Pride Road architect Magda Haener tells us her story about how she became the first franchisee of the business and why she jumped on board this opportunity. Read her testimonial below.

What’s Your Name And Where Are You Based?

My name is Magdalena Haener, I am a Pride Road architect based in Manchester, head of Pride Road South Manchester.

What Were Your Challenges As An Architect Before Pride Road?

When I started my practice, I was already a qualified architect, but I didn’t have any contacts because I had just moved to a new city. The challenge was to learn how to meet others and connect with people who could help me generate business and prospects.

I didn’t have a website with in-depth content, nor did I have any finished examples of my work. But the way Pride Road works is that we don’t put a name to the project, so we are able to share resources and portfolio, so the client trusts you a bit more from the beginning – it all picked up rather quickly!

Why Did You Join Pride Road?

I was looking for a more collaborative team to join, one where I could work and share ideas with fellow architects, not just compete with everybody. I was an early adopter of Pride Road’s franchise business model, and was able to watch it grow and prosper.

I joined Pride Road before there was a franchise name, and everything was done on the spot to develop the franchise. But Lisa (Pride Road’s founder) made it very easy for me to find clients – she was an integral reason I became a part of this great team!

What’s the Best Thing About Working for Pride Road?

The freedom. I enjoy the privileges of making decisions for myself, such as the speed of business and the workload I want to take on. Naturally, there wasn’t much work initially, but as it got busier, I could decide whether I wanted to invest in new projects or take some time to recharge.

Working for yourself makes for some difficult decisions, but I’m happy I have the freedom to make choices for myself. There’s a constant flow of clients, so I don’t need to stress whether there will be any work for the next month.

Let’s not forget that one of the best things is that I can also be a part of creating Pride Road. I’m not told what to do, and my suggestions get listened to – it’s nice to take ownership of things as well!

Finally, the streamlined nature of Pride Road is another fantastic thing. We’ve automated much of our business, so it’s easy to manage and ensure clients get their envisioned results. I can even take the work with me to ensure we’re always on top of the project!

There’s a great team, there’s always work, and I feel the choices are my own.