Franchise Today

This week you are going to have the pleasure of hearing from another very affable and capable franchise executive, as my guest today is Stacey Ryan, Chief Operating Officer at The School of Rock, one of my favorite franchised brands.  As their website describes them, "The School of Rock is a trailblazing global children’s franchise concept, that has over 2 decades, established locations in 15 coun...

This is a very special Edition of Franchise Today, in celebration of Veterans Day, coming up Saturday November 11th 2023, at 11AM.  Celebrations and parades will be kicking off across America in honor of all those who have served in our Nation ‘s Armed Forces.  To help us better understand the close ties and connections between veterans and franchising, we are joined today by my good friend and IF...

Paul Damico grew up on Long Island, in New York. He holds 3 degrees in culinary and restaurant management including a Doctorate of Business Administration in Restaurant, Food, and Beverage Management from Johnson and Wales University. Paul began the first 14 years of his career working for the Host Marriott organization, working on travel plazas and airport development, before getting into the mor...

Tarji Carter has been in franchise development for many years.  Beginning with Carvel and Cinnabon at Focus Brands, and stops along the way at Dunkin Donuts, WIngstop and Bojangles.  Today, she is the President of Guest First Services, a boutique consultancy and the Founder and President of The Franchise Player, a revolutionary initiative that aims to expand the number of Black-owned franchises ac...

Some have suggested that Floor Coverings International is to the flooring industry what Amazon is to retail.”  My guest today, Floor Coverings International President and CEO Tom Wood says, “This business model is only becoming more and more relevant. Homeowners are looking for convenience and value, and they reward us for delivering it. Our ability to disrupt the flooring industry by bringing the...

Bio-One Inc. is the first crime and trauma scene cleaning franchise, with over 100 locations operating in 41 States. Bio-One is committed to providing excellent service in recovery and suicide cleanup, homicide cleanup, hoarding situations, junk removal, deceased animal recovery, and much more.  Leading the charge, Bio One President Danessa Itaya is no stranger to franchise leadership in the servi...

This week I feature another in my series of Rising Stars in Franchising.  In fact, this week’s Rising Star also checks the box for amazing women in franchising as well..My guest is Julie Cartwright, a truly inspiring, emerging franchisor, who is making all the right moves to assure sustainable growth through sensible franchising.  Julie is the President of an impressive, emerging brand called Pvol...

This week I’m joined again, by industry veteran Greg Longe, CEO at Phoenix Franchise Brands, the franchisors of Fetch Pet Care, Door Renew, Spray Foam Genie and Furry Land, Mobile Grooming.  In our first installment, we talked about his storied franchise career and how that's led to the creation of Phoenix Franchise Brands.  This week, we discuss the road aheadd and how their mission is to, “Help...

Frank Fiume is a pioneer in the youth sports industry and the founder of i9 Sports—the nation’s first and leading franchisor of youth leagues and camps. Since 2003, i9 has generated over 300 million dollars—with more than two million participants in 900 communities across 30 states nationwide.  A baseball fanatic and native of Queens, New York, Frank graduated from St. John’s University and began...

This week I’m joined by industry veteran Greg Longe, CEO at Phoenix Franchise Brands, the franchisors of Fetch Pet Care, Door Renew, Spray Foam Genie and Furry Land, Mobile Grooming.  Their mission at Phoenix, is to, “Help those with entrepreneurial spirits create a legacy for themselves, their families, and the communities that they serve.” They do so living and breathing the following five core...

Brad Hillier, CEO of Re-Bath, who has successfully prioritized strategies to energize frontline workers and generate impressive results. Brad emphasizes that while digital technologies are essential, authentic human connection and 'real' experiences play a crucial role in making brands great. He has identified several best practices that have proven effective in energizing frontline workers: Culti...

Huey Magoo’s was founded in 2004 by Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens, two southern boys with a passion for quality chicken and a penchant for serving others. Now, Andy Howard and other former executives from one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing franchise chains, Wingstop, have partnered with the founders, bringing a shared passion and laser-like focus for the perfect chicken tender, craft...

Master Messaging helps clients increase their revenue in predictable and sustainable ways. Their approach applies the latest principles in behavioral psychology. These include how individuals perceive value and communicating in ways that increase engagement throughout the buyer’s journey. This empowers sales reps to communicate value with prospects and customers, which is crucial for increasing re...

Celebree School is a Maryland based company which has been in business since 1994 and is on a mission to grow its portfolio of franchised schools across the country.  Franchising only since 2019, they boast 42 locations open and operating, with 51 more in development, across 13 states.  As a company, their mantra is to elevate the level of early childhood education through their unique offering of...

This week we celebrate National Chicken Wing Day, by sharing some amazing stories about the birth and growth of chicken wings, as a culinary delight and the company responsible for taking a once regional appetizer, to the center of the plate, GLOBALLY!  Buffalo Wild Wings Co-Founder Scott Lowery and National Buffalo WingFest Founder and Promoter, the Wing King himself, Drew Cerza, this week on Fra...

It's a new day at Foot Solutions and President and CEO John Prothro joins us this week to lay it all out.  What a strange irony that we air this episode on this, the 2nd Anniversary of the passing of Foot Solutions founder, my good friend and serial entrepreneur, the late, great, Ray Margiano.

Entrepreneur Magazine tells us that more than 14 billion square feet of carpet and flooring is installed in homes and businesses each year — and every inch of it must be cleaned at some point. That’s why a Chem-Dry franchise is a year-round business with ongoing, significant earning potential. Chem-Dry’s patented Hot Carbonating Extraction process put them on the map almost 50 years ago. The proce...

Dr. John Hayes is the Titus Chair for Franchise Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University.  He is listed among the “most influential people in franchising” by 1851 and SeoSamba. An accomplished Professor, author, speaker, Dr. Hayes now adds host and producer to his credentials, as he brings us Season 3 of the "franchise-centric and web-based, TV series, Franchise Hotseat. On numerous occasions...

When Dan & Ashley O’Loughlin opened their first Petbar Boutique in Dallas, TX, back in 2015 they no doubt, had no idea how different scaling their business would be from operating it.  Fast forward the tape to the opening of their second company-owned store, on their way to embarking upon franchising, in 2022 and the difference between opertating and scaling, is now evident.  Now, with some 17 loc...

Dr.. Noah St. John is known worldwide as “The Father of AFFORMATIONS®” and “The Mental Health Coach to The Stars.”  Working with 8+ figure company CEOs and individuals since 1997, Noah’s clients have added more than $2.8 Billion dollars in sales by following his legendary methods.   Noah is famous for helping his clients make more money in just 12 weeks than they made in the past 12 months, while...

Josh D’Agostino is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in franchising.  He is also very good at what he does.  With more than 17 years in automotive products distribution, he is President and CEO at Mighty Distributing System/Mighty Auto Parts.  Josh is a true servant leader for his teams in Franchise Development (both domestic and international), Franchise Operations, IT, HR & Admin., and...

A quick break this week, as we run up to the Memorial Day weekend.  Next week I'm back with Might Auto Parts President and CEO, Josh D'Agostino.

The Franchise Brokers Assn. website says, "The right opportunity changes lives. We’re committed to empowering people through honest franchise guidance so they can positively impact their communities through a business they love. We’re an elite group of franchise brokers committed to upholding the highest industry standards. We exist with a purpose and a passion, and that’s to empower people, busin...

This week we hear my friend Lenny Valentino at TBC Corp. When I first met Lenny back in 2016, he was Vice President of Global Franchise Development and Integration, across TBC’s portfolio of franchised brands.  Those brands included Big O Tires and Midas.  Then a little less than 2 years ago, Lenny was promoted to Vice President and General Manager for MIDA International, overseeing all aspects of...

This weeek we hear from Jose Merille, about his amazing and inspiring story of the growth of Estrella Insurance.  Once just a south Florida phenomenon, Estrella Insurance is now experiencing explosive growth, nationwide.   Founded by Nicolas Estrella in 1980 after he enjoyed a successful career in the life and health insurance sector, Estrella Insurance started franchising in 2008. The company spe...