In this episode, we talk with Barb Volk and Doug Birer, who run a multi-unit KidStrong operation in Florida, North Carolina, and New York. They talk about how their partnership started, lessons they've learned as they've been scaling their business, leadership advice on growing a team, and what they love most about being a part of the Kidstrong franchise organization.

In this episode, I talk with Ben Kiser, who owns a Fireside RV franchise in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Ben shares his story about how he got into franchising, why he chose Fireside RV, lessons he has learned that help him minimize his time in the business so he can spend more time working on it, what he enjoys most about business ownership, how he maximizes revenue on each rental, how he anticipates and minimizes long-term challenges, and what he is most excited about for the future of the growth of his rental business.

In this episode, I talk with Phillip Morrison, who started a Kitchen Tune-Up franchise in Olathe, Kansas who opened his doors in January of 2022. He shares his story, how he got into franchising with Kitchen Tune-Up, details about how he has scaled his business, unique things they do to make their experience unique for their customers, and why he is so excited for the future growth of his franchise operation.

In this episode, TJ Azores, who currently owns four franchise territories with 1Heart Caregiver Services shares his story about how he got an E2 visa with 1Heart after completing an MBA and PhD on a student visa. TJ shares his story, what attracted him to the senior care industry, what he likes most about being a franchisee with 1Heart, and his vision for the future in helping seniors to age at home.

In this episode, I talk with Benjamin Gregg, who owns a 1-800-PACKOUTS franchise in Southeastern Tennessee (specifically the Knoxville and Chattanooga area). Benjamin shares his story of how he became an entrepreneur and decided to get into franchising and choose to be a part of the cleaning and restoration industry with 1-800-PACKOUTS and Five Star Franchising. He shares lessons he has learned, a big mistake around sales that he wish he would have avoided, and what he is most excited about as he works with his clients and continues to scale his business.

In this episode, I talk with Kamran Ghasri, who is the first franchisee of 1Heart Caregiver Services located in Beverly Hills, California. He joined 1Heart in early 2015. Kamra shares his story about how he got into the non-medical senior care business with 1Heart Caregiver Services and shares lessons he has learned, how he has grown his business, what he does to retain great talent, and why he loves being a part of the 1Heart franchise family.

In this episode, I talk with Jon Ostenson, who is the CEO of FranBridge Consulting, on his remarkable career as one of the top 1% of franchise consultants in the United States. He is a frequent contributor on the topic of "non-food franchising" for outlets such as Inc., Forbes, The Franchise Journal and Franchise Connect. Jon is a multi-brand franchisee and is grateful to have strong operators leading his ventures. As a result, he is able to commit over 90% of his time to serving as CEO of FranBridge Consulting where he helps others achieve their own dreams of freedom and wealth generation through business ownership.

Prior to FranBridge, Jon served as the President of ShelfGenie, a national franchise system with 200 locations. Before moving to ShelfGenie, Jon invested fifteen years in the corporate world, including a long tenure as Vice President of Sales for Carter's Inc., responsible for over $350 million in annual sales. Jon began his career as a consultant with Accenture, often working internationally on behalf of his clients. Jon is on the Board of Directors for the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) and has BBA and MBA degrees from the University of Georgia. Jon lives in Atlanta where he and his wife have three children and are very active in the community.

Jon talks about the process he takes people through to find out which franchise is the right one for them to start, how his book Non-Food Franchising educates people on his process and actually helps his clients find the right business sooner. He also shares the hot new opportunities that he sees that franchise candidates should consider, the big five of the best franchise brands, red flags that candidates should be aware of, and stories and lessons from his extensive career as one of the best of the best in franchising.

In this episode, I talk with Caty Witt, who is a multi-unit PostNet franchise owner in Arizona and California. Caty shares her story, how she got started and how she started scaling into multiple stores. She also shares lessons she has learned from scaling her business, working with others to review and enhance performance, and what she's most excited about as she continues to scale her business.