What does it really take to scale a business without losing the foundation that made it work in the first place?

In this episode of Tell Me More, Joel Worthington sits down with Scott Abbott, founder of Five Star Franchising and Five Star Painting, for a conversation about leadership, franchising, data, culture, and the discipline required to build organizations that last.

Scott shares how he built Five Star Painting, sold it to Neighborly, and continued building Five Star Franchising into a platform with thousands of franchise locations across multiple brands.

Together, Joel and Scott discuss why scaling is not just about growth, ambition, or selling more franchises. It is about knowing the business deeply, tracking what works, building strong unit economics, and creating a culture where leaders continue to grow.

They also explore why leaders must stay close to the details, why your team will not exceed your own level of leadership, and why companies should nail the model before trying to scale it.

Scott shares how values, feedback, customer experience, and intentional culture shape the way a franchise system grows.

In this episode:

● Why leaders need to know their business inside and out

● How data helps companies scale with discipline

● Why your team will not exceed your level of leadership

● Why you need to nail it before you scale it

● How feedback helps leaders and teams improve

● Why culture is strategic and does not happen by accident

If you are trying to scale a business, lead a franchise system, or build a stronger organization, this episode will challenge you to look beyond growth and ask whether your foundation, leadership, data, people, and culture are truly ready for the next level.

Connect with Joel Worthington and tune into more conversations on Tell Me More.

What does it look like to lead a business with humility, clarity, and the willingness to keep learning?

In this episode of Tell Me More, Joel Worthington sits down with Shannon Wilburn, founder of Just Between Friends and Shine Executive Coaching, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, core values, and what it takes to build a company people want to follow.

Shannon shares how Just Between Friends started as a small consignment event with friends and grew into a national franchise system. She reflects on the lessons she learned while building the business, including the importance of asking for help, choosing mentors wisely, staying humble, and learning how to lead through seasons of growth and challenge.

Together, Joel and Shannon discuss why leadership is not just about knowing numbers, systems, or strategy. It is also about how you treat people, how clearly you communicate expectations, and whether your values are actually lived inside the company.

In this episode:

● Why great leaders are willing to ask for help

● How humility shapes the way people respond to feedback

● Why core values need to be clearly defined and repeated

● How unclear expectations can hurt a team or organization

● Why clarity is kind in leadership

● How taking responsibility builds trust

If you are building a business, leading a team, or trying to create a stronger culture, this episode will challenge you to look at the kind of leader you are becoming and whether your people truly understand what you expect, value, and believe.

Connect with Joel Worthington and tune into more conversations on Tell Me More.

Innovation isn't a department. It's a leadership mindset.

In this episode of Tell Me More, Joel Worthington sits down with Michael Glatts, founder of 901 Innovation and former Pfizer leader, to explore why the most innovative organizations don't just create better products. They create cultures where people feel safe to think differently.

After spending more than 26 years at Pfizer leading global teams, Michael left corporate America to help organizations unlock creativity, improve employee engagement, and build innovation into their everyday culture. Together, Joel and Michael discuss why empathy, psychological safety, curiosity, and trust are essential ingredients for innovation, and why leaders who say "yes, and..." consistently outperform those who default to "no."

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why innovation is critical for long-term business growth and competitive advantage
• How empathy helps leaders uncover unmet customer needs
• Why psychological safety is the foundation of innovative teams
• How the "Yes, And" mindset encourages creativity and collaboration
• Why great leaders create environments where employees feel heard
• How fear of failure shuts down innovation and engagement
• Why organizations should experiment, prototype, and learn quickly instead of waiting for perfection
• How innovation improves employee engagement, customer experience, and organizational culture

Michael also shares how his background in improvisational comedy shaped his approach to leadership development, and why some of the best business breakthroughs happen when leaders stop trying to have all the answers and start creating space for new ideas.

Because innovation doesn't begin with technology.

It begins with leaders who are curious enough to listen, humble enough to learn, and courageous enough to say, "Tell me more."

When people feel safe to contribute, organizations don't just innovate. They thrive.

Lean in — and tell me more.

Connect with Joel:
LinkedIn: Joel Worthington
Instagram: @joelworthington

Connect with Michael Glatts:
Website: 901Innovation.com
LinkedIn: Michael Glatts