The Exit Plan

This week’s episode takes a different spin. With CEO Alex Smereczniak out, VP of Business Development Alex Vidor steps into the host seat to interview Franzy’s cofounder and COO, Chris Wright. Chris shares his journey into franchising, why he made the leap to cofound Franzy, and the lessons he’s learned building and scaling the company. The conversation also zooms out into the bigger franchising p...

Calvin Smith has worn a lot of hats — U.S. Marine, healthcare executive, EOS implementer, and owner of multiple franchise brands including Sinarama and Superior Fence & Rail. In this episode, Calvin shares his journey from the military to entrepreneurship, why franchising became his playbook for growth, and how he’s scaled across different industries. We cover what new franchisees get wrong, h...

This week, we’re turning the mic around. Franzy’s CEO and co-founder, Alex Smereczniak, joins fellow team member Alex Vidor for a deep dive into his own journey — from launching a student laundry startup to raising $30M+ for 2ULaundry, to becoming a multi-unit franchisee of the golf simulator concept Another 9. You’ll hear: Why Alex decided to "eat his own cooking" and buy into a franchi...

After flying F-15s as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Vivek jumped into a whole new arena. He’s now a multi-unit franchisee (owning Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids), startup founder, and franchise advisor here at Franzy. He’s also behind a trauma recovery app helping hundreds worldwide.  

What really happens when one franchisee sells—and another steps in? In this episode, we hear both sides of a rare transaction between Brian Gross, the seller of Art of Drawers Tampa, and Sid Kinghar, the buyer who left corporate finance to become a first-time business owner. You’ll learn: Why Sid chose a franchise resale over starting from scratch How Brian structured the deal, including seller fi...

Kal started out slinging pizzas at Little Caesars and ended up running one of the most diverse and fast-growing franchise portfolios in the country. In this episode, he joins Alex Smereczniak to unpack the full journey—how he went from investment banking to buying butcher shops and pizzerias, to opening OrangeTheory gyms, and now scaling some of the hottest brands in franchising like Dave’s Hot Ch...

Welcome back to How I Franchised This — the show where we dive into the real stories behind franchise empires, told directly by the people who built them. Today’s guest is Adam Contos: former CEO of RE/MAX, Marine Corps veteran, SWAT commander turned business builder, and now co-founder of Area 15 Ventures. From undercover narcotics work to leading one of the world’s largest real estate franchises...

What happens when you're literally born into franchising? In this episode of How I Franchised This, Alex sits down with GR Waldrop—a second-generation operator who grew up making subs at Jersey Mike’s and now runs a growing portfolio that includes 19+ locations, a Dairy Queen, and a new deal with Vicious Biscuit. They talk legacy, leadership, and what it really takes to scale from 1 to 20 uni...

Taylor Byington and Shideler Bennett went from pitching insurance door-to-door to opening nine Crumbl Cookies locations across three states. In this episode, they share their unconventional path into franchising, including a failed startup, a surprise introduction to Crumbl, and what happened when they realized they were hundreds of thousands in the red. From living on couches to laying tile thems...

Jon Bahr didn’t come from food service. He came from real estate finance. But after bingeing franchise podcasts and hearing Dan Reese pitch Milkshake Factory, he and his wife took the leap, signing a three-unit deal while juggling a new baby and no prior restaurant experience. In this episode, Jon shares how he: Went from franchise curious to all-in with Milkshake Factory Navigated site selection,...

Parker Feldmann didn’t plan on running a kids’ fitness franchise—he was working 20-hour shifts at Tesla when he and his wife started rethinking their future. A friend introduced them to KidStrong, and just over a year later, they opened their first location in Reno. In this episode, Parker shares how his Air Force and engineering background shaped his approach to business ownership, what it was re...

Bryant Cohen didn’t set out to run a window cleaning business—he started by managing a private equity fund focused on small business acquisitions. But after one deal fell through, he jumped in himself, launching a Pink’s Window Services franchise in Charlotte. In this episode, Bryant shares how he went from fund manager to full-time operator, what it was like launching in the off-season, and how h...

From Audit Decks to Mosquito Vans: Ian Martens on Taking the Leap into Franchising In this episode, Franzy co-founder Alex Smereczniak sits down with Ian Martens, a 25-year-old who walked away from a fast-track career at EY to launch a MosquitoNix franchise in Charlotte. Ian didn’t set out to become a franchisee—but when the right team and opportunity came along, he decided to bet on himself and m...

Jeff and Samantha Gossett weren’t planning to start a business—until an Instagram ad for KidStrong changed everything. They share how they left teaching and sales to open their own franchise, what Discovery Day was really like, and how they’re building a business as both partners and parents. If you're thinking about franchise ownership, this is a must-listen. Find your fit at Franzy.com .