Franchise Canada Chats

In this episode, we talk to d3h Hotels chief strategist, Carolyn Genest. d3h Hotels operate under the Realstar Hospitality brand, which is a property management company based out of Toronto, Ontario. Carolyn explains how all 13 hotels in the chain have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic and are still being reserved by guests. Here, Carolyn shares: • How Realstar Hospitality has supported d3h Hotels through regular calls for franchisees to normalize what’s happening during the pandemic • How the brand has worked to help guests find places to visit in the vicinity of hotels that stayed open over the past year • And the five key lessons she’s learned as a franchisor that can help franchisees find success within their business endeavours, among much more.

In this episode, we talk to Mad Science Group president and CEO Shafik Mina, and franchisee Kyle Upton, who has more than 20 years of experience in franchising as he owns two locations in St. Catharines and London, Ontario. Mad Science Group is a science enrichment program for children that has 165 franchise locations in more than 20 countries worldwide. Here, Shafik and Kyle share: • Why franchisees having passion for the industry they join is so vital to their success and overall happiness as business owners • The new Crayola Imagine Arts Academy franchising opportunity that Mad Science Group created to reach children with an interest in the arts • And how the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the brand to transition from an in person and hands-on learning approach to an entirely virtual process that’s been implemented for the past year, among much more.

In this episode, we talk to Katelyn, Carly, and Paige Fulton, a trio of sisters who own a Century 21 franchise in Scarborough, Ontario. Century 21 is a Canadian owned and operated real estate company with more than 400 offices across the country. The sisters explain how their family has been in franchising for decades with the Percy Fulton Century 21 franchise that’s been operating for more than 40 years. Here, Katelyn, Carly, and Paige share: • Why they each made the switch from corporate careers into the increasingly popular real estate industry, and how their father’s franchising experience helped support that career change • The benefits of franchising with your family members, such as knowing each other’s strong suits and how to motivate each other • And the best thing they did for their business before starting off, including conducting personality tests to learn their strengths and weaknesses as business owners, and much more.

In this episode, we talk to Clark Harrop, a partner at Dale & Lessmann LLP. The business law firm is a franchise support service/supplier that represents franchisors and franchisees in the franchise agreement and disclosure document process. Clark has been in the franchising space since the year 2000, and has worked with brands including Tim Hortons and McDonald’s, where he says he learned how good franchise systems work and adapt to changes as necessary. Here, Clark shares: • Why he decided to take his decades of franchise experience to a private practice to work more closely with franchisors and franchisees • How to best implement system change within a franchise system, including the challenges this poses for franchisors • And the importance of communication between franchisors and their franchisees, especially as we continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, among much more.

In this episode, we talk to Spiritleaf franchisee, Cara Rose-Brown, who opened a franchise in Stitsville, Ontario with her husband Tim in July 2020. The couple have been franchising together for more than 20 years. Spiritleaf is a Canadian cannabis brand that currently has 68 franchise units across Canada. They operate with the goal of being the most knowledgeable and trusted retailer of recreational cannabis. Here, Cara shares: • Why she and Tim decided to open a Spiritleaf franchise to help bring cannabis to their small community in Ottawa • How she and Tim won Spiritleaf’s Franchise Partners of the Year award in December 2020, just five months after opening their franchise • And how the entrepreneurial spirit runs in the family, as the couple also introduced their son Mitch to franchising and hope to leave a legacy for him with their Spiritleaf franchise, and much more.

In this episode, we talk to Lice Squad.com franchisee, Malika Rezgani, who owns three territories and built three clinics that service Burlington-Hamilton, Niagara-St. Catharines, and Mississauga-Oakville in Ontario. Malika explains how she discovered the Lice Squad.com opportunity through reading a Franchise Canada magazine, and how she spent about a year working for the franchise before deciding to purchase her own clinic. Here, Malika shares: • What she enjoys most about owning her own businesses with the Lice Squad.com system • How she juggles being a mom of three who also operates three franchises, and what gave her that push to expand her business with Lice Squad.com • And her advice for success to those interested in purchasing more than one franchise location as they expand their business, among much more.

In this episode, we talk to 30 Minute Hit franchisee, Jodie Peck, who owns two successful locations in Halifax and Bedford, Nova Scotia. 30 Minute Hit is a high intensity and empowering boxing and kickboxing circuit designed specifically for women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. Jodie is a military veteran who moved to Canada from the UK with her husband’s job. While there, she worked in the Royal Air Force as an engineering officer for 18 years. Jodie says she became a 30 Minute Hit trainer after moving to Canada and loved it and wanted more, then the opportunity to buy into the Halifax location popped up. Here, Jodie shares: • The huge learning curve she experienced when transitioning from being in the military to working in the service industry • Why she decided to invest in a second franchise location following the success of her first • And 30 Minute Hit’s new online training program that was launched during the pandemic, which offers an online library and mimics all training and techniqu

In this episode, we talk to EverLine Coatings and Services president John Evans and franchisee Simon Jawanda from Winnipeg, Manitoba. EverLine Coatings and Services provides pavement marking and parking lot maintenance services. Here, John and Simon share: - How the brand has achieved franchise growth even during the challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic - How Simon keeps motivated as a triple threat, balancing his career and personal life as a franchisee, full-time firefighter, and a new dad - The learning curve that EverLine Coatings and Services has given Simon, while John continues providing round the clock support for franchisees, among much more.

In this episode, we talk to WP Creations franchisor Jamie Berube and franchisee Rachel Seabrook from Airdrie, Alberta. WP Creations is a work from home franchise concept that allows women and moms to gain work-life balance while helping customers create life casting keepsakes of their children. Here, Jamie and Rachel share: • How COVID-19 changed Rachel’s training and entire business start up as she joined WP Creations in February 2020 just before the pandemic began • Jamie’s key learnings that help her motivate and support her female franchisees • How WP Creations quickly and effectively pivoted their business strategy from touching babies in person to an entirely virtual process where clients complete the life casting from their own homes using Zoom calls with franchisees to help out where needed, and much more.

In this episode, we talk to Nina Choma, a Molly Maid franchisee who owns a location in North Mississauga, Ontario. Molly Maid is a Canadian maid service company that’s been cleaning homes since 1979, and Nina has been a franchisee with the brand for 17 years. Nina says she was attracted to franchising for the generous support that comes from the business model. Plus, she keeps motivated and inspired with the continuous encouragement from her family, friends, and fellow franchisees. During this episode, Nina shares: - Her advice to prospective and existing franchisees about the often-unexpected task of hiring and staffing for your franchise - How COVID-19 has changed the structure of her small business - And the new Healthy Home Cleaning System that was introduced by Molly Maid to protect staff, franchisees, and clients which has helped the brand stay above the curve during the pandemic, and much more.

In this episode, we feature Greg Nathan, a registered psychologist and founder of Franchise Relationships Institute. He explores how franchisors can maintain their franchisees’ confidence as they work together to battle the challenges and changes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, Greg shares his expertise as a leading global expert on the psychology of the franchise relationship to explore a variety of tips and tools that franchisors can use to lead their teams. This episode was adapted from Greg’s keynote presentation titled “Getting Franchisee Buy-In to Change” as part of the Canadian Franchise Association’s Business Recovery Summit Series. The month-long series of webinar presentations took place throughout October. You can learn more at CFA.ca.

In this episode, we feature Catherine Monson, CEO & president of FASTSIGNS International. She explores how franchises across the country have been put to the test throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, Catherine shares: - How to confront crisis as an opportunity for change, to refocus, and to capitalize on what’s coming in the future - Franchising best practices - How being an inspirational and effective leader involves learning how to develop a positive mental attitude with your team using goal directed behaviour. This episode was adapted from Catherine’s keynote presentation titled “Leading Through Challenging Times” as part of the Canadian Franchise Association’s Business Recovery Summit Series. The month-long series of webinar presentations took place throughout October. You can learn more at cfa.ca.

In this episode, we feature Demetre Eliopoulos, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Public Affairs at Angus Reid Group. He shares advice as a public opinion expert about how Canadians have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they’ve changed their lives and the ways they would like to be communicated with. Here, Demetre shares: - How Canadians’ jobs and finances have been impacted by the pandemic - What businesses they’re interacting with most - How they feel about advertising today, and much more. This episode was adapted from Demetre’s keynote presentation titled “Consumer Insights Today: Understanding the Perceptions and Needs of Canadians in a COVID-19 Environment” as part of the Canadian Franchise Association’s Business Recovery Summit Series. The month-long series of webinar presentations took place throughout October. You can learn more at cfa.ca.

This episode features keynote speaker and author, Todd Cohen, who shares how to crush the negative stereotype of sales in order to cultivate a team that is dedicated to the process of getting a customer to say “yes!” Here, Todd shares: - How every interaction with a customer is a selling moment - How to empower your staff to embrace their unique talents - How to redefine our culture and go beyond business recovery into business acceleration, among much more.   This episode was adapted from Todd’s keynote presentation titled “Everyone’s in Sales in YOUR Franchise Store” as part of the Canadian Franchise Association’s Business Recovery Summit Series. The month-long series of webinar presentations took place throughout October. You can learn more at cfa.ca.

In this episode, we talk to Angela Coté, an international Franchise Growth Catalyst with both franchisor and franchisee experience who uses her knowledge to help growing companies get their start as they join the franchising community. Having grown up the daughter of M&M Food Market’s founder, Angela joined the franchising industry at just 18-years-old and has developed an abundance of wisdom in her 25 years in the field. Now, she runs Angela Coté Inc. as a franchise business coach who guides brands through all the stages of franchising. During this episode, Angela shares: - The top traits of the ideal franchisee - The “5 Rockstar questions” that franchisees should ask prospective franchisors (spoiler alert: having passion is a key to franchising!) - How the COVID-19 pandemic has created an increase in collaboration for franchising, and much more.

In this episode, we talk to Robert Bruski, CFO of Ctrl V, a virtual reality arcade franchise. Robert teamed up with his long-time friend and CEO, Ryan Brooks, and Ryan’s cousin and COO, James Elligson, to come up with a compelling and unique way of incorporating technology and virtual reality into their everyday lives. Since their launch in 2016, Robert and his team have expanded Ctrl V to over a dozen locations across Canada, the US, and Costa Rica, and are the world’s largest virtual reality arcade franchise. During this episode, Robert shares: - Why franchising with Ctrl V is a great opportunity for Generation Z members - Key learnings he’s picked up about owning a business - How business was affected by COVID-19 - His proudest accomplishment with the brand (spoiler alert: Ctrl V has tons of achievements!), and much more.

In this episode, we talk to Jamie Berube, president and CEO of WP Creations, who joined the head office team in 2013 and eventually became sole franchisor after their founder retired. Originally called the Wee Piggies foundation, Jamie used her experience in sales and training to build her team of home-based franchisees by offering extensive training and an ongoing support system. Now, WP Creations is thriving with more than 30 locations spread coast to coast while keeping the company’s original traditions. During this episode, Jamie shares: - The perks of running a home-based business - How she supports her female-led team of entrepreneurs - How to keep franchisees connected through the long distance (including a newly introduced buddy system!) - What she adores most about running WP Creations, and much more.

In this episode, we talk to Dawn Mucci, CEO and founder of Lice Squad.com, the leading head lice removal franchise system with a mission to stop the stigma around head lice. Dawn founded Lice Squad.com in 2001 after she discovered head lice on her son and found that she had very few options to get rid of the pesky problem. Since then, the franchise has expanded to 36 franchise and corporate locations with over 250 service providers spread across Canada. During this episode, Dawn shares: - The benefits of being a Lice Squad.com franchisee - How COVID-19 has impacted the business (including some surprisingly severe lice cases!) - Her biggest learnings over the past difficult year - What keeps her smiling and motivated as she runs the Lice Squad.com brand, and so much more.

In this episode, we talk to Rosemarie Reid-Julien, a Beyond the Classroom franchisee who owns a location in North Brampton. Beyond the Classroom has been in business since 1998 and there are currently a dozen locations around Ontario. They offer online and in-home tutoring for students in grades JK to 12 for subjects including math, English, reading, writing, and French. Rosemarie recently celebrated her first anniversary with Beyond the Classroom. She joined the tutoring industry with 16 years of experience as a high school teacher and decided to become a franchisee to combine her love for teaching with a desire to become an entrepreneur. During this episode, Rosemarie shares: - How she uses an online tutoring platform to follow the social distancing protocols of COVID-19 - What she enjoys most as a Beyond the Classroom franchisee (including working on her public speaking skills!) - Her biggest inspiration and motivation, and much more.

In this episode, we talk to CEO Brian Bazely and franchisee Rahul Kumar of Driverseat, a transportation franchise that offers two-fold services as a chauffeur and shuttle provider. Brian and his brother Luke Bazely co-founded Driverseat in 2012, with the goal of doing something good for the community. Driverseat is in over 400 communities in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, with one location in the US. Rahul owns a location in Calgary which he operates alongside his wife, and he says he was drawn to Driverseat because of their values as a socially responsible franchise. During this episode, Brian shares: - How he and his brother support their many franchisees, - The impact COVID-19 had on business - Key learnings from this challenging year Rahul shares: - His goals for his Driverseat franchise - His favourite thing about running his own business (including a lot of emotions and learning opportunities!) - His new Grocery Shop & Drop program that was created to support seniors during the pandemic