FranDev Playbook: Lead Nurturing + Onboarding Secrets That Drive Long-Term Growth

Episode Summary:

The Advisory Board Podcast — Featuring Pete First of BrightStar Care

 Episode sponsored by ClientTether — big thanks to them for supporting the franchise community.

In this episode, Dave Hansen welcomes Pete First, Chief Development Officer at BrightStar Care, to unpack what it really takes to grow a franchise brand with staying power. With over 25 years in the franchise development world, Pete brings both sharp strategy and a grounded, people-first mindset — two things BrightStar is clearly doing right.

BrightStar stands out in the home care space thanks to a clinical foundation built around registered nurses making care decisions, and a franchise model that prioritizes compassion just as much as profitability. According to Pete, many of their franchisees are drawn to the brand not just for the business opportunity but because of personal experiences with caregiving. That emotional tie-in matters — and they don’t bring in candidates who don’t genuinely care. “Don’t blow your career on one deal,” Pete says, reinforcing that protecting culture starts with who you let in.

Throughout the conversation, Pete and Dave dig into what makes a franchise brand grow the right way — and it’s not a quick-fix formula. It starts with building a brand that’s meaningful and trustworthy, then reinforcing that trust through validation. BrightStar empowers franchisees to vet incoming candidates, keeping cultural alignment tight across the network. And yes — your brand isn’t your logo or your color palette. It’s your people.

Pete also breaks down BrightStar’s approach to marketing and lead nurturing, and it's anything but passive. With a smart mix of targeted pay-per-click, drip campaigns, weekly content, and strategic video — they stay in front of candidates for years. Literally. One owner came back after five years of opening BrightStar emails — and converted. That kind of patience and consistency reflects a team that knows timing is everything.

One of the biggest takeaways from Pete? Long-term growth only works if your operations can support it. BrightStar’s 27-month onboarding program ensures new franchisees don’t just launch — they scale smartly. Weekly coaching, segment-based support teams, and strong communication with franchisees keep things steady even as the system grows.

There’s also a refreshing honesty in how Pete talks about AI’s impact on lead sourcing and content visibility. He acknowledges the landscape is changing fast — search traffic from ChatGPT and other AI platforms is now a meaningful pipeline source — and BrightStar is adjusting accordingly. Video plays a major role too, especially authentic, unscripted content from franchisees themselves.
The bottom line? If you want a franchise brand that lasts, you need heart, hustle, and the infrastructure to support both. BrightStar’s not perfect — no brand is — but they’re doing a lot of things right. And Pete’s transparency makes this episode a must-listen for anyone thinking about franchise growth in 2025 and beyond.

You can reach Pete at [e-mail] or find him on LinkedIn. And again, huge thanks to ClientTether for sponsoring this episode.