For most people exploring franchise ownership, the journey begins with curiosity. For Jeri Lucco, it began with experience. So when the time came to explore ownership for herself and her daughter, Sarah Lucco, the bar was set high.
Starting your own business is rarely a decision that happens overnight, especially when that business is a franchise. But when that decision includes not only your own future but the future of your daughter, it becomes even more intentional. That’s the story of mother-daughter team Jeri and Sarah Lucco, franchise owners of ohDEER Northwest Columbus in Ohio, and the first female franchisees for the brand.
Jeri brought decades of franchise industry experience to the table. As a franchise broker, she had seen what good systems looked like from the inside out. Jeri spent years on the other side of the table as a franchise broker, guiding candidates through one of the most important decisions of their lives: choosing the right business to own. She knew the questions to ask. She understood the red flags. She had seen what happens when enthusiasm outweighs alignment.
Sarah, her daughter, was ready for work that matched her energy, outdoors, active, and impactful. Together they set out to find a business that wasn’t just financially sound, but personally meaningful.
What they found in ohDEER was far more than a franchise opportunity. It was a lifestyle, a mission, and a community. What ultimately led them to choose ohDEER was not just a checklist of practical requirements, but something harder to define and far more important: trust, heart, and a clear sense of fit. This is the story of how a franchise expert became a franchise owner, and why ohDEER stood out among countless options.
When Jeri and Sarah began exploring ownership opportunities, they had a short but powerful list of criteria:
1. Owner-Operated, Learnable Business
They wanted a business Sarah could run independently, without the need for highly specialized technical training or a large initial team. For them, the goal was a manageable start with room to grow, not an overwhelming startup burden.
2. Outdoors-Focused Work
Sarah wanted an “outdoorsy” franchise, one that didn’t keep her behind a desk, but allowed her to work where people live, play, and enjoy life outside.
3. Home-Based with Lower Startup Costs
They were also realistic about costs. A home-based operation with lower first-year investment requirements allowed them to build credibility before hiring additional staff. This aligned perfectly with ohDEER’s model for new territories.
With these criteria in mind, they began researching potential brands.
Even with her professional background, Jeri was intentional about not driving the decision herself. This business would be Sarah’s career and life, not just a shared project. That meant Sarah needed to be fully engaged, fully heard, and fully confident in the direction they chose.
They evaluated several home-service and outdoor franchise concepts, but ohDEER always bubbled to the top. Jeri was drawn to ohDEER’s niche focus of deer control paired with eco-friendly pest services, and its clear mission rooted in non-toxic solutions. But more importantly, both felt genuine resonance with the brand’s approach to service, operations, and community.
And then Sarah said something Jeri will never forget: “I feel sad when I think about NOT thinking about ohDEER and talking to ohDEER people.” That moment made the decision clear. Logic and analysis matter, but when someone’s heart is already invested, that matters more.
ohDEER stood out in a crowded field of home-service franchise opportunities for several key reasons:
Deer pose a serious problem for homeowners by eating gardens, damaging landscaping, and frustrating even the most persistent DIYer. Most pest control brands focus broadly on insects or rodents. ohDEER’s specialization in All-Natural Deer Control and All-Natural Tick and Mosquito Control addresses a specific, growing need that homeowners are willing to pay to solve.
The investment range matched Jeri and Sarah’s expectations. Because ohDEER’s system supports solo owner-operators at the start, they didn’t need to hire immediately. That meant keeping costs under control while they built their brand presence.
ohDEER’s support model impressed Jeri on both a professional and personal level. Communication was timely, transparent, and pressure-free. Owners were connected with helpful resources as needed, and leadership demonstrated a real commitment to scaling with intention. For someone who’s evaluated franchises for a living, that clarity and responsiveness mattered a great deal.
Jeri’s professional background gave her a different vantage point during the discovery process. She paid close attention to how the brand communicated, how questions were answered, and how resources were introduced. What stood out immediately was the tone of the conversations.
The ohDEER team was responsive and accessible, but never pushy. There was a sense of humor and friendliness woven into interactions that made the process feel human rather than transactional. Sarah never felt pressured to make a decision. Instead, information and support were provided at a pace that allowed confidence to build naturally. Questions were answered when they arose, and additional resources were introduced thoughtfully rather than all at once.
As a franchise broker, Jeri knew what to look for: leadership accessibility, support systems, and cultural alignment. What she found with ohDEER was all of that, and more.
Moreover, ohDEER was actively investing in growth, expanding support teams and strengthening onboarding systems. This wasn’t a brand clinging to the status quo; it was a franchise system at a moment of purposeful growth, precisely the kind of environment that ambitious owners want to join.
At the intersection of personal values, business logic, and lifestyle goals, ohDEER stood alone:
But beyond the checklist, ohDEER offered something they hadn’t realized they were seeking: a community of customers, franchisees, and leadership, that genuinely cared. That sense of shared purpose made the final choice easy.
One of the biggest lessons came from timing. While there were conversations during discovery about seasonality and service cycles, Jeri and Sarah entered the business at the beginning of the busiest season. That meant learning happened fast and often in real time. There was no slow ramp-up period. Training, operations, customer service, and day-to-day decision-making all happened simultaneously.
That experience reinforced one key insight: validation calls and conversations are invaluable. Talking to current franchisees, asking detailed questions about day-to-day operations, and understanding seasonal dynamics are critical steps for any franchise candidate, especially in service businesses with seasonal demand.
Jeri now emphasizes the importance of asking franchisees a specific question during validation: what does the learning curve actually feel like once you are in the middle of operations? Understanding that reality upfront helps set expectations and reduces frustration during those early months.
For Jeri and Sarah, becoming the first female franchise owners within ohDEER has been both empowering and motivating. They love it. Woman-owned home service businesses are still not the norm, and that distinction has given them confidence rather than hesitation. They see it as an advantage, not a limitation.
What they appreciate most is that the brand does not treat them differently. Support is consistent, respect is mutual, and expectations are the same. At the same time, there is patience and understanding when it comes to learning mechanical aspects of the business, something Jeri jokes they are still getting comfortable with.
One of the biggest personal growth moments has been learning to ask for help. Jeri admits she tends to push through challenges independently, but ownership has reinforced the value of leaning on those who came before. Accepting guidance, applying it, and then tailoring it to their local geography and economic conditions has been an ongoing learning process. Balancing productivity with learning has not always been easy, but it has been worthwhile.
Success with ohDEER Northwest Columbus isn’t just reflected in community engagement, it’s built on real customer experiences.
One early customer, Michael, had struggled with deer damage in his hosta garden for over 20 years. Traditional DIY solutions, from fences to reflective objects, failed season after season. After starting ohDEER’s natural deer control program, those deer stopped treating his yard like a buffet, and Michael began enjoying his garden again.
Stories like this exemplify what good service looks like in real life, turning skeptics into raving fans.
Franchise ownership isn’t just about business, it’s about making a difference in your community. And one of the clearest examples of that at ohDEER is the annual Coat Drive initiative.
In 2025, the ohDEER system came together to collect over 2,300 winter coats for kids and families in need across multiple regions. Each location shaped the initiative to the needs of its community, and even new franchises like ohDEER Northwest Columbus made a meaningful contribution.
Despite being a newer business still building awareness, Jeri and Sarah partnered with local coworking spaces, banks, and high-traffic businesses, collecting more than 143 coats for donation. That’s not just charity; that’s building local credibility, deepening community trust, and showing what it means to be a franchise owner who cares.
For franchise professionals like Jeri, and for new entrepreneurs like Sarah, choosing the right brand isn’t just about revenue. It’s about personal alignment, community impact, and long-term growth. By honoring Sarah’s voice, trusting their instincts, and choosing a brand that met both practical and emotional criteria, they built a foundation for long-term success.
For prospective owners considering ohDEER, their journey offers reassurance. You do not need to have all the answers on day one. What matters most is choosing a brand that supports learning, respects the individual, and believes in growing the right way.
Sometimes, when both the head and the heart say yes, that is the clearest signal of all. ohDEER checked every box and then some. It offered an opportunity that matched their criteria, resonated with their values, and gave them a platform to serve their community with purpose.
Today, they’re not just business owners, they’re trusted local partners helping families love their outdoor spaces again. If you’re exploring franchise ownership and want something that blends meaningful work, proven systems, and real community impact, ohDEER might just be the perfect fit.
