The Franchise Story Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

To commemorate the 100th episode of The Franchise Story Podcast, Brian and Erik share some of their biggest takeaways and favorite episodes as they take a look back on these amazing past two years.

The duo recounts the entire history of the show, from the very earliest days. They also discuss why they think their efforts to create such a podcast ended up working, and where the project goes from here.

Thank you to our listeners for your support over the last 100 episodes, and join us for this special episode to learn what’s next on this incredible journey!

What we talk about:

• Our first podcast interview and how we started
• Looking back at how much has happened and were accomplished within this past 2 years
• Biggest takeaways and favorite episodes
• The power of your story
• There are people out there that are willing to give
• Deciding how to spend your time and energy
• The mission to serve other franchisees
• Being not afraid to work
• The importance of right and growing relationships
• Solving problems and building things
• Things that came out of doing these episodes
• Different stories resonate differently with different people
• What’s next?

What we mention:

• The Franchise Story Podcast Episode #28
• The Franchise Story Podcast Episode #62
• The Franchise Story Podcast Episode #51
• The Franchise Story Podcast Episode #42
• The Franchise Story Podcast Episode #34
• Franchise Secrets Podcast

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, Erik is joined by Scott Kaspar, a high-performing SPENGA franchisee based in the Chicago area. SPENGA is an unrivaled fitness experience that incorporates elements of cardio, strength training, and flexibility into every one-hour workout through a combination of spin, HIIT training, and yoga.

Scott shares with Erik how he was able to successfully build his first SPENGA location, and his goals for expansion. In his first year of operation, Scott grew a membership base to over 500 people.

The duo also talks about Scott’s past business experience as a lawyer working at an international law firm and how his experience working with teams on high stakes litigations translated to the fitness industry.

Tune in to hear more about Scott’s franchise story and gain wisdom that will help you on your own business journey!

What we talk about:

• Scott’s background before getting into the fitness industry
• Doing what you love
• The size of the business and its people
• Hiring the general manager and what he’s good at
• Great real estate deal during an economic crisis
• How quickly they can go for expansion
• How to make the most of this time
• The rewarding journey of building and running the business
• Keeping the membership alive
• Listening and collaborating with the franchisees

What we mention:

• Spenga

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian and Erik are joined by Roger McGreal, who has served in his role as CEO for SPENGA since March 2015 as well as being a co-founder. As one of the fastest growing brands to keep your eyes on, SPENGA currently has over 307 locations sold and offers a boutique fitness experience that combines spin, strength, and yoga elements to the workout.

The trio talks about how SPENGA was conceptualized and developed in the early days, and how franchising helped the brand achieve sustainable growth. Roger also talks about how they navigated through the challenges brought about by COVID-19, and the importance of remembering long-term goals through times of difficulty.

Roger says, “The boutique fitness industry is booming… When you look at franchising or any business, you have to look at the sustainability. It’s a long-term play, it’s not short-term. Sometimes it’s hard when you put the blinders on, but I do think we are going to come out of this stronger than ever.”

Tune in and learn more about Roger’s inspiring franchise story!

What we talk about:

• How the name “Spenga” came to be
• What led them to create the concept
• Opening up the first corporate location
• The partnership dynamics within 6 co-founders
• Expediting growth through franchising
• How the growth looked like as the business was turned into a franchise
• Establishing the sales process and building the franchise development organization
• Lessons from building out a franchise model
• Navigating through COVID - focusing on the member experience
• What the future may look like for boutique fitness and the fitness industry
• Some things SPENGA did to work through the COVID situation
• A great time for the business to grow

What we mention:

• SPENGA
• Franchise FastLane

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian is joined by Harold Mills, a successful Urban Air franchisee. Urban Air is the preeminent indoor adventure park hosting open jump, fitness classes, dodgeball, and parties. Harold just safely and successfully opened one of the largest Urban Air parks in the country this summer, which has been among the franchise system’s top performers even in the midst of a global pandemic. In addition, Harold is also the CEO of VMD Ventures focused on investing in entrepreneurs in a variety of technology and service industries.

Harold walks us through his journey into entrepreneurship and the leadership experience he has taken with him to the franchising industry. In the spirit of experimentation, Harold says, “I believe in business processes, I believe in structure, I believe in protocol until it gets in the way of innovation, speed, and how you address markets from that perspective.”

The duo also dives into fighting inertia in an organization, and how best to enable your business through structure and culture in order to reinvent itself.

Tune in to this episode now and gain timely insights on business from a high-performing franchisee!

What we talk about:

• Harolds background and his journey in franchising
• Building a company that lasts by innovation and reinvention

• From being an employee to being an entrepreneur

• “The more problems we solve, the more value we continue to add, and the greater our relationship became with those customers.” - Harold Mills

• How the funding looked like going from the startup level to 52 countries

• What drives complexity and opportunities for the business - Being “Glocal”
• What led Harold into franchising
• The difference between starting your own business and jumping into franchising
• Launching Urban Air in the middle of the pandemic situation and setting up processes to promote safety
• How the marketing looked like before the park opening
• The long term strategy in franchising Urban Air
• Creating the options that get you to the goal
• The commitment to life long learning

• The path towards significance

• “You can help a lot more people when you have a lot more yourself.” - Harold Mills

What we mention:

• Urban Air
• VMD Ventures
• The Aspen Institute

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we are joined by other purpose-driven franchising experts who are Brian’s co-authors of the newly released book Franchising Freedom! In this book, 15 franchisors and franchising experts that share the best thinking and proven strategies for successfully franchising a business.

Brian is joined by seven of his coauthors— Peter Daly-Dixon, Daren Taylor, Shireen Smith, Pieter K de Villiers, Stan Friedman, Aveline Clarke, and Haroon Danis.

This panel discussion is a high-level look at their insights into the franchising world at large, and advice they would share with the community given their respective backgrounds. So, tune in now and get to know a bit of their background and what their contribution to this extraordinary project!

Author Bios:

Stan Friedman is the President of FRM Solutions which delivers CRM solutions designed specifically for franchising. Stan produces and hosts “Franchise Today," a weekly podcast featuring interviews with some of franchisings notable founders, C-Suite Executives and luminaries.

Peter Daly-Dickson is the Founder and CEO of Macanta Software, a platform that allows business owners to create a CRM with workflow and process automation. He’s also the mastermind behind the new book, Franchising Freedom.

Darren Taylor is an experienced Franchisor and Investor dealing with mergers, acquisition and turnarounds with 5 franchise networks.

Aveline Clarke is the founder of Success Wizards and is a marketing automation and customer journey mapping expert. She took that experience to the Consulting arena where she continued consulting to business to improve their customer journey processes using automation technology.

Pieter K de Villiers is the Chief Product officer at Macanta Software, a company dedicating to helping franchisors build high-performing franchise networks through business and process automation. He’s also the author of another book, Barefoot Business.

Haroon Danis is the founder of Skin HQ. Haroon is a finalist in numerous awards in 2020 which includes the Lloyds bank National business awards in the New Entrepreneur category, The Starling Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Fashion and Beauty category and he has taken SkinHQ to the finals of the Growing business awards in the Young Company of the Year category.

Shireen Smith is the CEO of Azrights International. As an Intellectual Property lawyer, she combines strategic IP thinking with her expertise with branding and marketing to support founders to achieve a distinctive brand that stands out and attracts sales.

What we talk about:

• Participating in a book collaboration with international franchise experts

• “The making of the frantrepreneur”

• “In my experience, the path to business success is never made unsuccessfully by circumstance, but by lack of purpose and meaning, especially in the franchising world.”- Brian Holmes

• Peter Daly-Dixon, the mastermind behind the new book Franchising Freedom!

• Daren Taylor - his background and contribution being a co-author in Franchising Freedom!
• Contributing back to the franchise community
• Shireen Smith - her background and contribution being a co-author in Franchising Freedom!
• The difference between franchising and licensing
• Pieter K de Villiers, Chief Product Officer of Macanta - his background and contribution being a co-author in Franchising Freedom!
• Focusing on the systems and processes
• Stan Friedman, a franchising veteran - his background and contribution being a co-author in Franchising Freedom!
• Aveline Clarke - her background and contribution being a co-author in Franchising Freedom!
• Tapping the value in your people
• Haroon Danis - his background and contribution being a co-author in Franchising Freedom!

What we mention:

• Franchising Freedom!
• Macanta Software
• Azrights International
• Legally Branded, by Shireen Smith
• Franchise Today Podcast, by Stan Friedman
• Skin HQ

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian is joined by Andres Barcenas, a multi-location franchisee of Smoothie King in Austin, Texas.

Andres talks about his journey starting out as a manager for a Smoothie King location to becoming a multi-unit franchisee for the brand in a short period of time. He shares with us the first steps you can take in a turnaround situation, and some of the most essential lessons he has learned throughout his business journey.

Tune in and learn more wisdom that will equip you for success!

What we talk about:

• Andres Barcenas’ background and how he got started with Smoothie King
• Getting in as a manager with the possibility of growth
• Lessons learned as a manager for a larger organization
• The opportunity to own a location
• The level of preparedness taking on the business
• The importance of having a positive and strong support system
• Getting from one location to multi-location
• The first steps you do in a turnaround
• Wisely investing in the business especially at the beginning
• Navigating through a tough employment market like Austin
• How has the pandemic situation changed Andres’ perspective of the future
• Andres’ long term vision for the organization
• How Smoothie King become a dominant brand
• Knowing your limits, know your strengths, and be resourceful

What we mention:

• Smoothie King

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, Brian is joined by Kevin Dubois, the President & CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning. Lapels Dry Cleaning was founded on the premise of convenience and a true 100% environmentally non-toxic way to clean clothes. With nearly 100 locations nationwide, the brand was recently named to Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 for 2020.

Kevin shares his journey leading into franchising and the lessons he’s learned along the way that ultimately allowed him and his team to scale Lapels the right way. He also brings high-level insights into the dry cleaning industry, specifically how Lapels has managed to be on the cutting-edge of innovation in a largely unchanging industry.

The duo talks about how the franchise community has come together and are continuously finding new ways to survive and even thrive in uncertain times. Kevin says, “Every challenge in any economic cycle also presents some opportunities.”

Tune in and learn more about Kevin’s franchise story!

What we talk about:

• Kevin’s history and what got him into franchising and in the dry cleaning industry
• How the dry cleaning industry works
• Building and improving the system model
• The progress from 18 to 100 locations and lessons learned along the way
• Giving the support needed by different franchisees
• How COVID-19 affected the dry cleaning industry
• The strength in the franchise system coming and working together
• The future goals for Lapels
• Some revolutionary changes in dry cleaning

What we mention:

• Lapels Dry Cleaning

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we are joined by Reed Daniels, the CEO and President of Red’s Savoy Pizza. Since 1965, the original Red’s Savoy Pizza has earned a reputation as a landmark restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota. Red’s began licensing in 2006, replicating its mom and pop pizzeria in dozens of Midwest communities. Now, the franchise currently has 19 locations and is growing fast.

Brian and Reed discuss the importance of honing in on the company branding and business model. They also talked about some impacts of COVID-19 on companies and how it’s going to look like in the near future as the changes become a part of the “new normal.” Reed says, “Without the data, without the loyalty program, without online ordering, we’d be in some serious pain right now.”

Tune in and gain useful insights and ideas that will help you in your business journey.

What we talk about:

• Reed’s background and how he got into franchising
• Tapping into technology to scale the system
• Moving into the owner and franchisor role
• Honing the company branding and the business model
• The impact of the third-party food delivery services
• How COVID impacted the business and the plans for this year
• The goals and plans post-COVID shutdowns - catching growth opportunities
• The perfect storm for franchising to be successful
• The importance of branding quality - The quality of service and product
• Why franchising makes it easier to work into success

What we mention:

• Red’s Savoy Pizza

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brain is joined by special guest Dr. George Tinsley Sr. who is a Hall of Famer, an entrepreneur, an author, podcast host, speaker, and a franchisee. Tinsley is CEO of PenGeo, Inc., Tinsley Group, Inc. and Tinsley Family Concessions — collectively Tampa Bay's 3rd largest Black-owned enterprise, and one of the fastest growing independent restaurant conglomerates in the nation. As someone who has managed to turn every obstacle into opportunity in life and in business, you’re bound to learn valuable takeaways to apply in your own franchise journey.

On today’s podcast, Tinsley talks about the ups and downs of building his franchise empire and how his ability to always stay open to opportunities, coupled with undaunting resilience, allowed him to persevere in even the hardest times.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an experienced business owner looking for the next opportunity, this episode is for you. Tune in and learn more about Dr. George Tinsley’s inspiring franchise story!

What we talk about:

• Dr. George’s background growing up and how he got into entrepreneurship and franchising
• The challenges that Dr. George went through that motivated him to keep going and rise above
• How his athletic background had set the place work for success
• The transition from being in the education and coaching field to business
• How he started and worked in the training school of KFC
• Progressing from one opportunity to the next
• His transition from being in the corporate team to being a franchisee
• The ups and downs of starting and building different locations and keep going
• Always aggressively thinking about the next step
• Getting into the airport spaces business
• Going for what you want but not going in blind

What we mention:

• KFC
• TGI Fridays
• Obstacles To Opportunities, YouTube video with Dr. George Tinsley
• The Determined Entrepreneur, book by Dr. George Tinsley Sr.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

This week, we take a step back in time to discuss the lifework of Martha Matilda Harper— one of the greatest businesswomen you may not have heard about. In this special episode, Erik is joined by Jane Plitt, the author of the book Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business.

Martha Matilda Harper is an American businesswoman, entrepreneur, and inventor who launched modern retail franchising and then built an international network of 500 franchised hair salons that emphasized healthy hair care in the late 1800s.

After conducting in depth research, Jane Plitt shares with us how she was able to unearth Martha’s incredibly rags to riches story, and how a former servant girl from Canada created the American hair salon industry, empowering thousands of young women along the way. By dictating that poor women would open the first 100 salons, in one fell swoop Harper became a pioneer of social entrepreneurship and modern franchising.

Jane endeavors to bring Martha’s story alive and showcase just how her life experiences remain relevant to us today. She has a fascinating story for those who believe in entrepreneurship and the role women have played to shape innovative successful business and humane models.

Tune in to hear more about Martha’s franchise story and how her spirit and wisdom live on in modern times. What we talk about:

• Jane’s story on researching about and ultimately writing a book about Martha Matilda Harper
• What was extraordinary about Martha
• Harper’s desire to “Delight the customer”
• Her story became the motivation for both her customers as well as for her franchisees
• Listening to your employees
• The idea of social entrepreneurship
• Having flexibility and strong leadership
• Martha’s background that made her the way she was as an entrepreneur
• Having positive discontent and believing in the future
• The essence of the principles that guide us

What we mention:

• Martha Matilda Harper And The American Dream
• Martha The Hairpreneur
• Martha’s Magical Hair

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Dustin King is a 32-year-old third-generation operator steering his family’s multi-brand snack empire which now includes Auntie Anne’s, Häagen-Dazs, Cinnabon, Planet Smoothie, Jamba, Nestle Toll House Cookies, and Carvel. As the COO of SE Co-Brand Ventures, the company operates just shy of 60 locations and is still growing.

Dustin shares how he’s been able to beat out the competition and his method of scaling the business. The portfolio allows him to control the snack outlets in a given mall, thus giving him leverage. But instead of growth for growth’s sake, Dustin advises, “Start with a footprint, and try not to stray from that… the key to growing is taking care of what you’ve already got.”

The duo also touches on having a survival mentality through the COVID-19 situation. “It’s all about accessibility,” Dustin says, “Traditional models are a thing of the past.”

Tune in to hear more of Dustin’s franchise story and gain a new outlook in business and franchising.

What we talk about:

• How Dustin and his family got into franchising
• How three generations work together in the business and made it work and grow
• Going from single-brand to multi-brand
• Doing co-branding and its advantages
• Leverage points that go with growth
• Looking at the current situation and looking into the opportunities
• Looking into the opportunity’s financial sense
• Lessons learned from the growth process
• How COVID-19 situation affected the business and what was done to adapt and be better
• Moving forward strategy for the business
• It’s all about the acceptability to your store

What we mention:

• SE Co-Brand Ventures
• Auntie Anne’s
• Haagen Daas
• Cinnabon
• Planet Smoothie
• Jamba Juice
• Next Toll House Cookies
• Carvel

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, Brain is joined by Shaun Grove, the president of Club Pilates. As the largest Pilates brand in the world, Club Pilates is also one of the world's largest franchised fitness brands with over 600 locations open worldwide. Before becoming the president of Club Pilates back in 2015, Grove was involved with LA Boxing as General Counsel. Later uncovering his entrepreneurial side, he opened four franchise locations with the brand himself.

Shaun shares his journey leading into franchising and the lessons he’s learned, forged from years of trial and error, that ultimately allowed him and his team to develop a bulletproof method for scaling Club Pilates and the other Xponential brands.

Brian and Shaun give timely advice regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of having the right mindset in order to build a company to scale and sustain. The duo talks about the delicate balance of macro and micro focus – and the skill to know where to focus when.

Tune in to learn more about Shaun Grove’s franchise story, and gain wisdom on different vital aspects in franchising.

What we talk about:

• Shaun’s introduction to franchising
• The importance of getting the right person to help put together the FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document)
• What led to the sale of LA Boxing
• Experiencing being a franchisee and being in the franchisor side
• The vision for Club Pilates when they started
• Formulating the discovery day process
• The drivers that led into the model
• The process of building the team
• Expanding into other brands
• Creating Xponential Fitness
• Being cautiously optimistic
• What’s the future for Shaun
• Master franchising for International locations
• Finding international candidates
• Being patient in this long journey

What we mention:

• Club Pilates
• Xponential Fitness
• LA Boxing - UFC Gym

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik Van Horn is joined by Brian Scudamore on a favorite episode from the Franchise Secrets Podcast.

Brian is a franchising legend. After realizing that he learned more from working than he did from studying, he dropped out of college to attack his junk removal business full-time. That business became 1-800-GOT-JUNK, a top-flight low cost to entry franchise that has swept both the US and Canada and annually grosses over a half billion dollars in revenue. He then branched out with his business partners to open two more rapidly growing franchise companies: Wow One Day Painting and Shack Shine, both of which are on pace to dominate their respective markets and gross over a half billion in revenue themselves.

Brian talks about his process of hiring the right people and how it made a tremendous difference in his company. He also emphasizes the importance of cultivating a healthy relationship with the franchise partners and how he was able to turn a small business into a well-oiled machine. Tune in to learn more about Brian’s one-of-a-kind franchise story!

What we talk about:

• Brian Scudamore’s business and franchise journey
• “I realized that you've got to build a business through people finding the right people and treating them right.” - Brian Scudamore
• Brian’s process of hiring the right people - The beer and barbeque test
• Hiring somebody who’s smarter and better
• Helping the top-performing franchisees
• Helping franchisees help each other
• Different recipes for different franchises
• Talking about 1-800-GOTJUNK, OW 1Day Painting, and Shack Shine
• Things Brian does to help the franchise partners

• The power in building a national brand

• “Grow where you're planted, pick one niche that you want to chase, and do it really, really well.” - Brian Scudamore

• Lessons learned from the franchisees along the way

• Cultivating the relationship with the franchisees through a franchise advisory council
• Treating people like friends
• Franchisors admitting on mistakes made
• Finding gratitude in challenging times
• The impact of changing lives

What we mention:

• EO - Entrepreneurs' Organization
• O2E Brands
• 1-800-GOTJUNK
• WOW 1Day Painting
• Shack Shine
• WTF (Willing To Fail), book by Brian Scudamore and Roy H. Willams
• https://talkwitherik.com

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Scott is a respected entrepreneur from Utah that has led several companies from their growth stage to exit. Most notably, Scott co-founded Five Star Painting, one of America’s largest painting franchise systems, taking it to over 100 locations in four countries. Now, Scott is the CEO of ProNexis, leading that company to become a fully integrated business solution for service based businesses.

In terms of finding the next evolution for your business, Scott advises, “Every time there’s a shift in human behavior, there’s a massive opportunity that exists for those of us in the game, whatever game that is. For us, we just kept iterating on how to expand the business by feeding what works and starving what doesn’t.”

Scott walks us through his entrepreneurial journey, then his franchising one. Along the way, he shares valuable lessons and necessary risks that ultimately takes him to the next level of success. Tune in now and find out how Scott was able to effectively launch a franchise brand and built it to create real value for his customers.

What we talk about:

• Talking about EO - Entrepreneurs Organization
• Scott’s background and how he got into franchising
• “When you're a new entrant into a business, you need to do something different.” - Scott Abbott
• “When you create value, you needed, at some point, sell that value.” - Scott Abbott
• The willingness to take risk
• How Scott got to the decision of selling the Five Star Painting
• The elements in every business
• Being involved in IFA
• About Pronexis
• Creating the world’s best customer service solutions
• Building something that creates value

What we mention:

• Five Star Painting
• Pronexis
• Entrepreneurs Organization
• IFA - International Franchise Association

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Andy Pittman is the CEO of ShelfGenie, the nation’s leading custom shelving and home improvement solutions franchise. Andy doesn’t have your typical franchise story, though.

Back in the day, Andy was running his own appliance store with 13 employees in Raleigh, North Carolina, when he found an article about ShelfGenie in a national business magazine. Within a month, he purchased the rights to the Raleigh franchise territory. A few years later, he had expanded to six territories across the state and earned the system’s highest volume group designation multiple times. Then, in 2018, he was named the company’s CEO.

As a "franchisee-turned-CEO,” Andy is able to lend a hand to new and existing franchise partners trying to navigate the world of franchise ownership at ShelfGenie. Andy has experience having spent time in both seats, both excelling and struggling, coming out of each experience with valuable advice for any entrepreneur looking to pave their way in the franchising world.

Tune in to hear more of Andy’s story and find wisdom in the experiences and lessons to apply to your own journey.

What we talk about:

• Andy’s journey in business and as a franchisee
• Dealing with businesses that do not work out very well
• Selling with a noble purpose
• Dealing with the business through the pandemic and keeping the business up
• How Andy transitioned into the CEO role in the franchise company
• Being aligned to both the franchisee and the franchisor side
• Biggest lessons learned at being a corporate employee
• Being able to listen to and understand people and becoming more patient
• Having a dedicated and passionate team in the corporate office

What we mention:

• ShelfGenie
• Selling With A Noble Purpose, book by Lisa McLeod

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian and Erik are joined by Scott Marr. Scott is the founder and CEO of Koala Insulation, an emerging installation franchise serving residential and commercial customers based in Melbourne, Florida. Before Koala Insulation, Scott started and sold another successful franchise, Fleet Clean USA, one of the largest mobile truck washing companies in the country.

Scott shared how he successfully built and scaled his business through franchising. A key takeaway from Scott’s story is his prioritization on developing phenomenal processes and procedures through the entire business.

Scott recounts, “We were in the process of building something that would have imploded if we had not put processes and procedures in place… once we started on developing processes and procedures, it was hyper-focused. We stopped looking at expanding to other locations, we stopped thinking about how many services we could provide, and we started focusing on how we can be really fantastic on our core business.”

Tune in to hear more of Scott’s franchise story, and learn valuable wisdom you can apply to your business journey!

What we talk about:

• Immediately getting into the next venture after building and exiting a franchise
• What led Scott down the franchisor path
• Selecting franchisees and nurturing the franchisor-franchisee relationship
• Managing franchisees and corporate locations at the same time
• The Plant and Sell method
• Scaling with technology
• Exiting the franchise brand built and transitioning into the startup
• About Koala Insulation - How it started and where it is today
• Focusing on being a really good franchisor
• Outsourcing franchise development
• The franchisee candidates Koala Insulation is looking for
• Being able to provide adequate training and support

What we mention:

• Koala Insulation
• Fleet Clean USA

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian talks with Jeff Dudan, the CEO of Dudan Partners. Jeff is a franchise executive with 25 years of experience founding, building, operating, and ultimately exiting a national brand. After the successful sale of AdvantaClean, a light environmental service franchise, Jeff founded Dudan Partners.

Jeff is a published author, Forbes contributor, speaker, and consultant to emerging brands as well as serving YPO as Chapter Chair of the Southeast Regional US Chapter, Novant Health as Advisory Board member, and the IFA Franchisor Forum as a member.

From founding to ultimately exiting a national brand, Jeff generously shares the wisdom he gained from his experience in the franchise world, especially in cultivating a healthy franchisor-franchisee relationship. Building relationship equity is a fundamental part of his story, a standard he holds himself to in business and in life.

Tune in to hear Jeff’s franchise story and learn priceless principles to apply to your journey!

What we talk about:

• How Jeff got into franchising

• “Nothing great happens until somebody makes a bold declaration.” - Jeff Dudan

• “Future informs the present what matters… knowing what your future is critical in your decision making.” - Jeff Dudan

• Biggest lessons learned in going from Concept to Exit

• The intention of building something enduring, sustainable, and changed people’s lives
• Getting into the decision to sell
• The concept of relationship equity - Intentional regular engagement
• “You teach people how to treat you.” - Jeff Dudan
• What happens after selling the business
• Dudan Partners - a transformational growth company
• 3 things to look for in a franchisee
• Being intentional with coaching, consulting, and mentoring
• Who should reach out to Dudan Partners for help
• Jeff’s upcoming book, Discernment: The Business Athlete’s Regimen For Great Life Through Better Decisions

What we mention:

• Dudan Partners
• jeff@dudan.me
• Jeff Dudan - Linkedin
• AdvantaClean
• Discernment: The Business Athlete’s Regimen For Great Life Through Better Decisions, by Jeff Dudan

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian talks with James Williams, co-founder of the Mayweather Boxing + Fitness concept. James has been serving as the brand’s CEO since their inception in 2017. Previously, James was a co-founder and Principal at Ivy Venture Partners, where he partnered with Floyd Mayweather and Beyoncé to develop each of their various business ventures. He is a former strategy consultant at premier global consulting firm, Bain & Company; and a former corporate lawyer at the global Magic Circle law firm, Clifford Chance.

James talks about the Mayweather Boxing + Fitness’ attractive and highly competent business model and how the brand has been navigating the COVID-19 situation. In order to create a successful, celebrated-back business, James believes you need two things: “Authenticity to the person.. and the operating team behind it who really has the experience and expertise in that industry.”

James also shares how the brand has been able to capitalize on the redefined, competitive landscape for the fitness industry. The most important aspect for James? “Well-capitalized operators with a clear strategy to target the new consumer demands in the fitness industry.”

Tune in to hear more of James’ franchise story and pick up nuggets of wisdom that will equip us in our business journey.

What we talk about:

• James’ career before franchising and what lead him to become a franchise owner
• Jumping the learning curve in franchising
• Staffed up too quickly
• Floyd Mayweather’s vital part in the business model
• The brand and its marketing
• The fitness programming
• Integrated uses of technology
• Navigating through the COVID-19 situation
• The challenge in financing
• The bigger goal with the brand
• Taking advantage of the implications of COVID-19

What we mention:

• Mayweather Boxing + Fitness
• Ivy Venture Partners
• Bain & Company

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian talks with the owner and operator of two Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge, & Ice Cream franchise locations in North and South Carolina, Ashley Clark.

Ashley entered the franchising world at a young age, eventually acquiring a second Kilwins location. After graduating from Clemson at 23 years old, she chose to take the entrepreneurial path over attending law school. Ashely reflects, “It’s so rewarding, my organization grows at the speed I’m growing myself... I can control whether my business survives this or not.”

This is a must-listen-to episode for anyone with the entrepreneurial spirit who may be on the fence about getting into franchising.

Tune in now and learn and be inspired by Ashley’s franchise story.

What we talk about:

• Ashley’s journey before she got into franchising
• What Kilwins is and what makes it unique
• Becoming a franchisee and entrepreneur at a young age
• How opening the first location looks like
• Buying the 2nd location that is doing very good
• The transition from being a single unit operator to a multi-unit
• The lifestyle of being an entrepreneur and a leader
• How the pandemic situation impacted the business
• The goals for the future and what they want out of the journey
• The mission to serve other people

What we mention:

• Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge, & Ice Cream
• Kilwins Franchising

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we are joined by a top performer franchisee, Jon-Anthony Lui. Jon-Anthony is a 10-year, multi-unit franchisee with Tutor Doctor.

Together with Erik and Brian, Jon-Anthony shares his experiences in starting out and growing in the world of franchising where he developed notable life and leadership skills that definitely scaled him up to the level of success that he is in now. He also talks about the mindsets and mental health of entrepreneurs who are going through challenges especially with our present global circumstance.

Tune in to hear more about Jon-Anthony’s franchise story and learn from a topnotch leader and entrepreneur.

What we talk about:

• Jon’s background in franchising
• Starting with Tutor Doctor
• What Tutor Doctor is today
• The importance of consistent, persistent, and quality execution
• The Challenges of being a top-performer
• Having good mentors that can give guidance
• How has a good franchisor pivoted during this time when they needed to
• Mindsets and mental health of entrepreneurs
• The choice to fight
• How Jon manages the team
• Jon’s goals and dreams in life and in business
• Understanding the values of the brand
• “One thing that is important for brand innovators is being able to revisit things that maybe you said no to before because perhaps, things have changed.”

What we mention:

• Tutor Doctor
• Franchisee Mastermind
• Frank Milner, President of Tutor Doctor

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we have a special guest who is the Founder and CEO of Loyalty Brands— John Hewitt. Prior to Loyalty Brands, John was also the co-founder of Jackson Hewitt and the Sole Founder of Liberty Tax Service.

Given his 50+ years of experience in the industry, John talks with Brian about some key values on how to lead in times of uncertainty. They also talked about building the best business system by having a healthy franchisor-franchisee relationship and cultivating happy and successful franchisees.

Join their conversation and learn priceless leadership principles and skills from first-hand experiences that will help you navigate through a trying time and come out winning.

What we talk about:

• How to lead in time of uncertainty
• Being prepared - Always have a Plan B for the business
• “One of the things of being successful is you make more mistakes than other people and/or observe more mistakes.” - John Hewitt
• Perseverance is the most important
• To compete to win - Having happy, successful franchisees
• “The greatness of franchising is the creativity and the drive and the commitment of the franchisees.” - John Hewitt
• Helping franchisees learn from each other
• Motivations that go beyond the money earned

What we mention:

• Loyalty Brands
• Jackson Hewitt
• Liberty Tax

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In today’s episode, Brian talks with Andrew Alfano, the CEO of Retro Fitness, and Robbie Sprechman, the brand’s CFO. Retro Fitness is a rapidly growing fitness company with over 140 locations in 14 states open or in development.

Andrew points out, “I don’t build business, I build people, and people build business. That’s probably the greatest attraction with franchising for me because you’re really serving and helping others be successful.”

The trio dives into how the fitness industry has become more relevant than ever during this time. Andrew and Robbie talk about how they have transitioned their business over the last few months but also their larger commitment to build up the brand, and every franchisee in the system, to be successful in a post-coronavirus world.

Tune in to hear Andrew and Robbie’s franchise story, and learn timely wisdom you can apply to your business journey.

What we talk about:

• Andrew's and Robbie's background and how they got into franchising and Retro Fitness
• Where Retro Fitness is at (size and locations)
• Building a community within the four walls
• Taking the journey with people
• The fitness industry is more relevant than ever with the current pandemic situation
• How open are the consumers to going outside and coming back into gyms
• How the franchisor helps franchisees with the actual uncertain future
• "From our perspective, our first thing was how do we help our franchisees win. And the way to win is care about the other person." - Robbie Sprechman
• How franchisors can deal with location closures in the industry
• The PPP loan for businesses and other options
• "The last thing you want to do is misstep in what is a very, very fragile time." - Andrew Alfano
• Having a reopening playbook and closely assist franchisees
• Be committed to being successful

What we mention:

• Retro Fitness

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian talks with Ed Cunningham, a Firehouse Subs franchisee in Arizona. Within 5 months of opening, Ed’s location became the #1 ranked location in the entire Firehouse Subs system. How did he do it?

Before becoming a Firehouse Subs franchisee, Ed served as a firefighter. Being a public safety professional, Ed learned the importance of upholding one’s reputation at all times within the entire community. This all-encompassing approach to his business, combined with his social media savvy, are contributors to his success right off the bat.

Most importantly, Ed advocates focusing on the core and backbone of your business before anything else. Ed says, “When you teach your managers and employees to serve each other as much as they serve customers, it creates an amazing dynamic, and your best form of marketing. These are free things that take energy and time, but that doesn’t come out of your bottom line.”

Tune in to hear more of Ed’s story and tips he shares on how the right kind of preparation will allow your business to persevere in hard times.

What we talk about:

• Ed’s background and what led him to the franchise world
• Knowing the time and the right opportunity to get into something
• “The things you go through are [kind of] preparing you for [really] the things that are coming if you allow them to.” - Ed Cunningham
• Marketing through social media and serving your employees
• “The best form of marketing that you have is treating your employees with the exact same customer service that you would treat anyone that comes in the door to buy your product.” - Ed Cunningham
• The value of treating your employees the best way possible
• Accidentally started a detox kit business
• Starting to think ahead and be prepared
• Reflecting on the mistakes that did not set you up for success
• Putting yourself out there
• Focusing on the core of what drives the business
• “If you focus on the core and the backbone of your business first, everything else will just be natural results of that.”

What we mention:

• Firehouse Subs

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In the second installation of our special panel discussion, we have the privilege of talking with three guys you may have heard from before—Jeff Bevis, Henry Kim, and Stephen Vereb.

Today’s panel is made up of high-performing franchise veterans across different industries to share with us what their crisis management has looked like over the past few weeks.

Jeff Bevis has over 38 years of business leadership experience and a deep emphasis on franchising. He is the co-founder and CEO at FirstLight Home Care Franchising, a giant in the senior care industry.

Henry Kim and Stephen Vereb have been business partners for over 10 years, initially starting in the Massage Envy franchise system before also becoming Regional Developers for Amazing Lash. In addition, they are owners of an accredited Massage Therapy school named AMBI.

Tune in to hear a conversation about the impact of this pandemic on their different industries, but more importantly, how they have been able to create and maintain a resilient business model.

Will your business be ready for opportunities that will arise after the shutdown ends?

What we talk about:

• The impact of the shutdown in Henry and Stephen’s businesses
• The impact of the shutdown in Jeff’s businesses
• The best practices of franchisors in communicating to their franchisees
• What the businesses look like during this time and after reopening
• A conversation around finances, loans, and location rentals
• “We're all somewhat ignorant to the process because the process is changing. And so I think one of the best things... just continue to ask questions to try and get an understanding of it.”
• Some changes that will happen in franchising as a result of this challenging time
• Being able to talk about the opportunities that are going to present itself
• Helping those that want to transition out process the exit and transition in the people that want to grow and expand
• Acquisition by private equity after the pandemic
• Positioning ourselves for opportunities that will arise

What we mention:

• FirstLight Home Care Franchising
• Massage Envy
• Amazing Lash Studio

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In light of this new reality we are all living in, we thought it would be best to conduct a special panel discussion made up of high-performing franchisees across different industries to share with us what their crisis management has looked like over the past few weeks.

The ability to collaborate during this time will be incredibly beneficial for all of us. Today, we have the privilege of talking with two guys you may have heard from before, Peter Hansen and JD Busch. These guys are battle-tested, successful multi-unit franchisees.

JD has been in franchising since 1995 and started as a Massage Heights franchisee and RD before also transitioned into Amazing Lash. Peter Hansen is partner and co-founder at Franchise Ramp, a digital marketing company that provides recurring customer-generation systems for franchise brands. Peter also owns multiple Club Pilates locations across 2 states – Arizona and Ohio (and is in the process of working on deals for 6 more).

The panel talks about the current situations and opportunities that can come out of this shutdown process. No matter your industry or job position, you'll find a lot to relate to and take from the conversation.

What we talk about:

• The current situation of different businesses and locations during this pandemic

• Over preparing won’t hurt

• “You can still be an optimist, but have thought through the process of what you're going to do in a worst-case scenario.”

• Navigating through a downturn

• Best practices to come out of the current situation as successful as we possibly can
• The difference in the shutdown process between states and how businesses adjusted
• Facing different suggestions to make a business decision
• Handling the post-closure communication between members
• Opportunities that can come out of this uncertain time
• Staying positive
• Evolving with the opportunities that are coming
• Think through all different options
• The human capital assets

What we mention:

• Massage Heights
• Franchise Ramp
• Franchise Tribe Facebook group, by Erik Van Horn

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian and Erik talk with Craig Jooste, the Co-founder and CEO of Local Handyman Group. Craig is an accomplished entrepreneur and senior executive with more than 15 years of success in franchising multiple brands across the United States and Canada. He was previously a part of the leadership team at 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and Wow 1 Day Painting. The lessons learned from those early days have been extremely valuable as he pivotes his current business strategy to enable sustainable effectiveness in this new reality.

Craig talks about the new SOP, creative ways he’s managed to pivot his business, and how he has been able to set up his franchisees for success. Tune in for a refreshingly positive strategy session and pick up some valuable nuggets of wisdom that you can apply to your own business.

What we talk about:

• How the franchises are being impacted by the COVID-19 situation
• Moving into a new standard operating procedure due to this situation
• Having different revenue streams and greatly focusing on B2B
• Lessons learned from the last recession
• Deciding to get into your own business
• “If you're open to learning, you just take the good and the bad. And you can apply it to what you're doing.” - Craig Jooste
• Talking with other business owners about what you CAN do
• The size and age of the business, and the growth
• Setting up franchisees for success
• The role of online marketing
• “The key thing right now is to step up and show people that you don't have to be just afraid. Like, that's an option. You can cover, you can be afraid, or you can choose to figure out how you can come out the other side better.” - Brian Holmes
• Having people you bounce ideas off
• Local Handyman Group’s naming structure

What we mention:

• Local Handyman Group
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK
• Wow 1 Day Painting

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian and Erik talk with Fred Tomlin, the CEO of Accelerated Waste Solutions, and Sherrod Hunter, the President and Co-founder of Accelerated Waste Solutions. They share key moments of growth for their company and how they made sure to keep the business on top within the industry. They also share how technology has been a valuable asset to their growth and how they worked to have a well-developed system and processes before getting into franchising.

Tune in to the conversation to learn more about Fred and Sherrod’s story, what made them successful initially, and kept them growing.

What we talk about:

• What is Accelerated Waste Solutions and how it started
• Understanding the industry and listening to the customers
• About the app
• Operating in different locations
• Highly focusing on B2B sales channel
• What led to franchising
• Using technology throughout the business
• Wanting to share the success through franchising
• Number of employees and job descriptions
• Mentors in franchising
• Goals for franchising in the next five years

What we mention:

• Accelerated Waste Solutions

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Our third installment from the 2020 “Best of IFA” series features Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar.

Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America’s original blow dry bar. No cuts, no color: Just wash, blo, and go! Vanessa talks with Brian about her experience launching this category that didn’t previously exist. Since it’s advent, Blo Blow Dry, and the category, has seen tremendous growth across the U.S. and Canada.

Brian and Vanessa have an honest conversation about the type of balanced leadership that is necessary to ensure a healthy culture between franchisees and franchisors. Tune in to hear a fascinating discussion about leadership, risk, and the types of tools and services Vanessa and her team has developed for the Blo community.

What we talk about:

• Collaboration with franchisees
• What is Blo Blow Dry Bar and what’s exciting about it
• Reaching a hundred locations opened
• “As we've grown, it's really been about responsible growth and making sure that we filled out our corporate infrastructure, that we brought the right team members in place, the right resources and supports for our franchise partners to set them up for success.” – Vanessa Yakobson
• Continual improvement in the system
• Looking at the right investment at the right time
• Defining qualities of a good leader
• Understanding the franchisees’ perspective
• Keeping good and open communication with franchisees
• Risks taken that led into the business’ defining moment

What we mention:

• International Franchise Association (IFA)
• Franchise Ramp,
• Blo Blow Dry Bar, by Vanessa Yakobson

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Our second installment from the 2020 “Best of IFA” series features Chris McCuiston, CEO and co-founder of Goldfish Swim School Franchising. Just two years out of college, Chris and his wife took a major risk by starting the brand.

“We thought we’d open up 4-5 locations out in Michigan, all company owned, and that was it.” Fast-forward to 2020, the brand has just crossed the 100 location threshold and ranks #1 in the 2019’s Entrepreneur’s Top Children's Fitness Programs.

Tune in to hear Chris’ story and advice he’d give to emerging franchisors, his experience in franchising vs partnerships, and what it takes to become a battle-tested brand.

What we talk about:

• Greetings and introduction of Chris McCuiston
• The importance of joining IFA events
• What Goldfish Swim School is
• Developing the franchise, how big the franchise is
• Being proven and stable as a brand
• The background of the business model development
• Putting together something and made it grow big through franchising
• Understanding the franchisor-franchisee relationship - giving some flexibility
• Leading by example
• Being selfless
• Being humble, hungry, smart, and having compassion for others
• Living out the business’ core values
• Goldfish Swim School’s mission
• Risks taken that defined the business
• The brand’s goals for the future

What we mention:

• Goldfish Swim School
• International Franchise Association (IFA)

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Our first installment from the 2020 “Best of IFA” series features Don Fox, CEO of Firehouse Subs. In this live conversation with Brian, Don sheds light on best practices to create the type of brand that can grow and sustain 1,000+ locations.

Don joined Firehouse Subs in 2003 as a Director of Franchise Compliance before rising to CEO in 2009, growing Firehouse franchise locations from 65 to almost 1,200.

We dig into the importance of developing strong leadership, technical disciplines, and a sound financial model early on. But more importantly, we touch on how Don has been able to foster the type of belief system that manifests into distinct behaviors for the Firehouse Subs brand. In Don’s words, “Your customers chose you based on your values.” The more you have your value system on display, the more your customer has to identify with.

Don, who started his restaurant career in the kitchen scrubbing pots, says he learned some of his most valuable lessons early on in his career. Tune in to hear his fascinating story rising from pot scrubber to CEO of Firehouse Subs and the company culture that has proved to be a cornerstone to the success of the legendary brand.

What we talk about:

• Greetings and introduction of Don Fox
• What Don gets out in attending the IFA
• The factors that brought the explosive growth
• “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” - Don Fox
• The selection of the right franchisees
• Seeing the potential of the brand
• The charitable component of Firehouse Subs and its importance
• How Don’s background affected his leadership style
• Being a leader, you’re being constantly watched
• How technology has changed the food industry
• Bringing the mission to life
• Defining your culture
• “Your customers choose you for your value.” - Don Fox
• Risks taken that led into the business’ defining moment
• Establishing the commonality of purpose
• The mainstream marketing as the great equalizer
• The relationship between the franchisor and franchisees
• Great communication coupled with fairness
• A constant stream of franchisees’ feedback

What we mention:

• Firehouse Subs
• International Franchise Association (IFA)

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, Brian talks with Alejandra Font, co-founder of The Camp Transformation Center. Over the last decade, the brand has opened over a hundred locations across 13 states and in Mexico.

Alejandra talks about The Camp’s journey leading into franchising, key moments of growth for the brand, and hard lessons learned along the way. After all, there are certain business lessons that you can only learn in the struggle.

Tune in to hear more about Alejandra’s story and how she was able to grow an A-Class team to produce A-Class results.

What we talk about:

• What The Camp Transformation Center does
• Why and how they got into franchising
• The difference between expanding through franchising and expanding through employees
• Going international
• The hire that transformed the business
• Clear organizational description and good work ethics
• The transformation that clients experience
• The goals and targets for the future
• Getting the A class team very quickly
• The risks taken that led them to major success
• Having a franchisee advisory council

What we mention:

• The Camp Transformation Center
• The Camp Transformation Center Franchise

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik talks with Jason Wuerfel, the founder of Books & Brews. Jason grew up too nerdy for the jocks and too jocky for the nerds. It was this experience that lead him to develop the mission for Books & Brews⁠— to create a place for people without a place. Books & Brews is a place for the reader, for the scholar, for the gamer, for the drinker, for the music lover, for the individual.

Jason and Erik talk about the growth strategy for his niche franchise, winning marketing tactics, and fundamental truths in building and developing any business within a community.

Jason grew up in an entrepreneurial family, but there were things he initially took for granted. Tune in to hear his powerful story about what can happen when failure isn’t an option.

What we talk about:

• Jason Wuerfel’s background and the story of his family
• Setting yourself aside for the guest
• “Work is not something that you leave.” - Jason Wuerfel
• “We’re not going to go broke because I won’t let us.” - Jason’s father
• Taking the risk and making it work
• The Books & Brews experience
• The Books & Brews mission
• Books & Brews franchisees and locations
• How the corporate operation looks like for the franchisees - A marketing company that franchises
• Just have to have champions
• How Jason do social media and marketing
• “Whatever your concept is, add your nerdiness to it.” - Jason Wuerfel

What we mention:

• Books & Brews
• Books & Brews Franchising
• Gary V.
• Simon Sinek
• Franchise Secrets

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we have with us Bobby Williams, a franchisee of Christian Brothers Automotive. Bobby is a serial entrepreneur with a corporate background, previously working at a Fortune 500 company. He now owns two Christian Brothers Automotive locations in Texas. Beyond that, Bobby is also involved in helping other franchisees in Christian Brothers grow and be successful within the system.

Bobby walks us through his franchising journey step-by-step, beginning with his transition from corporate America to the franchising world, the process of finding the right franchise for him and his family, taking a risk on turnaround opportunities, to ultimately becoming a franchisee that others in the system look up to. Bobby also shares how and why he values the franchise system he’s a part of and ways he is giving back by providing training to other location owners.

Tune in to this week’s episode and hear more about Bobby’s franchise story and the benefits of giving back!

What we talk about:

• Bobby’s background and experience in Corporate America
• Defining the business’s value
• Drivers why Bobby got into the business
• The process of getting into Christian Brothers Automotive
• Building a franchise takes a long time
• The transition to a different industry
• Challenges in building the next location
• The importance of having a peer support group
• Giving back through training other franchisees
• “Jump in with both feet”
• The benefits of giving back
• Good points of being a franchisor
• Interesting customer experiences

What we mention:

• Christian Brothers Automotive
• erik@frachisesecrets.com

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

This week, Brian talks with Nigel Travis, the executive chairman and former CEO of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins. Prior to Dunkin Brands, Nigel served as President and COO at Blockbuster and President and CEO at Papa John’s.

Nigel reflects on the unique, results-oriented discipline he's developed over decades of leadership which provides a blueprint for any organization to achieve prosperity. His book, The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback, showcases how a culture built on open dialogue and honesty will deliver collective positive outcomes for customers and team members. This same matter-of-fact culture is especially necessary for franchisor/franchisee relationships.

Nigel says, “I truly believe that the people who believe that franchisors and franchisees will always be on the same page economically are living a falsehood… you need to clearly separate the two economic models, don’t just ignore the separation, find a way to bridge it.”

In today’s hyper-competitive world, people crave honest feedback, regardless of the type of organization. In 2017, Nigel became the owner of Leyton Orient Football, a troubled professional soccer team that presents a unique opportunity to implement his “challenge culture” strategy.

Tune in to this week’s value-packed episode to hear more about Nigel’s fascinating story and find out how honest communication and pushback can drive your business onward and upward!

What we talk about:

• Nigel’s back story and his career in franchising
• How Nigel’s background in HR helped in franchising
• Franchise economics and franchisee relationships
• The purest franchise model
• “People should be treated fairly, you should be very transparent with them if they’re not performing or they’re running bad stores or bad tax operations or bad cleaning services, whatever the franchise is, you've got to be straightforward and honest with them.” - Nigel Travis
• The trajectory of the business from locations perspective
• The similarities between fans and franchisees
• Keeping the franchisees engaged especially within a big system
• The importance of two-way communication
• Ways where it has gotten harder for the franchise (The franchise, the franchisees, and the economy
• “We pride that we go back to the basics of what is good for franchise economics, and what is good for the relationship and how could we work together to overcome some of the hurdles that franchisees have in operating their business.” - Nigel Travis
• Recruiting good franchisees
• Focusing on great training
• Don’t franchise too early
• Having a philosophy on how you are going to approach franchisees and system leaders
• What [Dunkin’] a franchisor is looking for a franchisee
• Those that will not fit as a franchisee
• Valuing the lessons learned from past difficult experiences
• Staying cautious and being prepared as much as possible
• Giving regular feedback and support

What we mention:

• Dunkin’ Brands
• Papa John’s International
• Burger King
• Leyton Orient Football Team
• Baskin’ Robbins
• The Challenge Culture, by Nigel Travis
• Leyton Orient Football

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Shirin Kanji serves as the President of Impact RTO Holdings, a family business based in Florida operating for more than 30 years. He started the retail division back in 2015 with the acquisition of franchised Rent-A-Center locations in eight states across the Southeast.

Since then, Shirin has trailblazed his way to the top as the country’s largest Rent-A-Center franchisee, amassing 75 properties.

Shirin says, “I just knew how important it was for our family to find diversification and I felt truly confident in the brand and its position in the industry and what we knew about the business model at that point in time. Once we found it, we would do whatever it takes to bring it home.”

Moving from the hospitality and real estate industries to renting and retail, Shirin offers a look behind the scene at developing emerging concepts, corporate refranchising, and deal structuring to expand the family business.

Tune in to this week’s episode and learn about Shirin’s journey from Wall Street to transforming the family business in a big way.

What we talk about:

• The kind of business Shirin’s family has and how they got into it
• Leveraging abilities and available resources for growth
• The operational structure of the business
• Being able to keep everyone holding in the business
• Getting better as you go through difficult times
• How Shirin got into Rent-A-Center franchise
• How it looked like going from zero to multiple stores
• Having a franchisor that believes strongly in re-franchising
• The idea behind re-franchising
• Growing from 40 stores to 75
• How the economy changes and the people is critical to the business and its growth
• Keeping the humility
• Having mutual trust within the family members in the business
• Allowing freedom to identify if the skill fits within the family business
• The vision for the future

What we mention:

• Rent-A-Center
• Impact Properties

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, Brian and Erik are joined by Chris Fisher, the founder and CEO of Shine Window Care and Holiday Lighting.

From a gas station squeegee to building a franchise system with locations in 10 states and growing, Chris Fisher has learned many valuable lessons along the way and is committed to leading with values that fuel the Shine Mission To Be a Light.

The trio discusses key components to maintain a culture of excellence and grow your business the right way. Chris says, “Business is so much more than making money, it’s about what kind of life you’re trying to build through business. The business is the vehicle. There’s always the next window [to wash]. What are we doing this for?”

Tune in to hear more of Chris’ story and other great insights that will encourage and empower you on your entrepreneurial journey.

What we talk about:

• How Chris started in the window cleaning industry
• Realizing you needed a team
• The first hires and the vision to grow
• “Business is so much more than making money. It’s about life and what you’re trying to build through business.”
• Making the difference by building relationships
• From squeegees to owning a franchise
• Shine Window Care and Holiday Lighting business model
• About Holiday Lighting and the system in place
• The locations and some franchisees
• Lead generation process and the best marketing strategy
• The vision and goals of the franchise
• How Chris is learning
• Keeping the focus
• Investing in coaching and having peer groups
• Facilitating communication and developing relationships
• Leading the culture with positivity and still having fun
• The franchise’s key hires
• The Leadership Ladder

What we mention:

• Shine Window Care
• The E-myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber
• Holiday Lighting - Shine Window Care
• John Maxwell
• FranXperts

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian are with Landon Eckles, who is the co-founder of Clean Juice®, a company that has grown to 85 locations open with a goal of reaching 100 locations by February 2020.

Clean Juice® started in 2014 as the brainchild of Kat & Landon Eckles. Kat had spent the better part of a decade making smoothies and juices at home and shot off the idea of opening a juice bar in the Charlotte area. Landon and Kat quickly jumped into the idea with 100% motivation and heart.

In this week’s episode, you’ll hear Landon’s process of franchising from a mom-and-pop concept, to picking up regional growth, and beyond. Whether you are a young entrepreneur looking to start your concept or a veteran of the business, you’re sure to get some great value from this interview.

What we talk about:

• How Landon went from commercial real estate to the organic juice industry
• Developing the concept then ventured into franchising
• Going through the process of developing a product up to setting up the franchise
• The foundation of your brand - get an attorney that specializes in franchising
• The mindset of being the franchisor
• Explaining in details to the franchisees at the beginning
• Advice on managing different expectations on different franchise levels
• One of the biggest misconceptions in franchising
• The willingness to get in and get your hands dirty
• How the management team looks like now
• Finding good people to join the team
• What the store looks and feels like
• The challenges faced with the products starting from one location up to 85 locations
• Some of the biggest learnings in starting in the food industry
• Certain concerns and things the CEO/franchisor focuses on
• Focusing on the guest experience
• “Marketing drives opportunity, operations drive sales” - Landon Eckles
• Being intentional on Kindness - next level guest experience
• Clean Juice’s goals
• People that helped Landon grow

What we mention:

• Clean Juice
• Dave Mortensen
• Don Fox
• Jeff Dudan

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian are with Adam Meyer. Adam was a professional hockey player, turned entrepreneur, turned franchisee and owner of three F45 locations in Southwest Minneapolis. So how was he able to successfully open his first studio in one of the most fitness-saturated cities in the U.S.?

With Erik and Brian, Adam shares his journey starting with franchising, his top lessons learned from being a young entrepreneur, and how he was able to leverage influencer content into effective marketing tools for the growth of his businesses.

Listen in and learn more about Adam’s story!

What we talk about:

• How Adam got started in his entrepreneurial journey until he owned an F45 franchise
• Top lessons Adam learned from past experience
• How to balance trusting others and protecting yourself and the business
• Top characteristics that Adam looks for a future partner
• What is F45 and how is it different from others
• The process of him getting started with F45
• What helped Adam grow F45
• Success defined
• Using local influencers for marketing
• Creating content
• The culture of celebrating everybody and sharing it
• The rewarding feeling that the business brought
• How the 3 locations are going and its long-term goals
• How to take over an acquired business

What we mention:

• F45 Southwest Minneapolis

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian talks with Pushpak Patel, the CEO of Mitra QSR and one of the largest Yum Brands franchisees in the world. Mitra QSR currently owns and operates 200+ restaurants of KFC and Taco Bell.

It wasn’t always easy. Building a multi-unit empire is a matter of taste, opportunity, passion, and comfort level. Most importantly for Pushpak, “It doesn’t matter what the business is, it always comes down to the people.” After acquiring a new location, building the right processes and systems outside the restaurant for the right people became a crucial mode of growth. Pushpak says, “If you can get the same people to buy into your new mindset, you’ll be set.”

Brian and Pushpak talk about how he built the systems that set his locations up for success and the type of growth mindset needed to persevere in the franchising world. Tune in to this week’s episode and learn invaluable lessons from one of the biggest names in multi-unit franchising!

What we talk about:

• What took Pushpak Patel from the engineering field to the business world
• “Debt is good but debt can kill you when you’re starting a new business.”
• How Pushpak and his partner started from owning 1 restaurant to 32 locations
• Establishing the culture and having the right people
• Scaling the culture
• How being a YPO member helped him with his growth
• Building the system for having multiple locations
• Structuring a deal to acquire multiple locations
• Figuring out what top priorities need to be tackled between multiple locations
• Always buying at a good value
• How long it took to negotiate the purchase of the multiple locations
• The change in the organizational structure that came with the expansion
• Acquiring locations vs. building one
• Learning how to delegate and do follow-ups
• Building the team for growth
• The process of acquiring locations in groups
• The 0 or 10 concept
• “I don’t think that people fail, I think that people give up.”

What we mention:

• Mitra QSR
• Yum Brands
• YPO - Young Presidents’ Organization
• EOS - Entrepreneurial Operating System

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, we welcome Rune Sovndahl, the co-founder and CEO of Fantastic Services- an international brand currently operating in Europe, Australia, and North America.

Fantastic Services is the largest home services provider in London, yet it has been self-financed since the onset. How did they do it?

From Day 1, Rune knew the importance of building the proper systems for both the consumer and the franchisee. Rune observes, “In the first 3 years, we delivered products and systems that were very lean, and very capable of running. We learned that quickly.”

Since their early days, Franchise Services has grown into 530 franchisees servicing over 50,000+ clients globally each month.

Tune in to this week’s episode and learn more about Rune’s story and the core drivers of his success in the franchising world.

What we talk about:

• Rune’s journey that brought him into the franchising world
• “I want to build something bigger than myself.” – Rune Sovndahl
• Rune’s 1st entrepreneurial effort
• How Fantastic Services started
• Adding value to the clients and the franchisees
• How the business is set up and its different levels
• The motivation and the living quality
• “Now, I’m fully convinced that franchising is an extremely good way of creating a successful business with less risk.” – Rune Sovndahl
• The scope and scale of Fantastic Services now and its goals
• How franchising looks like in Europe
• Coming in and compete in the US
• Fantastic Services’ foundation
• “At the end of the day, our real goal is actually just to pride good service.” – Rune Sovndahl

What we mention:

• Fantastic Services, by Rune Sovndahl

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we talk with Matt and Megin Sharp, the Co-founders of KidStrong. This child development program is based on science and taught by professionals. Using a membership-based business model, the curriculum was formed so that children hit physical, brain, and character milestones. To that end, Matt and Megin developed their mission statement, “the greatest gift we can give our kids is the person we help them become.”

KidStrong started by addressing one simple question: how can we empower our children? After having their first child, the Sharps discovered that young kids who are proficient at moving their own bodies are immediately more confidence, translating to their social skills (like the lost art of the handshake).

Matt and Megin talk about their humble beginnings, initially developing a popup class in the back of one of their CrossFit gyms. When parents caught wind of the progress other children were making in just 4-6 weeks, the program spread like wildfire. Now, KidStrong is rapidly growing with 6 locations open and 10 territories in development.

Megin comments, “it’s above and beyond kids coming to class once a week. They are carrying that [confidence] out into their life… as a family, they’re growing. We’re helping parents help their kids win at life.” Matt adds, “What you run into when kids are struggling, the entire family feels their pain. When you can make a kid more physically strong, they can feel more confidently externally.”

Tune in to hear their discussion about how KidStrong developed into a brand that wins the entire family, how Matt and Megin developed their curriculum progressions, the business of building a high-value membership, and fundamentals in setting up the foundation for your franchise.

What we talk about:

• What is KidStrong and why Matt and Megin built it
• Why they franchised KidStrong
• How the program works
• Being involved with the kids and with the parents as well
• Realizing that they have something worth growing
• Building the business ready for franchising
• The process of building the franchise
• Being careful of who is on the team
• The dynamics in their culture - “The culture is the king.”
• Having a team of A+ people
• “Great people want to work with great people.”
• “Great people want personal and professional growth.”
• “Great people want to work in a job where they can have an impact.”

What we mention:

• KidStrong, by Matt & Megin Sharp
• Talk With Erik

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian talk with Ruth Agbaji, the CEO and Nerd-In-Chief of Code Wiz. Ruth has a passion for helping kids connect with their inner genius through an after-school program that coaches kids in coding, robotics, and electronics.

The trio talks about Ruth’s incredible journey in building the business and how she plans to grow Code Wiz into a household brand name in the enrichment education space. There is a lot of wisdom we can learn from her experiences- everything from studying competitor brands, identifying the right location for her franchises, and how she managed to work on the business, not in the business.

Tune into this episode and gain insightful tips on building a solid foundation that fosters growth in your business from the very start.

What we talk about:

• The transition Ruth went through from Nigeria to Code Wiz
• What made Code Wiz unique from other franchises
• Offering options within a structured environment
• The journey of building the first location
• Being strategic with your location
• Working with advisers and making wise decisions
• Learning to work ON the business
• How programs in Code Wiz work - Student-driven learning
• Seeing the need for another location
• Hiring the right people to build the franchise
• The cost to set up the franchise properly
• “In a franchise system, you got to get it right from the beginning. A weak foundation will just be going to lead to disastrous results down the line.”
• A realistic expectation of how much it costs
• The importance of building solid support for running the franchise
• Choosing the right first franchisees and really thinking through about the optimal growth strategy
• Sticking to your core values and don’t be too afraid to grow

What we mention:

• Code Wiz, by Ruth Agbaji
• Code Wiz Franchise, by Ruth Agbaji
• Talk With Erik
• IFA - International Franchise Association

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik discusses through his other podcast, the Franchise Secrets Podcast, the points for you to consider when selling your franchise. There are good factors you need to identify to guide you in making this decision and things to carefully look into to help you make a wise choice.

Tune in to this episode now and understand more about why sellers sell and learn what you can do to be more effective and profitable in different situations.

What we talk about:

• Why do people sell a franchise?
• Some tax consequences and what to do about it
• People buying for strategic reasons
• Risk mitigation
• Selling out because of life tragedy or life changes
• The franchisor expectations factor
• Industry shift
• Changes in priority and heart
• Who are the typical buyers?
• How to start to have the selling/buying discussions
• Looking at it from a buyer’s perspective
• What if there’s not a buyer around?
• Different valuations in different industries
• Finding somebody that sees the fun in your business
• Finding equity business partners that will run the business

What we mention:

• Franchise Secrets Facebook group
• Franchise Secrets Podcast
• Talk With Erik

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Brian Holmes is with a successful franchisor of Great Clips Salon, Brian Stevens, who now owns 25 locations in the Greater Minneapolis-Duluth market and has been a Franchisor Of The Year as well.

Together they talk about what it looks like to build a business and grow it from structure to structure. Brian Stevens shares his passion for giving value to the people he works with through his leadership and believes it to be one of the most important keys in scaling the organization.

Take this time to listen to this episode now and gain more wisdom with Brian Holmes and Brian Stevens as you grow into the world of business and franchising.

What we talk about:

• Brian’s background and how he got into the franchise industry
• When all else fails, you work hard
• Bringing in the next generation in the business
• “Empowering other people in to do their roles, set up the business cleanly, and remove as much chaos and drama as we can, so that they focus on what they are great at.”
• The organizational structure at Great Clips
• How big Great Clips is today
• Keeping the business model simple and consistent
• Getting others more involved by being more collaborative
• The Entrepreneur Operating System - Visionary vs. Integrator
• What Brian went through within the business’ growth
• There is always going to be another opportunity
• What is was like going from 11 to 20 locations - building the management structure
• Implementing the EOS - looking into your business
• Building the accountability chart
• Working in the business together as a couple
• Bringing in someone as a mediator between the family in the business
• Brian’s vision for the future
• Growing people from within the organization
• The importance of effective coaching, mentoring, and teaching
• “You got to have success doing what you’re doing today before you say, ‘I just want to be big.’”
• Finding people you can trust to grow

What we mention:

• Great Clips Franchise
• Talk With Erik
• The Entrepreneur Operating System

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Nick Lopez who is the founder of Lime Painting, a new emerging franchise. We are going to hear about Nick scaled his business and how he built an amazing team of leaders in this franchise.

Nick was specific on his vision on how he would grow the business and made sure it was built on the best foundation possible. He shares some of the things that really worked for him and some of the pitfalls that we all can learn from.

Go ahead and listen to this podcast episode now and learn from Erik and Nick as they point out some of the most important things in franchising as well as in entrepreneurship as a whole.

What we talk about:

• How Nick got involved in entrepreneurship
• Being intentional in scaling the business through franchising
• Learning what works and some pitfalls in building a franchise
• Building Nick’s amazing team
• Having great core values to build upon
• The goal of quality growth
• The franchisees and their locations
• Having the employee’s best interest in mind
• Nick’s ideal employees
• Why Lime Painting stands out
• “Working on your business, not in it” - Michael Gerber

What we mention:

• Lime Painting Franchise
• Talk With Erik
• E-Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber
• Rick Grossman
• Contact Nick Lopez through nick@limepainting.com

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Kurt Belding of Fit Republic. He is a franchisor and also has a podcast called the BCE Show. He also started the Fit Republic Foods.

Brian and Kurt discuss how people generally see entrepreneurship versus how it really works. They share valuable insights on the reality of starting and making the business grow that will surely encourage and give you more perspective.

What are you waiting for? Check out this episode now and learn more about what making the business work really looks like.

What we talk about:

• Kurt’s life as an entrepreneur
• Starting his own brand
• “To be successful in business, you have to have resources. If you don’t have resources, you have to be resourceful.”
• The glamour vs. the reality of entrepreneurship
• Being smarter in taking risks
• The reality of becoming a franchisor
• How the future looks for Fit Republic
• The Fit Republic Foods

What we mention:

• Fit Republic
• Fit Republic Foods
• BCE Show, by Kurt Belding
• GNC
• Nutrition Zone
• Talk With Erik

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian have a topical conversation about what they expect right after they put in the funds and signed the franchise deal. They are sharing on-point advice from their personal experiences and from different experiences that they have seen in the world of franchising.

It is always better to be able to know what the journey might look like ahead of you because it will definitely prepare you and help shape your plan for the work and the success that you are aiming for.

What we talk about:

• What sales processes may look like
• How semi-absentee ownerships really looks like
• Hiring the right people for the business
• “Being unclear is being unkind.” - Communication and accountability
• “A business is always going to be an ongoing concern.”
• KPIs
• Differences between a new brand and an established brand
• Being prepared to roll up your sleeves
• Having a plan to get into an opportunity
• Getting in and doing the work
• Your relationship with your franchisor
• Talk to as many franchisees and know the system

What we mention:

• The 4 Disciplines of Execution
• Talk With Erik

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Matt Wilber a millennial entrepreneur that started Fit Body Boot Camp franchises with 7 locations and has a goal of opening in 100 locations.

Matt is definitely about the future and the big picture of the business. He values the importance of having a clear vision from the beginning and intentionally invests in his future goals. While learning from his earlier experiences, he now makes sure that even the most difficult decisions are made in order to protect the culture that he is building.

Check out this episode now and learn from this full-packed conversation with Matt Wilber and Brian Holmes.

What we talk about:

• Matt’s journey to entrepreneurship
• “Be careful who you listen to.”
• Looking at business as a long term game from the start
• Doing whatever it takes to make the plan work
• Learning essential and useful skills
• Going into franchising rather than starting your own business
• Making time to connect with high performing franchisees
• Knowing the “Why”
• Really following the franchise system
• “When the marketplace is confused, they don’t make a decision. When they don’t make a decision, they don’t buy from you.”
• Having the right people for duplicating the culture for other locations
• Believing and living out the core values
• Having a crystal clear vision and mission
• Making decisions to protect your culture
• How Matt’s organization look like today
• Investing in the future of the business today

What we mention:

• Fit Body Boot Camp
• Talk With Erik
• Cameron Herold
• Traction, by Gino Wickman

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with David Schuck, a multi-unit and multi-brand franchisee. David has a background in sports and entrepreneurship. He is now working on a larger vision for the franchising world.

Being in a growing business, David realized, more and more, the importance of having a healthy balance between business and life. He spent time mapping out and defining his purpose and goals and now he is working towards building a bigger vision while strengthening his grounds in life and family.

Let’s join David Schuck and Brian Holmes now and gain more wisdom in this fulfilling journey of franchising.

What we talk about:

• Having a good network of people and resources
• Core differences between high-performing franchisees and lower-performing franchisees
• Majoring in the minor
• Having perseverance
• The victim mentality
• Knowing that other people are competent
• Focusing on the right thing
• Not having to be “The Player”
• Having a healthy balanced life
• Looking at other opportunities
• Getting a larger development agreement
• Playing the real estate game
• Growing at the speed of our staff
• David’s bigger vision in franchising
• Having a clearly defined purpose
• Spending time identifying opportunities
• David’s goals for Q1 2020

What we mention:

• Liberty Tax
• Talk With Erik
• Club Pilates
• dschuck@triadliberty.com

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Henry Kim and Stephen Vereb who have been Massage Envy franchisees for 12 years. They also own an Amazing Lash Studio franchise and are now starting up a massage school.

Henry and Stephen’s partnership is definitely admirable in how they worked through the ups and downs and are still successfully venturing the business world together. Throughout the years, they have also proven that building the team culture right from the start has a huge impact on how the business will thrive.

So come on and let’s listen to Brian, Henry, and Stephen as they share their experiences and take away brilliant principles in building and growing your business.

What we talk about:

• Henry’s background before franchising
• Stephen’s background before franchising
• Coming together to start franchising
• Succeeding in recession time
• The recurring revenue membership model
• Making wise improvements and being open to learning more
• Expanding to being multi-unit
• Building the team
• Developing people from within
• Following the playbook and being into collaboration
• Building a team culture
• Maintaining a successful partnership
• How they get to six locations
• Looking into another concept
• Learning within the failures
• The system and the product
• Always looking for the next amazing opportunity

What we mention:

• Massage Envy
• Amazing Lash Studio
• Talk With Erik

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Chris DeJong of Big Blue Swim School. Coming from a competitive swimming background, Chris started the swimming school and eventually partnered with a multi-unit franchisee that brought the team franchising experience as they looked into growing the business as a franchise.

Chris built the swim school using a fascinating technology to give the best experience to clients and also built a great business model that gives the best service to the franchisees.

Listen in and let’s learn as Chris shares to us some of the brilliant principles and tips in starting and growing the franchise.

What we talk about:

• Chris’ background in competitive swimming and how he started the business
• “It’s okay to give up a thousand times, as long as your feet never stop moving.”
• Toughness is measured in your resilience
• Finding ways to relax and recover
• It’s how you go hard intelligently
• How Big Blue started
• Building a viable business model
• What Big Blue is
• Building the pool that is perfect for the purpose
• Attention to little things to give the best service
• “None of us is smarter than all of us.”
• The relationship to the franchisees
• Keeping a good partnership long before and long after the opening
• Bringing into the team the franchise experience through partnership
• Having a data-driven approach in decision making
• How the partnership looks like from day-to-day
• Bringing in people who are great in a specific area of the business
• Recognizing who to listen to, when to listen to
• Every location is very important for the brand
• Really probing what you have been promised
• Seeing it as a partnership
• Making sure that you can work with each other from the very beginning

What we mention:

• Big Blue Swim School
• Talk With Erik

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Drew McWilliams, the president of the Ivybrook Academy Franchise. Drew and his wife started the school in 2007 combining his background as an entrepreneur and her background as a grade-school teacher.

Drew and his wife put together a unique and very effective curriculum that as people changed locations, they would have it available there. After a few years of getting this feedback, they made the decision to learn about franchising and really worked on building the brand.

So tune in now and let’s join Erik, Brian, and Drew as they discuss the child education space and franchising.

What we talk about:

• How Drew McWilliams started as an entrepreneur and became a franchisor
• An overview of Ivybrook Academy
• Really believing in what you are doing
• The process from being an individual business owner to a being a franchisor
• Learning through being a franchisee first
• Communication and accessibility
• Some advice in becoming a franchisor
• Ivybrook Academy’s status from the beginning up to now
• Available support for the franchisees
• The franchise owners’ backgrounds
• The seasonality of the education space
• How growth will be happening for Ivybrook Academy in the coming years
• Having the combination of the right kind of people and the market
• Having a continuous education and always learning
• Different revenue streams for the franchisee
• What makes it different and unique
• Drew and his wife’s roles within the franchise

What we mention:

• Ivybrook Academy Franchise
• https://talkwitherik.com
• Drew McWilliams - President - Ivybrook Academy | LinkedIn

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Alan Soukup of Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas, and president of Texas Pride Home Solutions Inc. in North Texas.

Coming from Corporate America, Alan started checking into different businesses he could build and realized the effort, time and resources it takes trying to find and decide on your own what kind of business to start. Not to mention actually building it from the ground up. It was then that he was introduced into acquiring a franchise.

He used what he had learned and who he had become from his experiences and still continues to learn more along the way. This helped his business into a good level of success and growth even in its starting stage.

So come on and let’s listen to Brian, Erik, and Alan as they talk about the things we need to do even from the beginning of our business journey so we can enjoy the success it will bring as it grows.

What we talk about:

• Alan Soukop’s background in Corporate America
• Training people right
• Taking any opportunity to learn from people
• Don’t be good TO people, be good FOR the people
• Alan’s transition experience
• Looking for business opportunities takes a lot of time and resources
• Building the team in the business
• The franchise business model
• Building other’s business versus your own business
• Keep growing and re-investing
• What makes a bad hire
• Family in the business
• Always give the “Why”
• Being goal-oriented
• Not growing is dying
• Really doing the work and getting the job done
• The safety in having more of anything in the business

• Making decisions fast

• What we mention:

• Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas

• www.talkwitherik.com
• https://www.thefranchisestory.com/

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we’re with Tom Hodgson, the Founder/CEO of Color World Housepainting, Inc. and Color World Franchise. The franchise currently has 37 units, and more that are set to open soon.

Tom saw the opportunities that came along and used it to grow his business. He also valued the importance of learning from successful people and those that are knowledgeable in certain aspects of the business and made franchising the way to expand his business.

Let’s join Erik Van Horn and Tom Hodgson and learn from Tom’s business journey and how he brought it to its level of success today.

What we talk about:

• Tom Hodgson’s background, how Tom started
• Seeing the opportunities for business
• Having the main service with some extra services that go great together
• Franchising as the way to expand the business
• How the corporate structure looks like
• The mindset that franchising would make it easier to sell
• What sales looked like before the Franchise FastLane
• Figuring how to get the help you needed and doing it
• Telling your business’ story
• Working with a consultant
• Identifying the inefficiencies
• Things that are done to help scale franchisees
• Tom’s advice for new franchisors or potential franchisors
• Having multiple locations and different markets

What we mention:

• Color World Housepainting, Inc.
• Color World Franchise
• International Franchise Association
• Franchise FastLane
• Springboard Event, by Franchise Springboard

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

    Have you ever wondered if there are key personality traits or routines that successful people have in common? Are you looking for some inspiration to kick yourself into gear? In this episode of Franchise Secrets, I talk with a wildly successful franchisor, Bedros Keuilian. We cover his humble beginnings, the routines that ground him, and the drive needed to build a successful business.

Bedros Keuilian immigrated to the United States in 1980 as his family escaped the Soviet Union. His family was poor and they did whatever it took to survive—even eating out of dumpsters. He vowed that he would do whatever it took to build a better future for himself and his family. Bedros is now the owner and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp and runs his own coaching business.

Outline of This Episode * [0:40] I introduce my guest, Bedros Keuilian * [2:05] Humble beginnings * [6:25] How Fit Body Boot Camp came to be * [14:30] Know that you’re made for more * [16:35] Find a mentor or way to be mentored * [22:05] The Ed Mylett and Andy Frisella story * [25:10] Why college isn’t always necessary * [31:10] How he manages his calendar * [36:00] The theory of bilateral stimulation * [38:20] Why there is no such thing as work-life balance! * [42:40] The Zone of Genius

            The evolution of his franchise—Fit Body Boot Camp Bedros started his career as a personal trainer and was fortunate to be able to trail Jim Franco. He didn’t realize it at the time, but as he was training Jim, Jim was *mentoring* him. He learned so much about business as he was coaching! Jim was one of the first people to encourage Bedros to launch a subscription model of personal training. Bedros went on to open 5 studios in California, which he later sold for a profit.

In 2008 he launched his earliest version of his boot camp and by 2010 was selling franchise locations. It was a painful process and mistakes were made, but he learned from them and continued to build his empire. Now, his franchise is closing in on 800 locations, has hit the Inc 5000 list, and was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 500 fastest growing franchises. You’ll want to listen as he talks about why the franchising process was difficult, why you need to make sure you have the right business partner and more!

Why being a control freak can be a good thing When you hear the phrase ‘control freak’ you tend to think of a very obsessive and controlling person. The type of person you wouldn’t want to be around and don’t want to be. But Bedros points out that being a control freak doesn’t have to be a negative thing. He freely admits to being obsessive about his business and his schedule—and believes it is one of the reasons he is so successful.

You can be relentless, focused, obsessed, a control freak or whatever you want to call it! The important takeaway is that you are driven to be successful. So take that drive and take back control of your life and your business. Allow yourself to embrace your inner control freak. Bedros talks about some of the things he does to control his personal life and his schedule, so keep listening.

The importance of finding a mentor Learning from others who have walked in your shoes is invaluable. Many great business owners were mentored, coached, or part of mastermind groups. They surround themselves with high achievers. So what do you do if you can’t afford to pay for a coach? Start small, and follow people you want to learn from on social media. Sign up for their email lists. Purchase one of their books.

You want to surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps you can’t fill.

It’s as simple as that. Bedros offers a 2-day Mastermind 3 times a year for all of his franchisees. It’s completely optional and is an additional extra fee. The franchisees who attend his masterminds are the top performers in Fit Body Body Camp! He recommends seeking out key players that you want to model after. Continue with me as Bedros and I talk about how he sought out Ed Mylett and Andy Frisella, why he doesn’t believe everyone needs to go to college, and prioritizing family.

Controlling your calendar and maximizing your routine There are only 4 people who are allowed to add to or edit Bedros’ schedule and he refers to them as his ‘Navy Seal Team’. They take control of maximizing every part of his schedule—back to back meetings, phone calls, etc. He even has them assign work that he can do while he is on a flight. You became more aware of how much time you waste in a day when you begin to take back control and take advantage of every minute.

One practice that he wholeheartedly embraces is getting up at the same time every single day and diving into your morning routine. Too often, we fall into the trap of hitting the snooze button and dozing off again. But according to Bedros, this is teaching your unconscious mind that you are not trustworthy or credible because you don’t wake up when you said you would!

This is all just a snapshot of what the two of us talked about. There is so much more to learn in the rest of this episode with Bedros Keuilian. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Resources & People Mentioned * Man Up by Bedros Keuilian * Otis and Charley Play to Win by Andy Frisella and Kevin Cannon * Fit Body Boot Camp * Ed Mylett * Andy Frisella * Bilateral Stimulation * Dan Sullivan’s Strategy Circle

Connect with Bedros * Keuilian Inc. * Facebook * Official website * LinkedIn * Twitter * YouTube

Connect With Erik * Facebook * LinkedIn

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian are talking about a few important things they have learned throughout their journey in the business. We, as well as our businesses, go through different stages and this calls for different strategies and processes that we need to do.

Let’s join Erik and Brian as we listen to this episode now and learn more about it.

What we talk about:

• What does “overwhelmed” look like
• Putting key people in place
• Different levels in the business journey come with different processes involved
• Evolving through the process
• Learning from bad decisions
• Bigger term vision and bigger goals are going to require some risk
• Negotiating
• Being able to look at the big picture
• Bringing in the A player from the beginning

What we mention:

• www.talkwitherik.com
• Club Pilates

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we are with professional athlete and founder of D1 Sports Training, Will Bartholomew. D1 Sports Training was founded 18 years ago and has sold their 100th franchise. Prior to starting D1 Sports Training Will had two other successful businesses.

Through Will’s experiences, he was able to make choices that brought him to where he is now but above all, his passion for what he does made him and his business successful. Erik and Will talk about insights that will open your mind and get you thinking about what you want to grow or do next.

Tune in now and let’s join them and get some very good wisdom for our entrepreneurial as well as personal journey.

What we talk about:

• Introduction for Will Bartholomew
• Will’s experience playing with Peyton Manning
• Will’s entrepreneurial background
• What is D1
• The changes of the business model throughout time
• The importance of relationships
• Networking and giving back
• Having an injury and getting out and finding a new passion
• Being very specific on what you want
• Who does D1 want
• Working with millennials
• People and their characteristics that stood out to Will

What we mention:

• D1 Sports Training
• The Coaches Summit
• Peyton Manning
• Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy
• Tim Tebow
• Chris Paul
• Al Wilson
• Energy Buzz book

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we have Lance Farrell the founder of Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping. He has been in the business for 18 years and franchising for 11 years. He has 69 locations open and 6 more in development. We talk about the importance of slow and steady growth and its advantages.

Join us now and let’s listen to this episode, and learn important points in running a business.

What we talk about:

• Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping

What we mention:

• Introduction of Lance Farrell
• Overview of Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping
• Lance Farrell’s background
• Having the “Aha!” moment
• Keeping the culture solid
• Focusing on the results more than the money
• How do people keep off the lost weight
• More than just money
• More than just a physical workout
• Being together with your wife in the business

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik is with Josh Skolnick of Monster Tree Service and redbox+ and they are talking about why redbox+ is a simple business model, they also talk about some tax advantages that people use, and how to use tax advantages in any businesses to build and scale franchises. Josh reached the level where his time is more valuable than money and he purchased a private plane!

Let’s join Erik Van Horn and Josh Skolnick and get great tips and learn effective strategies in building and growing our business.

What we talk about:

• Introduction for Josh Skolnick
• Being together as a family within the business
• Collapsing time frames
• Josh purchased a plane to save valuable time
• Franchising and the business models
• Simple business models
• Looking at franchisees as investors
• Managing blue collar workers
• Section 179
• Normal exit strategy for redbox+
• Very comprehensive training
• Competition landscape
• Creating convenience and excellence in customer service
• Always plan for the rainy days
• Being around people who are more successful
• Enjoying work
• Starting to look at business as another path to take besides going to college

What we mention:

• Monster Tree Service
• redbox+

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In this episode, we’re here with Jerel & Heather Tomasello of MY SALON Suites and Deka Lash. They are the first husband and wife team we have in the podcast and they have share tons of learning experiences for those who are building a business together. Their journey in franchising has its twists and turns but for them the best part is being able to make wise decisions along the way.

So come on and let’s join them now and learn from their dynamics and their franchising experiences.

What we talk about:

• Jerel’s and Heather’s business background
• Pulling the plug on a franchise that’s not working and learning the lesson
• Having clear roles and responsibilities
• Communication is the key
• Having healthy boundaries
• Owning multiple sites
• Helping other franchisees succeed
• Creating a better system for everybody
• There is strength in your executive team
• Why go to the franchisor level
• What’s next for Deka Lash and MY SALON Suites
• What about “Retirement”
• Enjoying the balance of freedom and responsibilities

What we mention:

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
• Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Shop
• Liberty Tax
• MY SALON Suites, by Jerel & Heather Tomasello
• Deka Lash, by Jerel & Heather Tomasello

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, we are with Brian and Erik for a topical conversation about work-life balance. We have everything around us that we can use as a reason to be busy but we also know that it is really up to us to choose what to do and when. Finding that balance brings freedom and even makes us more effective in reaching our goals and dreams both personally and professionally.

Tune in now and let's join Brian and Erik to start taking steps towards that lifestyle of freedom and balance.

What we talk about:

• Work-life balance
• People can see the results you have achieved
• Having great partners that compliment your traits
• Turning the business brain off
• Putting guidelines on using the phone/gadgets
• Batching the tasks
• Life comes in seasons

What we mention:

• Comparison, by Ed Mylett (Podcast)

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In this episode, we are with Tracy and Bonnie of Shred415. Even with the difference in where they came from, in both place and profession, they shared a passion for fitness that brought them together and built Shred415.

Tracy was from California and wanted to be a dietitian, but then became more interested in fitness. Bonnie was a computer consultant, who had always been passionate about fitness. The two met in Lincoln Park, Chicago and became the best of friends and started building Shred415. Since the beginning, both have always thought that this is going to grow and they have worked their way up because they never had a plan B.

Tune in now and join us as Tracy and Bonnie bring learning and inspiration through their experiences in building this franchise.

What we talk about:

• Tracy’s background
• Recognizing what is good for the community
• Bonnie’s background
• The vision of growing and having more than one
• Keeping a simple model from the beginning
• The work of slowly building up
• Catering to different types of groups
• Having the franchisees follow the playbook
• Building the culture organically
• Building a system for growth
• Communication, trust, and have each other’s and the business’ best interest are vital keys to partnership
• Make sure to closely look into the market you are entering

What we mention:

• Shred415, by Tracy and Bonnie
• Billy Blanks

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

Sourcing a franchise location and learning to understand how a commercial lease agreement works can be daunting. The technical jargon can be overwhelming—and these agreements are riddled with things you need to know. On this episode of Franchise Secrets, I interview Eric Finkelstein and we talk about everything from crafting your Letter of Intent to finessing the final lease agreement itself.

Eric is a commercial real estate attorney at the firm of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi. He graduated from Boston University and Rutgers University School of Law. With years of experience under his belt, he is a wealth of knowledge for his clients and a valuable asset. He’s joining us today to give you some insight into commercial real estate!

Outline of This Episode * [0:35] Introduction of Eric Finkelstein * [3:45] What a Letter of Intent should contain * [7:08] Jumping into details about a commercial lease agreement * [12:15] Assignment and subletting * [15:49] Covering non-competes: why everyone wants them * [20:30] Educate your landlord on your business and how it works * [21:25] Sound mitigation issues to consider * [25:20] Things to consider in the tail end of lease negotiation * [27:45] Tenant improvement dollars (TI dollars) and free rent * [32:40] What a tenant should be aware of if their landlord changes * [34:10] What happens when the property you lease is reassessed

Resources & People Mentioned * Eric Finkelstein

• Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi Law Firm

• Letter of Intent

Connect with Eric * Eric Finkelstein * Eric’s LinkedIn

Connect With Erik * Facebook * LinkedIn

For the full episode notes, and to subscribe to the Franchise Secrets Podcast, click here.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In today's episode, we have with us Brian Cygan, founder of Exercise Coach. He has been an entrepreneur for almost 20 years and involved in franchising for 10 years.

Brian has always been a believer in evolutionary business processes, thinking about how to take things to the next step of expanding and growing. Each situation he found himself in led him to where is now. Looking back, he is very thankful that it ushered him to make the decisions he had to make then.

Come on and join us now! Listen to this episode, and take with you nuggets of wisdom and insights for your journey to success and fulfillment.

What we talk about:

• Brian Cygan’s background
• Passion creates meaning to service/business
• Delivering exercise that maximizes safety, effectiveness, and efficiency
• Quality is more important than quantity
• The preparation and process of starting in franchising
• Finding the first clients for the franchise
• How the first year went as a franchisor
• Learning everything possible in every way available
• Ideal franchisees
• Best parts of being a franchisor
• Working with high performers
• Going all in
• Keeping the balance

What we mention:

• Exercise Coach, by Brian Cygan
• Exerbotics

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian share some things they know about “chasing new, shiny, bright, awesome objects.”

As we go along and grow, more and more opportunities are put in front of us and thinking through how to deal with them is very essential.

Stay tuned and listen as they share good nuggets of wisdom when good opportunities come along the way.

What we talk about:

• Saying "NO"
• Having to choose
• Focus
• Writing down values/goals that guide you in your personal life

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian talks about some of the great stuff they got from being around high performing people. They share about how they have invested resources, time and themselves to be able to go further ahead in their goal for success in business as well as in personal development.

Listen to this episode now and understand the importance of being around the right people at the right time.

What we talk about:

• Being around the right people at the right time
• The importance of investing in being around high performing people
• Getting more value in the people attending these events
• Change in mindset
• Being self-aware, looking at things in different perspectives
• The difference between confidence and ego

What we mention:

• Mastermind Event

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In this episode we’re with Kristen Gale, founder of The Ten Spot, to talk about how she started out in franchising and some of the best practices she implemented to grow the company to 55 franchise locations throughout Canada and the US.

Kristen started out in the corporate world, where she got fired twice! But this opened up an opportunity for her to step into her entrepreneurial side. Along the way, she had times where things seemed to fall into place and times where she really worked hard to get it to where her company’s people, purpose and culture is right now.

Join us and enjoy listening to Kristen’s experience and learn awesome strategies at the same time.

What we talk about:

• Kristen’s background
• Being able to work ON the business instead of IN the business
• The process of starting to franchise the business
• Strategic hiring and outsourcing
• Having a very good and strong culture
• Clear understanding of the purpose of the company
• Building culture takes time
• Core values

What we mention:

• The Ten Spot, by Kristen Gale
• St. Gregory Development Group

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode, Erik and Brian talk about employees - how to hire them, and how to fire them, and how to find the great ones.

For Erik, it is important to have the right people doing the right things for the business so he can stay in his zone of genius, and focus on what he’s great at. And Brian talks about the importance of prioritizing and investing in your people. In return, the business grows, and the people in it grow all together.

Join us to learn more about building a great team.

What we talk about:

• Hire slow, fire fast
• Having a core vision for your business
• Giving power and authority to the right people
• Equity
• Team mindset
• How to start from nothing
• Partnership

What we mention:

• Traction, by Gino Wickman
• Samira, Manager at Club Pilates
• Michael, Social Media Manager for Erik
• Club Pilates
• Liberty Tax
• Pat, Erik’s partner in one of his businesses
• Cameron Herold
• Rocket Fuel website
• www.ilovefranchising.com - Erik
• www.franchiseramp.com - Brian

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this episode we’re with Jeff Bevis, Co-Founder and CEO at FirstLight Home Care Franchising, to share with us his journey in building a franchising company with licensure in home care industry in 33 states.

Jeff has a vast range of experience from being in the corporate/management side to being the franchisor. He has witnessed and gone through tough as well as rewarding times along the way and gained very useful tools in his toolbox as he started building his own company.

Stay tuned and join us as Jeff speaks of insights, secrets and very helpful tips in franchising.

What we talk about:

• Healthy franchise system
• International franchising
• Master Franchising
• Operations vs Development
• Franchise in staffing industry
• Handling the pressure of competition
• Measure client satisfaction
• Measure employee retention
• Focus on the franchisees and their profitability
• Profit Mastery
• Franchise Advisory Council
• National ad fund
• Reality of starting a franchise

What we mention:

• FirstLight Home Care
• Budget Truck Rental
• Thrifty Car Rental
• Express Employment Professionals
• Comfort Keepers
• Bob Funk
• Express Home Help
• Trey McClain
• Matt Truitt
• Jerry and Chris Plum
• Devin Bevin
• Ron Holt
• Two Maids and a Mop
• Profit Mastery
• Profit Keeper

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we’re with Dr. Jamie Kulaga, owner of three successful Two Maids and a Mop franchises, to talk about creating a healthy work-life balance.

Jamie seriously does it all. As a mom, wife, entrepreneur, author, certified life coach, motivational speaker, and more, she knows firsthand how easy it is to allow opportunities and busy-ness to control us. That’s why she is passionate about empowering people to make better lifestyle decisions, so they can achieve their personal and professional goals while getting the most out of life.

Join us, and let Dr. Jamie teach you how to structure your time, prioritize your values, and spend your energy to be both successful and fulfilled.

What we talk about:

• Your ego is not your amigo
• Integrity: doing what you said you would do
• Avoiding death by opportunity
• Your top 5 life priorities
• Down-time
• The wisdom of a system
• Personal vision is more important than professional vision
• Leaders are readers

What we mention:

• Two Maids and a Mop
• Super Woman’s Guide to Super Fulfillment, by Jamie Kulaga
• Collegiate Cleaning
• College Hunks Hauling Junk
• College Foxes Packing Boxes
• Ron Holt
• Shark Tank
• Tim Ferris

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we’re with Joe Beaudry, Co-Founder and COO of Urban Float, to talk about the recent deal he secured on Shark Tank, and the steps it took to get his company there.

Joe gets detailed sharing about the preparation that went into his appearance on Shark Tank (Season 10, Episode 17), and has us crying with laughter about his first experience floating in a sensory-controlled tank…at a complete stranger’s house...naked...

How Joe started and grew Urban Float through organic expansion, franchising, and eventually a Shark Tank deal, provides valuable insights for any entrepreneur. So join us in one of our most fun episodes yet, with Joe Beaudry.

In this episode we talk about:

• Leaving the “security” of a corporate job
• Why franchising is the best way to scale
• How good distractions can pay off
• Betting on yourself
• Subscription based business models
• Overcoming customers’ barriers to entry
• What happens on Shark Tank after the handshake
• Why visibility is the best marketing tool

What we mention:

• Urban Float
• Entrepreneur Magazine
• Shark Tank
• Mark Cuban
• Kevin O’Leary
• Matt Higgins

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we’re with Ron Holt, the Founder and CEO of Two Maids & A Mop, to talk about his deliberative journey from corporate America to starting one of the nation’s fastest growing franchises. Ron has set a vision for Two Maids & A Mop to become “the largest, fastest growing, most innovative residential cleaning service in America,” and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and swing a mop to see it happen. Through in-the-trenches leadership and innovation, his company has expanded to 75 locations, ranks #285 in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 for 2019, and plans to open 25-30 new operations every year. There are not many CEO’s like Ron, who don’t care about pretenses, value understanding the employee experience as much as the customer experience, and know how to scale a business patiently to ensure long-term success. Join us, and be inspired by the story of Ron Holt. In this episode we talk about: * Transitioning from a steady job to creating your own job * Saving: raising money the old fashioned way * The importance of a clear vision * Blue-collar leadership style * Understanding your employees’ experience * Finding your own “Purple Cow” * Innovating in an unsexy industry * Why getting into a franchise early pays off * How to select good franchisees * Franchising isn’t easy * A work ethic that makes or breaks you * Starting a family, not just running a company

What we mention: * Two Maids & A Mop * The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, by Warren Buffett * Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, by Seth Godin * Richard Branson * Undercover Boss

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In this episode we welcome Cameron Herold to talk to us about his life in franchising! He has

written a number of highly valuable and industry leading books on the subject, is a coach to high

level franchisors, and has a huge amount of experience on both sides of the franchise equation.

We chat to Cameron about his history in the field, how he got a taste for the game and the early

successes that whetted his appetite. He talks to us about why he is the best at the business of

business and building company culture before we discuss the importance of planning and

partnering. Cameron tells us about his great strategies for delivering on promises, dealing with

difficult team members and how to get greater buy-in from your employees. He literally wrote

the book on a ton of these subjects and his experience and expertise are truly inspiring for

anyone interested in any part of the franchise business. For all of this and more, be sure to join

us for the episode today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Cameron got started in the franchising game.
• Cameron’s experiences at 1-800-Got-Junk? and College Pro Painters.
• The importance of planning and knowing the road ahead.
• Raising prices, cleaning up and delivering on promises.
• Key tactics when dealing with employees and getting them to commit to the cause
• Some great examples of company culture and emotional commitment.
• Working on your business versus working in your business.
• Why you should look for ‘entrepreneurs’ with ‘interdependence’ for your franchise.
• Cameron’s experiences in the stages of franchising.
• What made Cameron fall in love with his job.
• The value of partnering and fresh energy.
• Executive assistants and why they should be your first hire.
• The role of the entrepreneur and the amount of work to do.
• And much more!

Tweetables:

“Unless you have a plan to hit your goal you will miss.” — @CameronHerold [0:07:04]

“We just followed the system and if the system did not exist we were independent enough that

we would make it up on our own.” — @CameronHerold [0:25:22]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

© 2019 The Franchise Story Podcast 1

FSP 28 Show Notes

Cameron Herold — https://www.cameronherold.com

College Pro — https://www.collegepro.com

1-800-GOT-JUNK? — https://www.1800gotjunk.com/us_en

The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs — https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942589123/

Jim Collins — https://www.jimcollins.com

Second in Command Podcast — https://cooalliance.com/podcasts/

Michael Gerber — https://michaelegerbercompanies.com

The E-Myth — https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/

0887307280

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits — https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Rockefeller-Habits-

Increase-Growing/dp/0978774957

Good to Great — https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/

0066620996/

Five Dysfunctions of a Team — https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-

Lencioni-ebook/dp/B006960LQW/

Free PR — https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619615282/

Meetings Suck — https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619614146/

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In this episode we’re with Charles Bonfiglio, Franchise Founder and CEO of Tint World, to talk about how he achieved his success, as both a franchisee and franchisor, through perseverance, innovation, and teachability.

Although Charles is a giant in the auto services industry now, expanding Tint World to 80 stores from North America to the Middle East, he came from humble beginnings in New York City, and knows what rock-bottom looks like. From sleeping in his rental car, to being turned down for a loan, Charles never lost heart, never stopped taking risks, and never stopped learning, until eventually his perseverance paid off.

In this episode we talk about:

• The advantages of franchising vs. starting your own business
• Why collaboration is key
• How to give your team opportunities to grow
• Building a business that feels like a family
• Why serving your customer pays off
• Taking big risks

Charles Bonfiglio will inspire and teach you with his story. Join us to learn from his life and journey as a franchise entrepreneur.

What we mention:

• Tint World
• Meineke
• G-Force
• Midas
• Firestone
• Precision Tune
• “Multiple Streams of Income” by Robert G. Allen
• United Franchise
• Signarama
• Ray Titus
• SEMA Show
• New York City
• Florida
• Saudi Arabia
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Show Notes

[0:46] Who is Charles Bonfiglio, and how did he get into franchising?

[4:20] Charles’ first business (G-Force)

[10:11] Taking risks is pivotal to success

[12:09] Persevering through resistance on the journey of entrepreneurship

[15:40] Charles opens a Meineke franchise in Florida

[17:22] The strategic advantage of a opening a proven franchise business

[21:17] Innovating as a franchisee

[23:07] You can learn from anybody

[25:05] Giving your team opportunities to grow

[27:21] Collaborating with a franchisor

[36:55] Learning from your customers

[42:13] Charles meets George Foreman

[46:36] FDD’s, Tint World, and becoming a franchisor

[58:39] Hands-on franchise expansion

[1:00:40] Living in the present while setting aggressive goals

[1:01:21] Breaking into a new market

[1:04:53] Imparting your life to leave a legacy

[1:07:04] See ya later!

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders. In this episode we’re with the smartest guy in boutique fitness, Anthony Geisler, founder and CEO of Xponential Fitness, to talk about his journey to building the fastest growing fitness aggregate in the industry, and what it takes for a franchisor to support the success of their franchisees. Anthony has been pioneering in the specialized workout space since fitness was the wild west of business categories. Having built LA Boxing gyms into 200 locations in 35 states (before selling the company to UFC Gym in 2012), Anthony knew what it took to turn Club Pilates from just a small business operation in 2015, into a household name by 2018. Today, there are currently over 480 active Club Pilates studios, with 600 more set to open soon, and that’s just one of Anthony’s EIGHT brands within the Xponential Fitness portfolio.

Anthony knows how to expand a business without bulldozing people better than anybody, which is why Xponential Fitness’ rapid growth isn’t slated to end any time soon.

In this episode we talk about:

• How to select the right franchisees
• Attitude vs. Compliance
• Strategy contextualization
• Giving away free money to support franchises
• The importance of building a good team
• Maintaining a startup culture
• Why putting people first matters most

Enjoy this interview with Anthony Geisler, and don’t forget to subscribe to The Franchise Story podcast.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we’re with Josh York, the founder and CEO of GYMGUYZ, to talk about what FUELs your business forward, and how to stay motivated when all you want to do is throw in the towel. In 2008, Josh started GYMGUYZ to meet the demand for customized, convenient home personal training. Since then, he has grown GYMGUYZ to operate over 200 franchised locations in 3 countries, and achieved the prestigious honor of ranking No. 292 in the 2018 Inc. 500 list, after growing 1670% from 2014-2017. Josh takes no breaks, holds no hostages, and doesn’t mince words. He NEVER stops moving, and is constantly looking for a way to take his company to the next level. Join us to learn how a business stays fueled for long-term growth.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Getting to know Josh Cohen and how his company, The Junkluggers, became successful. Josh graduated from UConn with a masters degree in Business Administration. Seeing a need in the junk removal market for an eco-friendly disposal solution for unwanted junk, 21 year-old Josh started The Junkluggers in 2004. Armed with a stack of homemade flyers and his mom’s SUV, Josh embarked on a quest to responsibly rid the world of junk, one happy customer at a time. The Junkluggers is a rapidly expanding brand, and has been ranked as one of the fastest growing companies for three consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list. Let’s learn from Josh about how hard work and commitment can propel you and your business to the next level.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Josh Skolnick is the CEO and founder of Monster Tree Inc.  The company was founded in 2008. It started as a small tree service company serving communities in southeast Pennsylvania.  In the years since, Monster Tree Service has blossomed into a national franchise that continues to grow under Skolnick’s fearless leadership. Today, Monster Tree Service has 41 units nationwide and generates more than $11 million in system-wide sales.  Then in 2018 he started the Redbox Plus LLC which he also runs until now. Redbox Plus LLC is a waste disposal company and he plans to roll out a lawn care franchise company in 2019. He believes that success isn’t found in school. So listen to our episode with our special guest Josh Skolnick as he shares how he became a successful franchisee.   

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Felippe Marques came from the corporate world and bought into F45 fitness and he's in the minutiae of everything there. He had the opportunity to start a small business and went big. He has a master's degree in science, environmental policy from Georgia Tech and was working in the corporate world for a small company called Coca Cola Company. Felippe met Greg who's currently his business partner with F45. He was his right-hand solutions guy. Greg and Felippe became great friends and they closed multimillion-dollar deals than they were having just a great ride for about six years. One day they realized that they want to do something different. They want to get into the fitness business and they want to get into the franchise business. And that is where F45 adventures began

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

What you need to know about partnerships, the ins and outs of having partnerships. Erik and Brian discuss the things you need to know about partnership. They start to talk about their previous experience in having a partner. Brian talks about being naïve and being novice when he started with partnership. Erik talks about how his parent became his first partners in franchising. They go into deeper on the importance of having an attorney when going into a partnership. They also discuss further the more complicated parts of a partnership and putting together operate the operating agreement has to do with the buy sell agreement, part of the operating agreement. They emphasize the importance of attorneys playing a really key role in helping you get these partnership agreements set up for success from the beginning. They also emphasize that it is important to learn from business partners.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Pete knew at an early age that business ownership was the right path for him and he purchased his first franchise in 2011. Pete Hansen studied at the University of Minnesota mainly at the Carlson School of Management. He took up Management Information System majoring in supply chain management. After that, he took up his master's degree in Secondary Education at the Arizona State University.

In May of 2010 through August practicing what he learned he taught 8th graders science for a non-profit organization which is called Teach for America. After that, he worked for Ernst and Young for two years as in advisory services which are a position in the company which guides people with their investment.

In 2011 he opened his first franchise company Liberty Tax which helps in the preparation of tax returns for individuals and small businesses. It is the third largest tax preparation franchise in the United States. He is also the owner of the Club Pilates franchise which helps believes in a path to a fuller, more satisfying physical existence. He believes that being in control of your body helps you to be in control of your life. And best of all, he believes that you can start anytime. Lastly, he is also a partner at the Franchise Ramp which helps fellow Franchisees and Franchisors all over North America leverage Facebook and e-mail marketing to create predictable revenue generation systems by consulting services and webinars that help Franchisees and Franchisors implement scalable plans.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Jim is distinguished franchise industry veteran, but didn’t take the ordinary path to success. He explains that he was a bad student who graduated high school with a “D” average and couldn’t get accepted to college. He eventually was accepted into a college in Missouri, of which, he was kicked out of three times due to poor grades. After the third time, he returned home to Pittsburgh and tried to get into Point Park University. He was eventually accepted in the school and lasted a semester there and then went off to Israel when he was 20 years old.

Once in Israel, this is where Rudolph’s entrepreneurial adventures began. In 1971, he opened the first American pizza place in Israel. In just 2 1/2 years, he and two others had over eight stores open in the country. In 1973, Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh where his father and brother were in the bowling business. Within a year’s time, he and some family members bought into the Wendy’s franchise and by the year 1995, had grown to 47 restaurants. He received the Wendy’s Award and R. David Thomas Award and Jim was inducted into the Wendy’s Hall of Fame. Along with Wendy’s, him and his family were also involved in the purchase of six Chuck E. Cheese locations, six Church’s Fried Chicken stores, Baskin Robbins, four bowling centers and they got into the real estate and construction business. From 2005 to 2011, Rudolph and his family ran the Rita’s Italian Ice franchise and in six short years, took the chain from 310 to 550 stores

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode, Erik talks with Jeff about a wide variety of topics from growing franchises during a recession to his conversations with some of the most iconic leaders in franchising. Jeff has a view into franchising that few people do, and he is the go-to guy for franchisors wanting to grow their brand.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Dennis is the American Dream: Born in Anchorage, Alaska, to a single mother with four children under 6 years old. Not realizing that his family was considered poor, this naivety afforded Dennis the ability to take risks without fear — leading him to the life of a true entrepreneur. Failing multiple times while attempting to build sustainable businesses, Dennis believes this is where he learned the most important key to success: perseverance. He says, “When I speak to people about business, I lead with my failures, not my successes.” He strongly believes that learning from his mistakes and using his failure as fire propelled him to succeed. He is the founder of Franchise Scale who helps bring successful concepts to nationwide scale. He started his franchise company in 1985 when he was just 22 years old.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk w/ Borris Katsnelson about; what it takes to find the right deal in franchising, what is like to work for a Private Equity firm and acquire an existing franchisor, what it’s like to go from Franchisor to Franchise, what is takes to turn around an underperforming franchise location, how to build a team that runs your franchise for you, what he is planning on doing next.  Both Erik and I learned a ton from this interview. We will have to do a round 2 interview when Boris finds his next brand.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk with Sonie about her experience dressing some of the most famous actors in the world while she worked w/ Brioni, how she became a Budget Blinds Franchisee, why she loves it, and what her plans are for the future.  This was an amazing episode that showed me a side of franchising that I previously knew very little about. I am sure you will all enjoy it.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk with Candice Weeter a Co - Founder of Tune Up “The Manly Salon”.  We talk about the leap of faith she took opening the first Tune Up location, what she did to overcome the slow first couple days, and why she ultimately decided to launch a franchise concept.   Candice is a true entrepreneur and I think all of you will really love this episode.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk with Kal about:  How he went from Wall Street to an independent restaurateur, How he made the leap into Franchising,  Why he chose the brand that he chose, what drove him to buy his second concept, How buying and turning around underperforming locations is a great strategy for expansion, What his version of  “Hell” in Franchising was like and why he wants to go through it again. Erik and I really enjoyed this episode and we know you will also.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk with Ryan about:  His experience as an employee helping to grow the business of a GNC Franchisee, about creating a new product/products that help differentiate your competition,  what it was like to start a new franchise concept from scratch, how to build/grow a franchise system the right way, who and why someone should start a franchise, what it takes to be successful in today’s franchise world.   Ryan is a super smart guy and has insights into franchising at another level.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk with Shane Sender.  Shane is a multi - unit, multi - brand franchisee who got his start with Subway working the line. He leveraged that opportunity and experience to purchase his first location and grow it into a franchise empire. Today he owns and operates 9 locations in Arizona as well is a Regional Developer for an up and coming franchise company that he is really excited about.

Tune in to this episode to get insights in to what it is like to manage millennials, hold your team accountable, and scale your franchise business.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Mirko is from a small town in Italy, when he immigrated to the United States he didn’t know any English and he had to rely on others to do the most basic task (buy a gallon of milk).  The value he places on relationships has helped him go from Franchisee Employee to Multi Brand / Multi Unit Franchisee. This story is truly inspirational. If you have any excuses you won’t after listening to this episode.  

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Gary is a legend in the franchise industry, over the last 25 years he played a key role in launching 9,500 locations worldwide with two iconic brands in franchising (Snap Fitness & Curves). There are few if any people in franchising that can claim those types of results.  Today he is the CEO of Restoration 1 and Blue Frog Plumbing. In this episode Gary shares his story and the steps necessary to take a franchise concept to the next level.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode Craig talks about getting in early with Panera Bread,  building and running a huge multi unit , multi state franchise organization, then selling that organization.  This is a great episode for those of you that want to go big!

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Erik and I can’t wait for all of you to hear this interview. Jeff is a true innovator and master story teller. He went from Rock Star Regional Developer (1,000+ units sold in 3 years), to Out – Sourced Franchise Development Team, to Franchisor, to becoming a target for purchase by Private Equity. This is a long interview but it is worth every minute of your time. - Brian

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

In this episode we talk with JD Busch about:  how to build amazing teams, how to strategically develop your RD/AD/Master Area,  how to pick and support the right franchisees, and how to know when to say NO to the wrong ones.   There are few people that have had as much success in franchising as JD. Make sure you take the time to listen to this episode.  

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

This is a must listen episode for both Franchisees and Franchisors.  Stratton shares his personal story and what he has learned building a franchise brand most of us know and respect.   This interview was fun and I can’t wait to hear your feedback.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Rob is a multi unit / multi brand franchisee who knows what it takes to turn around underperforming locations.  Rob got his start in franchising straight out of graduate school and has build an impressive franchise organization with his cousin Ryan.   Listen to this podcast if you want to know how to grow and scale your franchise business.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

After 20 Years in Corporate America Steve wanted more.  In less than 4 years he went from no business ownership experience to owning: 3 Orange Theory Fitness Locations and an Area Development for Nerds to Go.  For those of you listeners who are still in Corp America don’t miss this episode!

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Don’t miss this episode!  Kelly is an amazing story teller and will keep you laughing as he shares some insights to what it was like building one of the fastest growing franchise businesses of the last 10 years.  In this episode he shares his journey from a small coal mining town to building a franchise empire. He also tells us why retiring at 38 isn’t all it is cracked up to be.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Welcome to The Franchise Story Podcast! Where we give you access to the stories, mindsets, and lessons learned by high performing Franchisees and the Franchise Founders behind the brands that they invested in.

Your Hosts are Erik VanHorn and Brian Holmes. We are multi – unit, multi – brand franchisees with 20+ years of experience building our own franchise businesses.

This is a niche podcast for listeners who want to hear the stories of people who have used Franchising to create businesses that provide them with freedom, control, income, and equity that aren’t available in Corporate America.

In Franchising you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. We are not alone. There are thousands of franchisees out there just like us. This podcast is a place for all of us to learn and grow.

If you aren’t currently a Franchisee or in the Franchise Industry but have the dream of business ownership this podcast will give you insights in to the franchise industry that aren’t available anywhere else.

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders.

Welcome to The Franchise Story Podcast! Where we give you access to the stories, mindsets, and lessons learned by high performing Franchisees and the Franchise Founders behind the brands that they invested in.

Your Hosts are Erik VanHorn and Brian Holmes. We are multi – unit, multi – brand franchisees with 20+ years of experience building our own franchise businesses.

This is a niche podcast for listeners who want to hear the stories of people who have used Franchising to create businesses that provide them with freedom, control, income, and equity that aren’t available in Corporate America.

In Franchising you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. We are not alone. There are thousands of franchisees out there just like us. This podcast is a place for all of us to learn and grow.

If you aren’t currently a Franchisee or in the Franchise Industry but have the dream of business ownership this podcast will give you insights in to the franchise industry that aren’t available anywhere else.