How do you turn a passion into a business empire?
Today's guest, Frank Fiume, took his love of adult men’s softball and evolved it into a groundbreaking youth sports franchise.
Frank discusses the importance of focusing on a niche market and the pivotal moment he decided to pivot his franchising business. He shares some hard truths about why so many franchisors struggle to hit that 100-unit mark and he dives into the challenges and strategies he employed to ensure success and stability for i9 sports. And you won’t want to miss the golden nugget he shares when Tracy asks him one tip he could share with you that would help propel your franchise business forward.
Frank Fiume is a pioneer and authority in the franchise industry. He is best known for founding i9 sports from its inception and building it into a powerhouse with over 1,000 locations. His exceptional leadership and vision led to the successful exit of the company three times, demonstrating his acumen in creating, scaling, and strategically exiting a franchise business.
So, if you are ready to discover the pivotal moments that propelled i9 sports to over $400 million in revenue and hear his insights on navigating the challenges of franchising then today’s episode is for you!
Connect with Frank:
Website: https://emergingfranchisebrands.com/
Email: frank@frankfiume.com
Episode Highlights:
- Meet Frank Fiume
- Frank’s journey into franchising
- Frank’s failure in replicating franchise success and how he pivoted into a successful franchise
- Early challenges in scaling and necessary hires for franchising
- Frank talks about ESOP (Employee stock ownership plan)
- Frank’s exit strategy from i9 sports
- The importance of having a CEO mindset
- Origination and concept behind Emerging Franchise Brands podcast
- Why many franchise brands fail to reach 100 units
- Importance of executing well, focusing on franchise success and listening to franchisees
Franchise Directory - https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-franchise-directory
Franchise Registry - https://www.franchiseregistry.com/
Current SBA SOP - https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs
Connect with Tracy
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-panase/
JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale
JBF Franchise System - https://jbfsalefranchise.com/
Email: podcast@jbfsale.com
Connect with Shannon
Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/
JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.