I’ve been with Smith’s since the beginning. I used to have a high school job in Osaka, and when I met Mark Smith back in mid-1999, it was a simple decision to open my first part-time franchise in Koshien. I say part time because throughout the entire ownership of my first franchise I kept working full time at the high school. My dear wife was very supportive. Two years later, I joined a special group we called the franchise Steering Committee. This group had formal voting power. Two years later, I became a full partner to Mark Smith in the company. Each of these decisions were progressively more difficult, but my wife was always very positive and encouraging. In 2005 I quit my high school job, sold my first franchise which is still thriving (see the new owners’s happy face here) and bought the Fukushima franchise ( スミス英会話 福島校 ) from an outgoing franchisee. Now I am proud to say that in April of this year I made the big step into multiple business ownership when I bought the Kotoen Franchise ( スミス英会話 甲東園校 ). Apart from my first part time franchise these were all very difficult decisions that took several years to build up to, and my dear wife was always there beside me. I’m on the road to passive income at last, and there is a solid base of both time and money with which to start a family and enjoy life here in Japan.
By the way, if you haven’t met my wife Yoko, you’re missing out on a real treat. She is truly a one-of-a-kind person and for me, there is no one else remotely like her. She is a stunningly beautiful woman who is at once elegant and rehearsed as a princess, casual and sincere as a best friend, dedicated and methodical as a professional and warm and loving as a mother. Oh, she isn’t a mother yet, but we’ve started working on that. We’ll happily keep you posted on any “developments”!
Martin Werner Zander, Smith’s Partner
マーティン・ワーナー・ザンダー
Owner Smith’s Schools in Fukushima and Kotoen
スミス英会話 福島校 甲東園校 仁川 逆瀬川 門戸厄神
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