The Exit Plan

In this episode, Aaron Harper, founder of Rolling Suds, shares his journey from Hollywood and telecom sales into franchising, explains why power washing became the ideal service-category to scale, and breaks down how he raised capital, structured deals, and grew the brand rapidly. Listeners will hear practical criteria for choosing a franchise category, the realities of franchising costs and infra...

What should you actually look for in a Franchise Disclosure Document before you wire a franchise fee and sign a 10 year agreement? In this episode of How I Franchise This, Alex sits down with Adam Wasch, founding partner of The Franchise Firm, to break down how franchise attorneys help buyers reduce risk, negotiate smarter, and avoid the most common “I wish I knew this before I signed” mistakes. A...

Most people think franchising means restaurants and retail. But Buddies Home Furnishings is proving there’s massive opportunity well beyond food — especially in the fast-growing rent-to-own category. In this episode of How I Franchise This, Alex sits down with Mitchell Lee, Head of Franchise Development at Buddies, to break down how the brand built one of the highest multi-unit ownership rates in...

At 26 years old, Katie Gillberg left a toxic job in medical sales, took a massive risk, and opened the first Hydrate IV Bar in Denver. Ten years later, she’s the founder and CEO of one of the fastest-growing IV therapy franchises in the country — with 25 locations open, 25 more on the way, and a plan to hit 100 units. In this episode, Katie shares how she built Hydrate IV Bar from a grassroots wel...

In this episode, Alex sits down with Matt Jeffries, a former supply chain leader who spent more than a decade running large teams across Target, Nordstrom, and other major corporations before making the leap into business ownership. Originally from Ecuador and now based in Chicago, Matt shares the full story of how he went from climbing the corporate ladder to becoming a first time franchisee with...

Caleb Clayton has lived just about every role you can have in franchising — from working the counter at a Pelican’s Snoballs to becoming a franchisee at 25, to helping scale the brand from 10 units to more than 200 locations nationwide. He’s led franchise development across multiple national systems, trained new owners, worked with area developers, and seen firsthand what separates great operators...

Alex sits down with operator and investor Brian Beers to unpack how he scaled a family Midas business to 35 locations and roughly 50 million in annual revenue. Brian walks through buying vs building, the seller financed deal that changed everything, and his simple ladder from I do it to we do it to they do it. You will hear how local economies of scale create real leverage, why saying yes more oft...

Former Green Bay Packer Terrence Murphy joins Alex Smereczniak for a candid, high speed tour of his journey from the NFL to building a portfolio that spans real estate, construction, and franchising. Terrence explains why he doubled down on real estate after an early injury, how he grew a brokerage to 1.5B in sales, and why franchising became a core pillar alongside development and acquisitions. H...

Scaling from one location to many takes more than ambition — it takes smart financing. In this highlights episode, we dig into how successful operators structure funding for multi-unit franchise growth. First, Crumbl franchisees Taylor Byington and Shideleler Bennett share how they raised friends-and-family money, the mistakes that left them cash-strapped, and the smarter financing structure they’...

Sherman Walters grew up sleeping in an ice cream cone box at his family’s Dairy Queen—literally. What started as his father’s handwritten napkin deal in the 1970s turned into a 50-year family business that spanned generations. In this episode, Sherman shares how his family built and eventually sold their Dairy Queen locations, the lessons he learned stepping away from the counter to become a resta...

Josh Emison served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps before becoming a franchise owner in Denver. Today, he and his wife operate three Tippi Toes territories, a mobile dance program for young children. Their journey started with a simple goal—to build something of their own—and grew into a thriving local business that blends structure, leadership, and community. In this episode, Josh shar...

Patricia Rincón and Felipe Lastra share their journey into franchise ownership with LuminLash in Houston. After careers in oil and gas, they decided to invest in themselves and their family by acquiring an existing eyelash extension studio. In this episode, they discuss choosing franchising over starting from scratch, what they learned in the early months, and how they’re planning for future growt...

Ashley Clark never planned on franchising. Fresh out of Clemson and headed for law school, a single suggestion from her dad led to a Kilwins inquiry and, twelve years later, a six-store operation across four states with five more in the pipeline. In this episode, Ashley breaks down how she and her husband went all in, financed growth through SBA and conventional debt, built systems, and learned to...

Barry Meisel grew up in the Philippines as the child of missionaries, built an early career in corporate America, and then made the leap into multi-unit franchising. In this episode of How I Franchised This, host Alex Smereczniak dives into Barry’s remarkable path — from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Fortune 50 financial services to becoming CFO of a 30-unit franchise group and ultimately owning 12 sa...

Cody Weaver went from selling golf balls out of ponds as a kid, to launching edgy novelty products in college, to building a decade-long career in footwear with Steve Madden and Dolce Vita. Today he’s a Donatos Pizza franchise partner in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In this episode of How I Franchised This, host Alex Smereczniak talks with Cody about his path from entrepreneur to intrapreneur to fra...

What began as a summer project cleaning grills in Toronto has become a fast-growing franchise. Michael Sutton walks through the scrappy early days, the boost from Dragon’s Den, and the decision to scale through franchising. He talks about the shift from managing techs to leading franchisees, bringing on a COO, and the importance of picking the right operators. Plus, his advice for entrepreneurs co...

In this episode of How I Franchised This, Alex Vidor steps in as host and sits down with Stephen Tong, a former law enforcement officer who traded 12-hour shifts and overtime cycles for entrepreneurship in the turf industry. Stephen shares how his background in policing prepared him for business ownership, why time and family were central to his decision to leave law enforcement, and how Franzy gu...

This week’s episode takes a different spin. With CEO Alex Smereczniak out, VP of Business Development Alex Vidor steps into the host seat to interview Franzy’s cofounder and COO, Chris Wright. Chris shares his journey into franchising, why he made the leap to cofound Franzy, and the lessons he’s learned building and scaling the company. The conversation also zooms out into the bigger franchising p...

Calvin Smith has worn a lot of hats — U.S. Marine, healthcare executive, EOS implementer, and owner of multiple franchise brands including Sinarama and Superior Fence & Rail. In this episode, Calvin shares his journey from the military to entrepreneurship, why franchising became his playbook for growth, and how he’s scaled across different industries. We cover what new franchisees get wrong, h...

This week, we’re turning the mic around. Franzy’s CEO and co-founder, Alex Smereczniak, joins fellow team member Alex Vidor for a deep dive into his own journey — from launching a student laundry startup to raising $30M+ for 2ULaundry, to becoming a multi-unit franchisee of the golf simulator concept Another 9. You’ll hear: Why Alex decided to "eat his own cooking" and buy into a franchi...

After flying F-15s as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Vivek jumped into a whole new arena. He’s now a multi-unit franchisee (owning Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids), startup founder, and franchise advisor here at Franzy. He’s also behind a trauma recovery app helping hundreds worldwide.  

What really happens when one franchisee sells—and another steps in? In this episode, we hear both sides of a rare transaction between Brian Gross, the seller of Art of Drawers Tampa, and Sid Kinghar, the buyer who left corporate finance to become a first-time business owner. You’ll learn: Why Sid chose a franchise resale over starting from scratch How Brian structured the deal, including seller fi...

Kal started out slinging pizzas at Little Caesars and ended up running one of the most diverse and fast-growing franchise portfolios in the country. In this episode, he joins Alex Smereczniak to unpack the full journey—how he went from investment banking to buying butcher shops and pizzerias, to opening OrangeTheory gyms, and now scaling some of the hottest brands in franchising like Dave’s Hot Ch...

Welcome back to How I Franchised This — the show where we dive into the real stories behind franchise empires, told directly by the people who built them. Today’s guest is Adam Contos: former CEO of RE/MAX, Marine Corps veteran, SWAT commander turned business builder, and now co-founder of Area 15 Ventures. From undercover narcotics work to leading one of the world’s largest real estate franchises...

What happens when you're literally born into franchising? In this episode of How I Franchised This, Alex sits down with GR Waldrop—a second-generation operator who grew up making subs at Jersey Mike’s and now runs a growing portfolio that includes 19+ locations, a Dairy Queen, and a new deal with Vicious Biscuit. They talk legacy, leadership, and what it really takes to scale from 1 to 20 uni...