Franchise Interviews

Every March, we get more email inquiries and requests for interviews with tax franchises.  With April 15 right around the corner, Franchise Interviews is having our first tax symposium.  You will hear interviews with tax franchises like Roni Deutch, Liberty Tax, Instant tax, and the Fiesta Tax franchise opportunities.

We have a great show today...we are meeting with Todd Leff, the CEO and President of the Hand & Stone franchise opportunity.  Hand and Stone  provides quality, therapeutic client focused massage for your wellness. Their licensed massage therapists will personalize a massage session that is just right for you.  Some of the topics Todd discusses are the industries they serve as well as the history of the organization.  We will also hear our own Don Johnson on a recent CBS radio interview.  Dianmond Don discusses his favorite topic...franchise financing.

We have a great show today.  … we are meeting with with David Winter, President of HomeStory and Luke Helm, Vice President, Business Development  of HomeStory. Sacramento-based HomeStory was founded in 2007 as the revolutionizing solution to traditional timely and costly door replacement methods that require skilled labor. Its innovative technology is designed to benefit both homeowners and franchisees as it allows doors to be installed in record time without mess or hassle. HomeStory is dedicated to helping homeowners tell the story of their homes by transforming their living spaces in the fastest, easiest and most affordable way possible –through door replacement. We will also reveal the Franchise Secret from our Great Quotes in franchising segment.

We are meeting with --"Big Mike" Liautaud, founder and president of Milio's Sandwiches…. Success in the sandwich business runs deep in the Liautaud family tree. There are more than 40 Milio’s Sandwiches locations and the company expects to have an additional six stores either open or in development by the end of 2012. We also speak to a legend in franchising John Hewitt from the Liberty Tax franchise opportunity in our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.

You might get hungry after our interview with Submarina.  This is the first time we are meeting with Submarina.  We are meeting with Bruce Rosenthal, President of Submarina.   Submarina  currently has 50 locations and they expect to open six to eight stores in the first quarter of 2012, with more than 20 openings projected by the end of 2012.  Bruce discusses the Submarina franchise opportunity.  We also meet with Gary Ochiogrosso.  Gary discusses the three legged stool of franchising.

We are excited to meet with Mike Schlegel, VP of Development with Dogtopia.  Dogtopia is the premiere provider of dog daycare and boarding and is now opening franchises all over the US! Customers can drop their dog off at Dogtopia® and let him spend the day socializing with other dogs, running around and burning off plenty of pent-up energy.  In part 2 we are meeting with franchise expert and author Dr. Robert Needham.

We are meeting with Bob Watson, CEO of 5 & Diner 5 & Diner is an honest-to-goodness ‘50s-style family dining restaurant concept with an aggressive franchise growth plan to bring back the roadside diner experience across the United States. Created in 1989, 5 & Diner has blossomed from a single location in Phoenix, Arizona to 12 locations in five states. The company is looking to attract new franchisees throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions with a brand new prototype, updated menu and new leadership5 & Diner is an honest-to-goodness ‘50s-style family dining restaurant concept with an aggressive franchise growth plan to bring back the roadside diner experience across the United States. We will also hear Don Johnson's interview on CBS radio with Coach Lynn Johnson.  

We are meeting with Lawrence “Doc” Cohen, a veteran of the franchise industry who first franchised Great American Cookies 33 years ago, became the first-ever franchisee inducted into the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Hall of Fame.   Mr. Cohen’s Houston-based Cookie Associates, also owns TCBY, Coffee Beanery, and Pretzelmaker. The award, which was presented to Cohen at the IFA’s annual convention last year in Las Vegas, recognizes individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the IFA and the franchising community. The Hall of Fame includes quick-serve greats such as Dave Thomas, Ray Kroc, Fred DeLuca, and Col. Harland Sanders. In part 2, we hear from another legend in franchising George Naddaff,  and George is considered by many to be the Guru of Franchising in America, specializes in the development and marketing of franchise concepts. As a man frequently featured in leading business publications like Forbes, Inc., Success, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, and in numerous trad

We have a great show today.  … we are meeting with the CEO of the United Franchise Group Ray Titus and the director of international development for the United Franchise Group Tony Foley.  THE UNITED FRANCHISE GROUP: Over 1400 FRANCHISE LOCATIONS IN 52 COUNTRIES and has been franchising over 25 years. The company includes franchise industry giants SIGNARAMA, the world’s largest sign franchise; EmbroidMe, the world’s largest embroidery franchise; Billboard Connection, an incredibly successful out-of-home advertising franchise; Transworld Business Advisors, for people to research business opportunities before investing; and Plan Ahead Events, a home-based corporate event planning franchise. Finally, we have SuperGreen Solutions, a energy efficient / green product and services business soon to enter the franchising system.  In part 2, you will hear our interview on CBS radio with Coach Lynn Johnson

In 1979, VR Business Brokers set out to revolutionize the way businesses change hands and aid in the standardization of the fragmented business broker industry. Today, they are the innovative leader in the sale of privately held companies. With diligence and expertise, a commitment to internal education and unsurpassed professionalism, VR is driven to exceed the expectations created from a glorious history. When you become a VR Intermediary you will be trained to provide every client with the same level of service and professional resources that a large institutional client receives from the finest investment bank. VR is committed to work diligently with every franchisee as advocates and mentors, providing each with the proper tools and training needed to successfully compete within the industry while providing a comprehensive team consultancy approach to each and every business transaction combined with continual on-going support.

We are meeting with Jason Isley of franchise development of the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Franchise Opportunity 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is the world's largest junk removal franchise with 200+ Franchise Partners throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. They are a young, dynamic company, set to dominate a  new market niche.  We are also going to hear a clip from the legendary Michael Gerber, author of the successful, "The E-Myth Revisited".

We are excited to welcome back the great Warren Greshes.  If you want your staff to perform at their best, then you need to become the best damn manager ever, someone who can ignite your employees’ passion for their jobs, enabling them to execute their duties at a high level whether you are there or not.  The Best Damn Management Book Ever teaches managers, executives, and business owners how to do just that.  From the acclaimed author of The Best Damn Sales Book Ever, this concise trove of management wisdom outlines the nine keys to creating self-motivated high-achievers.

The Franchise King®, Joel Libava, is an author and a brutally honest entrepreneur hyper-focused on making sure that prospective franchise owners don’t lose their money. His Mission: To make franchising more transparent by aggressively informing all who wish to become franchise owners there’s definitely risk involved, and then teaching them how to lower it. Joel Libava provides the straightforward information needed to make a well-informed decision With more and more professionals looking for alternatives to traditional corporate employment, Become a Franchise Owner! informs would-be franchise owners of the joys and perils of purchasing a franchise. Authored by a trusted, feisty, tell-it-how-it-is independent franchise industry insider, this book offers straightforward, step-by-step tips and advice on how to properly (and carefully) research and select a franchise business. Get tips on how to locate information about franchises, current industry trends, interviews with franchisors, and hot franchise opport

It seems like yesterday Franchise Interviews launched our first radio show back in 2006.  Since that time, we have recorded over 250 shows.  This is a packed show.  We could not think of anyone better than inviting special guest Steve Caldiera.   As President  & CEO, Mr. Caldeira works with the IFA board to set the direction for the organization’s strategic priorities: government relations and public policy, including the association’s political action committee, media relations, public relations and professional development programs and research initiatives.  He represents the association and acts as its primary spokesperson and liaison to government, news media, members, prospective members, business and professional organizations, educational institutions and the public, both domestically and internationally. If you are a frequent leader to our radio show, you will know how often, Marty and Don speak about veterans and entrepreneurship.  Today we are meeting with Sean Falk – A former US Marine infantr

We are meeting with Bill Dunn, president and COO of Auntie Anne's. Bill will provide tips on how to choose a charitable partner that makes sense for your brand's identity. How to get your employees emotionally invested in a common cause. How to get your charitable mission in front of customers. How careful execution can ultimately impact your bottom line. ABOUT AUNTIE ANNE'S An award-winning franchise system, Auntie Anne's is consistently ranked number one in the category of hand-rolled soft pretzels by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, has received the World-Class Franchise® honor (the most prestigious award in franchising) for the past five years, and "Best in Food Category" for Franchise Business Review's 2009 and 2010 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. The foundations of Auntie Anne's success lie in the collaborative partnership between the franchisor and franchisees and a targeted growth strategy focused on he best locations and partners

Like so many things, it all started by a wrong turn made right. Charley was taking a family vacation when a missed exit brought him to South Philly. His first encounter with a local delicacy, a Philly Cheesesteak, was love at first bite. Totally hooked, he brought his findings back home to Columbus, Ohio and began testing recipes on his college buddies.   After perfecting the recipe, Charley's fortune took another turn for the best. His mother let him borrow from her life savings to open the first Charley's on the Ohio State University campus. The 450 square foot, 16 seat restaurant featuring Philly Steak Subs, Gourmet Fries and Natural Lemonade was an instant hit.   To keep up with customer demand, Charley began franchising in 1991. Locations began popping up all over the world, including mall food courts, strip centers, airports and even Army & Air Force Bases. You can now enjoy the award-winning taste of Charley's Grilled Subs in hundreds of locations, from Ohio to Hawaii to Alaska to Japan and be

We are meeting with Kathleen Gilmartin of the Interim HealthCare Franchise Opportunity Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare is the oldest and most established healthcare franchise in the country, offering a full range of homecare and healthcare staffing services – through over 300 offices – to more than 65,000 people a day.   As the country's first healthcare franchise, we have the benefit of years of experience in every aspect of homecare and healthcare staffing. From our policies and procedures, to our employee training programs, to our comprehensive sales and marketing systems, we offer the knowledge and expertise – built over decades – that provide a solid foundation to put you in business.   With the finger of our corporate headquarters right on the pulse of the ever-changing healthcare environment, Interim HealthCare offers distinct advantages for franchisees that almost no other organization can match – along with the most envied business development system in the industry, a franchise support team

While consumer interest in Asian food continues to sizzle, Mama Fu’s is confirming what it saw happening a few years ago and anchoring itself as the segment leader.   With 13 locations already open and operating throughout the United States, Mama Fu’s recently increased the number of restaurants it has in various stages of development to 29, having signed an 11-store development agreement in West Texas and San Antonio.     “It’s an exciting time for Mama Fu’s as we continue to build on the success of the brand and increase momentum towards our national expansion goals,” said Randy Murphy, President and CEO of Mama Fu’s. “We look forward to feeding the local appetite in West Texas, San Antonio and beyond.”   We are meeting with CEO Randy Murphy.

Before Starting a Franchise, Know What You Are Getting Into Franchise Guru Harold Kestenbaum Takes 35-Years of Experience and Turns it into the Go-To Book on Franchising Running a single-unit business in a recession is challenging, so before you make the leap into a franchise model, be sure you have the trifecta of franchising success: a profitable concept, good management and the necessary capital. However, having a good concept is a make-or-breaker. Harold Kestenbaum, a New York-based franchise attorney and author of So You Want To Franchise Your Business, shares his advice to potential businesses thinking about taking the dive into franchising where he provides tips about what to consider in the process. As a 35-year franchise veteran who has helped brands such as Sbarro and Five Guys evolve into what they are today, Kestenbaum focuses on helping both start-up and emerging franchisors implement best practices in legal services, but also serves as an elite advisor and confidant for franchisors. "Some of th

This show goes right into the interview with Brain Balance Achievement Centers.  The Brain Balance Program® does not rely on pharmaceutical drugs, medical procedures or psychotherapy. Our Program is an integrated approach – one that is designed to help children who suffer from a range of neurobehavioral disorders.