Franchise Interviews

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Berekk Blackwell, President of Daily Jam. Daily Jam is a phoenix-based brunch franchise that was formerly Ncounter, but has rebranded as it seeks to grow through franchising. Berekk has an interesting background as well, he’s from the family that founded Kahala Restaurant Franchising and is using his experience with restaurant franchising to grow Daily Jam.

We are meeting with Bruce Lane, Vice President of Operations and Franchise Services at Quaker Steak and Lube.  As one of the most brand-differentiated restaurants in fun family casual, Quaker Steak & Lube® has been a successful concept for over 40 years. The unique, motorsports-themed décor – including vintage gas station memorabilia, classic cars, motorcycles, and race cars suspended from the ceilings – crave-able food, and high-octane events, have created a cult-like fan following for Quaker Steak & Lube®, often affectionately called The Lube®. Bruce is a serial entrepreneur.  Bruce Lane who has worked with and owned franchises with companies such as McDonald's, Waffle House, Checkers Drive-In and more.  Bruce will discuss how working with a large array of different franchise brands, as both a franchise owner and on the corporate level, has provided him with vast knowledge of the franchise space and has prepared him for his current role as the Vice President of Operations and Franchise Services at

We are meeting with Kim Musso…Kim started to notice that everyone in her neighborhood seemed to be a dog owner, which got her wheels turning. After doing a little research, Kim recognized the endless potential of the booming $70 billion-dollar pet industry. With her son and daughter embodying her same entrepreneurial spirit, Kim and her family decided to embark on a new family venture and open a Dogtopia.  Dogtopia is a provider of dog daycare and boarding and is opening franchises all over the United States. Customers can drop their dog off at Dogtopia and let him/her spend the day socializing with other dogs, running around and burning off plenty of pent-up energy. Kim Musso has been with Primrose Schools for 21 years. Kim started out as an assistant in the Franchise Department and worked her way up to Director of Franchise Recruitment. In 2012, she joined her husband Mike in owning a Primrose School in Alpharetta, Georgia.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are welcoming back Scott Walker, CEO of Screenmobile.  Screenmobile is the nation’s largest mobile window screen repair business, with over 100 franchise owners, and growing. Screenmobile specializes in window, door and patio porch screen and solar shading products. For over 35 years, with no national competitors, our franchise owners have enjoyed years of growth and success, as we continue to pioneer this industry. Learn more about the opportunities with our unique home services and home improvement franchise concept!  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  

We are meeting with Kimberlee White, CEO and founder of Jabz Boxing and Len Hayko, co-founder and president of Jabz Boxing…. Jabz Boxing, a full-body circuit style workout utilizing boxing inspired exercises designed specifically for all women based in Arizona. Their has a huge passion for women empowerment and is looking to use Jabz to build positive female fitness communities throughout the United States. As the fitness studio concept continues to rapidly expand into key markets across the United States, Jabz Boxing is actively seeking qualified franchisees who are passionate about fitness and entrepreneurship to join its system and bring the Jabz culture of female empowerment to their local communities. “Their mission is to create a space where women can come together, get a great workout and empower each other to be their best selves. Jabz workouts are designed for women of all ages, body types and fitness levels, to reach maximum results, our focus is developing fitness rather than fighters.” Kimbe

We are meeting with Rob Flanagan, President of Wag N’ Wash.  Wag N’ Wash is the ultimate destination for cats and dogs. Their pet store franchise provides high quality foods, professional grooming, a self-service wash and a vast array of products that are personally selected for your companion animals. They take pride in their knowledge of our products and the individual needs of their customers. Their four revenue streams offer companion animals everything they need in an immersing and fun environment, making this a high growth pet franchise opportunity.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

We are meeting with Tab Burkhalter: Founder and CEO of Numbers House, which specializes in helping entrepreneurs legally start their businesses, as well as providing back-end office support in bookkeeping, payroll, etc. Tab is a licensed CPA who can provide expert commentary and insight on all things business-related in the home services field. His company helps owners make sure their business is structured in a way that is most advantageous in regards to taxes, in addition to offering payroll and bookkeeping services.  Tab will discuss the following topics on this show: * The most common tax deductions franchise owners overlook * You can borrow from your 401k to start a franchise, but should you? * Financial and tax implications of opening a second franchise location * Exit strategies for franchise owners In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.    

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Scott Nichols of Floyd's 99 Barbershop.  With 115+ units across the U.S., the barbershop known for its edgy, alternative vibes that embrace individuality is revitalizing its franchise efforts.  The Denver-based franchisor had never emphasized a strategic effort toward franchise growth -- everything had been word of mouth through personal relationships with the founders, existing customers and simply people walking by who loved the concept. As it nears 20 years of business and looks ahead to the next 20, Floyd's 99 wants to expand its footprint with strong franchise partners that embody its brand and vibe.  To help with the expansion, they hired seasoned franchise executive, Scott Nichols. He joins Floyd’s 99 with more than 25 years of franchise experience – working for nationally-recognized brands like Dunkin’, Jimmy Johns and Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores as well as emerging franchise concepts like SPENGA where he grew the brand from one company owned to 62

  Today we will ask Santa for a particular franchise.  Find out who made the list and listen to an interview with each franchise opportunity.  On the first day of Christmas we ask for the Amramp franchise opportunity.  Listen to the interview to find out why! Founded in 1998 by Julian Gordon, Amramp has continued to grow as the leading provider of modular wheelchair ramps, stairlifts, vertical platform lifts and other accessibility solutions. About the Amramp Team The Amramp Team manufactures their modular wheelchair ramps in historic Boston, Massachusetts. Amramp started more than 40 years ago as a producer of architectural metal items used by contractors and architects. Amramp produced stairs, rails, fire doors and security products for doors and windows. In 1998 Amramp patented a unique modular wheelchair ramp system that has become their signature product. Amramp has expanded their product line to include other products that make life accessible, such as stairlifts, vertical platform lifts, grab bars

. As they were living out their dreams as members of the LSU basketball team traveling the country, they had the opportunity to visit some of the best restaurants/sports bars and began recognizing the need for such a concept in back in Baton Rouge. The idea for Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar started to take shape 35,000 feet up in the air as they sketched out their vision for a floor plan on the back of a napkin while the team flew home from a game. They turned in their idea as a class project and received a C, being told it needed some work. Despite having little business experience and even less financial backing the two incorporated the traits they learned on the basketball court – hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence – into their vision. On September 9, 2003 their shared dream became a reality as Walk-On’s opened for business in the shadows of LSU’s Tiger Stadium. The business took off – the brand started growing through corporate locations and launched its official franchise opportunity. In

Several years ago, we interviewed the Bin There Dump That franchise opportunity when they awarded their 100th franchise unit.  Today, Bin There Dump That currently has more than 158 territories across North America with 6,000 dumpsters in operation; all territories are locally owned and operated.  Today, we are welcoming back John Ferracuti, Chief Operating Officer of Bin There Dump That to discuss the milestones Bin There Dump that has accomplished over the last several years.  Bin There Dump That has been in the dumpster rental industry since 2004. Their dumpster rental franchise started in Canada and quickly became the leading dumpster rental franchise in all in a short period of time.  Development plans include growing to 300 territories by 2028.  In part 2, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  

You many have heard about Breakfast at Tiffany’s but what about Breakfast as Six Disciplines.  In Parts One and Two, we are meeting with Gary Harpst of Six Disciplines! Did you know ninety percent of well-formulated strategies fail to be successfully executed due to lack of commitment to programs focused on sustainability? Six Disciplines, a unique consulting firm built around the concept of business implementation coaching services, is doing its part to combat this growing trend. With clients spanning several industries including manufacturing, services, media and government, Six Disciplines designs an individualized approach to sustainable business excellence for companies through the use of templates, training, tutorials and surveys. In Part Three we meet with Six Disciplines Coach Eric Kurjan.  Eric is getting small business leaders to bring him into their team and work to align their mission and vision. Instead of cutting costs, they are incurring upfront costs for his time in an effort to save costs

We have a great show this evening.  We are meeting with the Franchise King Joel Libava.  Joel Libava has been tagged "The Franchise King" for a good reason. Joel is an author and a brutally honest entrepreneur focused on making sure that prospective franchise owners don't lose their money. In Part One, we discuss "The Essential Steps to Researching a Franchise Opportunity". Joel asks and answers the following questions to our listeners: Do you know how to conduct your introductory phone call with the franchise companies? Do you know what questions to ask the franchise company? Do you know what the franchise companies can and cannot tell you? Do you know how to get invited to a Discovery Day? Do you know the Number #1 question that you must ask the franchisor? In Part Two, Joel discusses his book Become a Franchise Owner! The book is full of great information.  For example, Joel describes how to choose the right franchise for your specific situation.  He also lists the 40 crucial questions to a

Scott Shane, a leading expert in entrepreneurial activity in the United States and other countries, draws on the data from extensive research to provide accurate, useful information about who becomes an entrepreneur and why, how businesses are started, which factors lead to success and which predict a likely failure.  Dr. Scott Shane is the author of over 60 scholarly articles on entrepreneurship and innovation management.  Dr. Shane is currently a Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and a Professor of Economics at Case Western Reserve University. We start the show discussing his popular book, The Illusions of Entrepreneurship.  Scott Shane, challenges the myths we hold about entrepreneurs in America - who they are, what they do, and how they succeed. The book shows that the reality of entrepreneurship is decidedly different from the myths that have come to surround it. In Part Two, we discuss his fascinating book, Born Entrepreneurs, Born Leaders. This is the first book to review the entire range of scien

We are meeting with  Joe Giammona of The Drivers Training Group — Former Green Beret Joe Giammona has made it his mission to keep his community safe. Now, as the CEO of The Drivers Training Group, he runs The Drivers Training Group that employs off-duty or former police officers to teach drivers ed. The Driver Training Group is the parent company of two education schools for driving, the SWERVE Driving School and the 911 Driving School. Its mission is to inspire and educate, engage and motivate drivers to perform better behind the wheel. The company has developed a number of programs for new teen drivers that go beyond traditional driving lessons or driver’s ed. The Driver Training Group’s ultimate goal is to create an enhanced driving school experience and challenge student drivers to be collision free for life. The business’ innovative approach to driving lessons makes learning fun in a challenging way, and actually improves the rate at which drivers retain the information by incorporating leading mental

We are meeting with Melissa Chordock, President of AKT.  Founded in 2013 by international fitness expert, Anna Kaiser, AKT is a revolutionary fitness technique concept rooted in dance and functional training. With thousands of clients visiting per week, including celebrities like Kelly Ripa and Shakira, AKT provides members with an ever-changing curriculum that combines a customized mixture of its four core modalities (toning, dance, interval training and circuit training) to deliver a fun, high-energy and full-body workout experience like no other. Headquartered in Irvine, Ca. with studio locations in New York City, Hamptons, AKT is backed by Xponential Fitness, a team with more than 25 years’ experience in fitness franchising.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  

Marathons are boring. So are gyms. Tough Mudder Bootcamp reinvented endurance events, now they are reinventing your workout. Plus, big box gyms don't even work. That's why they spent the past year incognito, prototyping and developing a unique program designed to challenge and train all levels, combining high intensity interval training with team workouts. This is not an indoor jungle gym - there aren't any obstacles. It's functional fitness for life, not just a Tough Mudder event. Each day’s 45 minute class delivers a full-body workout that is fun, unique and challenging. Their 6 classes are built against four fitness pillars - Power, Strength, Endurance and Agility - and each class is supported by our custom tech platform that delivers movements at each class station, allowing coaches to actually coach. Plus, there are new workouts daily, keeping classes diverse and exciting. We have a great show today.  We are meeting with  Will Dean, founder and CEO of Tough Mudder Bootcamp.  At Tough Mudder Bootcamp,

Warren Greshes is one of the top motivational speakers in the world.   We start the interview discussing entrepreneurship.  Next, Warren discusses 16 rock solid rules for achieving sales success.  Lastly,if you want your employees to perform at their best, then you need to become the best damn manager ever, someone who can inspire and motivate your staff. The Best Damn Management Book Ever teaches frantrepreneurs, managers, executives, and business owners how to do just that. From the highly praised author of The Best Damn Sales Book Ever, this concise trove of management wisdom outlines the nine keys to creating self-motivated high-achievers.  

Every business has a story.  We are meeting with Morgan Rothschild — CEO of Party Princess Productions franchise opportunity.  Party Princess Productions provides high-end birthday party character entertainment specializing in princess parties, superhero parties and many other character themed events. Their custom handcrafted costumes and wigs, along with our quality cast, ensure the most authentic performance for every special occasion. 

It was almost twenty-five years ago; I was introduced to one of the most enlightening books on entrepreneurship I have ever read. The E-Myth Revisited is one of the most successful business books of the twentieth century. It was voted the #1 business book by the Inc. 500 CEOs. It has sold several million copies, has been translated into almost 20 languages, and is recommended reading for many new franchise owners.  This interview we discuss the success of The E-Myth Revisited, Michael’s inspiration for creating “In the Dreaming Room” and my personal favorite book, “Awaking The Entrepreneur Within”.  Michael E. Gerber is a true legend of entrepreneurship. Inc. Magazine calls him “the World’s #1 Small Business Guru” — the entrepreneurial and small business thought leader who has impacted the lives of millions of individuals and hundreds of thousands of companies worldwide for over 40 years.  Michael E. Gerber is the author of the mega-bestseller “The E-Myth Revisited” and five other E-Myth books concerning s