They Had No Business Experience. Now They Own Multiple Successful Franchise Locations.

Katie and Joe Walters didn’t come from business backgrounds. She worked in the legal field, he was a teacher and coach. But in 2017, they decided to take a leap into the world of franchising.

They already had a small service business when they visited Waco to explore opportunities with what was then the Dwyer Group (now Neighborly^®). “We loved what we saw,” Joe recalls. “It didn’t work for what we had, but we wanted to do it for something else.”

That “something else” became a family venture. Even though their family lives in different places, they’re all focused on the business. Katie and Joe divvy up operations for half of the Mr. Rooter Plumbing^® locations while their daughter runs the marketing team, and their son runs the Chicago Mr. Appliance^® franchises.

Their son had a passion for the trades, but with no local appliance repair school nearby, Neighborly’s franchise network stepped in, connecting him with the Tech of the Year in Cleveland for hands-on training to prepare him for his role.

Support didn’t stop there. As brand-new business owners, Katie and Joe leaned heavily on the Neighborly team. “We asked for weekly meetings, and they gave us daily meetings if we wanted them,” Joe says. Neighborly helped the duo to set goals and stay on track.

Today, the Walters family is building a legacy. Their son now holds a stake in the business and is buying all the Mr. Appliance franchises from his parents to keep it in the family as his parents retire.

From first-timers to multi-brand owners, Katie and Joe prove that with the right support and family teamwork, success is a shared journey. By remaining dedicated to learning, the Walters turned uncertainty into confidence.

Every challenge became an opportunity to grow — as entrepreneurs, as partners, and as a family. Their story reflects what can happen when hard work meets the right guidance: a business built for profit, purpose, and legacy.