Franchise Today
Welcome to Franchise Today as it celebrates its 15th year in 2024. Join host Stan Friedman, President of FRM Solutions every Wednesday at 12 PM ET / 11 AM CT as he provides full disclosure on what’s going on inside franchising today and serves up discussions with weekly guests, who will talk about best practices for scaling their businesses for sustainable growth, through sensible franchising. Franchising remains an unintentional profession. Most people don't go to school to study about how to become involved in franchising. Rather, some life event causes it to find us. Each episode of the podcast begins with a look back at how franchising found my guest of the week. This is followed by a walk through their career up to and including the present day. It could be either a franchisor, franchisee or a supplier, that provides insights into high-level support services or top-quality products to better enable the franchise community. Each podcast will wrap with a look ahead to upcoming industry events, upcoming guests or important dates on the horizon.
Episodes
October 9, 2024 • 35 mins
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a leading franchise in the health-focused fast-casual market. With nearly 1,500 locations nationwide, they offer an extensive menu of real-fruit smoothies, wraps, salads, sandwiches and flatbreads.
Charles Watson joined Tropical Smoothie Cafes in 2010 as VP of Franchise Development and was elevated to Chief Development Officer in 2015, following his personal responsibility for awarding more than 800 f...
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October 2, 2024 • 34 mins
Stephanie Johnson’s journey began with earning her Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications and gaining experience at a safety association. That path led her relocate to Denver and join AlphaGraphics, where she rapidly ascended from her initial role as Marketing Campaign Manager in 2019, to her present position, VP of Marketing for AlphaGraphics, POSTNET and World Options, All three of these brand flags flying under...
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September 25, 2024 • 36 mins
This week I present a very special edition of Franchise Today, featuring excerpts of me being interviewed by Tracy Panase and Shannon Wilburn, on their brand new podcast, The Franchise Leaders Forum. With permission from Tracy and Shannon, we are simulcasting that interview, right here on Franchise Today. So, listen as we flip the script and I become the subject of the interview, as opposed to being the interviewer.
Whil...
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September 18, 2024 • 34 mins
Welcome to another exciting episode of Franchise Today featuring Sean Bach, a seasoned franchise professional with a unique journey through the industry. From his early exposure to franchising through his father's association with the founder of Pizza Hut, to his pivotal roles at Cold Stone Creamery, Drybar, and now Pure Glow, Sean's story is one of constant learning and evolution.
In this episode, Sean shares his transition fro...
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September 11, 2024 • 27 mins
This week we are joined by Jenny Young, founder and CEO of Brooklyn Robot Foundry. Jenny is our Q-3, 2024 rising star of franchising and she shares her inspiring journey from a single unit in NYC, to the establishment of a successful, emerging franchise system, that is thriving!..
Jenny discusses how her background as a mechanical engineer and her passion for empowering children through creative robot-building classes led her to...
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August 28, 2024 • 33 mins
This week on Franchise Today I sit down with Brian Schnell, Partner and Chair of the Franchise Practice at Faegre Drinker, as well as the Chairman of the IFA's Franchise Relations Committee. Brian shares his journey into the world of franchise law, starting from his early days at Gray Plant Moody and his first project with International Dairy Queen in 1987.
During this interview, Schnell delves into the intricacies of the franch...
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August 21, 2024 • 29 mins
This week we are joined by Brett Larrabee, a seasoned franchise professional who has accomplished a great deal in his culinary and franchise career. Brett’s incredible journey began right out of college, as a franchisee…, not just any franchisee, but as Subway’s very first, in the City of Seattle. Over the next 20 years, Brett grew with Subway, opening many more locations and eventually helping other franchisees within the system...
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August 14, 2024 • 35 mins
This week we dive deep into the fascinating career of Jamie Izaks, co-founder and president of All Points Public Relations. Jamie's journey from journalism to the hospitality industry, and finally to entrepreneurship, is a story of inspiration and perseverance.
Jamie and I have known each other for 18 years, but it wasn’t until recently that I truly understood the depth of his background. His early years in television journalism...
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August 7, 2024 • 35 mins
This week we delve into the incredible journey of Aicha Boscaro, founder and CEO of the American Franchise Academy. Aicha recounts her unexpected entry into the franchising world, from her humble beginnings, freah out of college in the 80's, and out of business, after her retail boutique start-up failed. Looking for something easy to do, to pay her bills,while deciding what came next, Aicha became a Domino's pizza delivery driver...
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July 24, 2024 • 30 mins
Over the past two weeks, we've delved into some fascinating finance conversations, centered upon creating liuidity events via royalty transactions, thanks to insights from Sean Morrison and David Earle.
This week, we remain in the capital arena with Alicia Miller, a strategic advisor to franchise founders, leaders, and investors. Alicia Miller is the founder of Emergent Growth Advisors and author of the bestselling book "Big Mo...
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July 17, 2024 • 32 mins
Welcome to Franchise Today. In this week's episode, we continue our exploration of liquidity events that seem almost too magical to be true. Imagine achieving a liquidity event without sacrificing any equity or control over your brand. Last week, Sean Morrison from Diversified Royalty Management introduced us to this intriguing concept.
Today, we're joined by David Earl, CFO at Stratus Building Solutions, the fastest-growing pr...
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July 9, 2024 • 32 mins
In this episode, we hear from Sean Morrison, CEO of Diversified Royalty, as we delve into a groundbreaking approach to achieving liquidity for founder-led franchise concepts, without giving up any equity. This method allows qualified franchisors to monetize their current royalty base at very generous multiples of EBITDA, with no need to sell any equity, thus retaining ownership and the upside potential of future growth.
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June 26, 2024 • 34 mins
This week on Franchise Today, I am joined by Graham Chapman, who shares his unique journey into the franchising world, a path paved with family ties and serendipitous encounters. Discover how Graham's early experiences with 919 Marketing, a family business turned industry leader, shaped his career and set the stage for his current ventures.
As the episode unfolds, Graham reveals some breaking news about his latest roles, includi...
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June 19, 2024 • 34 mins
This week I welcome Erin Fletter, the passionate founder and CEO of Sticky Fingers Cooking. Discover how Erin's humble beginnings at her kitchen table led to the creation of a thriving children's cooking school franchise. Learn about her inspiring journey, the challenges she faced, and the innovative systems she implemented to begin successfully scaling her business across the United States.
Erin shares her experiences and insig...
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June 12, 2024 • 32 mins
In this episode of Franchise Today, I sit down with Tom Krause, CEO of Donato's Pizza, for a compelling conversation about the storied history and exciting future of the beloved pizza brand.
Tom shares his unique journey into the franchising world, starting with his early days at McDonalds and Wendy's and eventually leading him to Donato's. He discusses the transformative milestones that have shaped his career and the company, i...
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June 5, 2024 • 43 mins
This week I sit down with Tim Murphy, a company turnaround specialist, with a storied career in the restaurant, entertainment and franchising worlds. Tim shares his journey from working at Denny's Corporate to becoming a mentee of the late Applebee's International Founder and CEO, Abe Gustin Jr. Now, Tim has taken the helm at Boomers Parks a rising chain of Family Entertainment Centers. Learn about Tim's strategies for revitalizin...
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May 29, 2024 • 37 mins
Welcome to another exciting episode of Franchise Today. This week,I welcome Keith Gerson, a trusted friend, respected peer, and an erstwhile frenemy. Keith delves into his early days in franchising, starting from his hippie rock-and-roll days to his first serious job responding to an ad in the Portland Oregonian. He recounts his journey from being a multi-unit supervisor at McDonald's to significant roles in Jack in the Box and Mrs...
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May 8, 2024 • 35 mins
Since 1989, Anago has been making the dream of business ownership a reality. As CEO & President, Adam is deeply passionate about fostering entrepreneurship and the financial freedom that comes with it. He firmly believe that entrepreneurship is the cornerstone of economic progress.
At Anago, they provide aspiring business owners with turnkey solutions, enabling them to confidently navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship....
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May 1, 2024 • 24 mins
Brian Shunia is the President and Co-Founder of The Wing Snob™ brand and as such, he is dedicated to serving the very best, fresh, never frozen, mouthwatering, hormone-free chicken wings anywhere, topped by a variety of delectable signature sauces and flavorful dry rubs. Wing Snob™ operates as a modern, quick-service, fast casual style restaurant with some 50 units open and operating, or under construction, with many more under co...
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April 24, 2024 • 35 mins
As Vice President of Franchise Development at Right at Home, Jen Chaney is responsible for the company's growth and development by awarding incredible franchise opportunities to interested and eligible candidates. Jen has direct oversight of new, prospective franchisees, as well as growth by expansion of existing franchisees. Jen is a strategic thought leader, but also oversees franchise legal documentation, lead generation, depar...
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