I easily recall my parents visiting every once in a while, and my mom would arrive with a grocery bag full of meat from her local butcher as a surprise. She always thought the cuts of meat were better, but I knew she was really trying to help. That brown bag was soon emptied and my freezer sported a roast, hamburger patties and yes, sometimes a couple of steaks. It helped alleviate some of the financial pain when I walked down the grocery store aisles and had to limit myself to $40 worth of groceries. Those experiences made both Doug and me look for opportunity and to work harder to gain more for our family.

I'm sure my tale is common. Many young couples sacrifice to get ahead, or to just stay afloat. Franchise attorney Ron Gardner was no different. In fact, I would say the Gardners had it rougher than most.

But what sets Ron apart is just how poor he really was and how he struggled and worked to pull ahead of the pack. FT Executive Editor Nancy Weingartner spent some time with Ron recently, and was amazed at his ability to dream of better days ahead, even while experiencing the most dire of times. There is a long and winding road he travelled to get where he is today. Don't miss his story.

I think most entrepreneurs have that sacrifice gene within them. I'm not sure if I've ever met a business owner who hasn't sacrificed to push his or her business forward. Whether it's the long days, the financial strain personally, or the toll it takes on their personal life, owning a business is not for the faint of heart.

Another franchisor we've featured this month is Dana Oliver of Adventure Kids Playcare. I'm guessing Dana gets the gold star in sacrifice.

The entrepreneur left a six-figure salary, moved into a small house and traded in her Porsche to get the money to launch her own business. As the story goes, she even lost a couple of friends in the process when she took on a minimum wage job in childcare. Seems they didn't want to hang out with someone who was wiping small noses, and learning the day care business, before she took the plunge. Dana's story begins on page 41.

Mary Jo Larson, Publisher Mary Jo can be reached at mlarson@franchisetimes.com

However, as I talked to franchise company owners and executives at the expo, their exuberance was catching. When you work hard, build a business from scratch and believe in it because its worked for you, naturally there is some enthusiasm there. Am I saying every franchise is the gold standard of business? No. But what makes me hopeful we'll get out of this economic downturn sooner, rather than later, is the entrepreneur.

The entrepreneur already knows sacrifice and the ability to work hard. Even in a down economy, their optimism regarding their businesses will make them work harder to succeed. It's my belief they will be a catalyst to move the economic needle the other way.

Necessity is the mother of invention, people, and this downturn may give birth to some great things.