Franchise Advisory Board | Expert Franchising Advice for Franchise Leaders

In this episode of the Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, host Dave Hansen sits down with Dan Bedell, President of Enterprise at Scorpion, for an eye-opening conversation about one of the biggest shifts in digital marketing since the birth of Google: AI-powered search. A huge thank you to ClientTether, our episode sponsor. Their franchise CRM and lead-nurturing platform helps franchise brands respo...

In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, host Dave Hansen sits down with Ahson Kazi, Vice President of Partnerships and Growth at Lumin.ai, to explore one of the most important questions facing franchise brands today: How do you balance AI and human interaction to drive growth without sacrificing trust? With more than two decades of CRM and sales technology experience—and seven yea...

In this episode of the Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, host Dave Hansen sits down with Keith Levenson — self-proclaimed “Grand Poobah of Franchising” at Biller Genie — for a fast-paced, hilarious, and surprisingly eye-opening conversation about one of the biggest hidden problems in franchising: cash flow. Everyone loves talking about EBITDA… but what happens when franchisees can’t actually colle...

What makes people love brands like Apple and Chick-fil-A — while distrusting others like McDonald’s? In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, Dave Hansen sits down with branding expert Todd Anthony to break down the psychology behind successful brands, franchise growth, customer trust, and audience alignment. They explore how branding impacts customer perception, why franchises mus...

In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, Dave Hansen sits down with Jeremy Arthur, the founder and CEO of Adminify , to unpack one of the biggest conversations happening in franchising right now: where, when, and how agentic AI actually belongs inside a franchise system. Before diving into the tech, Jeremy shares why Adminify stands apart from the “everybody-and-their-cousin-has-an...

In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, the conversation kicks off with a dose of humor (“smile like the village idiot”) and quickly settles into a masterclass on building franchise systems the right way—intentionally, sustainably, and with the right people in the room. Host Dave Hansen sits down with Jacob Grady, founder and CEO of Surface Experts, a rapidly growing mobile repair...

In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, we sit down with Jeff Salter, CEO & Founder of Caring Senior Service—one of the true OGs in senior care franchising. With over 30 years in the industry and 25 years franchising, Jeff brings a rare blend of operator-first thinking, long-term vision, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. We kick things off with Jeff’s journey from...

On this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, we dive into the hidden inefficiencies in home service marketing, lead generation, and what it really takes to maximize ROI in today’s competitive landscape. A big thank you to our episode sponsor, ClientTether, for providing leading franchise software and supporting conversations that help franchisors grow smarter and faster. This episode f...

On this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, we dive into the evolving realities of franchise development, transparency, and what it really takes to build trust with today’s candidates. A big thank you to our episode sponsor, ClientTether, for supporting conversations that help franchisors grow smarter and faster. This episode features a dynamic discussion with Colette Bell, whose jour...

Episode summary In this episode of the Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, host Dave Hansen sits down with Mark Jameson to explore what’s really changing in franchise development — and what fundamentals still matter more than ever. A special thank you to our episode sponsor, ClientTether, for helping franchise brands turn conversations into conversions through better data, smarter automation, and st...

In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, host Dave Hansen sits down with Dan Claps to unpack what it really takes to scale a franchise brand quickly—without losing focus on franchisee success along the way. Dan shares the story behind the rapid growth of Voda Cleaning and Restoration and explains why their momentum wasn’t overnight success—it was the result of years of franchising...

Episode summaryThis week on The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, Dave Hansen sits down with Dr. Alan Lasky, SVP at Reliable Background Screening (and former almost-songwriter-for-the-Jacksons… casually) to tackle a topic that’s getting way more complicated: how to reduce hiring risk in the age of AI, deepfakes, and “resume inflation.”Big thanks to ClientTether, our episode sponsor, for helping fr...

Episode summary Kris  Stuart (CEO of Bloomin’ Blinds) joins Dave Hansen for a candid, funny, and super-practical conversation about what happens after a franchise brand is “proven.” Big thanks to ClientTether, our episode sponsor, for supporting The Advisory Board Podcast and helping franchise brands stay customer-first, franchisee-first, and growth-smart. Episode Snapshot Kris  shares the origin...

In this episode of The Advisory Board Podcast, Dave Hansen sits down with friend (and quietly relentless operator) Dustin Ingle, co-founder of Insulation Commandos, to unpack what operational excellence actually looks like when you’re building a franchise system from the ground up. Huge thanks to ClientTether for sponsoring this episode—because when the mission is faster follow-up, tighter ops, an...

Host Dave Hansen sits down with Raphael Rajan, co-founder and CEO of Easy Assist, to unpack what franchise brands are actually using AI for today—and where things are going next. The big idea: stop “organizing knowledge,” start “accessing it”Raphael shares the origin story behind Easy Assist: after years of large-scale tech transformations, he noticed a recurring issue—companies keep trying to cen...

In this episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, we’re joined by the one-and-only Alesia Visconti, CEO of FranServe, seven-time Top 100 Influencer in Franchising, and author of The Pink Tsunami: The Rise of Women in Franchising. If franchising had a power source, Alesia would be plugged directly into it. First, a big thank you to our episode sponsor, ClientTether, for supporting the show a...

Episode Summary – The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast Buckle up, folks! In this episode of the Franchise Advisory Board, we’re hitting the road with Brad Coleman—a former NASCAR driver turned franchise founder—who’s redefining what it means to teach safe driving. Sponsored by ClientTether, the industry’s leading franchise CRM, we dive into Brad’s unique journey from the racetrack to revitalizing...

Episode Summary –The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast Welcome back to another insightful episode of The Franchise Advisory Board Podcast, where we bring in franchise industry experts to share actionable strategies for building thriving, memorable brands. This episode is packed with lessons for franchisors looking to scale, innovate, and deliver unparalleled value to their franchise owners. Our gue...

Episode Summary: Building Leadership, Trust, and Connection in Franchising with Stephane Breault In this episode of The Advisory Board Podcast, we sit down with Stephane Breault, a 40-year veteran of Canadian franchising and the founder of Imagine Franchise Consulting, to unpack the real keys to franchise leadership. Stephane dives into the fundamentals of building a successful franchise system: c...

Big ideas + real-world hustle this week on The Franchise Advisory Board. Dave chats with Angela Olea — serial founder, franchise veteran, tech tinkerer, and the founder & CEO behind Sweet Influencers — about how franchisors and franchisees can use influencer marketing the smart way (hint: think local, not celebrity stunts). Angela walks us through the why, the how, and the landmines — from nan...

Thank you to ClientTether for sponsoring this episode of The Advisory Board Podcast. In this episode, Dave Hansen sits down with Jania Bailey, CEO of FranNet, to unpack the changing role of brokers and consultants in franchising. Jania opens with FranNet’s backstory — 38 years in the business, built as a franchise model rather than a typical membership organization — and explains how their central...

Episode Summary: The Human Edge in a Bot-Driven World This week on The Advisory Board Podcast, host Dave Hansen is joined by the ever-iconic Karen Booze—yes, the one with the unmistakable blue hair and a résumé as colorful as her story. From playing the oboe on the White House lawn with the Beach Boys to sharing a high school band room with Kurt Cobain, Karen’s life is as fascinating as her decade...

A big thank you to ClientTether for sponsoring this episode of The Advisory Board Podcast. Their balance of automation and human touch is exactly what today’s discussion is all about. This week, host Dave Hansen sits down with Bryan Shankman, co-founder & CEO of LeadTruffle, an AI-enabled sales follow-up platform built for speed-to-lead. Bryan’s path runs from early-stage rocket ships (Frame.i...

A big thank you to ClientTether for sponsoring this episode of The Advisory Board Podcast. Their balance of automation and human touch is exactly what today’s discussion is all about. This week, host Dave Hansen sits down with Amanda House, Director of Franchise Development Marketing at Lightbridge Academy—a leading early education and childcare franchise with over 160 centers open or in developme...

Big energy today with guest Josh Yonke (yes, you nailed the pronunciation) — co-founder & CRO of Leashed AI and a long-time operator in franchising and services (Thumbtack’s first sales hire; helped scale to $100M+). Josh and Dave get real about how to actually use conversational AI to drive sales ROI — not the “spin up a chatbot and pray” version, but the integrated, on-brand, compliant, and...