Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with Jeff Connally, the President and CEO of CMIT Solutions.  CMIT Solutions (CMIT) is a leading provider of information technology (IT) professional services and products to small and medium-sized businesses, and is uniquely capable of supporting small businesses anywhere, coast to coast in the United States and Canada. By focusing on developing and maintaining local, trust-based relationships with its customers, CMIT is able to meet all of their IT needs. CMIT, which has 170 plus locations, offers a wide variety of services and products, including enterprise-class solutions, at prices small businesses can afford.   CMIT Solutions has been ranked number one in its category in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500® list for six consecutive years. Because of its growing geographic presence and partner programs, CMIT is a very attractive sales and/or support channel for larger firms desiring to reach the millions of small and medium-sized businesses in the United States. In part two we play

We have a great show today.  We are meeting Jeff Oddo, the CEO of City Wide Maintenance, a building maintenance franchise which was started by his father. Jeff is credited with turning the business into a franchise. He is very passionate about expanding the brand and making an impact on the communities they serve. Jeff will talk about what he calls the “Ripple effect” Founded in 1961, City Wide has become synonymous with building maintenance in its home Kansas City market and the 50-plus U.S. regions where it has grown through franchising since 2001. A single-source solution for all building maintenance services, City Wide contracts with independent contractors to give clients access to dozens of interior and exterior services. City Wide simplifies the maintenance matters that mean most to building owners, operators, and management companies, easing the time, stress, and resources typically required to oversee an entire facility.  In part 2, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podca

We have a great show.  We are meeting with Ken McAllister, the President of MY SALON Suite.  Founded in 2010, MY SALON Suite is raising the bar in luxury for salon entrepreneurs and consumers across North America. MY SALON Suite attracts and inspires experienced professionals from all facets of the health and beauty industry to individually own and operate their own businesses in one of several private suites, each fully equipped with a styling center, state-of-the-art security system and other eco-salon suite amenities. The resources offered by MY SALON Suite empower salon members to achieve business ownership and present them the opportunity to earn a six-figure income. The brand’s success in recent years has been momentous, and a strategic alliance partnership with Ratner Companies, the nation’s largest family-owned collection of salons, has further propelled the brand’s success and rapid expansion. With more than 45 locations in 16 states across the United States and Canada, the New Orleans-based franchi

In today's podcast, we are meeting with Mary Jane Riva, CEO of Pizza Factory.  Founded 30 years ago, Pizza Factory has become well known for serving fresh, high-quality pizza, sandwiches, salads and more. The brand is also widely recognized for its close community connection, which includes its iconic “No Bully Zone” program and impactful fundraising partnerships. Currently, there are more than 100 locations based in five states throughout the West Coast. Pizza Factory looks to add additional franchise locations in key markets throughout the country, with a special focus on Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. Today’s show is being sponsored to you by Neopost and the IS-280.  The IS-280 weighs and then automatically tells me what postage amount my mail or package needs. Not only will you pay 6% less to send First-Class mail but time is also saved by not having to run to the post office for postage.   The IS-28

It is hard to imagine it was 11 years ago we launched our first podcast.  Today, Franchise Interviews is celebrating our 11th year anniversary and 550th show.  This show will feature Marty McDermott, the founder of Franchise Interviews, LLC as the interviewee discussing the history of the show.  Interviews on this show will be conducted by the amazing Jaime Jay, the popular host of Stop Riding the Pine, the great Elizie Flenard, host of the popular show Enterprise Now, the popular John Tantillo, AKA the Marketing Doctor and we even play a clip from our very first show with PB Loco. Today's show is being brought to you by Ceterus.  Ceterus specializes in franchise accounting and takes care of all of that work for you, while giving you full access to your financial data and benchmarked reporting through their platform.  If you sign up through this podcast, you will get 50% off your first two months! To learn more about Ceterus' franchise accounting and benchmarked reporting solution, please visit www.ceterus.co

This week we are meeting with the Totally Nutz franchise opportunity - Matt Barker and his wife Yvette were successful marketing executives who became worn-out of the rat race and began looking for their "next big thing." That light bulb moment came as they recalled all the conferences they used to be present at and the thousands of people walking around each show with some kind of handout. Under the name Barker's Olde Fashioned Almonds, Matt and Yvette started roasting Cinnamon Glazed Almonds in 1990 and began selling their product at different fairs and festivals. Over the years, their customers would inform how much they enjoyed the product and wished more variety would be offered. Matt and Yvette started experimenting and came up with several delectable flavors and varieties. They changed the name to Totally Nutz in 1992 and launched their franchise opportunity in May 2014. In Part Two, we play a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  Today's show is being brought to you by Ceterus.  Cet

First, we are meeting with Kevin Wilkerson. Kevin and Laurel Wilkerson own a Marco's Pizza franchise in Broken Arrow, OK. Kevin spent 24 years as an Army Infantry Officer and retired in 2005 as a full Colonel. Laurel served on active duty with the Army as an attorney for over 20 years, retiring in 2008. He later learned of Marco's and decided to get involved in entrepreneurship.  Next we meet with Sean Falk – A former US Marine infantry officer who served more than 8 years in active duty and reserves, including tours during Operation Desert Storm and in Bosnia.  

Electric Scooters, Electric Bikes, Electric Skateboards and more!  We have a great show today.  We are meeting Jerry Szylwanski of the Whizzyride franchise opportunity.  Whizzyride is a Miami based intelligent technologies company- specialized in small electric vehicles. Whizzyride is an exclusive importer of the newest market inventions such as electric scooters and electric bikes. Whizzyride provides guaranty and post-guaranty service and the satisfaction of their clients in the most important thing for their franchise! In Part Two, we play a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  Today's show is being brought to you by Ceterus.  Ceterus specializes in franchise accounting and takes care of all of that work for you, while giving you full access to your financial data and benchmarked reporting through their platform.  If you sign up through this podcast, you will get 50% off your first two months! To learn more about Ceterus' franchise accounting and benchmarked reporting solution, please visi

Today Franchise Interviews is celebrating National Sandwich day with three fantastic sub franchise opportunities.  They include Erbert and Gerbert’s Subs, Milios Subs, and Penn Station East Coast Subs.  National Sandwich Day is observed annually on November 3. The sandwich is believed to be the namesake of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, following the claim that he was the inventor of the sandwich.  This day honors one of America’s most popular lunch items.  https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-sandwich-day-november-3/ In part four, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  Today's Franchise Interviews shout out goes to Ceterus.  As a franchise entrepreneur, dealing with your finances, accounting, and tax preparation can be a headache. Ceterus specializes in franchise accounting and takes care of all of that work for you, while giving you full access to your financial data and benchmarked reporting through their platform. Ceterus Edge, is built on top of Qui

We have a great show today.  We are meeting George Vodin of Fancy Art, NFP.  Fancy Art, NFP is Your One Stop Shop For All of Your Wall Décor Needs.  Imagine owning a business that is not only profitable, but where it is fun to go to work every day. At Fancy Art, NFP®, you will be surrounded by beautiful artworks and soft music, dealing with a cultured clientele, who appreciate the finer things of life and have the discretionary income to afford them. Each job is different so it will never be monotonous or mundane and once your work is finished, it will reside prominently in a home or business, where it will not only bring joy and brighten the living environment, but also become a focal point of conversation whenever there is company, which is why, word of mouth will always be your best publicity. Oh! And did we mention that it is a big ticket item with high profit margins.

We are meeting Craig Erlich, President of BRIX Holdings, the parent company for Red Mango, Smoothie Factory, RedBrick Pizza and Souper Salad.  We are going to speak with Craig can about BRIX’s position in the healthy food market and the healthy portfolio of brands they have built. We also discuss the following topics: Red Mango recently celebrated its 10th anniversary when other brands have long since come and gone in this spaceAs consumers demand healthier options, BRIX is seeing a growing popularity of non-traditional locations for the brands (inside gyms, casinos, college food courts)RedBrick Pizza will be debuting a new prototype by end of the year (opening in NJ)

We have a great show today.  We are meeting Michael Poates, President of Gatti’s Pizza. For nearly half a century, Gatti’s has been satisfying cravings.The Gatti’s Pizza brand is in the midst of a huge growth period as they introduce new prototypes at a record number of new locations, an updated brand, and new products.  Some of the topics we discuss include the following: What Is Gatti’s? The Gatti’s Story How Is Gatti’s Different? Available and Growth Markets Gatti’s Franchise Models What’s Special About Their Menu? What Technology Powers Gatti’s? Startup Costs and Fees for a Mr. Gatti’s Pizza or Gatti’s Pizza Franchise Who Makes an Ideal Gatti’s Franchise Owner? Gatti’s Franchise Reviews

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Gigi Butler, the founder of Gigi’s Cupcakes.  People across the country know Gigi from her appearance on “Undercover Boss” on CBS, and her journey is the American Dream come true. Soon after opening, Gigi’s Cupcakes became a Nashville delicacy dessert of choice and now, nine years later, it has expanded to more than 100 locations across 24 states…making Gigi’s the largest cupcake franchise in the country! Moving to Nashville in 1994 from California to pursue a career in music at 15-years old, Gigi supported her dream by cleaning houses during the day and singing in honky tonks at night. While she loved music, she also had a passion for baking. As the years went by, she decided to take a chance on her cooking talents instead of her voice. She took a huge risk and opened a cupcake boutique in a high rent area just off Music Row in Nashville in Feb of 2008- not far from the bars where she sang. Soon after opening, Gigi’s Cupcakes became a Nashville delicacy dess

We have a great show today.  We are meeting Peter Boylan, to talk about the PJ’s Coffee franchise opportunity.  We will talk about the background of the PJ’s brand, the success PJ’s have seen so far, how they are rebranding, franchisee growth opportunities and more. BACKGROUND: PJ's Coffee of New Orleans was founded in 1978 by Phyllis Jordan, a pioneer in the coffee industry that demonstrated that better beans, superior roasting techniques, and pure passion for the art of coffee-making mattered. PJ's Coffee serves a wide variety of hot, iced and frozen coffee beverages using only the top 1% of Arabica beans. Founder Phyllis Jordan pioneered the cold-drip process that protects the flavor and strength of the beans, while producing a coffee that is 2/3 less acidic. FARM TO CUP: PJ's Coffee partners with farms across the world to provide their customers the finest free trade coffee. By partnering with farms like El Terrerito in Honduras, PJ's Coffee has developed programs to ensure the quality of life of Hondur

We are meeting Mike Bidwell, the President and CEO of Dwyer Group.  Mike Bidwell has been a visionary in the franchise industry for over three decades, beginning in 1984 when he opened up his own Rainbow International® Carpet Cleaning & Restoration franchise and later adding a Mr. Rooter® Plumbing franchise in 1992. Fast forward to January of 2014, where Mike has not only been president for seven years, he is now CEO of Dwyer Group, the holding company for 17 franchise brands with more than 2,800 franchises in nine different countries. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

We have a great show today.  It was almost a decade ago we interviewed Marco’s Pizza.  We invited John Ramsay, the Vice President of Franchise Development Services to come back and give us an update.   Since 2008, Marco’s Pizza has continued to open an average 2-3 new locations every week, exploding from 200 to over 800 locations in just six years.  At Marco’s, they pride themselves on ah-uthentic Italian artisan pizza, made with fresh, real ingredients and dough made in the store daily. At a time when 91% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month, more people are choosing the quality pizza we’ve built our brand on.    In part 2, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting Gary Findley, a veteran of the franchising industry.  Gary Findley has over 25 years of experience in helping entrepreneurs build over 9,500 franchise locations worldwide with only 2 brands. He now oversees one of the fastest-growing restoration franchises in the country as CEO of Restoration 1, a franchise brand with more than 120 locations open and in development. Along with offering fire, water, and mold damage restoration services, the team at Restoration 1 also provides emergency services, storm damage services, sewage system cleanup and more! Their IICRC and IAQA licensed restoration professionals can address your problems in no time. For over a decade, we have been in the business of restoring damaged residential and commercial properties to their former glory. Restoration 1 Values At Restoration 1, they understand that the people they work with are going through a stressful and emotionally difficult time. Because of this, they strive to provide caring and

We have a great show today.  We are meeting Laura Spaulding-Koppel, founder of Spaulding Decon.  For over a decade, Spaulding Decon has provided services for residential, commercial, government, and industrial properties to return them to clean, healthy, and safe properties for the occupants. From crime scene cleanup to hoarding, drug lab cleanup, mold remediation, and decontamination, Spaulding Decon has the professional expertise and specialized certifications to get the job done properly the first time. Every Entrepreneur Has A Story Laura was a woman in blue with the Kansas City, MO Police Department when she was called to the scene of a double homicide in a family’s home. Naturally, the homeowners thought law enforcement would clean up the mess. Shocked and disappointed to learn it was their responsibility as the property owner, Spaulding, an action-oriented Army veteran, personally worked with the family to finish the cleanup. The experience led her to found Spaulding Decon.  In part two, we play a cl

Every Business Has A Story We are meeting with Scott Marr, CEO of Fleet Clean USA.  At the age of 20, Scott was pursuing truck washing as a side gig - while working full-time in the lucrative banking industry. He started out earning around 45,000 (after taxes) per-year and that income quickly rose. Shortly thereafter, Scott made the decision to quit his job in banking, and launch Fleet Clean. Tapping into a niche service in a recession-proof industry, Fleet Clean has grown at more than a 40 percent annual rate since its inception in 2009. The $12 million company recently announced franchise expansion plans throughout the Sun Belt states and into the northern regions of the United States for the anticipated harsh winter. The booming franchise wouldn't be where it is without Scott, who saw so much potential in the truck washing business that he gave up a promising career in banking at age 20 to establish Fleet Clean.   In Part Two, we play a clip for our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

We are meeting with Christin Myers - Regional Director of the OpenWorks franchise opportunity.  OpenWorks is guided by a simple philosophy: A cleaner, safer and healthier environment means a more productive work place. This is our goal at OpenWorks – to offer more than maintenance by working with you to improve your work environment. This is what motivates and challenges OpenWorks to go the extra mile.  OpenWorks was founded in 1983 by their current CEO, Eric Roudi. Roudi, a career entrepreneur, realized commercial cleaning was a massive and underserved $100 +billion industry. There were very few professional commercial cleaning companies at this time. Already intrigued by the idea of franchising, Roudi saw a great business opportunity by putting franchising and commercial cleaning together to create the unique concept we know today. After diligent research and planning, Eric Roudi introduced OpenWorks Facility Services, a company that is committed to improving facilities by maintaining high standards and pr