On today’s episode of Smart Franchising Podcast, we sit down with Steve Hockett, CEO of Great Clips, to talk about what it takes to build a legacy business in franchising.
Before leading one of the most recognizable brands in the industry, Steve started as a franchisee with a vision. Over the past 36 years, he’s helped transform Great Clips from 150 salons to over 4,450—all while keeping the business model simple, efficient, and franchisee-focused. His journey is a testament to the power of disciplined growth, strong relationships, and a commitment to what works.
Steve shares how the International Franchise Association (IFA) has helped protect and strengthen the franchising community, why staying laser-focused on haircuts has been a winning strategy, and how Great Clips has managed to avoid franchise litigation for nearly two decades. He also highlights the importance of franchisee involvement in decision-making through committees and task forces, fostering a culture of collaboration that has driven the brand’s success.
Whether you’re a franchisor, franchisee, or just love a great business success story, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.