The Exit Plan

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 .