Franchise Interviews

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with multi-unit franchisees and husband and wife team Mike and Shannon Kemp. Mike and Shannon speak about what it takes to be multi-unit franchisees, how/when they knew they were ready to expand beyond one brand/unit and their entrepreneurial advice on growing and investing in a franchise system for more than 20 years. Here's quick background on them:   In 1994, Mike was working part-time as an employee for Play It Again Sports the store buys and sells quality, gently-used sports equipment and gear (the franchise currently has more than 300 franchised stores in the U.S. and Canada). After Mike was brought on as regional general manager for the owner and helped him open six additional Play It Again Sports across North Carolina, he decided to go into business for himself. In 2003, Mike opened his own Play It Again Sports in Winston-Salem, and later went on to open up a second location in Greensboro. That's when Shannon Kemp's wheels started turning. She saw her hus

There are two key elements you receive when buying a franchise: They include a system and a brand.  Prospective franchisees can do very well in franchising is they understand this notion.  In Part I, we meet with the legendary Dr. John Tantillo.  Dr. Tantillo has a unique method of making his listeners laugh and learn at the same time.  John is an award winning marketing professional, lecturer and teacher. Dr. John Tantillo. Dr. Tantillo (aka The Marketing Doctor) is a trained applied research psychologist who is internationally known for his expertise at diagnosing the factors that impact target markets.  In parts 2 and 3, we continue the interview with Dr. Tantillo as the interviewer and Dr. Marty McDermott as the interviewee.  We talk about branding, franchising, pasta, marketing, family and entrepreneurship! In part 4, we hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.  Don’t miss this full 90 minute podcast!

We are meeting with Paul Maskill, Development Director for TGA Premier Golf & Tennis.  The mission of TGA is to introduce youth of all backgrounds to the fun, positive, character-building aspects of golf and tennis through programs that build life values, instill confidence through achievement, and offer a fun and educational experience. TGA believes that sports change lives.  A TGA franchise gives entrepreneurial-minded individuals like you a chance to make a positive impact on children’s lives through sports while owning a business you can be proud of.  Their golf and tennis enrichment programs bring the sports and their magnitude of benefits to schools and community centers where students develop fundamentals and learn important life lessons.  TGA then guides customers through a “Player Pathway” of camps, leagues and other events at local golf courses and tennis facilities creating a customer life cycle longer than most competitors. In Part 2, we hear a clip from out Great Quotes in Franchising podca

Today we are meeting with Mike Reynolds, Chief Development Officer, Mrs. Winner’s Chicken & Biscuits.  Mrs. Winner’s Chicken and Biscuits is a chain of quick-service restaurants that cook only the best southern food in the southeast.  Their family dinner includes such southern staples as fried chicken, sweet tea, traditional southern sides and the most delicious of biscuits fresh from the oven.   In 2012, a new chapter opened when a fresh group of owners came to Mrs. Winner’s. Their family has gained new life and we want you to come along for the ride. Together we’ll grow the family once again, and bring the joy of delicious chicken and biscuits to our friends all across the southeast. Some of the questions we ask include the following: Tell us about the history of Mrs. Winner’s and where the franchise is today. How does Mrs. Winner’s differ from other fried chicken concepts? Can you describe the franchise system? What types of characteristics do you look for in a franchisee? What is the training like

If you are a fan of Shark Tank, you are probably familiar with Sub Zero Ice Cream.  We are meeting with Jerry Hancock, the founder of Sub Zero Ice Cream.  Sub Zero Ice Cream uses negative 321-degree liquid nitrogen to freeze and hand mix each customized order with a unique patented process. Besides its unique and highly visual freezing method, Sub Zero Ice Cream caters to a variety of dietary needs. The brand offers six bases including a classic premium custard, low-fat custard and yogurt, as well as lactose free, vegan and sugar free options. After selecting a base, guests can customize with their own mix-ins, creating limitless options when building custom ice cream creations.  We also talk with Jerry about the Shark Tank experience.  In part 2, we hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with Scott Mortier, President of The Franchise Whales and EVP of Business Development at Froots.  With a combined 35-plus years’ experience in franchising, David Lopez and Scott Mortier have launched a franchise incubator to help new, emerging and existing franchises strengthen various areas of their businesses.  Called The Franchise Whales, the franchise incubator supports independent businesses interested in developing a franchise model, emerging franchisors who want to propel their business forward and established franchisors looking to strengthen their existing systems.    We will also discuss how Froots and Gyroville partnered to blend their expertise.  Froots is a healthy alternative to traditional fast food fare, providing a variety of great tasting options including all-natural smoothies, energy shakes, fresh-squeezed juices, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, salads, soups and more.  Gyroville was created in 2010 to bring Mediterranean cuisine to the fast-casual market. Gyroville starts by u

We are meeting with Greg Helwig, the President of Kiddie Academy, an industry leader in educational childcare.  Since 1981, Kiddie Academy® has provided a better way to care for and educate children and create stronger communities. It's something they are passionate about and they have been an education-based childcare leader for more than 30 years. People and Culture Parents wouldn't trust just anyone to care for their children.  This is why Kiddie Academy takes extra special care in ensuring that only the most qualified and caring people are taking care of your child. Equally important, we strive to create an environment of growth and learning for our people as well. Greg joined Kiddie Academy in 2008 and provides overall strategic leadership for the entire company. Greg has over 25 years of executive-level franchise industry experience, including work in optical manufacturing and dispensing, vitamin and nutritional supplement retailing, and the after-school tutoring industries. He received a BA degree f

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Navigator Coach Rick Ibarra-Rivera.  Rick’s professional Coaching career began a decade ago in 2005.  Rick's passion is helping others achieve their dreams and making a difference in their lives.  Rick’s Personal Development journey started many years ago with Landmark Education. It was there where he took several courses over the years and began Coaching.  Rick has BA from Santa Clara University and attended Graduate school at A.C.T. (American Conservatory Theater).  He currently lives in Spokane, WA with his wife and two children.  Here are some of the questions we will ask Rick on the show. How did you become a coach? What is the difference between a “Life” coach and a “mentor” or business coach? What do you like most about being a coach? How does the Navigator provide insights into how to coach a person? Does your coaching interfere with a franchise company’s operations team?  If not, why? What does a franchisee have to commit to in order for life coa

We are meeting with Jeff Garrett, founder of Lumberjacks.  In 2004, in one of those “wake up in the middle of the night” moments, Jeff Garrett thought of Lumberjacks and the timber industry theme. He immediately got to work on converting a generic diner to incorporate this theme and fittingly renamed the place … Lumberjacks. The brand has since grown to nine corporate and franchise restaurants throughout Northern California and Las Vegas, with 25-50 more predominantly franchise locations set to open in the next few years. Guests line up in droves for the experience and a taste of home-style cooking “Where the big boys eat.” ABOUT LUMBERJACKS: Garrett’s initial thought behind the theme was that everyone loves lumberjacks and wants to be like them because they work hard, eat a lot, and work well together. Restaurants have a 12-foot lumberjack statue in front, lumberjack competitions playing on TV screens, juniper wood covering the interior of the restaurant, axes as the door handles and other “woodsy” features

When Michael and Babz Barnett saw a tweet from ABC scouting contestants for new TV show, Shark Tank, six years ago, they had no idea what they’d be walking into. In fact, they saw the premier episode in their hotel room the night before their own taping. But despite the lack of familiarity with the sharks entrepreneurs have today, they presented their concept, Romp n’ Roll – a modernized kids gym perfecting the intersection of entertainment and education for kids ages 3 months to 5 years, and were offered a deal.  Which they declined.  With just a handful of open units in the U.S. at the time, the company switched gears and redirected its focus to China, spending the last five years growing its presence there to an astounding 85 locations. Now, they are once again returning their focus to the states and picking up where they left off on that stage six years ago building on its incredible success – System wide sales in 2015 surpassed $2M in the U.S. and reached $30M worldwide. In part 2, we hear a clip from

We are meeting with the cofounder of #getfried Chris Covelli of #getfried French Fry Cafe a new franchise model that is betting on a relatively untapped market in the U.S.: topped French fries. At #getfried, guests can customize their own unique fry dish by choosing between five styles of fries and more than 20 sauces, seasonings and toppings - turning what was once a favorite side dish, into an indulgent meal. The franchise is co-founded by lifelong friends Chris Covelli (29) and Garrett Green (30), who hope to reach fellow Millennials through the use of the hashtag, which they have trademarked rights to use in conjunction of a restaurant name. In part 2, we will hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

18/8 Fine Men’s Salons are hair care and grooming centers for men, a reinvention of the barber shop, providing hair and grooming services for men in a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere geared toward the specific needs of men. 18/8 stylists provide advice and service in a wide variety of treatments, including haircuts, hair coloring, MANicures, face treatments, scalp treatments and massage, all in semi-private stations. 18/8 stylists are experts in their fields of men’s care and grooming. We are meeting with Scott Griffith, the founder and owner of 18|8 Fine Men’s Salon, Scott has grown the brand to more than 750 salons. It has a system-wide revenue of more than $25 million. Men who enter 18/8 are treated special. They are greeting the moment they come through the door by a salon coordinator who offers them a drink. They are then guided to a stylist’s booth or to private or semi-private rooms, depending on services requested. The 18/8 business model is a rarity in men’s grooming, a shop that treats men special

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with David Wild, Director of franchising for Sloan’s Ice Cream.  A true icon of South Florida, Sloan’s is renowned for its award winning luxury ice cream flavors, candies and world-class bakery items. The brand’s signature pink walls and ceilings, along with the plush toy collection lining its walls add to Sloan’s fun, funky experience. In 1999, Sloan Kamenstein, a classically trained chef and ice cream connoisseur, created Sloan’s Ice Cream along West Palm Beach, Florida’s famed Clematis Street. In part 2, we will hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast. 

We are meeting with Matt Miller of School Spirit Vending.  School Spirit Vending (SSV) is focused on providing hassle-free, year-round fundraising opportunities for as many schools across the country as possible. It’s their goal to help save kids from the door-to-door sales associated with traditional school fundraisers. SSV’s program requires no volunteers, relieving the fundraising burden off of their schools, so they can focus on what they do best – educating their kids! Founded in 2007, SSV has created a unique community support system across the country for operators and their families. Their focus on creating multigenerational businesses helps develop entrepreneurs in all age groups throughout the SSV team.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Sam Hance, President of Stone Coat. This Dallas-based company is the leading innovator of a unique process creating true stone wall finishes. The company exclusive "Blown Stone" system allows you to literally resurface almost any vertical surface with a real stone finish, meaning homeowners save time and money rather than placing traditional stone in their homes. Originally developed in Europe to restore old historic buildings, Stone Coat is a proprietary blend of Limestone and other natural stone materials and minerals specifically designed to be blown onto almost any vertical surface. Once applied, it is able to be carved, shaped, and colored in a variety of ways, including Austin chalk, river rock, cast stone, and many more. Each finish is a custom inspiration of the artisan at work. Recreating the look of Flagstone, Limestone, Brick or Slate is all possible. Founded in 2010 and franchising since 2015 and with more than 20 dealers and distributors alread

We are meeting with Laura Coe, co-founder of Snapology.  Snapology offers a wide array of interactive, play-based activities for children ages 1-14 – including enrichment classes, birthday parties, workshops, camps, scouting events and field trips – mainly using building materials such as LEGO® bricks and other similar building tools and technology. The programs can be customized based on the number of children, age of children and time allotment, and can be broken down into individual classes, such as superhero or Minecraft themed events, competition robotics teams, science classes, team building events and motor skill development courses that are perfect for pre-school children. Additionally, the curriculum is designed to benefit gifted and traditional students, as well as children with special needs, including those with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders. Founded in 2010 and franchising since 2015, Snapology's mission is to provide children with an opportunity to engage in playful learning

We have a great show today.  April is Autism Awareness Month and Snip-its salon, a child-focused hair salon and franchise has partnered with Autism Speaks to develop a special haircutting training guide for stylists and parents to better the experience for the child.  We are meeting with Snip-its Director of Artistic Education, Marsha Cole.  In part 2, we hear out interview with Kim Ellis, the VP of Franchise Development for Snip-its and part 3 includes a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.  

We are meeting with Larry Sidoti, Chief Development Officer of Paris Baguette.  Paris Baguette, a fast-casual premier baking concept so popular in parts of South Korea, China, Singapore and Vietnam that you can’t go more than a few blocks without seeing one of their 3,700 locations. While seeing roaring international success, Paris Baguette is now setting out to shake up the All-American bakery-café market in the United States. The company first debuted in the states in 2005, and just began franchising in 2015. With a current presence of 43 corporate locations and two franchise locations from the West Coast to the East Coast, the company is projected to open more than 350 locations by 2020. Despite its name and Eiffel Tower logo, Paris Baguette’s deep Korean roots date back 70 years before the brand was first introduced to the United States with the opening of its Los Angeles location in 2005, and just began franchising in August, 2015. The company is sure to shake up the historically All-American bakery-ca

Nearly one in five Americans experience mental health and relationship issues every year, yet available treatment options have been slow to adapt or encourage collaborative and client-centered care. Recognizing this void over the past decade, The Lifeologie Institute has been breathing new life into the psychotherapy field and is charging onto the national stage with franchise expansion. Transforming the perception that therapists are solitary and relegated to selling their time, The Lifeologie Institute is the only counseling franchise that offers a collaborative and creative approach to client care along with a proven business model, allowing therapists to become business-owners with equity in their own careers. Having already impacted tens of thousands of families in its four offices throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth market, the company is ready to empower other clinicians to help hundreds of thousands more by growing through franchising. We are meeting with Melanie Wells, founder and Clinical Director at

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Jason Leverant, President and COO of the Atwork Group franchise opportunity.  AtWork is considered one of the best staffing agencies for franchises nationwide.  The goal at AtWork is to provide an unparalleled amount of quality training and proficiency to allow the franchisee (you) to make ownership decisions without being confined to an office. Atwork Group has more than 90 United States locations and 25,000 temporary employees. They have a deep commitment to providing greater operational support to franchise owners with client services and staffing solutions.  We discuss the temporary services agency as well as the training for new franchisees.   In part 2, we feature a quote from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.