Wes Fox, founder and chief tactical instructor at United Defense Tactical, discusses the importance of realistic firearms training and self-defense. Wes explains that traditional static training at shooting ranges is unrealistic and does not prepare individuals for real-life situations. He emphasizes the need for ongoing training and situational awareness to make good decisions and stay calm in high-pressure situations. Wes also highlights the responsibility that comes with gun ownership and...

In this conversation, Alicia Miller, a former multi-unit franchisee and author, discusses the role of private equity in franchising. She highlights the misconceptions around private equity and the importance of understanding their perspective when evaluating franchise systems. Miller also emphasizes the need for founders to have a clear vision and goals for their business before considering outside investment. She explains that selling a majority of the business to private equity can result...

Brian Beers, co-owner of 33 Midas auto repair locations, shares his journey in the franchising industry. He highlights the importance of finding a franchise that aligns with your skills, goals, and personality. Brian emphasizes the need for scalability and a strong brand presence in the chosen franchise. He also discusses the significance of building a team and delegating responsibilities to replace himself in the day-to-day operations. Brian's ultimate goal is to demystify franchising and...

Chris Stoness, CEO of Elite Window Cleaning and Sparkle Squad, shares his journey from the music industry to the window cleaning business. He discusses the challenges he faced in the music industry and how he found a new passion in window cleaning. Chris explains the innovations in window cleaning technology and how his company has revolutionized the industry. He also talks about the importance of franchisee-franchisor relationships and unit economics in successful franchising. Chris shares...

In this episode, Josh Brown interviews Tony DiPietro, who oversees the emerging markets for Big B Coffee, a growing franchise in the coffee industry. They discuss the evolution of Big B Coffee, its growth and expansion, and the development of new markets. They also explore the importance of customer service and building relationships, as well as the impact of consumer trends and drive-thrus. Tony shares insights on franchisee promotion and staff development, and highlights Big B's focus on...

Darden Coors, heiress ofthe Miller Coors Company and CEO of Salad Collective, discusses the rise of healthy eating options and the growth of Salad Collective's brands. She explains the franchisee selection process and the importance of maintaining both corporate and franchise locations. Coors emphasizes the value of franchisee input and the benefits of franchising as a local business. Key Takeaways Franchising can be a successful model for expanding restaurant brands. The rise of...

Founded in 1975, Melting Pot has offered a unique fondue dining experience for more than 45 years. As the premier fondue restaurant franchise, Melting Pot has 94 restaurants in 31 U.S. states and Canada. Known for offering a variety of fondue cooking styles and unique entrées, Melting Pot’s menu also features cheese fondues, salads, fine wines, spirits and chocolate fondue desserts. Melting Pot is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa,...

Pivotal Growth Partners is known for their ability to identify, prepare, and develop emerging brands into best in class growth concepts. Pivotal is deeply engaged in fostering the growth of any brand they engage with, actively contributing insights, systems and processes, expertise, and resources (both human and financial). They bring 40 years of experience in franchise strategy, growth implementation, real estate site selection/acquisition, design/construction management, and best in class...

April Porter is a former award-winning, multi-unit franchisee, attorney, and creator of the Infinite FranchiseeSM mentorship program, which teaches franchisees the business intelligence, strategic thinking, leadership skills, and entrepreneur mindset to apply to the franchise model in order to reach a life of SWAG™ - Sanity, Wealth, and Gratitude™. April has been named to the Ten Women of Distinction in Franchising and a Top Influencer in the Global Franchising Industry, hosts the #1...

The Dog Stop is a dynamic company that is committed to progress. What sets them apart is that they are constantly evolving and improving their standards of quality care. They have assembled an all-star team of experts with over 100 years of collective experience in the pet care industry. The Dog Stop is the first company in the pet care industry to partner with Fear Free, an organization whose mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by educating and inspiring...

Joining today is Seek Hannemann, CEO of Seven Brothers Burgers. At Seven Brothers, they believe that the food industry is growing and pushing to faster, quicker, more convenient ways of how customers experience dining out. The human connection that restaurant food once had is getting buried and looked over by this constant race. They are in an effort to build and focus, more than ever, on that connection to bring back that feeling. Seven Brothers is a family focused business and says, "We're...

Founder of Incite Tax and the author of Profit First For Microgyms, John Briggs has a theme: "The IRS Sucks". Business owners should keep more of their money to build long-term wealth. John joins the podcast today to share how he has built an amazing team of nontraditional accountants to help combat IRS bullying. John is a man on a mission to give entrepreneurs an actual work-life balance so they don’t get burned out. He helps them increase their cash immediately so they can have confidence...

Happinest Brands has created a multi-brand platform with a focus on service concepts. Leveraging a strong leadership team, centralized systems, and over 55 years of franchising experience, they have a proven track record for lifting, growing, and developing franchises across the US and Canada. Happinest has a focus on mobile, low infrastructure, recurring revenue, high retention rate/membership-based models. Their brands are simple, straightforward, and scalable, focused on developing...

Franchise Fame is a multi-award winning global franchise marketing agency. Over the years they have been nominated and have won various awards such as the Best PR & Marketing Firm by the Global Franchise for 2022, Franchise Excellence Award and European Search Awards. They work with global franchise brands some of which count more than 3000 locations worldwide. They connect aspiring entrepreneurs with already successful brands and in this way create more decent work, economic growth and...

Charlie Graves was a world-ranked swimmer and successful professional triathlete before turning to a career in sports management, sports television and event production, and sport equipment manufacturing. He has been the CEO of Athletic Republic since 2007, when he acquired and rebranded the company, introducing new franchising, operations, business, and marketing systems now in use in a worldwide network of franchises.  Athletic Republic is the world’s premier destination for...

Michelle Dacy has been in the special needs transportation segment for 20+ years. In 2012, she launched a non-emergency medical transportation business in Chicago to provide high-quality customer service to seniors and people with physical and cognitive challenges. Tootl provides an incredibly needed service for people of all ages and abilities. With a low investment, low overhead (no leases, retail locations, or equipment required) and excellent gross profit margins, Tootl stands out among...

CertaPro Painters has been recognized as the #1 painting company franchise in North America by Entrepreneur Magazine as a part of its annual Franchise 500 ranking. Additionally, the brand has recently made the prestigious Franchise Business Review Top 200 list for franchisee satisfaction. These recognitions come at a time of steady growth for the brand, as it is projected to reach $1B in revenue by the end of 2023. CertaPro had a smooth finish to 2022, locking in four new territory signings,...

Clean Eatz, which launched in 2011 and started franchising in 2015, was co-founded by husband-and-wife duo Don and Evonne Varady. They are heart-driven to “Change Livez” through clean, balanced food, thought-provoking education, and motivational support that inspires results. They know personal wellness is not one-size-fits-all, so they craft nutritional products and fitness opportunities that meet the needs of every type of lifestyle. Clean Eatz isn't a company, they are a community, and...

The Everbowl menu is centered on superfood packed bowls and smoothies highlighting acai, pitaya, matcha, blue majic, cacao and other "stuff that has been around forever™". It's fun, vibrant eateries invite diners to augment these superfoods with fruits, nuts, berries, and grains to create flavorful bowls to fuel their active lifestyles. In 2022, Alex partnered with Drew Brees to form EB Master, an Area Representative organization in the Everbowl system. They are signed up to bring over 150...

Jeff Dudan is the CEO of Homefront Brands, a platform of property service franchisors as well as Chairman of Dudan Group, the capital partner to Homefront Brands and others. Dudan Group invests capital, provides expertise, and offers services that enable people to join, buy, build, or expand franchise systems. Jeff is the author of Discernment; The Business Athletes Regimen for a Great Life through Better Decisions, a Forbes contributor, sought after speaker, and consultant to emerging...

Michele Waits, a coffee industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, discusses being announced as Biggby Coffee's new CMO. Waits, who has worked with brands such as Gerber and illycaffè and worked as a VP for Starbucks for over 12 years, shares how her insights will empower the marketing team to connect with Biggby customers in a more individualized way, streamlining and modernizing the concept's efforts. Waits plans to leverage personalized digital marketing and a social media presence...

The definition of health and wellness has changed. We all have realized that we need to be more proactive towards our own health and wellbeing. By being more proactive we can live an active life for as long as possible, and isn’t that the point of living a longer life anyways? The Covery Wellness Spa provides non-invasive therapies designed to enhance and optimize the health journeys of their clients. Through their customized wellness journey, clients are provided with the tools and the...

With a refined focus on clean eating, a literal approach to menu transparency, authenticity, and a digital-first approach, Balance Grille has been turning heads throughout the fast-casual industry since 2010, solving for nearly every issue facing the restaurant arena today and instead turning them into key differentiators for the brand.  Prakash Karamchandani (PK) is the co-founder of Balance Grille. Since its founding in 2010, Balance Grille has successfully reinvented the fast-casual...

After 15 years of working his way up through the competitive ranks of NYC’s financial sector, Andrew Pudalov made a conscientious decision to leave his most recent position as Global Head of Fixed Income Derivative Trading at National Australia Bank to pursue an interest he felt was a virtue of higher importance. While he worked his entire adult life for a number of prestigious financial institutions to achieve an expertise in institutional fixed income derivative trading, he simply felt it...