want to help succeed. In the absence of one of those, it loses the fulfillment aspect that gets you out of bed and keeps going on tough days,” he says. “Working across the table and around local small business owners is my jam. I have a passion for those who drive the local economy and contribute to community richness. Getting to help them make improvements in their businesses in ways that can change their lives is a privilege, and it provides the type of diverse experience I need to keep me engaged.” Schwolert finds it particularly rewarding to see what clients accomplish between their monthly coaching sessions. “The back of my business card says, ‘Not every athlete has a coach. But every Olympian does.’ Getting to be part of a business owner’s journey to being their best is pretty hard to beat.” Phil Schwolert says the main driver for becoming a TAB franchisee was that “there are few ‘typical’ days. I needed the flexibility to support aging parents and to be present with my grandsons. The model has enabled me to work remotely in other states while tending to family needs,” he says. But there are typical business activities that Schwolert combines as necessary within his workdays. Those include one-on-one coaching sessions, peer-group sessions, retainer-based consulting, one-off consulting, regular communications with his TAB members, and business development activities. “And I keep up my community engagement through business networking groups and community service,” he says. The Alternative Board (TAB) has been helping entrepreneurs succeed since 1990, and has grown into an international franchise with more than 340 offices across 27 countries. Over the years, TAB has expanded its services to include one-on-one business coaching, peer advisory boards, strategic planning and leadership development. The company’s growth reflects increasing interest in professional coaching. According to the International Coaching Federation’s 2025 Global Coaching Study, the global coaching industry generated an estimated $5.34 billion in annual revenue in the past year, up 17% from 2023. For TAB franchise owners like Schwolert, the growing coaching market creates opportunities to use their business experience to help entrepreneurs succeed while building a business of their own. ## Entities - franchise expansion (topic) - General (sector) - franchisee success (topic) - Franchise Wire (publication) - business coaching (topic) - Mary Vinnedge (person) - Northern Colorado (location) - The Alternative Board (company) - Phil Schwolert (person) - TAB International (company) --- Originally reported by Mary Vinnedge, Franchise Wire (https://www.franchisewire.com/former-tab-employee-finds-success-as-franchisee/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/40770740-ed93-488b-805c-2c0a5f4da531).