Strategy Swell

Before launching Strategy Swell, Franklin Cole was an entrepreneur himself. He co-founded Adventure Underwear with a partner from Australia and ran a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising $32,900 against a $30,000 goal with 374 backers. The product was innovative—merino wool underwear designed for travel with a waterproof removable security pocket. But Franklin faced a common founder dilemma: the business worked, but it didn't fit his life. With two kids under age two and a partner on another continent, Franklin realized his time was worth more elsewhere. He described it as "a tough $10,000 lesson" and walked away within six months to a year, handing the company to his partner.

Franklin didn't build a software product or a scalable SaaS—he pivoted to consulting and coaching. After leaving Adventure Underwear, he started picking up clients who were already doing $10 million+ in annual revenue. His core offering: architecting profitable sales funnels and managing Facebook advertising spend. Rather than chase small budgets, he focused on high-ticket clients who could afford his monthly retainer plus performance-based compensation model. This wasn't a typical "launch"—it was a natural evolution from entrepreneur to strategist.

Franklin's first clients came from his network and reputation in the entrepreneurial space. He positioned himself as a specialist in scaling ad spend for already-successful companies. His value proposition was clear: show the path to profitability before spending a penny, then execute with precision. He didn't need to build a marketing funnel or chase cold leads—his clients came from his credibility in the space.

Franklin's secret weapon is his disciplined approach to media buying. Before launching any Facebook campaign, he maps out the entire customer journey: landing page → lead capture → confirmation → sales page → upsells → strategic autoresponders. He obsesses over one key metric: revenue per visitor or revenue per lead. His playbook: test with $25-50 in initial spend, aim for 50-75% profitability within the first two days, and target full recovery within 30 days. This long-term approach prioritizes value and relationships over aggressive sales tactics. He doesn't use complex tools—he does the strategic work himself, then hands off daily management to ads agencies. What didn't work: chasing multiple income streams. He quit Adventure Underwear not because it failed, but because his hourly economics were better elsewhere.

Franklin has built a powerhouse advisory practice. Over the past few years, he's spent between $3-3.5 million on Facebook advertising for his combined client base and generated over $40 million in revenue—a 12x+ return. At 27 years old, he's already operating at a level most entrepreneurs take decades to reach. He's also diversified: he recently produced a copywriting course with Amazing.com (through Matt Clark). While private about specific client wins, Franklin's results speak for themselves. He's become so in-demand that he jokes he's "not for hire," yet he's still actively consulting. His mentorship-driven approach to learning—sitting down with high-level operators over a beer rather than reading celebrity entrepreneur books—has shaped his philosophy. With two kids and another on the way, he's prioritizing sleep and family while running what amounts to a $40M+ revenue-generating machine for his clients.