Franchise Whispering

Are you in the food business, or the human business? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob McKay sits down with Zack Oates, CEO of Ovation, to unpack the brutal, high-stakes reality of restaurant management. You can execute perfectly on 2,000 different steps, but if the customer gets onions on their pepperoni pizza, you've completely lost them. Zack shares game-changi...

Bob McKay sits down with restaurant marketing powerhouse Rev Ciancio — fractional CMO, co-founder of Handcraft Burgers & Brew, and CMO of Salad House Franchising — for a masterclass in local restaurant franchise marketing. Rev breaks down why 70-80% of restaurant guests never return (and why chasing them is a losing game), his theory that every consumer has just five go-to restaurants — and ho...

  Are you leaning too hard on the digital "easy button" for your franchise? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob sits down with Katherine LeBlanc, a seasoned fractional CMO with over 13 years of executive experience leading brands like Smoothie King and Painting with a Twist. Bob and Katherine dive deep into the post-COVID digital shift and explain why over-inde...

  The Secret to Managing a 7-Figure Marketing Fund? Listening. In our very first international episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, host Bob sits down with Rhianna Clavering, the dynamic National Marketing Manager at CAREMARK. Overseeing marketing for over 140 home care franchise offices across the UK and Ireland, Rhianna brings a masterclass in managing high-touch communications for a hig...

  Welcome to another exciting episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, brought to you by Franchise Marketing News! In this episode, Bob sits down with Julie Whitney, CFE, Fractional CMO, and absolute franchise marketing royalty. With a wealth of experience in the restaurant franchise space, Julie is currently driving growth for brands like Crazy PETA. She joins us to unpack the latest industry...

  Welcome to a milestone episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast! For the very first time in our show's history, we are venturing past the brick-and-mortar and diving deep into the fast-paced, high-tech world of ghost kitchens and virtual brands. Our guest today is Adam Robbins, a 25-year restaurant industry veteran and operations powerhouse. Adam has transitioned from running traditional...

Did you know the average franchise sales cycle has dramatically shrunk from over 100 days to just 58 days? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob McKay sits down with Christina Parsons, Chief Intelligence Officer at United Franchise Group (UFG)—the largest privately-owned franchise group in the US. Christina drops an absolute masterclass on modern Franchise Development (Fra...

  How do you turn marketing from an "arts and crafts" department into a measurable, revenue-driving growth engine? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Felicia Reeves, a seasoned marketing executive in the home services space. With 14 months under her belt at Empower Brands (representing heavy hitters like Wallaby Windows, Koala Insulation, C...

  What happens when you grow up with franchising in your DNA? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob McKay sits down with Sydney Kleinsasser, a self-proclaimed "franchise nepo baby" who has channeled her lifelong exposure to the industry into a dynamic marketing career. Currently the Digital Marketing Manager for the highly immersive basketball training brand Shoo...

From hustling out of a small gas station in Dunwoody, Georgia, to serving up the most iconic food item in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Derrick Hayes is changing the culture of the franchise industry. Derrick founded Big Dave's Cheesesteaks to honor his late father and build a lasting legacy for his children. Today, it ranks among the top fast-casual concepts in America. In this episode of the Franc...

How do you take a brand with cult-like status and scale it to 400 locations without losing its edge? On this episode, host Bob McKay sits down with Brandon Rhoten, the marketing mind behind Wendy's viral Twitter roasts and the current CMO fueling explosive growth at Dave's Hot Chicken . Brandon explains why he ignores vanity metrics in favor of strict foot-traffic attribution, why Dave&a...

  Ever wonder why once you get into the franchise industry, you never want to leave? On this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob McKay sits down with Ashley Mitchell, a seasoned franchise marketing expert and fractional CMO. From her early days doing local marketing for the Walt Disney Company to scaling brands like Goldfish Swim School, East Coast Wings & Grill, and Sammy’s...

  In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, Bob McKay sits down with a true industry legend: Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Management Corporation. From its humble beginnings in Clearwater, Florida in 1983 to becoming a global phenomenon, the Hooters brand has seen it all. But what happens when an iconic brand loses its way? Neil shares the candid, behind-the-scenes story of why his team h...

In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, Bob McKay sits down with Kelli Schroeder (MBA, CFE), VP of Franchise Development at Threshold Brands. With a rich background spanning Wellbiz brands, international scaling with Wingstop, and her current leadership role managing a diverse portfolio of 10 home service concepts, Kelli brings a masterclass in franchise development. Kelli breaks down...

Are you an emerging franchisor trying to bridge the gap between your lean startup team and the massive scale you're aiming for? In this episode of The Franchise Whispering Podcast , Bob McKay sits down with franchise royalty: Liane Caruso. As a Certified Franchise Expert, founder of Hello CMO, and co-founder of the Franchise Assembly, Liane breaks down exactly why what got you to 25 units won...

  Welcome to the very first in-person episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, brought to you by Franchise Marketing News! In this episode, host Bob McKay sits down with Madison Gates, VP of Marketing at i9 Sports and founder of Empowered Consulting. With over a decade of experience driving growth for powerhouse franchise brands like Carstar, Maaco, and Neighborly, Madison brings a wealth of k...

What does it take to turn a 25-year-old legacy brand into a Gen Z favorite? In this episode of The Franchise Whispering Podcast , Bob McKay sits down with Kevin Keith , a veteran CMO whose pedigree spans legendary agencies (JWT, Ogilvy) and iconic franchise brands (Orange Theory Fitness, Edible). Kevin shares why he’s stepped away from the corporate C-suite to become a "Simon Cowell style&quo...

Franchise marketing is a team sport, and today we’re joined by two of the MVP players in the Mathnasium system. Derek and Jillian Pipkorn are multi-unit franchisees in the Milwaukee area who have mastered the art of "taking it personally" to ensure every family in their territory knows they exist. In this episode, Bob McKay explores the unique partnership between Derek (an educator) and...

  In this episode of The Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob McKay sits down with Heather Anderson , Head of Marketing for Safe Splash Swim Schools (part of the Youth Enrichment Brands portfolio). Heather shares her unique journey from growing up in the world of creative agencies to leading marketing and operations in the franchise space. We dive deep into how Safe Splash is moving beyond &quo...

In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast , host Bob McKay sits down with Madeleine Zook , co-founder of Catalyst and a USA Today "Top 10 CMO to Watch." Madeleine brings a rare perspective to the table—acting as a multi-unit franchisee, a franchisor, and a high-level advisor. She breaks down the blueprint for how emerging brands can behave like industry giants by building a &qu...

In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Greg George, a dynamic figure in the franchise world with over 100 locations under his belt. Greg shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a leader in the dessert franchise industry, highlighting the importance of authenticity and innovation. Discover how Greg's unique approach to franchising, his...

In this conversation, Kristen discusses the transformative role of marketing in today's business landscape. She emphasizes that marketing is no longer just about traditional advertising but has evolved into a critical function that drives business innovation through consumer insights and data. Kristen argues that marketers are uniquely positioned to understand consumer demand and should lead...

In this inaugural episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, host Bob McKay interviews Guy Coffey, a seasoned expert in the franchise industry. They discuss Guy's journey from international relations to becoming a successful franchisee and franchisor in the fitness and beauty sectors. The conversation explores the evolution of marketing in franchising, the impact of COVID-19 on the fitness...