Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with Steve Rothenstein, Senior Director of Franchising at Dippin' Dots & Doc Popcorn. When Dippin’ Dots’ CEO Scott Fisher acquired Doc Popcorn in 2014, he needed to empower a leader to combine the two franchise models and expand the perfectly balanced snack co-brand. He leaned on the 25-year franchise-industry veteran, Steve Rothenstein, who’d previously held leadership positions with Yum Brands, Cold Stone Creamery, Tasti D-Lite and Planet Smoothie.  He’s led the franchises’ double-digit growth each of the last four years, since the acquisition. Dippin' Dots Franchising, LLC. Where do Dippin' Dots fans go for all their favorite flavors of Dippin' Dots? They go everywhere! Dippin' Dots Franchisees sell the fun, ice cold dots at fairs, festivals, shopping centers and in existing businesses. Market research shows Dippin' Dots outperformed some of the top franchised ice cream brands 2:1 among kids and almost 2:1 among young adults. And one fact was very clear—Dippin' Dots is the numbe

We are meeting with Aaron Meyers, Chief Operating Officer of Hammer and Nails Grooming Shop for Guys.  Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop for Guys, a first-of-its-kind men’s grooming shop that provides hand and foot care, haircuts and shaves in a man cave nirvana. The male grooming industry has become mainstream, with barbering services proving to be the fastest growing sector. As the surge continues, Hammer & Nails has appointed a leadership team to elevate the brand to new heights as it continues to expand its nationwide footprint. As a trailblazer in the space, the brand is perfecting its membership-based model to give men the ultimate man cave nirvana experience while upping their grooming regime.  In Part Two, we will play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.     

We are meeting with franchise author, franchise expert and the President of Franchise Beacon, Michael Peterson  Whether you're looking to start a franchise or grow an existing franchise, Franchise Beacon offers the expertise and services that can help guide your franchise business to success. Michael is the author of "How and Why to Franchise Your Business."  This book was written to be the book on franchising, the go-to for a new or would-be franchisor. It was written  with someone from ourside our industry  in mind. It delves deeply into such topics as preparing to become a franchisor, the legal repercussions of franchising, how to recruit the right candidates, and how to manage a franchise system. This book will guide you in building a successful team of experts to help you create the stellar franchise brand that you dream of! If you are looking for the book on franchising, you have found it! In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with Brian Moak, the CEO and Founder of  HEART Certified Auto Care.  With over 90 years of auto repair experience, Heart combines old fashion service with expert mechanical repair to ensure that each and every customer has a premium level experience. Previously operating as Duxler Complete Auto Care since 1924, Brian Moak saw an opportunity to fill a growing gap in the car repair service industry. He decided to take his vision nationwide in 2017, launching the franchise of HEART Certified Auto Care.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.    

POKÉWORKS POKE FRANCHISE STORY Pokéworks is a ground-breaking, healthy fast-casual restaurant concept that began on a rainy day in December of 2015 in a tiny location in Midtown Manhattan.  Today, it has grown into one of the largest and fastest growing poke brands in the nation and one we can proudly say is anchored almost entirely with multi-unit institutional franchisees.  Pokéworks was born on that quiet Winter day with a trickle of curious New Yorkers that wondered in to experience poke for the first time.  Weeks later, hundreds stood in line outside our tiny restaurant willing to wait 45 minutes or more to build their own poke burrito or bowl.  While more than 700 New Yorkers were enjoying our poke per day, our ground breaking “The ‘Sushi Burrito’ has hit NYC and its amazing” video went viral and received more than 42 million views.  Media consensus is that Pokéworks’ extraordinary consumer appeal is fueled by the exceptional efficiency, quality and affordability of our healthy chef-driven menu

We are meeting with Meg Schmitz.  Meg is a franchising consultant through FranChoice — her deep knowledge of franchising started in the 1990s, when she opened the first of five Great Clips salons in the Chicago area. As the president of the Chicago area owners’ co-op and liaison to corporate executive staff, Meg saw how others struggled because they bought a franchise that wasn’t the best fit. Now, after 10 years as a franchise consultant, Meg has helped hundreds determine whether business ownership, especially franchising, is the right vehicle for their personal and financial success.   Meg’s unique perspective in the industry comes from not only her own experience as a franchisee, but also because her degree in Counseling Psychology and work as a certified Mediator and hospice volunteer.  Meg is attuned to the importance of asking the right questions and listening, which allows her candidates to hone their questions/concerns about business ownership into a refined investigation to match them with the be

LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs – Franchise Interviews Meets with Nancy Friedman LinkedIn is one of the most powerful networking business tools for professionals and entrepreneurs.  Not long ago, Nancy Friedman was interviewed in a magazine article by Forbes.  The article was called 10 New LinkedIn Tips to Propel Your PR.  In this interview, Nancy and I discuss tips learned over the years on how to effectively use this social media tool.  Nancy is president & founder of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training. When Oprah, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Good Morning Canada and Great Britain, CNN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other well-respected radio, TV and publications need a customer service expert, they call on Nancy Friedman. You should, too!  In Part Two, Marty plays the role of one of his favorite interviewers James Lipton and asks Nancy, a former actress the famous ten questions created by Bernard Pivot.  http://www.nancyfriedman.com      

There are only a couple of weeks left before filing your taxes.  This time of year, we get many questions on franchises that provide tax services.  We are going to play clips from two very interesting franchises in the tax industry.  First, we play a clip from our interview with Dom Cirello of the BookKeeping Express franchise opportunity. Dom is a franchisee to BookKeeping Express. BookKeeping Express, a national organization and franchise that provides businesses with professional bookkeeping services. Bookkeeping Express was founded in 1984 in California.  Next we meet with Nick Rizzi of the Smart Tax franchise opportunity.  Smart Tax allows its franchisees to own a tax preparation business without requiring a background in finance, accounting, or tax law - it's a business that is easy to start up and operate, just by following the established and comprehensive Smart Tax franchise system.

We are meeting with Todd Giatrelis the CEO of MVS Pet Care. The service, which brings general wellness care, vaccinations, illness and injury care right to the customers’ doorstep, comes as a welcome relief to the 68 percent of U.S. families that own a pet who routinely experience the anxiety of transporting their cat or dog to the vet’s office and back. In addition to serving a need for pet parents, the service also provides much-needed business ownership opportunities to veterinarians who, for the longest time, could only work in already established vet offices while paying down student loan debt.  The mobile pet care franchise was the brainchild of a veteran team of franchise industry experts, including Todd Giatrelis (CEO), Sarah Towne (President), and Ashley Shimabukuro (COO) who came to the realization that families and veterinarians could benefit from offering consumers convenience with added personal touches.   In Part Two of today's podcast, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Mark Carr, the founder of Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation. Dedicated to its brand mission “To glorify God, by loving your neighbor as yourself” Christian Brothers Automotive has firmly planted its roots in faith, honesty and trust, which have proven to be clear differentiators in the competitive auto services and repair industry, a $380 billion sector in the U.S. economy. With its guiding principles instilled from the very first location, which opened in 1982, Christian Brothers Automotive has successfully expanded to more than 170 locations in 25 states. The Houston-based company delivers a variety of professional auto-care services including upkeep, maintenance, and repair.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Tara Gilad of the Vitality Bowls franchise.  About Vitality Bowls Roy and Tara Gilad, a pair of successful business owners, founded Vitality Bowls in 2011 in San Ramon, California. The duo started the superfood café concept together as a result of discovering their daughter’s severe food allergies and wanting to find safe, healthy food alternatives. Since franchising began in 2014, the brand has seen significant growth with more than 70 cafes open and in development. Named one of the Top 100 new franchises in 2017 by Entrepreneur and ranked among the 2017 Fast Casual Top 100, Vitality Bowls is redefining the fast-casual healthy food restaurant sector every day at each of its locations across the country.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Bette Fetter, the Founder and CEO of Young Rembrandts and Author of Being Visual.  About Young Rembrandts- Young Rembrandts is a recognized leader in art education, offering a curriculum focused on teaching children to draw, using demonstration and a structured step-by-step process. Through the process of weekly instruction students are exposed to a wide variety of subject matter, artistic concepts, art history and mastery of their materials. Classes are taught to children ages 3 ½ to 12 years old. Young Rembrandts teaches more than 10,000 students each week in 31 states and four provinces. Through franchising, Young Rembrandts offers individuals the chance to grow their own business while creating a positive impact within the community.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Peter Holt of The Joint Chiropractic franchise.  Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, The Joint is an emerging growth company that is reinventing chiropractic care by making quality care convenient and affordable for patients seeking pain relief and ongoing wellness. Its no-appointment policy and convenient hours and locations make care more accessible, and affordable membership plans and packages eliminate the need for insurance. With nearly 400 clinics nationwide and more than four million patient visits annually, The Joint is a leader in the chiropractic profession. In Part Two, we play a clip form our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

We are meeting Manolis Alpogianis of the  America’s Dog & Burger franchise.  Entrepreneurial brothers Manolis and George Alpogianis co-founded AMERICA’S DOG AND BURGER after a cross-country road trip through the United States. This now famous journey inspired the two to open a restaurant that offered the most compelling hot dog and burger tastes of the nation in one dynamic environment. The brand uniquely positions itself in the dog and burger scene by offering guests a variety of fresh, gourmet burgers, city-themed hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, Italian beef, salads and more. After more than 20 years of proven success, the family-run business is in strategic growth mode, awarding franchise opportunities to passionate individuals and teams attracted to the brand’s distinguishable niche. In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  

Founded in 2014 by Helaine Knapp, CITYROW is a boutique fitness studio established in New York City that specializes in a total body, high-intensity, low-impact workout using a water-based rowing machine and strength-training exercises. Each stroke on the row machine utilizes 84 percent of the body's muscles - legs, core and arms. The 50-minute workouts increase aerobic capacity and efficiency and burn calories while exerting less pressure on the body's joints than traditional cardio exercises. By combining rowing with body sculpting exercises, CITYROW members see body transformation quickly.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  

We are meeting Gary Roth, the founder of  KIDS FIRST Swim School franchise.  KIDS FIRST Swim Schools is based on the belief that all children should know how to swim, and they have made it their mission to spread this notion nationally through franchising. After slaving away in the corporate world, Roth wanted the next chapter of his life to focus on an activity that he relished in the past, while providing a recreational and educational outlet for future generations. That passion was swimming.  From being a star competitor in high school and undergrad, to volunteering his time as a swim coach after work, Roth took it upon himself to make every child as excited about swimming as he was. Company Facts:  · Kids First Swim School currently has 29 corporate locations, four franchise locations, and teaches over 150,000 students annually.  · Last year, Kid’s First Swim School made 15.5 million in annual sales.  · Roth also owns his own construction company specifically designed for creating new facil

We are meeting Mark Van Wye, CEO of Zoom Room.  Zoom Room is an indoor dog gym and training facility where owners and their dogs come to play, train and socialize with their dogs in a climate-controlled environment. In contrast to other training facilities where the dog is trained by the store, Zoom Room's dogs are trained by their owner, creating a one-of-a kind relationship. After a recent significant investment in the brand, Zoom Room has re-launched its franchise opportunity and looks to bring its training centers to pet-lovers across America.  Mark Van Wye, CEO of Zoom Room will  discuss the growing bonding trend the pet industry and how Zoom Room is filling the demand. He will also discuss: The current need for dog training and socialization and how this helps pet owners fully understand their dog's behavior. The unique approach Zoom Room takes to pet training by offering a place where the owner trains alongside their dogs using only positive reinforcement, and the array of specialty classes.

We are meeting Bob Phillips and Keith Goldman of California Tortilla, a fast-casual Mexican-inspired restaurant. Falling in love with the brand's bold flavors and fun, laid-back attitude, the duo felt the concept would be perfect for a world they were familiar with - franchising. Together, they have built more than 50 restaurants in eight states over the past fifteen years and hope to introduce restaurants outside of the mid-Atlantic for the first time. Taking Goldman's 40 years of restaurant experience and Phillip's previous experience of owning dozens of franchises, the pair works like a well-oiled machine. Phillip's expertise in financial business models and bookkeeping as well as Goldman's operations proficiency are complements to one another. In 2002, experienced restauranteurs Bob Phillips and Keith Goldman opened their first California Tortilla Taking Goldman's 40 years of restaurant experience and Phillip's previous experience of owning dozens of franchises, the pair works like a well-oil

We are meeting with Marty Flanagan from Code Ninjas.  Code Ninjas, founded in 2016, is the fastest growing kids coding franchise in the United States. With its flagship location currently open in Pearland, Texas, the company has more than 70 locations currently in development, including 34 franchisees across 15 states. Code Ninjas teaches kids ages 7-14 how to code in a fun, welcoming, and non-intimidating atmosphere using a game-based curriculum.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting Alejandra Font of the Camp Transformation Center.  The Camp Transformation Center is dedicated to helping clients reach their weight loss goals by offering comprehensive programs, a fun, friendly, welcoming and motivating environment. The Camp Transformation Center not only helps clients with their workout routines and form, but they also provide insight on nutrition. Transformation Center has seen vigorous growth. So far in 2017, 39 gyms have been opened and 36 in 2016. The Camp has another 22 Camps under development for 2018. In part 2, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.