About Close The Deal

Hey, I’m Ewell Smith.

And I’m glad you’re here.

This started as a podcast.

But it’s turned into something else.

A place for people who are done overthinking…
and ready to actually follow through.

Most people don’t have a knowledge problem.

They know what they should do.

They’ve thought about it. Planned it. Talked about it.

But they haven’t done it.

That gap…

That’s the deal.

I grew up in New Orleans watching Al Copeland build Popeyes from the ground up.

He was bold. Creative. Relentless.

It showed me early what it looks like to build something that lasts.

Years later, I stepped into leadership roles at the worst possible times.

I took over the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board just four years before Hurricane Katrina.

Our commercial fishermen lost everything. They lost their homes, boats, trucks gear. Some lost loved ones. Billions of dollars in lost sales.

Then we rebuilt.

Then the BP oil spill hit just 5 years later.
We lost 98% of the market. Billions lost again.

And we rebuilt it again.

Later, I led the Carolina Loggers Association through COVID.

Different industry. Same fight.

What I saw over and over again was simple:

The people who make it aren’t always the smartest or best funded.

They’re the ones who don’t quit.

The ones who adapt.

The ones who keep moving forward when everything says stop.

And I noticed something else.

After Katrina, when everything was shut down…

The first businesses to come back were franchises.

They had systems.
They had support teams from across the U.S. roll in to help.
They had people behind them.

That stuck with me.

That’s what led me into franchise advisory.

Not because it’s perfect.

Not because it’s for everyone.

But because for the right person…

It’s a way to stop thinking about starting something
and actually start.

But this isn’t really about franchising.

It’s about something bigger.

It’s about the thing you said you’d do…
and haven’t.

The call.
The move.
The business.
The conversation.

That’s the deal.

The podcast is part of this.

I sit down with people who’ve been through it.
Built something. Lost something. Started over.

They’ve had wins. Real ones.

But like everyone…
they still have something unfinished.

That’s why they’re here.

We talk about what they’ve done…
and what they still need to close.

No fluff. Just real conversations about what it actually takes to follow through.

And through all of it, my wife Jenny has been right there.

She’s my anchor. My sounding board. My biggest supporter.

None of this happens without her.

If any of this resonates… you’re in the right place.

This is for people who are done waiting.

Done overthinking.

Ready to close the deal.

Finish what you started.

Ewell Smith

P.S. If you're curious about what franchise ownership could look like for you, I put together a page that walks through exactly how I approach the process. No hype, no pressure - just a honest look at whether it makes sense. Start here → Explore Franchising With Me.