Shane Birt, franchise owner of Seal-A-Fridge Melbourne CBD and Northeast territories, shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings as a butcher to running his own successful service business.
Episode Timeline
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:26 – What is Seal-A-Fridge and what franchise owners actually do
- 2:20 – Moving around as an army kid and adjusting to new careers
- 4:43 – The call from former mentor Craig Foxwell that changed his path
- 6:46 – Learning the trade hands on with Craig and Michelle across Victoria
- 8:10 – Running the Geelong–Warrnambool territory for several years
- 11:27 – How Shane’s back surgery helped him get his life back
- 12:33 – Transitioning from accounting to owning two Seal-A-Fridge territories
- 13:48 – Comparing work life in accounting versus franchise ownership
- 14:49 – The mindset shift from employee to business owner
- 16:49 – The most satisfying part of running a Seal-A-Fridge franchise
- 18:10 – Why customers are often grateful when he walks in the door
- 19:07 – Wrapping up Shane’s journey
In this episode, Shane talks about how a call from former mentor and Seal-A-Fridge founder Craig Foxwell reignited his career, leading him to learn the trade hands-on across Victoria. He opens up about facing a major back injury, the recovery journey that pushed him into studying accounting, and how he eventually transitioned from employee to business owner.
Now running two territories, Shane reflects on the mindset shift required to take the leap into entrepreneurship, the flexibility that comes with owning a franchise, and the satisfaction of providing a service that genuinely helps people and saves energy.
