Military, Law Enforcement Veteran Continues His Career Path with Jeremiah’s Franchise Opportunity

After more than seven years in the United States Air Force and a 22-year career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charles Rankin knew he wanted to do something completely different once he retired.

“I needed to do something,” he said. “Most of my coworkers had gone into consulting or taken jobs in corporations. That was not something that I really wanted to do. I didn’t want to go back into a stressful environment.”

So, he and his brother-in-law, Angel Areizaga, began to discuss going into business together.

“He started telling me about Jeremiah’s, and since my daughter was a junior at Florida International University at Miami, I asked her to go test it out for me,” explained Charles. “She called me up and told me it was the best thing since sliced bread.”

Even more, Charles notes, “Franchising with Jeremiah’s offered a laid-back and fun atmosphere that fit exactly what I was looking for.”

It was then that Charles and Angel started on their path to ownership of the hottest franchise opportunity in the coolest industry: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.

Leaping into Franchising

Charles and his brother-in-law began talking with the Jeremiah’s franchising team and came to the realization Jeremiah’s was the perfect franchise for them within just two months –an impressively quick process considering the coronavirus pandemic had just hit the U.S. and was causing a lot of uncertainty across the country.  In spite of these challenges, Charles and Angel continued to be impressed by Jeremiah’s culture and how well the brand pivoted operationally to withstand the challenges presented in 2020.

“The atmosphere of Jeremiah’s and their team has been amazing – everybody is happy,” said Charles. “Coming from a military and law enforcement background, that’s not always the case – they warmed up to me right away.”

The two began to learn more about joining the Frog Squad through our virtual Discovery Days and conversations with our corporate team. Charles was quickly sold on our community involvement, and saw a perfect opportunity to give back and support youth sports – giving more local kids a chance to play.

“When I was in the Air Force and the FBI, I coached a lot of youth sports. With coaching, a lot of our teams were sponsored by local businesses – and that’s something I really plan on getting behind and minimize the cost of new jersey’s and things like that so underprivileged kids can still be a part of the team,” explained Charles.

Armed with the Skills to Foster Sweet Success

Along with our community involvement, Charles saw becoming a Jeremiah’s franchisee as an opportunity to put his previous career experience to good use and swirl up success.

From his time in the Air Force and FBI, attention to detail was crucial – and is one of the many leadership traits from his military and law enforcement background Charles looks forward to applying to owning a Jeremiah’s franchise.

“One of the little details that hit home with me in the Air Force happened during basic training. All of our clothing had to be folded into 6-inch squares – and instructors would come by with a ruler,” said Charles. “If it wasn’t exactly right, the instructor would unfold it and we would have to refold it. It was all about paying strict attention to detail and following procedures, which is something you need to do as a franchisee.”

In addition to following precise standards, Charles’s experience at the FBI instilled the importance of making a great first impression.

“When I was in the FBI as a recruiter and a representative, every person I met needed to be treated as though I was the first and maybe only FBI agent that they would ever meet,” explained Charles. “So the way that you carried yourself spoke volumes about the FBI in general, and I can use that skill representing Jeremiah’s.”

Everything our franchisees and their teams do to make our customers’ experience exceptional sets the expectation for their next visit and reflects on other Jeremiah’s owners in other markets – that reputation is everything.

Building and Managing the Perfect Frog Squad

Thanks to his management roles in both the FBI and Air Force, Charles understands how to successfully oversee and manage high-school age kids.

“When I was the supervisor in charge of security for the New York FBI field office, I was responsible for clearance access control for nearly 3,000 employees – which was pretty stressful,” explained Charles.

Now, as a member of the Jeremiah’s family, he can combine his talents with the amazing training we provide for each franchisee and their squads – helping them embrace our Culture of Cool and ready to have a blast every shift.

While Charles and his brother-in-law are still on the hunt for their perfect location, they’re beyond thrilled to bring such a unique, refreshing product to their community. They’re ready to put a smile on the face of every customer and see their excitement as they walk through their doors for the first time.

A Uniquely Sweet Opportunity for Military Veteran

Jeremiah’s understands that the experience and skills acquired through serving in the military provides our veterans with a unique skill set that makes them amazing entrepreneurs and business professionals. As a thank you for their service, we offer discounted franchise fees for qualified U.S. military veterans and active duty personnel.

We still have plenty of hot, new markets available – come and leap into franchise ownership! Download our franchise brochure to get started today!