There has been a buzz around the name Annie Franceschi for years. Thus, I started following what Annie was sharing, attended a couple of her in-person workshops and became a true fan. When it came time to re-do my website and, subsequently, freshen up my brand, creating a new logo along with simplifying my messaging, there was no one else with whom I could imagine working. Annie knows her stuff, and, more importantly, she makes it enjoyable as well as seamlessly efficient to achieve the necessary, desired results. Her energy is both calming as well as contagious, which is fabulous, and I share the joy of many in celebrating Annie’s many successes. Enjoy this peek inside the mind and heart of this absolute rock star!

About Annie Franceschi

Annie Franceschi is a former Disney storyteller, bestselling author, six-figure founder and branding expert. In 2013, she quit a dream job telling stories at The Walt Disney Studios to start her own agency, Greatest Story Creative®. Since then, Annie's branded 130+ businesses, spoken for thousands and released two bestselling books, including the personal development guide, Permission to Try. Her newest book, Establish Yourself, debuted at #1 on Amazon in 7 categories, including Women & Business and Consulting. Today, through her Brand Story Solution and Establish Yourself® Framework, Annie helps coaches and consultants clearly and confidently grow their greatest businesses without burning out on marketing. Annie is also proud to be a Duke University graduate, a lifelong Muppets fan and a serial rewatcher of The Golden Girls. She currently lives in Durham, NC, with her husband, Gus, and their favorite person - their son, Leo.

First Friday Female Founder Feature:

Annie Franceschi

How would you describe your company and the products / services you offer?

Led by a former Disney storyteller, Greatest Story Creative® helps coaches, consultants, and service business owners brand and grow their greatest businesses.

Why did you start your company?

Working my way up to a dream job at Disney (writing and designing story presentations on major movies) and then realizing that it was just a job – not a dream life, was a wake-up call for me. Getting to live my “dream” helped me to see what I really wanted: to have a more personal, direct impact on people. Starting my company, Greatest Story Creative, a month after I quit my role at Disney gave me exactly that – a way to change people’s lives by transforming their businesses through branding services and business coaching.

What has been the most rewarding part of your journey in founding this company?

Looking back on the nearly 10 years I’ve run Greatest Story, the most rewarding part of the journey thus far has been the freedom that this business has given me to fully love and enjoy my life along the way. After implementing great systems and boundaries, I now work less than 30 hours a week, take every December off, love my clients, spend nearly all the time I want with my husband and son, and consistently make six figures in the process. And that’s all because I’ve found a way to lead my business with the values of both passion and profitability.

About what are you most proud?

In my business, I’m most proud of the two books I’ve written – Permission to Try (2018) and Establish Yourself (2022). Though writing any book is a “dark night of the soul” intense, often years-long exercise, there’s also nothing quite as rewarding or lasting in my experience. There’s something tremendously meaningful and inspiring to me that I’ve put my story and advice into thousands of books that will go onto have their own lives and impact, potentially far beyond my own lifetime. Personally, I’m most proud of having faced some of my greatest fears in my journey with infertility and that I had the courage to pursue the path that ultimately helped us to have our son, Leo, who is without question, the greatest miracle in my life.

Are you naturally organized, was it a skill you learned or is it something with which you regularly struggle, and what tips or tools do you use to stay your most organized?

I’m a bit of an organization weirdo! I’m not as cleanly or consistently organized as I’d like to be – for example, I’m always switching where I write my to do list – yet, I get my tasks done, my deadlines met, and have strong organization systems in my business (way less so in my personal life!) I’ve had to work at creating systems and I’ve found being kind to myself has helped – i.e. not expecting that I have to keep a to do list any which way – so long as I keep one.

Who’s the one person who changed your life and why?

I’m quite lucky that I’ve encountered many people who’ve completely changed my life: family members, teachers, coaches, friends, my child. However, perhaps the most impactful is my husband, Gus. My life would look altogether different without him and I think, be far less fulfilling. Having had a partner for 17 year who truly sees and values me, who cheers me on, and stands by me through the darkest of hours has made a difference at really every turn. Without Gus’s counsel and love, I’m not sure if I’d have been able to make big leaps of faith like quitting the film industry/Disney, taking my practice full-time, or pursuing the discouraging, intense path that infertility led us down (which ultimately gave us our incredible son). We know how to laugh through the tough times, give hugs and grace when they’re needed, and how to keep moving through uncertainty together. There’s nothing more life changing than that, I think.

What words of wisdom would you have for someone who is overwhelmed with staying organized and / or productive?

Stop and consider what’s MOST important, and what order things need to happen in. I often catch myself thinking days, to weeks, or even months in advance on tactics when I really need to focus on the strategy and to do’s that are right in front of me. The art of getting things done that matter to you is keeping your eye on what actually does matter. Sounds simple, but set a 5-minute timer to look at what’s on your plate and force yourself to choose the top 1-3 things to do next and why. In my experience, you’ll be glad you gave yourself the check in.

Do you use technology to help stay productive or organized? If so, what’s your favorite program, app or tech tool?

In business, I’d say my top 4 apps for staying streamlined and organized in business have been Acuity Scheduling (saving me hundreds of hours and emails), scheduling every project milestone into my Google Calendar with automated reminder emails, tracking my time for free in Toggl, and using TextExpander to create a gazillion, super-fast keyboard shortcuts for everything from email templates to links to my social media.

How do you feel about work/life efficiency or integration in your life, including any tips or challenges for managing the personal and professional commitments in your life?

Business systems and boundaries have given me the closest thing I think is possible to happy work-life integration. These are things like “No Meeting” Mondays, being careful not to take on too many clients at once, having repeatable client processes, setting office hours, and even using email templates. This way of working allows me to have a lot of control of when and where I work, so I can always prioritize time for myself and time that I want and need to spend with family. Now, as a toddler mom, I can also say that I’m in a season where even the greatest systems still don’t keep the ship running 100% of the time and it can be chaos. This said, even when childcare issues wreak havoc, having processes, systems, and boundaries in my flexible business cushions the blow and never puts my business into serious risk or danger. In parenting a 3-year-old, that’s probably the best yet most realistic balance you can have.

About what causes are you most passionate?

I’m passionate about supporting parents navigating the uncertainty and challenges of infertility – an often misunderstood, unfairly expensive, and isolating journey, in my experience. On a national political level, I believe that we need more understanding and support for fertility benefits under all insurance, and the conversation around fertility needs to evolve to better reflect lived experience.

What have you found to be the most effective way to relax after a long day or super long week?

I feel like the answer to this should be a bubble bath with candles and some eucalyptus! My real answer: mindlessly watching television with my husband on the couch with our favorite snacks.

What is your favorite author/book?

“Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon.

What is your favorite inspirational quote?

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Walt Disney

What are your go-to accessories?

My iPhone – which isn’t really a phone, it’s my personal, constantly-check-my-email computer.

What are the fundamentals of your beauty routine?

Non-existent! In this toddler mom season of life, my beauty routine is becoming a hair blow-out every other month or so.

What is your favorite food?

All things pasta – especially an excellent carbonara. It’s got carb in the name!

Of the locally-owned and -operated establishments in the place you currently live, which are your top 3 favorites and why?

I live in Durham, NC and love our restaurants! My top 3 locally-owned spots are Akashi Sushi, Kokyu, and Eastcut Sandwich Bar. We get takeout from all of them regularly, and the latter two, we only discovered during the pandemic.

Sarah being awarded the Public Policy Advocate award from NAWBO-GR

What is your favorite place that you have visited?

Walt Disney World – it’s now and forever, my happy place.

What streaming show or movie could you watch on an endless loop?

“While You Were Sleeping,” and I basically have watched it on endless loop over the decades. It still warms my heart every time.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

The ability to create more time. The older I get, the more I believe that the greatest thing we can have isn’t money – it’s time. Time to laugh with our loved ones. Time to do what matters. Time to savor the unique existence of life.

What advice would you give your 21-year-old self?

The one path is BS. Go after what you want with all your heart, but trust that it’s okay to pivot and change your mind. Doing something new doesn’t mean you delete what you’ve done – everything is additive and it’ll all make sense in the end, I promise.

If you could have lunch with anyone (living or deceased), who would it be and why?

I’d love to have lunch with Walt Disney at Disneyland and have him show me around the park. I say this not only because I’m a Disney nerd, and a storyteller, but because he was clearly so passionate about creating experiences that brought magic to people. Being in the company of those who deeply love what they do and spend nearly all of their time dreaming big – there’s nothing quite like that inspiration and kinetic energy.

Enjoy more content like this throughout the blog. Use the search box below to find any specific topic.