Joanna Murray, MBA, is a seasoned Career Transition Coach, Franchise Consultant and Certified Life Coach.
She's dedicated to guiding corporate executives and driven professionals toward standard-defying, fulfilling next chapters.
Drawing from her extensive experience in executive leadership, business acquisition, and personal transformation, Joanna serves as a trusted advisor to individuals looking to escape corporate burnout, unlock true autonomy and build lasting equity through entrepreneurship.
Before establishing her practice, Joanna built a highly successful corporate career, serving for years as a Vice President in commercial real estate.
In that role, she led complex projects, managed high-stakes financial portfolios, and directed multi-tiered teams. Despite achieving executive titles, impressive compensation and prestige, Joanna experienced the familiar friction of corporate misalignment, the realization that building someone else’s empire no longer aligned with her personal values or long-term vision.
Taking a bold leap of faith, she resigned from her executive role to architect her own path, transitioning into business ownership and founding her consulting practice.
Today, Joanna leverages her sharp business acumen and corporate background to demystify the path to business ownership.
As a franchise consultant, she provides candidate-centric, cost-free advisory services, connecting clients to over 500 vetted franchise opportunities across 37 diverse industries.
Rather than pushing transactional sales, Joanna takes a strategic approach: evaluating operational models, analyzing capital stacks, including SBA loans, ROBS financing, and equipment funding, and matching candidates with systems that fit their specific financial goals, lifestyle requirements and risk tolerance.
Whether guiding executives toward semi-absentee management structures or multi-unit development opportunities, she ensures her clients transition smoothly from boardroom strategists to enterprise owners.
In addition to franchise consulting, Joanna’s dual expertise as a Certified Life Coach allows her to address the emotional and psychological barriers inherent in major career pivots.
She helps professionals navigate the fear of failure, evaluate the hidden costs of staying in unfulfilling roles, and move past inertia with practical, actionable steps.
Through her weekly newsletters, Franchise Catalyst and You 2.0, her educational course Find Your Franchise, and her engaging thought leadership, Joanna routinely demystifies entrepreneurship, offering clarity on everything from evaluating unit economics to managing executive transitions.
Based in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Joanna holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and brings a deeply human perspective to her high-touch coaching.
A cancer survivor and avid traveler who has explored 44 states and 11 countries, she understands firsthand the importance of living with intention and building a career that fits one's life, not the other way around.
Whether working with corporate VPs ready to break free from W-2 constraints or aspiring entrepreneurs exploring acquisitions, Joanna empowers her clients to step into their potential with clarity, confidence and purpose.
If you're ready to begin exploring business ownership, Joanna is ready to assist you with your research. Schedule a brief introduction call to share your business goals and interests and learn how she can assist you at no cost.
