Franchise Today

Mark Arum hosts the wildly popular, Afternoon Drive on Atlanta’s News & Talk.  Last week, I became his BFF.  All it took, was for me to to catch him talking about one of my favorite topics on hi show… Chicken Wings.  Yes, as you may know, since 2006, I have been the “Chairman of the National Buffalo Wing Hall of Flame.  (that’s flame as in HEAT!)  No hate mail, please.  Each year at the National B...

Tom Wells has only been in the franchise/private equity space for about eight or nine years, but a finer collection of mentors, guides and partners would have been difficult for him to assemble.  I'm talking the likes of: Mike Rotundo, Scott Pressly and Charles Watson, as his mentors.  The guidance provided by this group over the years, has helped to elevate Tom's core competencies in franchising,...

In 1968, a group of Big Boy restaurant franchisees opened up RoBee's House of Beef in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Marriott acquired the restaurant with plans to expand it nationwide, however Arby's sued the chain for trademark infringement. Needing to change the name, Bob Wain, the founder of Big Boy's and a member of Marriott's Board, reached out to Roy Rogers, who at the time, happened to want to get in...

Leo Resig is the CO-Founder and CEO of Atmosphere TV, the world's largest provider of audio-optional, streaming TV services for businesses.  With more than 50 channels to choose from, there is a channel for every business and mood imaginable.  Atmosphere's TV fills the void for businesses in a world dominated by linear cable TV, better suited for at-home viewing. No cable carrier has addressed the...

This week we are rejoined by one of my favorite Washington insiders, Bruce Mehlman.  Bruce heads Mehlman, Castignetti, Rosen and Thomas, a premier inside the Beltway lobbying firm, that helps Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups understand, anticipate and navigate ever-evolving policy, environment and political trends, likely to impact the global marketplace. Bruce joins us for a look bac...

Clarissa Windham Bradstock had a wealth of prior experience prior to joining Any Lab Test  Now.  But, it was also her very first job in franchising.  Now, she's the CEO, has reimagined the brand significantly, greatly enhanced unit level economics as well as support, for their nearly 200 franchised locations.  What else has she accomplished?  She is the Chair Emeritus, of the Southeast Franchise F...

Today we are going to hear the story of a magical brand that began franchising the “first time” in 2009, with lots of sizzle and appeal.  But along with all that, came mis-queued marketing messages and less than stellar unit level economics.  Stories like that usually don't end well.  NOT SO, with  ZOOM ROOM.  Mark Van Wye is a founding partner, but he was not the CEO back then.  Nor, was he the g...

My guest today is Steve Jackson, President and CEO of Hungry Howie’s.  Steve, as some of you may remember, was my very first guest interview, following the COVID lock downs last spring.  We were actually just entering week 3 when he joined us to talk about the radical changes that were under way then, to assure the ability to safely continue doing business, for both his franchisees and their teams...

Scott Greenberg knows franchises. For more than ten years he ran a thriving multiunit Edible Arrangements enterprise that won the “Best Customer Service” and “Manager of the Year” awards out of more than 1000 locations worldwide. He’s presented keynotes and workshops to countless franchise systems. He’s seen the best, the worst and learned what it takes make a franchise operation prosper. Scott wi...

Art Coley has been passionate about small business ownership since he opened his first burger stand at age 15.  It was that early-stage business that sparked his interest in franchising.  Art’s various career endeavors have all centered upon making small business ownership accessible for entrepreneurs around the world. In 2015, Art noticed an anomaly in the franchising space.  While many franchise...

Paul Wolbert is a straightforward, out of the box thinker who believes in himself and others. With four decades of experience in franchise operations and administration, he has a balanced perspective, with vision from both the franchisor and franchisee paradigms. He began his franchise career working with the most extensive franchise system in the world, has served on several executive teams durin...

HomeTeam has over a quarter century of experience successfully training new owners how to develop their powerful team approach to home inspections and how to dominate their territories.  HomeTeam's industry-leading four-step training, vastly increases revenue potential and teaches franchisees how to establish a true business that will create equity as it grows.  ​ HomeTeam pays for and sets up ini...

Mike Bidwell is President and CEO of Neighborly, formerly known as the Dwyer Group.  Last year during the height of Coronavirus, Neighborly ended the year with 382 new franchises awarded across their 2 dozen plus brands.  They also managed to add five new franchised brands to their corporate portfolio and generate more than $2 billion in global sales.  Mike will tell us that none of this came easy...

Jimmy Weeks is a Google Analytics and Adwords-certifed professional who has spoken across the nation on topics related to Internet marketing, social media strategy and advanced analytics.  He is the Founder and CEO of Internet Strategy Labs and has created analytic dashboards that mash and track data from leads generated, to really tell the tale of the tape about where your leads come from and whi...

Peter Daly-Dickson is the co-founder and CEO of Macanta, a software company serving start-up and emerging franchise brands, in the UK.  One of his partners, a best-selling author, prior to the start of their joint venture, knew the value that having a book, could bring to a start-up, or emerging business.  So they thought about publishing a book centered upon their new business and its disciplines...

This week, I’ll be talking with John Ramsay, Vice President of Franchising for the iconic Noodles and Company.  John’s background spans over 28 years of experience in restaurant franchise development, with such icons as TGI Friday, Jack in the Box, Marco’s Pizza and Bruxie International.  John joined Noodles & Company in November of 2020, as vice president of franchise development. While many rest...

Walter Bond is different than most pro athletes, because he played pro ball as an interim career, on the way to the rest of his life.  He did NOT treat his NBA career, as his life's main event.   As Walter will tell you in his own words today, playing pro ball was always his desire, but it was never intended to be his final destination.   For the past 19 years Walter Bond has specialized in making...

Coming from a family who has been in the industry since 1929, Gina Rivera, was destined to pursue a career in the world of beauty. From her early roots of sweeping hair from the floors of her parent’s salon, Gina attended beauty school and later moved to a booth renter salon where she quickly established a winning reputation. Clients loved her as she never let anyone leave without feeling amazing....

My interview with Erik Nan Horn is one you will certainly not want to miss, but techncal difficulties delayed post-production.  So, please forgive the delay and return next week... I promise it will be worth the wait.  Until then, my conversation with Charles Watson, remains in place  My apologies for the issue. C-ya next week, Stan

Charles Watson is CEO at Tropical Smoothie Café, a franchise concept that began on the beach at Destin, FL, and has morphed into a 900 plus, location wave.  Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a lifestyle brand for people looking for something a bit better, as alternatives to fast food, serving up great-tasting, nutritious food and smoothies for their customers and incredible franchise opportunities.  For t...

Greg Nathan is Founder of the respected Franchise Relationships Institute (FRI) and recognized as the global thought leader on the psychology of franchising. He is has been a registered psychologist for 35 years and is regularly invited to deliver keynote addresses at franchise sector conferences around the world. Greg's books, such as Profitable Partnerships and the Franchisor's Guide to Improvin...

The Faegre Drinker year-end Franchisor Best Practices and Leadership Summit will feature a collection of franchisors, franchisees and industry thought leaders.  These include:  Steve Hockett, CEO, Great Clips,Steve Romaniello, Senior Advisor, Roark CapitalSteve White, President, COO, PuroSystemsPaul Pickett, CDO, Wild Birds UnlimitedChristina Russell, CEO, Radiance Holdings (Sola Salons)Mary Thomp...

Franchising since 1996 Christian Bros. has 230 or more franchised auto repair locations nationwide and get this, they have never closed a single location.  No, conversely, they continue to build upon one of the best reputations in the auto service industry, both at the consumer and franchisee level.  Check it out: JD Powers - #1 in Customer Satisfaction in the automotive aftermarketEntrepreneur Ma...

The purpose of this podcast is sustainable growth and sensible franchising, Sometimes it is just impossible for our discussion to avoid the clutches of politics.  This is one such moment in time, as explained further below.    Labor Union Launches Push for Anti-Franchise Legislation, 'Protecting the Right to Organize' Act The PRO Act passed the House earlier this year on a 224-194 vote. IFA has st...

Happy Thanksgiving one and all.  My interview with Ron Feldman and David Barr, regarding the potential impact that the outcome of two upcoming United States Senate races in Georgia could have on franchising, remains center stage this week.  Franchise Today returns next week, with a brand new episode. Until then, be safe, masks up, socially separate and enjoy the holiday with your loved ones.