Keith Shifrin, a lifelong music lover, was ready to make a change in his career. Becoming a School of Rock franchise owner meant following his dream while impacting the lives of so many in his community.
The Open for Opportunity Roadshow visited Keith’s School of Rock in St. Paul, Minnesota, in January where Keith shared how he and his business have changed the lives of his students through music.
Keith has always been a hobby musician, playing both guitar and mandolin in cover bands around the Twin Cities area – even before becoming a School of Rock owner. Keith highlighted how owning and operating this franchise business allows Keith to share his passion with his students while having a job he truly enjoys. As a self-taught musician, he understands the skills needed to play and perform and has found a calling in passing those lessons down to the next generation of musicians.
Before his going into business for himself, Keith spent his professional career in marketing at multiple different advertising and digital agencies in the Twin Cities – working with clients like Kraft Foods, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Polaris, Zippo, and Phillips Distilling. When Keith decided to transition careers to become a small business owner, he combined his marketing and advertising experience with his love of music to become a successful School of Rock franchisee. Whether it’s in pursuit of financial stability, a lifelong passion, or a little bit of both, franchising can give you the opportunity you need to succeed.
Keith is a prime example of how franchising offers the opportunity to go into business for yourself but not by yourself. He opened his business during the height of the pandemic, and he credits the franchise business model as a main reason he was able to navigate that time and continue to grow. With his own passion as a driving force and the support of a name brand behind him, Keith now teaches over 400 students and performs dozens of shows each year. Together, Keith and School of Rock are Open for Opportunity.
