In this episode of For All the Marbles, Bart sits down with Jeremy Kwaterski, often called the Godfather of Cell Phone Repair, a serial entrepreneur who built CPR Cell Phone Repair into a 700-unit franchise before selling it and later founding Repairs First Association, Gadget Repair Expo, The Biz Expo, Accelerate Franchise, and several other ventures.

Jeremy’s story is a masterclass in betting on yourself, embracing the road less travelled, and turning setbacks into the spark for future success. He shares how early experiences of being undervalued pushed him to create his own path, how he built and scaled massive enterprises, and why freedom, not money, has been his primary motivator.

The conversation dives deep into resilience, creativity, franchising, learning from everyone (even a 15-year-old entrepreneur), and the shared responsibility of giving others a playbook for success.

Major Takeaways / Learnings

• Betting on Yourself Creates Freedom

Jeremy realized early that traditional employment didn’t reward his effort or talent. Instead of accepting that, he “gambled on himself” the only outcome he could control.

• Painful Experiences Can Create Powerful Entrepreneurs.

Being overlooked, underpaid, or dismissed can spark the determination to build something better.

Jeremy’s early employers' failure to value him pushed him to create companies where people matter.

• Learn Relentlessly From Anyone

He still learns from every employee, every franchisee, every entrepreneur… even teenagers.

Entrepreneurs who stay curious stay successful.

• Building Is Not About Special Sauce; It’s About Systems

Jeremy’s franchise success came from codifying what works:

operations, margins, customer experience, consistency.

Any business can be franchised if it has a replicable playbook.

• Growth Comes From Community, Not Ego

CPR grew rapidly because Jeremy tapped into the brains and creativity of his franchisees. His association model is built on the same principle: independent shops supporting each other.

• Failures Aren’t Failures, They’re Setbacks

Jeremy reframes every failure as a place to regroup, fix, and move forward. This mindset is why he’s still building new ventures decades later.

• Freedom > Money

The greatest reward of entrepreneurship for Jeremy isn’t wealth, it’s the freedom to:

• work anywhere

• build what excites him

• set his own hours

• create opportunities for others

• Don’t Forget Your People

Too many leaders overlook the talent supporting them. Jeremy is intentional about staying accessible, humble, and grateful.

Memorable Quotes

• “If I were going to gamble, I’d gamble on myself. That’s the only outcome I could control.”
• “I quit more jobs than businesses I ever started — because they didn’t value me.”
• “You never stop learning. Keep your mind open. Someone younger can teach you something every day.”
• “My success wasn’t because of me alone — it was because I tapped into the energy of my franchisees.”
• “Entrepreneurship is about freedom. The money is secondary.”
• “It’s not failure — it’s a setback. Fix it, learn, move forward.”
• “I’ll never be the guy you can’t walk up to. Never.”

Why It Matters / How to Use It

For aspiring or current entrepreneurs, Jeremy’s story is a blueprint:

• Bet on yourself even when others won’t.
• Use setbacks as fuel.
• Learn constantly.
• Create systems so others can win.
• Stay accessible, humble, and open-minded.
• Remember your purpose: freedom, creativity, impact.

His journey reinforces your MPD philosophy perfectly:

Most people don’t… trust themselves, learn from everyone, or build playbooks for others.

But YOU do.