FranchiseU!
FranchiseU! is your inside track to the franchise world—whether you’re a franchisee, franchisor, investor, entrepreneur, corporate exec, or just franchise-curious. Hosted by Dr. Kathy Gosser, a leading voice in franchise education, the podcast features insightful interviews with industry pros and rising stars, from franchise owners to C-suite leaders, support specialists, scholars, and students. Each episode dives into real stories, lessons learned, and strategies that shape the franchise industry. Dr. Gosser brings her expertise and energy to every conversation, unpacking key takeaways and offering personal insights that connect the dots between theory and practice. It’s part conversation, part classroom, and all about helping you understand and thrive in franchising.
Episodes
In this episode of FranchiseU!, Your host, Dr. Kathy Gosser, interviews Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill, one of the fastest-growing breakfast, brunch, and lunch franchises in the country. Ricky shares his extensive experience in the restaurant industry, including his significant tenure with TGI Fridays, where he served as US President and Global Chief Operating Officer. He discusses his leadership philosophy, the importance ...
From Medical Devices to Mocha Lattes: Donny Bradley's Unique Entrepreneurial Journey with Lola Beans
In this episode of FranchiseU!, Dr. Kathy Gosser takes a deep dive into the rise of Layne’s Chicken Fingers, one of the fastest-growing brands in the QSR space. Kathy sits down with Garrett Reed, CEO of Layne’s, and Eli Cohen, a rapidly expanding multi-unit franchisee, to explore their journeys, their philosophies, and the culture that makes Layne’s Chicken Fingers stand out.
Garrett shares how his roots in College Station and his ...
In this episode of FranchiseU!, Dr. Kathy Gosser sits down with Brian Goldstein, President and Owner of Fulenwider Enterprises, to explore one of the most remarkable career journeys in the restaurant industry. Brian started at Taco Bell at just 16½ years old and worked his way up through nearly every leadership position imaginable, ultimately serving as COO of KFC and leading its national operations turnaround.
After 32 years in co...
From graphic designer to CEO of a national family of franchise brands, Ryan Parsons has built a career defined by creativity and purpose. As the co-founder of the ‘Brothers That Just Do Gutters’ and now CEO of Evive Brands, Ryan shares how he's leading five franchise systems that help people live and thrive from home care to home improvement.
From graphic designer to CEO of a national family of franchise brands, Ryan Parsons has b...
What does it take to build more than 160 McAlister’s Deli restaurants, lead nearly 8,000 employees, and still live by the motto “Have fun. No regrets.”? In this episode of FranchiseU!, host Dr. Kathy Gosser interviews David Blackburn, founder, former CEO, and current chairman of Southern Rock Restaurants, the largest McAlister’s Deli franchisee in the United States. From his humble start at Bonanza to leading one of America’s top r...
From winning a Super Bowl with the Raiders to building one of the largest Auntie Anne’s franchise groups in the country, Ed Muransky has lived two extraordinary careers.
In this episode of FranchiseU!, host Dr. Kathy Gosser sits down with Ed Muransky, founder and CEO of the Muransky Companies, to discuss how lessons from the NFL shaped his approach to business and leadership. He shares how he grew his franchise portfolio—including A...
What do combat missions, data analytics, and warm cookies fresh from the oven all have in common? That is all part of my guest's incredible journey. Today I am joined by Nicholas Jewel, who is a decorated veteran-turned-entrepreneur, and now a multi-unit franchisee of Crumbl Cookies. While earning two Bronze stars as a combat controller in the Air National Guard, Nicholas led with courage, innovation, and resilience. Now he is chan...
You know what's great about franchising? It is that almost any concept can be franchised. And there's one I hadn't thought about. That is in the world of beauty, determining what colors look best on you. It's something that maybe those of us knew in the 80s and 90s, but House of Colour USA really knows what they're doing today. And I had the opportunity to visit House of Colour in this podcast with Ally Van Iten who is the CEO. She...
In this episode of FranchiseU!, host Dr. Kathy Gosser speaks with Shelly Berkowitz, the esteemed founder of BrightStar Care. Berkowitz shares her inspiring journey from her early days working in corporate jobs to founding BrightStar, a premier medical and non-medical home healthcare and medical staffing service franchise. She recounts the challenges and successes she faced while growing BrightStar into a nationally recognized brand...
I have an opportunity, in my line of work, to talk to a lot of franchisees and a lot of franchisors. It's always enlightening, but it's very rare to be able to talk to someone who has been a franchisee of multiple brands and continues to give back even now with consulting. So join me in this episode of FranchiseU! when I talk with Ron Taylor. Ron has been a very successful franchisee of Edible Brands, and now is a franchisee of Not...
The International Franchise Association does so much to protect, enhance, and support the franchise model. It's really pretty incredible the amount of work they do, but sometimes people don't know exactly what do they do. So join me in this episode of FranchiseU! where I have the privilege of sitting down with Matt Hower, the CEO of the IFA and Jennifer branding the COO of the IFA, or they talk about not only their journeys to fran...
Agape Capitalism. What is that and why would I be talking about that on a franchising podcast? Well join me in this episode of FranchiseU! as I talk with Jane Abell and Tony Capuano of Donatos Pizza. Jane is the chairwoman of the board, and Tony is her son, who is also the Senior Vice President of Franchise Operations and Training.
They take us along the journey of Donatos when it was created by her father who started in 1963. They...
One thing that almost all of us have in common is the desire to live a healthy, long life. There is now a franchise to help with proactively taking control of your health. Join me in this episode of FranchiseU! as I talk with Scott Svilich, the COO of Next Health. The only large scale franchise providing medically backed healthcare services with a proactive approach to prioritizing health and fitness.
Topics discussed include:
· ...
Dr. Kathy Gosser interviews Amy Leclerc, co-founder of Sit Still Kids Salon franchise. The discussion covers Leclerc’s journey from advertising to leading a kids' hair salon franchise.
Highlights Include:
- Tips from a successful professional path
- Benefits of intuition and risk-taking
- Sage advice for potential franchisees
- A case study in growth and expansion plans
- Qualities of an ideal franchisee
- Marketing strategies for franchisees
Dr. Kathy Gosser interviews James Hilovsky, a dedicated franchise broker and the CEO of FranDream. Hilovsky shares his journey from spending 25 years at Del Taco to transitioning to franchise brokering.
Highlights Include:
- Hilovsky's Early Career at Del Taco
- Piology Pizza and Franchise Operations
- Differences Between Corporate and Franchise Sides
- Evaluating Franchise Opportunities and Client Profiles
- Exploring Franchise Opportunities
- ...
You should learn something new every day. Those words come from a new Potbelly franchisee, Hampden Keil, who started a multi-unit franchise with his father, Bryant Keil, the founder of Potbelly. Join me in this episode of FranchiseU! as we hear Hampden talk about his experience and how he and his dad are creating a Potbelly dynasty, starting with 13 restaurants with plans to add 15 more.
In this episode of FranchiseU!, I interview ...
I'm not the techiest person around. And so when I was approached to talk to a couple of folks about geofencing, I thought, geo what? So I had to take a look, find out what it was, but then it fascinated me, and it is a way for a small franchise to really maximize their foot traffic. So in this episode of FranchiseU!, I talk with Ernesto Cullari and Barbara Wardell, who've come up with an incredible concept.
In this episode of Franc...
In this episode of FranchiseU!, Dr. Kathy Gosser and Dr. Isabel Botero joined by Bonny and Marcus Shelton, who share their incredible journey as multi-generational KFC franchisees. The Sheltons recount the inspiring history of Bacon Enterprises, Inc., starting with Bonnie's father in the 1960s, through their significant contributions to the KFC community, and culminating in the successful exit from their family business. They discu...
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