From Software VP to 7 Kitchen Franchises: How Jeff Toren Scales Remodels, Sales Teams, and Cashflow Chaos

In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth sits down with Jeff Toren, franchise owner of multiple Kitchen Tune-Up and Bath Tune-Up locations serving the Main Line and greater Philadelphia area, and co-owner of Happy Life Kickboxing & Fitness. Jeff shares how he walked away from a successful enterprise software sales career and VP role to build a portfolio of seven Kitchen Tune-Up territories, five Bath Tune-Up territories, and a growing fitness brand—all while navigating the realities of cashflow, hiring, and scaling in the remodeling world.

You’ll hear Jeff break down:

• Why he left corporate tech after becoming a VP of sales, and how a severance package plus a business coach led him into franchising instead of another job search.
• How his first year with Kitchen Tune-Up hit roughly 600K in revenue and why launching a gym franchise at the same time was “insane” in hindsight.
• Growing to seven Kitchen Tune-Up and five Bath Tune-Up territories around Philly, winning Bath Tune-Up Franchise of the Year (“Franny of the Year”), and building a business designed to be a long-term family legacy instead of just a sales job.
• The hidden difficulty of remodeling: economic cycles, seasonality, and the brutal importance of cashflow planning, savings, and lines of credit so a few slow weeks don’t wipe you out.
• Why owner-operators who do all their own selling typically cap around 1M, and how Jeff structures his commission, draws, bonuses, and incentives so top sales designers can earn more than he does while driving consistent growth.
• His “broken dreams boat” experience hiring salespeople, how a coach helped him overhaul his hiring process into a three-step filter (culture screen, tough skills interview, then Jeff), and why A‑players usually aren’t on job boards.
• The power of proactive recruiting through vendor partners, industry events, and networks—plus how one conversation with a tile rep led to a future 2M‑per‑year designer.
• How he builds a growth-minded culture with ongoing training, franchise programs, and external sales coaching so his team can handle losing 60–70% of bids without burning out.
• The vision behind Happy Life Kickboxing & Fitness, why he and his wife Penny only choose businesses that genuinely improve people’s lives, and how kitchens, baths, and fitness all fit into that mission.

If you’re a contractor or home-service entrepreneur who wants to grow beyond the “one-man sales show,” hire true top talent, and survive the cashflow rollercoaster of remodeling, this conversation with Jeff is packed with honest lessons, cautionary tales, and practical strategies you can apply right away.