The Smart Franchisee - Franchise, Business, Lifestyle: Recent Episodes
Jessica Dhillon: Franchisee, Franchise Authority, Business Coach
Owning a Franchise has changed my life and it can change yours too! Have you always dreamed of owning your own business but didn’t know where to start? Host Jessica Dhillon interviews successful franchisees to help you discover which franchise is right for you. We interview Franchisors to learn about their business model and what they are looking for in a franchisee. We chat with successful franchisees to learn about their struggles early on in business, their lifestyle, how they grew as leaders and what it took to achieve success. Franchising is a proven model for success where you are in business for yourself, but never by yourself. If you are looking to buy a franchise for the first time or exploring more franchise opportunities you need to listen to the only podcast bringing Franchisors and Franchisees together. We ask the questions you get all the answers. If you are ready, but you don’t know where to start don’t worry we are here to help, we have been down this road before. We want to help you become a Smart Franchisee. Get ready to quit your 9 to 5 because you are about to buy a Franchise.
Holly Surface started her workout anytime on Jan 10th, 2020.
The pandemic presented many challenges for this new business owner but hear her story of resilience and overcoming this challenge.
Enjoy!
Enjoy listening to Loren Katzman a successful Mooyah Burgers Fries and Shakes Franchisee.
We discuss:
- starting a restaurant business
- finding a good location
- managing and finding good employees
- challenges she faced
- running the business through a pandemic
- what the business has done for her
Can you imagine being a franchisor during a pandemic?
Listen to Tony Darden share his experience of Mooyah leading their franchisees during the lockdown. We discuss franchise opportunity with Mooyah, who they are looking to partner with, the growth opportunity with them and new designs and initiatives they taken on to service customers in a new way.
Enjoy!
Did you know you can negotiate the Franchise Agreement?
Learn what Josh Brown, attorney and podcast host, has to say about negotiating with the franchisor.
P.S. The episode was recorded pre-pandemic.
Enjoy!
visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
It's been a while since I've posted an episode.
2020 has been a year...I needed some time to focus on myself and my business.
I've been speaking with tons of franchisees who are excited to share their experiences and advice with YOU!
Let's make 2021 a great year.
Get ready to quit your 9 to 5 and buy a franchise.
xoxo
Jess
Today I am speaking with Brandy Gilbert a successful Urban Air Adventure Park Franchisee. Brandy is one kick-ass chick (pardon my french).She spent 22 years working in multi-unit retail, all while growing her family. While she was pregnant with her second child, she realized she needed to change her career to accommodate her children’s schedule.
Brandy’s first visit to a trampoline park was with a group of kids and her 6 month old son and a light bulb went off. So began her hunt to learn as much as she could about different franchise opportunities. As fate would have it a lifelong friend’s brother had just bought an Urban Air...and I guess you can say the rest is history!
What you will learn
- Brandy’s story
- How much Brandy invested to get her Urban Air up and running
- How she raised capital
- How she hires and manages her team
- Her Grand Opening
- The power of networking
- Advice she would give you (a new franchisee)
- Why she chose Urban Air over the competition
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Today I am speaking with Cody Herndon a successful multi-unit operator with Urban Air Adventure Park. Cody was introduced to Urban Air Adventure Park while attending a birthday party, and the story is pretty good.
Cody shares with me some of the challenges he faced early on in his franchise journey, including almost quitting 10 times. We talk about what it was like to start a business with a young franchisor and the challenges he faced during build out. We discuss hiring a team and how to manage a location from a distance.
What you will learn:
- Cody’s Story
- How much Cody invested
- Time to breakeven and profitability
- 4 revenue sources generated in Urban Air
- How multi-unit operation works
- How to manage a business from afar
- Target demographic and customer
- How social media plays a role in Urban Air
Today I am speaking with Michael Browning CEO of Urban Air Adventure Park. If you haven’t heard about Urban Air, don’t worry you will soon. With a total of 600 locations to be opened in the next 4 years, they are taking FUN to a whole new level.
If the name didn’t already give it away Urban Air Adventure Park is offering indoor skydiving, wind tunnels, coasters, rock climbing, a quick service restaurant; ohhh and did I mention they have trampolines (fun fact I can do a front flip). Michael says it’s like having Disneyland in your backyard (not to mention..it’s way more affordable for families).
What you will learn:
- Business Model
- How the QSR (quick service restaurant) drives revenue into the door
- Investment Required
- 3 largest expenses in this business
- Value of the business when it’s time to sell ( multiple of EBITDA)
- How data drives business growth (customer profile)
- Customer base and target market
- How site selection and real estate works
- Events
- How Urban Air focuses on giving back
Have you ever thought about quitting your job? Not sure how to transition your skills into a business? Can’t decide whether paying a franchise fee is worth it or not?
Listen to Jerry Bland share his story of leaving the corporate world after 24 years to start his own ATWORK franchise. Jerry shares his 4 month process of research and what advice he would give to anyone looking to start a business.
Jerry shares very valuable information about site selection, the type of personality that he looks for in his own employees, how to make a name for yourself in the marketplace, and how the revenue model works for this business.
To learn more visit www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Today I’m speaking with Christina Lazar a successful Code Ninjas Franchisee.
Christina shares her story of going from a school teacher who always had a second job, to starting an after school tutoring program. She shares her journey of starting her own business outside of a franchise system and the struggles that come with that.
We discuss why she decided to get into the Code Ninjas franchise and how the franchise system has allowed her to have accelerated growth.
We also discuss the business model, challenges, and the major expenses she incurs as a franchisee.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Thanks for Listening! Connect with me on social media, leave us a review on iTunes, and share this episode with a friend.
Today I am speaking with David Graham CEO of Code Ninjas. With over 500 territories sold Code Ninjas is leading the way in after school coding.
If the name didn't give it away Code Ninjas is offering their students a fun and exciting way to learn how to code. David paints a picture of what a Code Ninjas dojo (yes, they have a Sensei too!) is like and the different types of curriculum they offer.
David shares with me what types of franchisees he is looking to partner with, who the target market is, the investment, and the benefits of getting into a franchise.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Thanks for Listening! Connect with me on social media, leave us a review on iTunes, and share this episode with a friend.
Today I’m speaking with Andrew Davis a new YogaSix Franchisee.
Andrew shares with me his process of finding the right franchise (and what he did wrong the first few times he was looking to buy). We also discuss what it’s like to look for a location and the struggles he faced.
Andrew is a newer franchisee so you will get great perspective from someone who is in the thick of figuring it all out.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Thanks for Listening! Connect with me on social media, leave us a review on iTunes, and share this episode with a friend.
Today I am speaking with Lindsay Junk president of YOGASIX. If you haven’t heard about YogaSix, don’t worry you will soon. With over 260 territories sold YogaSix is leading the way in the boutique yoga space.
If the name didn’t already give it away YogaSix is offering a premium indoor yoga experience. Lindsay paints a picture of what a YogaSix studio is like and the different types of yoga they offer. During our chat with Ryan we find out why he is so passionate about his Franchisees.
Lindsay shares with me what it is like to be a newer brand under the Xponential fitness umbrella and what she is learning from the other brands and bringing to YogaSix.
Lindsay shares with me what she is looking for in a franchisee, the 2 different types of franchise owners they see, and what it takes to get your own YogaSix.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Thanks for Listening! Connect with me on social media, leave us a review on iTunes, and share this episode with a friend.
Today I am speaking with Eric Stites CEO and Managing Director of Franchise Business Review.
Franchise Business Review is the yelp of franchisee satisfaction. If you want the inside scoop on what existing franchisees are saying about the business then look no further than FBR.
Eric shares with me what the average franchisee makes and I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear his answer. We discuss multi-unit ownership and mistakes that new franchisees make when looking for a business. Eric shares insight into longevity in a franchise and making sure you understand the numbers.
Today’s episode is packed with actionable items that will help you on your franchise journey!
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Thanks for Listening! Connect with me on social media, leave us a review on iTunes, and share this episode with a friend.
Today I am speaking with Michelle Rowan President and COO of Franchise Business Review. FBR is a great resource for prospective Franchisees to learn more about the health of the franchise they are looking to get into.
Michelle shares with me why Franchisee Satisfaction Surveys are so important and why at FBR they believe everyone’s opinion should be weighed equally.
During our conversation Michelle provides great insight into warning signs to look out for, and why it’s important to talk with new and existing franchisees. Michelle and I also discuss the importance of understanding the system the franchise provides you as well as how thorough their training is.
Today’s episode is packed with actionable items that will help you on your franchise journey.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Thanks for Listening! Connect with me on social media, leave us a review on iTunes, and share this episode with a friend.
**Get ready to learn how Todd transitioned out corporate America and started a successful business with his family.
We discuss profit margins, membership count, and pricing. Todd also shares with me his strategies for growth the top 3 major expenses in this business.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com**
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Today I am speaking with Keba Arnold a successful 9Round Franchisee. Keba had a successful career in journalism. She spent a lot of time working and started to realize she needed something more fulfilling.
When Keba made the move to East Bay for work she needed to find a place to workout that was convenient. And that’s where 9Round fit in the picture. Keba said she worked out 6 days a week for 6 months before she realized she needed to own her own 9Round.
Keba shares with me the self-doubt she went through before starting her business and the steps she took to find the right location for her 9Round without breaking the bank. We also discuss numbers and the balance between membership number and membership cost. Keba also shares advice she would give to a new franchisee.
Get ready to learn how Keba transitioned out of a successful 12 year career to own her own business and claim back her life!
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
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Today I am speaking with Josh Gonzalez a successful 9Round Franchisee. Josh had a unique introduction to 9Round. He spent a lot of time traveling for work and his health was suffering, one day a colleague recommended he go for a workout at 9Round. After his first workout Josh had two questions how much to get started on his fitness and how much to buy one?
Josh along with his wife/business partner wanted to be passionate about the business they were getting into and started taking steps to find the right fit. Josh says they sat at their kitchen table and evaluated 9Round and the opportunity and it just fit, more so than any of the other business they had looked at.
Josh and I discuss how they were able to expand to multiple locations and how they bought an existing location. We discuss how to make sure you make it a deal deal and how you can ensure you won’t be buying a loss making business. We discuss some of the challenges they faced their few months in business, including living off of their savings for a little while before the business started generating cash flow.
I know you are going to enjoy today’s episode. Get fired up about 9Round!
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Today I am speaking with Shannon Hudson founder and CEO of 9Round. With almost 800 locations open since they began franchising in 2009, 9Round is experiencing rapid growth!
9Round is offers a 30 minute kickbox fitness experience. Shannon says “we are the private jet of fitness” because we provide convenience and results. Private jet, I know that sounds crazy right? 9Round does not have class times, so you are never late to class (which is great if you are always late like me).
Shannon shares his core belief of creating successful franchisees by providing them with a proven system that supports and leads to profitable franchisees. Shannon shares everything from how he got into the business (and yes, credit cards were maxed out initially to get the business off the ground), grew it to what it is today, and how franchisees continue to see growth and profitability in their business. He talks about how 9Round helps people get in shape and tackles obesity as it is a huge issue in America. He shares what 9Round is looking for in potential partners, the investment needed to start a 9Round, and what it takes to be successful.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
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Today I am speaking with Dr. Sarah Jacobs a successful HealthSource Franchisee. Sarah didn’t start out her career in the chiropractic industry, she was actually an elementary school teacher.
Sarah has a great story to share regarding her journey from graduating to opening her own HealthSource clinic. We discuss how she was able to finance her business, some of the delays she faced while trying to get her clinic open and the marketing techniques she used to get traction.
We also talk about the 4 revenue streams that HealthSource has and how Sarah is using them to increase her bottom line.
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
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Today I am speaking with Dr. Sandy Bowman a successful HealthSource Franchisee. Let’s just say Sandy had a very diverse professional career. She graduated with a degree in english, worked in graphic design, worked in marketing, then had a job selling door to door. The universe aligned and Sandy while watching her wife play soccer heard a story about a young girl and the chiropractic care she got to become healthy.
Sandy’s wife Angela encouraged her to pursue becoming a chiropractor. Sandy enrolled in school and she finally realized she had found something she was passionate about. Sandy worked for herself in the beginning of her chiropractic career. She shares with me some of the issues she faced with the partnership.
We discuss how and why she decided to become a HealthSource franchisee. Sandy shares with me how her business work and the percentage of business she gets from all 4 sources of revenue streams.
You are going to learn a lot today about the struggles of business ownership. Sandy is open and honest and the knowledge you will gain is priceless. Get ready to get inspired!
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Today I am speaking with Dr. Andy Konz a successful HealthSource Franchisee. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Kinesiology, Andy decided to go to chiropractic school. Andy graduated from chiropractic school and ended up working in a HealthSource clinic and the rest is history.
Andy began to learn more about the opportunity with HealthSource and it began to spark his entrepreneurial bug. Andy said the benefit of getting into a franchise is the system and the support. In 2013 Andy took a leap of faith and purchased the clinic he was working in.
He shares with me how he was able to get the funds together to buy the business (remember he has students loans from school). We talk about the amount of time to profitability, and the different roles that he has in his office. Andy shares advice on how to run your business while still working on expanding and growing.
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Today I am speaking with Dr. Chris Tomshack the CEO and Founder of HealthSource. Chris took an aptitude test in the 8th grade and the results told him he was either going to be a doctor or a businessman. Well...he decided he was going to do both.
Chris ran a very successful chiropractic clinic in Ohio. He hired on other doctors to work with him and expanded to 4 locations before hitting a turning point. He realized he could either continue to grow his own business or franchise and share his system with others looking to get into business.
Chris shares with me the 4 key components to HealthSource and how they are bringing technology and a holistic approach to the chiropractic industry. I should also mention you do not need to me a doctor to own a HealthSource, Chris says a large number of franchisees are non-chiropractors. That’s great news for all of us out there who disappointed our parents by not becoming doctors (Hi Mom, I know I’m still not a doctor).
Chris shares with me who he is looking to partner with, the investment to get into HealthSource and the 4 unique revenue streams the model creates for franchisees. You are going to learn a lot today...I promise!
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
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Today I am speaking with Dan Wattleworth a new and successful Five Star Painting Franchisee. Dan spent the past 22 years in sales. Selling everything from securities and insurance to IT software. Dan said he always knew he wanted to start a business.
He built his home in Texas about 7 months ago and remembers seeing the painting bill! Dan jokes that he told his wife they should get into the painting business. Well fate would have it that while Dan was evaluating 5 different franchise concepts Five Star Painting was brought to his attention. After speaking with many franchisees about the business and their experience he realized Five Star Painting was the right business for him.
Dan has been open a little over 6 weeks now and you will get to hear about the experiences of a very new franchisee. We discuss why Dan quit his full time job and how he was able to fund the purchase of 2 territories. Dan shares with me the challenges he faced while dealing with pain crews and lessons learned along the way.
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Today I am speaking with Michael Nungesser a successful Five Star Painting Franchisee. Michael had a career working for a company that replaced windows and sunrooms. Michael said he was looking to get into business for himself, but was looking to partner with a franchise. He looked for an industry leader and found Neighborly. He decided to stay on board with his job until his business got off the ground.
Michael decided to start with one territory and saw success fairly early on, he was able to quit his job within 7 months of starting the business and then after hitting $650,000 in revenue his 1st year he decided it was time to expand. Michael purchased a neighboring territory and grew his business to $1.8 million his second year.
Michael talks about the growing pains he experienced with a new and rapidly growing business. We talk about how he learned to manage the expectations of his paint crews and protect his profitability. We discuss the breakdown of labor, materials, and other costs and as we discuss profitability.
Michael also offers some great advice to hire painters and project managers. We also discuss his marketing strategies and what advice he would give to any new and existing business owners.
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Today I am speaking with Gary Sipes VP of Franchise Development for Five Star Painting. Five Star Painting offers white glove residential and commercial painting for their customers. Five Star Painting is also backed by Neighborly, which houses many franchise brands you may already be familiar with. The competitive advantage allows you to access national and local marketing and lead generation through the other brands.
Gary shares with me the history of Five Star Painting and how they grew from 70 locations to 200 locations after being acquired by Neighborly.
Gary shares with me the business model, the start up costs (as the title hints it’s around the cost of a pickup truck), and how they determine the Franchise fee. We also discuss what type of franchisee Five Star Painting is looking to partner with and why you don’t need any prior painting experience.
If you are interested in learning more about the opportunity with Five Star Painting text FIVESTARBIZ to 87000
Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com
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Today I am speaking with John Cotthaus a successful Zoom Room Franchisee. John’s wife Kristy always wanted to own her own dog training business, but John wasn’t so sure about going into business alone. It was when Kristy presented the idea of Zoom Room that John was willing to listen.
Long story short they drove 3 ½ hours to go visit a “local” Zoom Room to learn about the business and really liked what they saw.
John and Kristy signed on with Zoom Room in Fall of 2013 but they weren’t able to get their location open until July of 2015. Talk about some serious delays. We discuss how they dealt with the delay and how they managed their finances during that time.
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Today I am speaking with Heather Gillihan a successful Zoom Room Franchisee. Heather has a very interesting background. She’s a rocket scientist, joined the U.S. Army right out of college, moved to alaska for a short while for work, and she lived in Israel for 4 years before she started her business. Oh and her husband is in the Airforce and they met while on a mission. What has she not done??
I’ll let her share the story of how she found Zoom Room and how you can buy a business even if you didn’t know you wanted one.
Heather has been a franchisee since May of 2014 and opened her location in June of 2015. We talk about the necessity to find the right location, demographic, and community when opening a business.
She shares with me her grassroots marketing strategy and how it helped her become profitable quickly. We talk about the struggle every business owner faces when they don’t have enough staff and how the three revenue streams work in the Zoom Room model.
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Today I am speaking with Mark Van Wye CEO of Zoom Room. Zoom Room is an indoor dog training gym (this is what I imagine heaven looks likes but probably with more dogs). Mark says we don’t train dogs we train the people that love them. Zoom Room appeals strongly to millennials and well-educated active individuals, especially women. Their key revenue streams include dog training classes, socialization events, and retail products.
Zoom Room’s goal is to own the entire space of dog training. They even wrote a book on it!
Zoom Room currently has 9 locations with 3 more in development. Their goal is to add another 100 locations in the next 4 years. Zoom Room offers franchisees a large system of support including a field rep who is available 24 hours a day to offer help. Mark says we also focus on technology, developing apps, working on our websites and SEO but we also have over 2000+ 5 star reviews.
Mark and I discuss the investment to get into Zoom Room and the 3 revenue streams they offer. We also discuss their model and how they focus on socializing and positive reinforcement. We also talk about their revenue model and why they choose class packs over.
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Today I am speaking with Krupal Patel a successful Beerhead Bar and Eatery Franchisee. Krupal worked for a public accounting firm as a senior auditor but he had a secret! He was a craft beer home brewer (try saying that five times fast). He even won awards for him home brewing skills. But enough about the beer, Krupal said he always knew he wanted to start his own business and even looked into getting a franchise.
His franchising journey was about 2 ½ years. He spent it looking at different concepts, he said once he found Beerhead he felt an instant connection. He purchased an existing corporate location and worked on rebranding the location and bringing it up to speed with the new Beerhead Bar and Eatery concept.
Krupal’s biggest fear when starting his business was that he had no business experience. We talk about the issues he faced while he rebranded and how he was able to market himself to the local corporate offices and hotel nearby.
Krupal shares with me that he has held almost every position in his business which gave him not only practical experience but has also made him really business savvy.
Krupal and I discuss food costs, how he is actually able to maintain a selection of 500 beers while still keeping an eye out for his bottom line, and the advice he would give to a new franchisee.
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Today I am speaking with Greg Goodrich Co-Founder of Beerhead Bar and Eatery. Greg by profession is a lawyer, but he always had the entrepreneurial bug. Greg got into business with his lifelong friend Pat who had owned a chain of sports bars.
They saw the craft beer market really taking off but realized they needed to add their own unique twist to it. 500 different Craft beer selections + live music + corner bar feel + Beer Pros.
Greg said they knew they were going to franchise from day 1 so they focused on systems and processes to create a business was easy to replicate.
Beerhead is still relatively a small franchise. With 10 locations open currently and another 7 to be open soon. Greg says they have intentionally slowed their growth to ensure they maintain standards for their franchisees and continue to develop a larger infrastructure.
Greg says to open a Beerhead Bar and Eatery you do not need to have restaurant experience or even craft beer experience. They are looking for franchisees will follow their system.
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Today I am speaking with Adelina Garabet a successful Mad Science Franchisee. Adelina came to the U.S. at the age of 16 to live the American dream. After completing high school, Adelina attended college and studied Criminal Justice. She saw a flyer on day for a part time teaching opportunity, and so she made the call.
Adelina starting working for a Mad Science franchisee in 2007 and quickly realized the business wasn’t doing well. She didn’t back down from the challenge and worked with the owner to improve the business. She quickly learned that there was a great opportunity for her to own her own business with Mad Science and after a lot of coaxing and hard work Adelina was able to buy the business she had worked in for 7 years.
We discuss how she transitioned from employee to owner and how she was able to purchase the business even though she didn’t have any money. We discuss the types of employees she looks for, how the business works and she gives us a breakdown or revenue and profitability.
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Today I am speaking with Shafik Mina, President of 2Inspire Kids Inc. which houses Mad Science® and Crayola® Imagine Arts Academy™ franchise concepts. Mad Science® has been franchising for the past 30 years as a science enrichment provider and is currently operating in 20 countries. Crayola® Imagine Arts Academy™ was founded in 2016 to bring art and creativity to children’s lives.
The story of how the Mad Science® franchise started is amazing; two guys, humble beginnings, and lasers.
Shafik shares with me the available opportunities for both franchise concepts. We discuss the cost to get into the business and even better, we talk about the profitability of the programs they offer.
During the episode, you will learn about the different programs both Mad Science® and Crayola® Imagine Arts Academy™ offer. Shafik also breaks down the type of franchisees he is looking for in two different groups. I know you will enjoy today’s episode so listen and I guarantee you will learn a lot!
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Today I am speaking with Mari Millard a successful Two Maids & A Mop Franchisee. Mari worked for a start up and watched the company grow from one employee to a hundred employees. She saw the power in owning a business but also the huge risk involved.
Mari started to look into franchising and realized the benefit of having a system and process. At about the same time Mari started to have kids and decided it wasn’t the right time to start a business. So she kept working, until one day she was informed she was being laid off. Mari said it was a big wake up call.
Mari was able to purchase an existing territory with Two Maids. It wasn’t doing so well, with only 40 clients do Mari had to put a lot of work into it.
Mari shares with me how she was able to get the fund the purchase of her business. What she learned while taking over the business and how she replaced bad employees.
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Today I am speaking with Lee Sheridan a successful Two Maids & A Mop Franchisee. Lee spent over 20 years working in the insurance industry. Although he excelled in his field he says “I always felt like a fish out of water.”
One day Lee had had enough. He called his wife and let her know he would be quitting. Then he called Ron Holt the CEO of Two Maids & A Mop and said “lets do this.” There is a lot more to the story than that but I’ll let Lee fill you in.
Lee shares with me how he got the business started and how he was able to fund it. He says if he were to do it all over again he would have set up his funding structure and business a little differently.
We discuss how he dealt with having no employees show up on the first day to having great employees but no work to give them. Lee is a true entrepreneur and he talks about how he took full responsibility for the success of his business.
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Today I am speaking with Elizabeth Lamar a successful Two Maids & A Mop Franchisee. Liz worked for about 10 years as a manager at Applebees, working about 80 hours a week. She came to a point in her career where all though she was seeing success there was no real quality of life. She was introduced to Two Maids & A Mop by her brother who told her she needed to talk to Ron. At the time the company was just starting out and so she was hired as a corporate store manager.
Liz says I took a chance with Two Maids & A Mop but Ron’s enthusiasm and the work schedule Monday through Friday 9-5, no nights and no weekends was really appealing.
As a corporate employee she helped open and run quite a few stores, but after she met her now husband she decided she needed to settle down and ended up in a location in Huntsville, Alabama.
After Two Maids & A Mop started franchising, Liz watched all the corporate stores one by one turn into franchise locations, until she was the last one left. That’s when she took an even bigger leap of faith and bought the location she was working in with a business partner.
Liz shares with me how she is able to have the most profitable location in the Two Maids system and what she watches to keep her profitibabilty up. We discuss employees and how she looks at resumes to find the best fit for her business. We also talk about the most important aspect in marketing her business and how that helps her get customers she never knew she would be able to reach.
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Today I am speaking with Ron Holt Founder and CEO of Two Maids & A Mop. Ron always knew he wanted to own his own business and decided he needed to find a consumer service that lacked innovation. He spent time researching different fields and fell in love with the residential cleaning business.
There was a small problem, he didn’t have enough money. So Ron worked for 6 years to save $150,000, his seed capital. Ron shares with me the initial struggles of growing a new business, including not taking home a check for 3 years. We discuss why he decided franchising was the right thing for Two Maids & A Mop.
Two Maids & A Mop currently has 77 business partners since they began franchising in 2013.
Ron shares with me how Two Maids & A Mop is disrupting the industry with its unique Pay For Performance. We discuss the investment and what Ron is looking for in a business partner. We also discuss the corporate office and Ron’s unique take on competitive sprints to drive innovation in the company and profitability for franchisees.
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Today I am speaking Evan Carroll a successful Pigtails and Crewcuts Franchisee out of Fort Mill, South Carolina. Evan owned a business where he trained personal protection dogs. He realized early on that when you own your own business you have to do everything. He says the franchisor does a lot of the leg work, so there is a huge benefit joining a franchise.
During all this Evan was taking his children to Pigtails and Crewcuts to get their haircut. He saw the business and really liked the model. He approached the business owner and asked to partner.
Evan was able to partner to grow the existing location as well as start a new one. Evan has learned a lot along the way which he shares with me. We talk about how much he invested into the business, how he deals with staffing issues, and what his advice is to new franchisees.
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Today I am speaking Dalia Wolf a successful Pigtails and Crewcuts Franchisee out of Cedar Park, Texas. Dalia was actually a customer of Pigtails and Crewcuts (well her children were) and she would speak to the owner about their experience with the business.
When the recession hit, Dalia’s own family was affected when her husband was laid off from his tech job. They realized at that time that the “stable” income they had was actually not as stable as they thought.
At that time Dalia remembered the conversation she had with the Pigtails and Crewcuts Franchisee. It was at that time that she realized she needed to start her own business. Dalia opened her salon on September 22nd, 2009.
We talk about the challenges she faces in business, especially when it comes to finding the right employees. We also discuss how she was able to create a fun environment for kids all while making loyal clients out of their parents. She also shares with me how she was able to replace a revenue stream with a new idea.
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Today I am speaking Sneha Bhavan and Reyna Patel successful Pigtails and Crewcuts Franchisees out of Los Altos, California. Reyna has worked for 16 years in the IT sector project management sector; Sneha has worked for 22 years as a senior project manager. So how did these two very successful career women end up going into business for themselves? Well lets just say it involves alcohol (which is always a great start to any journey). But I won’t ruin the story, I’ll let them tell you how that happened.
Sneha and Reyna didn’t wait to get the ball rolling. They committed to starting a business in January, signed their franchise agreement, and signed their lease in April. They were able to start construction in September and had their doors open in December. We talk about the struggles they faced when they first opened, and what they would change if they had to do it all over again.
Sneha and Reyna share with me how they are able to run their business with full time jobs. We discuss the challenge to find the right employees initially and the challenge of marketing their Pigtails and Crewcuts since the name wasn’t that well known in the area.
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Today I am speaking with Wade Brannon President and CEO of Pigtails and Crewcuts. If you have children, you probably remember their first hair cut, it might have even been a traumatic experience for them (and you). Pigtails and Crewcuts entered the scene to help kids and their parents by creating a positive and fun haircut experience.
Pigtails and Crewcuts currently have 62 locations with 60 more in development and they aren’t stopping there. Wade shares with me the growth that he expects Pigtails and Crewcuts is experiencing.
Wade shares with me how he was introduced to Pigtails and Crewcuts and the vision he had once he acquired the business.
Wade and I discuss the 3 revenue streams this business offers, the types of franchisees they are looking to partner with, and the system they provide franchisees.
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Today I am speaking Peter Dufall a successful Dogtopia Franchisee. Before becoming a Franchisee, Peter had a very long (33 years) and successful career in manufacturing. His original plan was to start his own manufacturing company. But through his research process he couldn’t find a business that would eliminate his risk.
That’s when he started looking at other business concepts, and doggy day care business came on his radar. He said he looked at about 150 other business conceptually to evaluate the pros and cons. He said doggy day through his process of elimination stayed on the list.
Peter spoke with multiple doggy daycare concepts, but said he was most comfortable with Dogtopia. They had a proven track record of success.
Peter was one “lucky dog” even though he didn’t have the best start. We talk about who he hires, which is much different than what he was expecting initially. How he manages his schedule to make the most impact on his business. And what he is doing now that he is running at full capacity, yes I said he is running at full capacity.
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Today I am speaking Shelly Mills a successful Dogtopia Franchisee. Before becoming a Franchisee Shelly ran a successful online business from her house. After growing and building that business, Shelly and her husband were ready for their next venture.
They went on Forbes magazine and searched for the top 500 franchises. Shelly took a similar approach that I did, she talked with existing franchisees and went to quite a few discovery days. After about 2 years of searching and vetting a lot of different franchise options they landed on Dogtopia.
May of 2017 is when their franchise journey began. They had a lot of challenges to face with construction and their city. Shelly shares with me how she was able to afford an unexpected $40,000 additional cost for construction.
We talk about how she was able to recruit and retain employees as she got her business off the ground, advice she would give a new franchisee, and how she was able to market her location.
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Today I am speaking with Alex Samios Vice President of Franchise Development. If you haven’t heard about Dogtopia yet, don’t worry you will soon. With a total of 400 locations to be open by the end of 2023 Dogtopia is leading the way in the pet care space.
If the name didn’t already give it away Dogtopia is offering an enhanced joy of dog parenthood with a doggie daycare, boarding, and spa (and not to mention a fun place for any dog to go hangout). Alex says that dogs are viewed and treated like children by their pet parents (I couldn’t agree more with this statement, my dogs are my children).
Alex shares with me that he is in his dream role, combining his love for franchising with his even greater love of dogs. We discuss how Dogtopia got its start and where the Franchise is today. Alex shares with me what Dogtopia is offering to prospective franchisees and what they are looking for in a franchisee. And he even shares with me how Dogtopia has doggie day care down to a science!
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Today I am speaking with Calvin McNeely President of Running Boards Marketing.
I met Calvin at the International Franchise Expo in New York, well I actually met his truck first. DAV (pronounced DAVE) caught my eye immediately. I remember reading “if you’re reading this so are they!” My instant reaction was OMG this would be amazing to run adds on for the tax season.
I started to talk to Calvin and realized he had a great business opportunity to share. Calvin and I talk about how he got Running Boards Marketing off the ground, how user friendly DAV is, and what he is hoping to achieve by franchising this business.
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Today I am speaking with Hossein Kasmai CEO and Founder of Franchise Creator. Hossein has extensive experience in business, having started his own business in the early 2000s to quickly franchising the concept. In less than 5 years Hossein was able to grow his franchise from 1 to 175 locations.
In 2013 Hossein decided to help those looking to franchise their own business and created Franchise Creator. Franchise Creator has helped over 300 hundred different concepts franchise their business.
Hossein shares with me some great reason why you should buy a franchise. He gives great advice for what to look into when buying a franchise. We also take a deep dive into the FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) and discuss what each of the 23 items represents and how you should analyze the FDD.
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Today I am speaking with Stacey and Steve Hitzemann successful StretchLab Franchisees. Stacey had a background in Nutrition before leaving her job to raise her 3 kids. Steve works full time as a banker and neither of them had any intention to open a business until Steve pulled his back.
During Steve’s recovery process he started stretching, and things started to change. They realized the benefits of stretching and fate would have it that the cover of the Wall Street Journal ran an article on StretchLabs. There was nothing like it in their hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
After going to StretchLab’s discovery day Steve said he was sold. Steve and Stacey originally purchased 3 territories but after seeing success with their first location they subsequently purchased 3 more territories.
Stacey and Steve share with me what it was like to open up their first business and the ups and downs that come with that and we talk about how to find the right employees.
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Today I am speaking with Angie Cohen a successful StretchLab Franchisee. Angie worked for 15 years in the pharmaceutical sales industry and spent the last 5 years traveling over 5 days a week. She realized she wanted to start her own business and was passionate about spin (indoor cycling) and started down the route to look for a cycling franchise.
At this same time she hired a franchise consultant who sat down with her and gave her a great piece of advice. She told her to look at concepts other than cycling, just to make sure she was keeping her options open and so she could actually find a franchise that was in line with her goals.
Her franchise journey involved spin concepts, health food concepts, and StretchLabs. Obviously, we know how the story ends but it was after she got her first stretch that everything fell into place.
Angie and I speak about how she was able to gain 200 members before her doors even opened. How she educated her community on the benefits of the business. We talk about the challenges she faces as her business matures and what she is looking forward to, to keep her client retention up.
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Today I am speaking with Lou DeFrancisco president of StretchLab. If you haven’t heard about StretchLab yet, don’t worry you will soon. With over 160 locations sold and a goal of having 150 locations open up across the U.S. by 2020 StretchLab is leading the way in this unique business.
If the name didn’t already give it away StretchLab is offering one on one assisted stretching. Sounds a little crazy right? Lou says this business is for everybody, literally EVERY BODY!
Lou shares with me why he decided to open up a corporate location in the early stages of growing StretchLabs (it’s subsequently been sold to a franchisee). How being under the exponential fitness brand has impacted their business and helped franchisees.
Lou shares with me what he is looking for in a franchisee, how StretchLab helps franchisees grow their business, and what gives StretchLab and its reflexologists the competitive edge in the boutique fitness space.
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Today I am speaking with Dan Spano a successful GYMGUYZ Franchisee. Dan had a lot of experience in the fitness space before becoming a GYMGUYZ franchisee. He worked in a big box gym and said he was tired of having to answer to someone. He was looking to get into the business for himself and found the opportunity through his two friends who were seeing success with the GYMGUYZ franchise.
Dan says he saw how revolutionary the concept was and there was a lot of potential in his home town of Southern Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Dan shares with me what it was like to market his business in the beginning and how he expanded from a one man show to 3 vans and 5 trainers. We talk about his hiring process and what he looks for in a trainer.
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Today I am speaking with Sam Langer a successful franchisee GYMGUYZ. Sam’s father ran into GYMGUYZ founder and CEO Josh York while on vacation in 2013. He let Sam know about the opportunity and the rest is history.
Sam and his business partner (and childhood friend James) checked GYMGUYZ out and liked what they heard. A low cost, low overhead, and scalable way to get into fitness business.
Since they were the first franchisees Sam says it was a little like being a guinea pig. They had to work hard on marketing themselves and the concept. They attended a lot of street fairs and saw a lot of success. They have been able to expand since buying their first van 2014.
We talk about the sales process of getting new clients, what he expects from his trainer, and his thought process on expansion.
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Today I am speaking with Leslie Dempsey a successful franchisee GYMGUYZ. Leslie had a career as a Marriage Family Therapist, she took 5 years off to spend time raising her 2 children. When it was time to get back to work Leslie says she was looking for a work-life balance and wasn’t able to find it. So Brian (her husband) and Amy started looking at business opportunities and fell in love with the GYMGUYZ concept.
Leslie said she saw a huge need for the in home personal training where she lived in Marin County. Leslie went all in and purchased 3 territories in 2016.
We talk about what it took to build brand awareness in her territories and how she markets her business. Leslie shares with me how long it took for her to break even and the key to profitability.
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Today I am speaking with Josh York CEO and Founder of GYMGUYZ. If you haven’t heard about GYMGUYZ yet, don’t worry you will soon. With a total of 265 locations in 32 states ad 3 countries GYMGUYZ is leading the way in In Home Personal Training.
If the name didn’t already give it away GYMGUYZ is offering personal training brought to you (wherever that is). Josh says “we save our clients TIME” they don’t need to drive to the gym we go to them. Josh’s goal is to make GYMGUYZ the largest fitness franchise in the world.
Josh shares with me where he got the idea for GYMGUYZ and how he got the business started. He says you have to think like there is no box and there is no limit.
Josh has a lot of passion for his business and treats his franchisees like family members. We talk about the support he offers his franchisees, qualities he is looking for in a potential franchisee (and no, a fitness background isn’t one of them), and what it takes to get into the GYMGUYZ Franchise.
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Today I’m speaking with Amy and Brian Messer, successful Waxing the City Franchisees.
Brian and Amy spent a bit of time researching different franchise opportunities, and one day Amy saw an add on Facebook for Waxing the City. They started their research off by speaking to a few franchisees and then visited a nearby Waxing the City. Part of their research included a wax. And no Amy wasn’t the only one getting waxed! Brian decided to get his back waxed (I think it sounds more painful than it actually is). Brian went and got waxed at a competitor and Waxing the City, he immediately saw the difference and was sold!
Brian and Amy share with me what it’s like to be in business together. We discuss why they decided to take on a minority partner and why it was the wrong idea and how they tackled it. Although they faced many challenges in the beginning they were able to have a record pre-book (265 waxes to be exact) for their grand opening.
We discuss marketing strategies that have paid off big time, how to interview employees, and advice they would give to a new franchisee.
Today I’m speaking with Megan Sweitzer a successful Waxing the City Franchisee.
Megan isn’t new to the franchising world she became a franchisee with Retro Fitness in 2009. After owning 3 gyms she saw that although the gym business was great and she was doing everything she could for her member she would watch a new gym open across the street and watch her members go join there. She says there is a lack of loyalty from members in the gym space. This led her to look for another business where customers were loyal to the brand.
This is where Waxing the City came into play. Megan says she likes the waxing industry that the customers have a lot of loyalty. We talk about what it’s like to open a waxing the city from the ground and how she grew her business. Megan share with me how she focuses on the ground marketing, social media, and word of mouth to get new clients.
Learn what Megan’s biggest piece of advice is to a new franchisee, how to manage a large number of employees, and how to find the right employee.
Today I am speaking with Angela Jaskolski Brand President of Waxing the City. If you haven’t heard about Waxing the City yet, don’t worry you will soon. With over 200 + territories sold and 110 locations domestically Waxing the City is looking to grow tremendously in the domestic market.
If the name didn’t already give it away Waxing the City is offering a premium waxing experience (they have also added lash extensions, brow tinting, and lash lifting to their services). Their tag line “Your Bush Won’t Bewilder Us” is a tongue and cheek way of getting clients and getting their brand out there.
Angela loves working with franchisees. She is scoping out the competition and making sure that Waxing the City is doing everything they can to be #1. During our interview I asked Angela to share with me her worst waxing experience she gave a great answer but right after the interview was over she realized she had an even better story.
I went to a competitor in Alpharetta, GA. I think the total word count exchanged between myself and ALL of the employees I encountered was less than 10. The wax was in a crock pot. That’s right. Just like the one you and I use for chili on Superbowl Sunday. The waxer ladled out a cup of wax and then proceeded to blow on it each time before she applied it to my body. (whoa!) At the end of the day, the hair was gone, and it was $9 less expensive than our membership price. However, I left feeling “I’m worth that $9, darn it.”
I often don’t get follow up emails after my interviews but Angela took the time to not only send me a better story to share with you but she also wrote - The real differentiator in our business is the people and they are happy because of the brand and the systems that we offer to support them. They are happy because we enable and encourage them to connect with their clients, to take care of them and to do their best work. The people that are WTC do not lack passion for this brand. You should be able to feel that in our studios and that’s what really sets us apart. As a Franchisor, our ongoing challenge is to partner with the right franchisees and provide systems and tools that support people development and leadership. We always say “people make it possible”
I am thoroughly impressed by Waxing the City, besides the business model and the 9% growth the domestic waxing industry experiences year over year. But more so by the people. The quality of the team at Waxing the City and Self Esteem Brands shows me that they are a Franchisor that really cares.
Today I am speaking with Cammile Adams a successful SafeSplash Franchisee. .
Swimming flows in Cammile’s blood. Her father who was and still is a swim coach taught her and her sister how to swim. After her sophomore year in college she made the Olympic team and placed 5th in the 200m Butterfly. She took up swimming as a profession and made the Olympic team again in 2015 and placed 4th.
Cammile came home from Rio and the next day went to work as a teacher. She realized pretty quickly teaching wasn’t for her, and she started to look for opportunities to open her own business. Cammile says the most important thing she was looking for was curriculum. She knew she had to really believe in what the franchise was offering and the curriculum it was teaching kids.
She said during her research she spoke with a lot of her fellow Olympians and they all recommended she check out Streamline Brands. She took the advice and the rest is history.
She purchased 6 existing hosted locations in the Houston area. We talk about what it was like to dive into the deep end (sorry for the pun couldn’t help myself) when purchasing existing locations, how she was able to increase business, and what types of instructors she hires. Cammile also shares with me the biggest thing she had to stop doing to help her business grow and where she thinks the best locations are for SafeSplash.
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Today I am speaking with Jaime Zilverberg a successful SafeSplash Franchisee.
Jaime started off her career in TV broadcast journalism and realized it wasn’t as fun as she was expecting. Jaime started to think about branching out into a different career path when her friend happened to mention that they were sending their kids to a SafeSplash for swim lessons.
She reached out to SafeSplash to see if they were looking for help in the marketing department. She was hired on as marketing director, then worked in HR, transitioned into a GM position, and then worked in the call center. Her last position working for SafeSplash was to sell franchises. One day she made the ultimate sell and sold herself a territory.
That was a little over 7 years ago. Jamie started off using hosted locations (rented pool space) which allowed her to get started in the business without much financial burden. After running the 3 hosted locations she decided it was time to expand her business and purchase a dedicated facility. There were challenges finding a space that would allow her to build and we discuss how she was able to finally get construction going on her facility and all that went into it.
Jaime shares with me the difference in running a hosted location versus having a dedicated location. How she is able to overcome staffing challenges by finding the right type of employee. Jamie shares with me the mom guilt she has and the pressure that women put on themselves and what she does to stay positive.
Today I am speaking with Amy Albiero the first franchisee to run the dual brand franchise of Safesplash and SwimLabs.
Amy and her husband have a huge passion for swimming. The were both swimmers in college which is where they met and fell in love. Amy’s husband is the USA Swimming National Team Coach and the Head Coach at the University of Louisville.
Amy and her husband spent 2 years researching different franchise opportunities in the swim space and were about to take the leap with just SwimLabs. Their friend Karin, who works with SafeSplash kept telling them they had to come check out the concept and all that they were doing in the learn to swim space. Amy fell in love with the business model and realized both concepts could be housed in the same facility, she went to corporate with an idea. She says the learn to swim model serves those as they learn to swim once they have graduated they can hone their skills with SwimLabs.
Since opening up in October 2017 Amy has learned a lot about the business. We discuss how she found employees and built a team to run her business. How they launched their facility and were able to get the support of the city.
Today I am speaking with Matt Lane CEO of Streamline Brands. Streamline brands hosts 3 franchise concepts Safesplash, Swimtastic, and SwimLabs. They clients range from those just learning how to swim for the first time all the way to the avid swimmer looking to improve technique.
Matt was initially looking for a way to teach his daughters how to swim. He couldn’t find a facility close enough so guess what he did? He built a pool (even though he says he really didn’t have the funds to do it) and created a booming business. After managing 15 of his own swim schools Matt realized he needed to franchise to create opportunity for others who had a passion to get into business.
Matt is passionate about his franchisees and says the transformation he has seen in their lives is phenomenal. The market for swim schools is vast and we discuss the vision Streamline Brands has for expansion. We also discuss the 3 types of franchisees Streamline brands is looking to partner with.
I hope you enjoy today’s episode. Visit us a www.thesmartfranchisee.com to get more information about Streamline Brands. Leave us a review on iTunes if you haven’t already. I want to hear from you so connect with me on facebook or instagram and let me know who you want to hear from next.
Today I am speaking with Ken Caldwell VP of Franchising at Your Pie. Currently Your Pie has 66 units open in 19 states, has another 78 more units in development and has a goal of 120 successful locations to be open by the end of 2021 (emphasis on successful).
If the name didn’t already give it away YourPie is a fast casual pizza restaurant where the experience of a guest is just as important as the pizza. Collectively the corporate office has 130 years of managing franchise brands as is solely focused on the success of their franchisees.
Ken shares with me what Your Pie is looking for in a franchisee, how the supply chain team works to ensure franchisees all over the country are able to get high quality food, and what systems and support Your Pie offers to new and existing franchisees (and no you don’t need any restaurant experience).
I hope you enjoy today’s episode. Visit us a www.thesmartfranchisee.com to get more information about Your Pie. Leave us a review on iTunes if you haven’t already. I want to hear from you so connect with me on facebook or instagram and let me know who you want to hear next.
Today on The Smart Franchisee we have Arnie and Jenna Seyden who share with me their experience owning a Your Pie Franchise.
Arnie and Jenna have been married for the past 29 years and what’s even more incredible is that they have been in business together for all 29 years. (I can barely make it 1 day in my business without wanting to kill my husband but that’s besides the point). Arnie and Jenna worked together in the special event industry, Arnie worked on operations and sales and Jenna focused on bookkeeping and operations. After selling that business they decided they wanted to make their next venture a family affair.
Arnie and Jenna have 3 kids who were all working in the food service industry. Their daughter was the GM at a pizza restaurant and realized her experience would be really beneficial in starting their own food business. That’s where franchising and Your Pie came into the picture.
They purchased 3 territories. Their first location opened in January of 2019. They have plans to have their 2nd location open in the spring of 2020 and their 3rd in 2021. And that’s just the start for them.
Arnie and Jenna share with me what it’s like to be in business with their children, what their experience was like as first time franchisees, the challenges they faced and recommendations for new franchisees.
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Today I’m speaking with Doug and Denise Zirbel, a husband wife duo who have successfully opened their own Your Pie Franchise in South Carolina.
Doug had a great career with Kimberly Clarke but spend a lot of time working and traveling while Denise took care of their 4 kids. After moving 12 times in his 25 year career, Doug and Denise realized they needed to settle down for their kids. They decided to get into business and after a bit of research realized franchising was the best option.
They looked at a few different franchise concepts and found fast casual pizza. Doug says they almost signed with another franchise but when they went to Athens, GA to meet with the heads of Your Pie they realized that they found the business they wanted to invest in.
Doug and Denise share with me the marketing campaign they ran to drive customers in the door and give back to the community right before their grand opening and how that led to profitibabilty from Day 1. Denise shares with me how she successfully markets to college students and families to drive revenue in the door year round.
Today I’m speaking with Scott Burr a successful Your Pie Franchisee.
Scott’s professional career was in golf. But as his daughters were growing up he realized he wanted to be able to spend more time with them. That’s when he decided to get into business and franchising seemed like a good fit.
So he started off on his franchise journey interested in getting into a frozen yogurt concept. After months of trying to finalize a location things just weren’t working out with the frozen yogurt concept and that’s when he was introduced to fast casual pizza.
Scott says he researched 13 different brands and tried all of their pizza, because you need to like the product you are going to be selling! There was only one problem, there was a slice he hadn’t tried yet that was all the way in Georgia, he lives in California. So like a Smart Franchisee Scott flew all the way to Atlanta for his last pizza tasting, and the rest is history.
Scott and I talk about what it’s like to be the only Your Pie Franchisee in California (for now) and how he is able to keep his business profitable and growing being so far from the corporate office. We talk about the challenges Scott faced in business, the advice he would give a new franchisee, and how he hit profitability 4 months after opening his location.
Today I am speaking with Joe DeMarco a successful franchisee with CycleBar. Joe and his wife had experience in the fitness industry before getting into CycleBar. They owned and operated 3 Local Barre Studios, which they started from the ground up. Nick’s wife did all this while starting a family, every new studio came with a child. (I think that’s why they stopped at 3!). They decided to include spin classes into their 3rd Barre studio and soon realized that they needed a system to really make it work. Not to mention CycleBar could put his spin class out of business.
Joe says he didn’t have a positive impression of franchising at first and so he started to research different franchises to partner with. He realized CycleBar and the system provided was the best fit for him. Joe needed a business partner, and happened to meet Nick at the International Franchise Expo in NY. Nick had experience with CycleBar and was ready to open his own.
Since then Joe and Nick have been taking the east coast by storm. They have purchased existing distressed locations and have opened new locations from the ground up.
Joe and I talk about what it was like to open a business without franchise support and the learning curve they went through. We also talk about what it’s like to purchase distressed studios, how you create a culture in your business, how they manage locations that are out of state and most importantly what his experience has been like owning a franchise.
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Today I am speaking with Lisa Locker a successful franchisee with CycleBar. Lisa has spent a few decades working in corporate America. First working with big tobacco, then real estate and then lastly as a consultant in the cannabis industry. While Lisa traveled for work she would take spin classes wherever she could find them.
Lisa started to realize that she loved spin and that there was a lack of presence in the Denver area, where she lived. What happens when you love spin and there are no studios in your area? You open your own! Lisa went all in and purchased 4 territories in the Denver market.
While looking for a space for her first location an opportunity presented itself to buy 2 existing studios. Lisa shares with me what it was like to take over studios that were not doing well and how she turned them around, all as a brand new franchisee. We discuss challenges she faced and still faces in business as she opens new locations, how she finds instructors with passion, and her advice for a new franchisee.
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Today I am speaking with Ryan Junk president of CycleBar. If you haven’t heard about CycleBar, don’t worry you will soon. With a total of 200 locations to be open by the end of 2019 and 400 franchise locations sold CycleBar is leading the way in the boutique fitness space.
If the name didn’t already give it away CycleBar is offering a premium indoor cycling experience (not to mention a low impact high intensity workout). Ryan says “we trick people into working out” because it’s so fun. During our chat with Ryan we find out why he is so passionate about his Franchisees.
Ryan shares with us his core belief that Franchisees are his customers, and his soul mission is to make sure they are successful. CycleBar has no corporate locations so they can focus solely on working with and developing great franchisees.
Ryan shares with me what he is looking for in a franchisee, how Cyclebar helps franchisees create recurring revenue and protect their investment from day 1, and what gives CycleBar the competitive edge in the boutique fitness space.
Today I’m speaking with Kate Oster a successful The Maids Franchisee.
Kate, along with her sister, owned and operated her own residential cleaning business, Maid to Clean. Kate got into the cleaning business by accident, she was working as a social worker and needed to make a little extra income. She started by cleaning friends and families homes and grew the business to 70 clients.
Kate soon realized that she couldn’t keep cleaning homes all day and she needed to have a system behind her, so she could hire a team to grow her business.
Kate transitioned her business into The Maids Franchise. She now services 11 zip codes and has over 350 clients. She has been able to take a step back from cleaning homes to creating teams that help her grow her business.
Kate has learned a lot in her 13 years as a franchisee. She shares with me the benefits of owning a franchise, the support she has gotten from the corporate office, and how she finds the right employees.
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Bruce wasn’t looking to get into the cleaning business. Having worked for McDonald’s and Best Buy he knew what it took to make a business run. He was looking for a business that provided residual income, that had the potential for growth, and was easy to differentiate from the competition. He said he found all three when he found The Maids.
Bruce purchased three existing territories and focused on building teams and increasing clientele. Bruce talks with me about the challenges he faces in the business, how he is able to grow his business, and how he learned to motivate people.
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Today I am speaking with Colin Bishop, President and CEO of The Maids International Franchise. The Maids is famously known for its bright yellow cars, ever see one in your neighborhood? With approximately 117 franchisees who own 1200 territories, there is still room for growth with The Maids.
If the name didn’t already give it away The Maids offers residential cleaning services. Their goal at The Maids is to improve lives! The focus is always on their franchisees, their employees, and their customers.
Colin shares with me what differentiates The Maids from the competition and how their partnership with Amazon and P&G benefits their franchisees.
Colin and I also chat about how The Maids sets their franchisees up for success, what they are looking for in a franchisee, and how they provide financing options to help get new franchisees up and running.
Russ Allen an Anytime Fitness Franchisee shares with me how he almost gave it all up. The advice and guidance of a fellow franchisee has led him to 9 locations. Russ talks about where he spends 80% of his time to grow his business. He shares how he was able to scale rapidly after operating three locations for a few years. He created a system, hired the right staff and built the infrastructure for rapid and profitable growth. Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe!
Jeff O’Mara was tired of running his gas station and grocery store that required 16 hour days on a regular basis. He was seeking a change. Unable to take a day off without losing money in his business Jeff saw an opportunity with Anytime Fitness. What was different about Anytime Fitness? Freedom, a welcoming atmosphere, great team of trainers and happy club members.
After a year and a half of training at Anytime Fitness Jeff decided to buy his own. How? By mortgaging his house. That was 11 years ago, Jeff now owns 11 locations spanning Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Georgia. Jeff shares with me how he developed a team and partnered with trainers to expand his business without having to be present at the locations. He talks about the challenges he faced early on and how he handled them, why he sold 2 locations and what it did for him, and how he has been able to get involved in real estate since starting this business.
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Kyle Henning quit his senior year of college to open his first Anytime Fitness location. His story of how he stumbled into this business is very interesting. Now Kyle runs 2 successful Anytime Fitness locations. Kyle talks about how he funded his first location and bought the second location within 6 months of owning his first. He talks about how he grew to 4 locations but then scaled it down to 2. It wasn’t about the money but about having more time and a better lifestyle. He is passionate about interacting with his clients and providing exceptional customer experience. Learn how his passions turned to more profits even though he reduced the number of locations. Visit us at https://thesmartfranchisee.com/
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Today I am speaking with Tim Arpin Vice President of Franchise Development at Anytime Fitness. You probably have a local Anytime Fitness in your area, you might even be a member. But have you ever thought of owning one? With approximately 3000 locations domestically, and 5000 locations in 35 countries internationally Anytime Fitness is the largest co-ed fitness franchise in the world. But there is still room for growth! Tim shares that they open about 200 locations a year and are looking to add another 3000-4000 locations in the next 10 years.
If the name didn’t already give it away Anytime Fitness offers just last, 24 hour access to the gym. (Just in case you have a middle of the night craving to go for a run and lift some weights). Their goal is to bring the benefits of fitness to everyone, the tag line says it all “Let’s Make Healthy Happen”. During my chat with Tim we find out why he is so passionate about his Franchisees.
Tim shares with us the companies core beliefs. People, Purpose, Profits, and Play. How Anytime Fitness maintains a close relationship with its franchisees, and more importantly what type of franchisee they are looking for.
Tim and I also chat about Anytime Fitness’s gym layout and why they are able to be successful in smaller more well designed locations, the areas where the model works best, and how they focus on their members and health.
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Steve Curtindale a uBreakiFix Franchisee talks with me about why he converted his electronic repair shop into a uBreakiFix. Why would someone want to pay royalties and spend thousands of dollars to restructure and redesign their already profitable business. Growth. Steve spent a little over 3 years growing his mom and pop store from $0 to $40K in revenue a month but he wanted to expand his business and running it all by himself without a system or support would make it impossible. Steve shares his experience of owning his own business to then converting it to a franchise and his reasoning for it, the challenges he faced while transitioning his business and why culture is crucial for success.Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com. As always don't forget to leave us a review and subscribe.
Minhthe Nguyen a uBreakiFix Franchisee talks with me about what it was like to leave his engineering job at Tesla and go into business for himself. Minhthe was spending 7 days a week at work clocking in well over 40 hours. He finally came to an inflection point in his career. Continue this path and sacrifice time with his family or take a leap of faith and start his own business. At the end of 2014 Minhthe went all in and bought an area to develop 15 uBreakiFix stores. Having opened 5 locations since then, one of which is the top 3 in nation, Minhthe shares a lot of knowledge with us. Learn how he grew his locations from the ground up, his philosophy on making a store profitable, and how he creates a high performing team. Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com and please don't forget to leave us a review and hit that subscribe button!
Brenda Johnston a uBreakiFix Franchisee talks with me about what it’s like to buy a business. By profession Brenda is a pediatric nurse but she always had a passion for technology. When Brenda was introduced to uBreakiFix a light bulb went off and she realized it was time to take the “tinkering” she had been doing her whole life seriously. She left behind the stable income and benefits and followed her dreams. Brenda has 2 uBreakiFix locations and will be opening a 3rd location soon. Learn about the challenges she faces in business, how she ensures growth of not only herself but her team, and the advice she would give a new franchisee to set them up for success. Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com and please don’t forget to leave a review and subscribe.
Todd Evans VP of Franchising chats with us about uBreakiFix. By serving the users of tech, uBreakiFix has been able to help their customers stay connected to their world with quick turn-around time on repairs all while helping franchisees drive customers and revenue in the door. Todd shares with me the 4 types of franchisees he is looking for, how uBreakiFix helps franchisees generate more revenue with partnerships with Google and Samsung (just to mention a few), and how uBreakiFix sets new and existing franchisees up for success. uBreakiFix has been franchising since 2013 and currently has 513 locations (in North America) with an additional 461 location to be opened in the next 36 months. Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com and please don’t forget to leave a review and subscribe.
David Perez didn't know anything about this tax industry before he got into Liberty Tax. What does it take to win in a business you know nothing about? A lot of hard work, adapting to the needs of clients, and most importantly scrappiness. 10 years and 8 stores later David's story shows us the power of a franchise system and just how motivated you need to be to win. Visit www.thesmartfranchisee.com and don't forget to rate and subscribe!
Tim Magerle was tired of not being the boss of his own time. He learned early on that the corporate ladder he was so frantically climbing did not always lead to the top floor. Frustrated with not being able to spend time with is growing family, Tim, with guidance from his father, opened his first Liberty Tax 12 years ago. We learn about his struggles through the first few years of business, how he sets a culture in his 7 stores, and how he was able to spend time with his children all while growing his business. Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com. Don't forget to rate and subscribe!
JR Cecil shares his story of losing his job to realizing his full potential. JR share his experience with owning 3 Liberty Tax locations and what it has done for his financial independence. Visit www.thesmartfranchisee.com
Parul Gupta speaks with me on why she chose to get into the tax business. She shares the struggles she had early on, how she built her 4 Liberty Tax stores from the ground up and how she no longer has to trade time for money. Oh and she did all this while raising two young children! Learn about how she organizes her business structure, makes time for one on one coaching with her team, and how she is able to prioritize her time. Visit www.thesmartfranchisee.com and don’t forget to rate and subscribe.
Brian Ashcraft from Liberty Tax Corporate shares his insight into the tax industry, what Liberty Tax is looking for in a franchisee, and what sets Liberty Tax Service apart from the competition. Liberty Tax Service has been franchising for more than 20 years with 3000 offices nationwide and millions of customers served, the tax franchise is looking forward to a future of growth. The CEO of the company, Nicole Ossenfort a former Franchisee, has brought with her a franchisee (and customer) first driven model at Liberty Tax. Visit us at www.thesmartfranchisee.com don’t forget to rate and subscribe!