After 15 years of working his way up through the competitive ranks of NYC’s financial sector, Andrew Pudalov made a conscientious decision to leave his most recent position as Global Head of Fixed Income Derivative Trading at National Australia Bank to pursue an interest he felt was a virtue of higher importance. While he worked his entire adult life for a number of prestigious financial institutions to achieve an expertise in institutional fixed income derivative trading, he simply felt it time to gratify another more altruistic ambition he had always held. Andrew founded Boulder’s University Hill District’s first all-natural bowl/smoothie bar in the fall of 2004, providing a healthy alternative to the common “Hill” fare. After enormous success, Andrew launched a line of frozen grab-n-go bowls soon to meet the ever-mounting demand. Today, he operates Rush Bowls retail, wholesaling, and franchising with over 100 stores in various stages of development throughout the US. Rush Bowls continues to receive both regional and national acclaim. Andrew maintains a commitment to spreading the joys of pure, honest nutrition and making Rush Bowls the best possible company it can be.   Key Takeaways: [2:39] - Andrew shares his background before founding Rush Bowls. [5:24] - He went head first into the idea in 2004 and decided on smoothie bowls. [7:57] - Rush Bowls experienced slow and steady growth in the early years. [10:01] - Andrew explains the adjustment he made as he transitioned to the ownership of a business. [12:53] - Andrew has experienced a lot of opportunities to do things his way. [15:18] - A lot of franchises charge the franchisee for the product. But Rush Bowls does not. [17:08] - It is tough to build a business from scratch. Franchising is a great way to own a business with an already established structure and system. [18:33] - It was recommended by many for Andrew to franchise Rush Bowls, but he wanted to test it in multiple locations first. [20:55] - Education is important and a strength of Rush Bowls. [21:53] - Rush Bowls has locations in 21 states and has created great national networks. [23:53] - Everything at Rush Bowls is made to order. [25:37] - Too much space is a detriment to many franchisees. [27:18] - Who is the ideal franchisee for Rush Bowls?   Mentioned in This Episode: Rush Bowls Home Page Rush Bowls Franchise Site