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Please tell us about yourself —where you're from, your career, family, interests, and aspirations.

Hey, my name is Josh Haggerty. I’m just starting at WSI.

I grew up in the heart of Houston, so I’ve been an Astros, Oilers, Texans, and Rockets fan all my life. I went to Aldine High School. My claim to fame there is that we lost to Drew Brees in the state semifinals in the Astrodome in 1996. He was good then too. We had a great team, but he demolished us. We were number one in the Houston area, and he beat us.

Then I went on to Texas A&M—fightin’ Texas A&M, Aggie class of 2001—and graduated in computer science. My grandpa, Poppy, was an Aggie fan, so that was pretty much where I was going to go.

I worked at USAA and KCI, which is a medical device company in San Antonio. Most recently, I worked for MITRE for about six years, which is a nonprofit government contractor. I worked with the IRS, SEC, and the judiciary. The best department to work with was IRS-CI. They have the highest conviction rate of any law enforcement agency. They’re accountants with badges and guns—overworked, underpaid, and incredibly smart.

Right now, my life is pretty much my kids. I have a seventh-grade boy named Jolt. He’s into everything—baseball, football, basketball, hunting, fishing. We’re going straight from a baseball tournament this weekend to his first saltwater fishing trip. I can’t wait until he hooks his first redfish. He’s going to go crazy.

My daughter is a sophomore. She’s a little brainiac—a valedictorian here in Fredericksburg, Texas. We’re always verbally sparring. It’s fun having a teenager. She’s a college basketball fanatic, and so am I. She wants to start a podcast with me called Garbage Time—dad and daughter going at it. She picks all the winning teams, and I have to stick with A&M, so I don’t know how fair it is.

I’ve been married for about 24 years. We like to travel. My wife is an animal lover, so by default, I am too. We have two dogs, three cats, some fish, ten chickens, and a rooster named Red McCombs.

Hobby-wise, I like going to the gym and playing golf. My football and basketball days are over, so golf it is when I have free time—which isn’t a lot.

What led you to consider franchising as a possible next step?

As far as what motivated me to explore franchising, I think it’s less about franchising and more about business ownership.

My dad always tried to teach us to learn from both successes and mistakes. I thought the lesson was to get a college degree and have a corporate career. I graduated from A&M, got my master’s at UTSA, and had a successful corporate career.

But recent events in my life have taught me it’s not about a corporate career—it’s about owning your own business, controlling your own destiny, working for yourself, and believing in yourself.

Moving to Fredericksburg, Texas—a small town outside Austin—exposed us more to business owners. Growing up in Houston, a business owner felt like a corporate executive. It seemed like a “pie in the sky” dream. But in Fredericksburg, small business owners are your neighbors and friends. It starts to feel like a real opportunity.

I was also inspired by my mother-in-law. She was a third-grade teacher her whole career. Growing up when she did, women didn’t have the same opportunities. She had that career, and later, she and my father-in-law started a winery in their 60s. He was a coach, she was a teacher, and they built something new. Now she’s an award-winning winemaker.

If you can rebrand yourself from a third-grade teacher to an award-winning winemaker in your 60s, the sky’s the limit. It’s inspiring. If she can do it, why can’t I?

Talking to Neal (WSI Consultant) also played a role. He’s at a similar stage of life, and seeing his success and the joy he has in running his business was something I could connect with.

All of that led me to the decision to exit corporate life and begin this journey.

Why did you choose to join WSI, and what makes it the perfect fit for you?

As part of a small family business, I’ve seen the challenges firsthand. We’ve collaborated with other business owners and heard their challenges—cybersecurity, digital marketing, and more.

With my technical background, this felt like a natural fit. But beyond that, I just love helping people. It’s not only about helping our own business—it’s about helping other business owners and small businesses.

I considered starting my own business or buying one. The reason I chose WSI was because everywhere I looked, it was clear they were experts in the industry.

This industry is changing with AI. Having that backbone, that force, and that brand behind you matters. Franchise success rates are higher, but more importantly, it gives you a foundation.

I feel confident knowing there’s a force behind me that will evolve as the industry changes. As things shift, WSI adapts—and I don’t have to figure it out on my own.

I also appreciated the transparency. They were open about past mistakes and how they learned from them. That stood out.

They’ve embraced AI as part of the future, and that gives me confidence that whatever comes our way, WSI will help address those challenges and adapt with the industry.

What are your primary business goals, and what excites you most about achieving them with WSI’s support?

My primary goal is to grow the business. I want to have 30 clients within two years and continue to grow from there.

A big part of that is helping my clients grow their businesses. I love helping people. It’s not just about my goals—it’s about helping them achieve theirs too.

What excites me most is the network. Everyone I spoke with—Neal, Daniel, Valerie, Ryan Kelly—felt like family by the end of the conversation.

I’m a team-oriented person. That loss to Drew Brees still bugs me, but those were my guys. That’s how WSI felt—a big team.

Everyone had energy and genuinely wanted to help. It felt like a family. Even in conversations about personal experiences, there was a real connection.

Everyone has a story. Everyone is working hard. I’m excited to meet people, collaborate, and work as a team—even though we each run our own businesses.

At the end of the day, everyone wants to succeed. There’s competition, sure, but there’s also support. I’m excited to be part of a network of successful people I can rely on.

And ultimately, it comes back to helping people—building relationships with business owners and helping them achieve their goals.