For Miami Dolphins defensive back Elijah Campbell, juggling the demands of his professional football career and running a business is all about teamwork — on and off the field. When he and his wife, Anisse, decided to take the entrepreneurial leap, they didn’t start from scratch. Instead, they leaned into their love of acai bowls and their experience as loyal customers of Nautical Bowls, a Minnesota-based brand they’ve frequented since its early days. Now franchise owners, they’re navigating the unique challenges of launching and operating a business while balancing the rigorous schedule of an NFL athlete.

Campbell spoke with ICSC Small Business Center contributing editor Rebecca Meiser about lessons learned as an early franchisee, the nuances of operating in Marco Island, Florida, and advice for entrepreneurs considering a similar path.

Why did you decide to franchise with Nautical Bowls?

When Anisse and I lived in Minnesota, we were going there every weekend, waiting in the long lines. We got to see the business grow from a mom-and-pop acai shop to a brand name. We always wanted to do the same thing, just with our own name and our own company. But [I consulted with] mentors, who told me that starting your own business from scratch takes a lot of man-hours, trial and error and money loss. You’re going to have to be deeply involved in everything. With my career, I couldn’t be as involved, especially with a start-up. We were advised to go with a franchise. At the time, the only other [superfood] bowl franchise opportunities we saw were Playa Bowls and Everbowl. They were big names, but they were also pretty expensive. We weren’t in a position to spend that money on a first-time risk. While we were looking, Nautical Bowls announced it was going to franchise. Usually, when you get in at the beginning, it’s a lot cheaper than it is at the end. I’m sure 15 years from now, the franchise fees for Nautical Bowls are going to be three times the cost. It made sense for us financially and there was an attachment there already. We were one of the first people to jump on board.

Were you worried about being a test case?

There are things we wish we had approached differently. We’ve run into various challenges because it’s a new franchise. We just had a corporate call where they told us we’re transitioning into a “2.0 version,” meaning they’re switching to a whole new way of planning and marketing. We didn’t expect that. We didn’t really think about [the fact that] they’re learning, too. There’s also a lot more autonomy when you own your own spot, compared to operating within a franchise structure. We’re kind of restricted. We have ideas we think would work really well for our Marco Island community, which is different than a Minnesota community. There are some things we wish we could change, but that’s business.

Can you share some examples?

Marketing and product offerings. We’re spending money on the company’s national marketing campaigns, but the [strategy] doesn’t necessarily align with what’s happening in Marco Island. But it’s part of the franchise agreement, so we have to pay the marketing fees. It means we’re also coming out of pocket even more for our own marketing to attack our local market. And then there’s the product stuff. We’re in Florida. We have access to mangoes, pineapples and other fruits you may not have in Minnesota or the Midwest that our customers want and ask for. [Corporate] has been a little lenient with us, but at same time, you have to stay on brand.

Is Marco Island your sole location? What about it attracted you?

We own the rights to three [Florida] locations: one in Weston, one in Cape Coral and Marco Island. Marco was always going to be our first because it’s such a great location. Plus, my in-laws have lived there for a while, and my sister-in-law is there, too. Since I’ve been with the Dolphins, we’ve spent almost all our off seasons in Marco, so it’s like a second home. Eventually, we’re looking at moving to the Naples area permanently. Proximity-wise, Marco made the most sense.

At the beginning, we were super ambitious, and I bought three lots. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have done that. I would have focused on one location at a time. Now, I’m sitting on two lots that I’m not going to be able to use for at least another year. I’m tying up capital that I could have put in the Marco location. A better option would have been to wait and buy the next lot when we were ready to expand.

Who are your customers?

We have a lot of tourism in the high season. The last couple of years, high season has stretched from December to April, sometimes even to May. It’s great compared to other Nautical Bowls locations, where summer might only last two to three months and the rest of the year is slow. We do have quite a few local returning customers, but I would say 65% of our customers are our visitors. That’s what we expected, which is why our marketing is a little different from other locations.

On the national front, the franchise really concentrates on giving out free bowls [as part of their marketing strategy], but for us, that doesn’t make sense. Most of our visitors are only here for a short time and they’re not coming back for another year, probably. Handing out free bowls doesn’t work in terms of marketing and [return on investment. We decided] to give out free toppings or offer buy-one-get-one-free deals instead.

How do you balance your NFL career with running a new business?

My wife does a lot of [the work] during the day, and my sister-in-law is our manager. My in-laws live in Marco, too. That helps with boots on the ground, if needed. Right now, football is our family’s main income, so that’s our main focus. I’m typically [at practice] from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The most I do when I get home is briefings, calls if I have to and interviews for new employees.

Thank God for [certified public accountants] and bookkeepers. We tried to do that ourselves for a little while, and that’s impossible. One key piece of advice I would give to business owners is to pay people to do things like finances, bookkeeping and inventory. A lot of people [try] to save every penny, but you need to think at least 10 years down the line. In the beginning, it’s going to suck, but once you have systems and processes set, the business starts to run itself.