FranchiseU!

In today's episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Tara Riley from Fresh Coat Painters. Riley shares how having a specific niche and a proven method for acquiring new customers make for a replicable, reliable process to see success in business. With over 35 years of executive management and operations experience in franchising, Riley's greatest success lies in creating profitable growth for franchise owners. Taking over as President of Fresh Coat in 2014, Riley has helped to triple franchise average unit volume and nearly quadruple total revenues in just under eight years. Prior to her experience with Fresh Coat, Riley lead teams in a variety of business models including home improvement, personal services, and restaurants. Riley's broad experience working within global franchise icons such as McDonald's as well as in much younger high-growth brands, including Sport Clips, NHance Wood Renewal and Comfort Keepers has provided her with an arsenal of creative ideas for growth and scaling. As an experienced business owner, Riley understands the challenges and fears new business owners face and has a passion for helping franchisees push through to success. This experience is instrumental in leading Fresh Coat on a continued path of growth and quest to be the largest painting brand in the world. Riley has a B.B.A in Management from Texas A&M University, an M.B.A. in Finance from Kennesaw State University (Georgia) and is a Certified Franchise Executive. In her free time, Riley volunteers with St Vincent de Paul and loves cooking, golfing, and touring back roads on her motorcycle with her best friend and companion, Steve.

In today's episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Dom Rubino from Profit Tool Belt Podcast. Rubino shares amazing tips and tricks from his experience as a franchisee, franchisor, business coach, and successful podcaster. Rubino is a serial entrepreneur and business coach specializing in the construction and trades business. He has built and sold multiple companies, including 2 multi-million and international companies. He was also the previous Global Master Franchisor for a professional services brand. When he purchased that company, it had six units when it was sold it had 237 globally.

In today's episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Eli Bensignor from Lathrop GPM. Bensignor responses to questions about the different aspects of franchise law that impact both franchisor and franchisee operations. Bensignor dedicates his practice to franchise, distribution, and licensing matters. He counsels emerging and seasoned franchisors across the U.S. on day-to-day matters, including analyzing and drafting agreements and commercial contracts, advising on regulatory compliance, and filing registrations. Bensignor also represents buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions of franchise systems and multi-unit franchisees, including private equity backed deals. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

In today's episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Morgan Merrill and Sarah Shanks with SRS Real Estate Partners. Merrill and Shanks talk about options that franchisees can leverage to create capitol to expand their businesses. Merrill is a licensed CPA, a KY real estate broker and an University of Louisville College of Business graduate. Merrill currently specializes in restaurant investment sales nationwide and is a Finance Officer on the Board of Directors for Friends School of Louisville. She is mother to Alexandria and Baby Boy coming in October, 2023. Shanks is a CPA that started her career in Tax at Deloitte. She moved to Yum! Brands' Tax Department and then to KFC specifically to work directly with franchisees. Shanks left KFC to pursue brokerage (real estate mostly) with SRS to help franchisees in a way she could not inside of the franchisor. Shanks has been with SRS for 5 years, in partnership with Morgan Merrill.

In today's episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Christopher Seman with Strategic Franchising. Seman's successful career demonstrates how staying focused on a franchisee's desires benefits everyone, regardless of brand. Before Seman's success leading Strategic Franchising he previously served in various senior executive positions, including President of Caring Transitions, and Vice President with Mr. Handyman International. Seman is a firm believer in franchising and the franchise model, having gained this belief through his experience as a franchise executive and by owning his own franchise. Seman owned and operated a successful Mr. Handyman franchise and knows firsthand the critical importance of having a world-class training, marketing, and operational support programs in place for franchise owners at all levels of the system. After five years of amazing growth and success with Caring Transitions, Seman was promoted to COO/President of Strategic Franchising Systems to help spread his ideas and proven systems across all five Strategic Franchising brands.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Julie Canseco with Main Squeeze Juice Bar. Canseco's career history demonstrates her passion for health. Canseco currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Main Squeeze Juice Co., previously serving as the Vice President of Operations and In-House Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. Canseco brings nutrition and operations experience from her previous position of Nutritionist and Marketing/Operations Dietitian with Eat Fit Nola, a non-profit restaurant-partnership program offered by Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, LA before joining Main Squeeze Juice Co.® in August 2017. Canseco worked with Eat Fit Nola from April 2016 to August 2017 and during her tenure increased participating restaurant partners from 45 to over 150 partners, and secured over 1 million dollars in grant funding to expand Eat Fit programs throughout the state of Louisiana, in partnership with Ochsner Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Prior to Eat Fit Nola, Canseco worked at East Jefferson Family Practice, as their Nutrition Program Manager from August 2014 to April 2016. Before East Jefferson Family Practice, Canseco attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA from August 2009 to May 2013, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics. After LSU, Canseco attended the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine's Dietetic Internship Program in New Orleans, LA, and obtained her Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist license in August 2014.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Colette Bell with Ace Handyman Services. Bell's career history demonstrates how franchising a successful business can offer amazing opportunities for both the franchisor and the franchisee. Listen and hear Bell's success story which includes being a 24-year entrepreneur who co-founded Handyman Matters with her husband. They franchised the business in 2001 and sold to Ace Hardware in 2019.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Eric Maas with Complete Weddings + Events. Maas career demonstrates how franchising facilitates the creation of intergenerational wealth. Listen and hear how you can spend your entire career serving others on one of the most memorial days of their lives. Following in the footsteps of his father, Maas has done it all at Complete. From DJ, owning his own franchise, operations director at the corporate support office, and now CEO. It's been Maas's vision that scaled his dad's franchise to see the growth and success the company experiences today. Complete Weddings + Events is now in over 190 units across North America and is consistently named as one of Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchises.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Scott Oaks with Scoop Soldiers. Oaks franchising career demonstrates his belief in the franchising model and its potential financial impact on a family. Listen and hear the thread that runs throughout Oaks's entire career. Scott Oaks is a senior level franchise development professional with over 20 years of experience working within all segments of franchising with a proven track record of success in franchise sales. Oaks has developed franchise development messaging, branding, and recruiting practices that directly impacted in positive franchise growth. Oaks is currently working as VP of Franchise Development for Scoop Soldiers, a veteran-themed pet waste removal franchise, after serving as Director of Franchise Development at FirstLight Home Care for 4 years. Oaks previously worked with several brands to help them with franchise development and lead generation strategies utilizing the 1851 platform. Oaks also served as Vice President of Franchise Development for BrightStar Care. I worked to strengthen their relationships with their broker partners, bring in new franchisees, and guide existing franchisees through the transfer process. At Wireless Zone, Oaks brought in over 80 individual franchise stores through good qualification, relationship management, and a recruiting "a good quality franchisee mindset". Oaks also led their conversion initiative of converting existing retailers into the franchise. A key asset in the growth of Wireless Zone from 250 stores to over 450 stores. Prior to Wireless Zone, Oaks was Director of Franchise Development for Handyman Connection, a home improvement franchise where he oversaw the revamping of their franchise development process, messaging, marketing, and advertising strategy. Oaks has spent the previous 5 years in sales management and marketing roles in the printing press manufacturing industry.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Terri Harof with Workout Anytime. Mrs. Harof shares how her passion for fitness and her business experience prepared her for her career in Franchising. Listen and hear which accomplishment gives Mrs. Harof the most pride. Terri Harof's mantra is, “Attitude is everything and hard work always pays off.” She is an inspiring leader with 30 years of senior level expertise in hospitality, sales & marketing and business development. As Global Director of Franchise Sales and Chief Brand Believer at Workout Anytime (workoutanytimefranchise.com), her responsibilities include driving the domestic & international growth of the great brand. She has been married to her husband, Doug, for 26 years and they have three amazing sons (Chase - Graduate / Athlete: UGA; Carson -Sophomore at GA Tech; Cole - Senior and Varsity baseball & football player at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School); 1 dog and 1 crazy cat. Their days are spent cheering on the boys, traveling, entertaining, gardening, coaching and one of her biggest passions is helping people by teaching group fitness classes, which she has done since college!

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Blas Escarcega with Polo Campero. Mr. Escarcega shares how his work history in accounting prepared him for his career in franchising. Listen and hear what Mr. Escarcega thinks is so unique about Polo Campero. Blas Escarcega serves as the Director of Franchise Development for Pollo Campero, the world's largest Central American chicken chain. Escarcega, a Dallas-based restaurant financial executive, spent the bulk of his career guiding those in the restaurant industry to a path of profitability via performance management, strategic planning, accounting and business intelligence.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Brianna Keefe with Toastique. Ms. Keefe shares how her unique idea for a low-cost healthy restaurant became a true franchising opportunity. She further explains how Toastique maintains a tight-knit, close franchisor/franchisee environment. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Bryan Park with Footprints Floors. Mr. Park shares how his career in franchising began by accident. He further talks about how he built his franchise into a Franchise Magazine Top 500 Company. Brian Park's Biographical Information Upon Mr. Park's return to Littleton, Colorado, after serving in the U.S. Air Force, he noticed that Denver's flooring industry lacked a higher level of customer service and sophistication. So, in 2008, he founded Footprints Floors, which today specializes in installing hardwood floors, tile floors, backsplashes and laminates. With more than 160 territories, Footprints Floors offers franchisees a robust support system, including a call center, flexible hours for work-life balance and a low cost of entry with outstanding economics.

In today's episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with University of Louisville College of Business students Caroline Thomas and Nima Agsari about their experience at the recent International Franchise Association's 2023 Convention. Caroline Thomas is a junior at the University of Louisville majoring in Marketing and minoring in Political Science. She has previously taken MGMT 409: Franchise Human Resources & Leading Teams and is currently taking MGMT 413: Franchise Growth & Support. She is from Bardstown, KY! Nima Agsari is a current senior biology major at UofL with a minor in business management. He is also a current Real Estate Professional at Homepage Realty.

In this episode of Franchise U!, Kathy sits down with Main Line Brands CEO Chris Buitron to discuss his passion for Franchising and the unique services and businesses managed by Main Line Brands. Chris Buitron joins Main Line Brands as CEO, bringing decades of experience in various franchise industries from gasoline/convenience store franchising to Big Five consulting to home health care services marketing. His background includes Chief Marketing Officer for Senior Helpers, Vice President of Marketing for Direct Energy (Home services division) and Director of Marketing for Sunoco Inc., where he supported the company's 4,700 franchised and company-owned retail facilities across 23 states (over $15B in annual revenues). When Chris isn't in the office, you find him spending time with his two children and friends. He also enjoys traveling, playing sports, and watching movies. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Jillyan Morris has been in the franchising world for over a decade. As a licensed cosmetologist and esthetician, she started out at Massage Envy and worked as an operating partner at PROSE Nails. Now venturing in the fitness world, she acts as the liaison between the franchisees and our corporate office. In her role she is responsible for supporting franchisees and helping to increase unit-level profitability and efficiency. Enjoy the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Michael is a Senior Healthcare Franchising Executive with over 20 years of experience executing on organic and acquisition growth strategies in a Private Equity environment. Multi-disciplined leader who drives change through influence at all levels of an organization. • Experience as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer in an international home care franchise company • 5 Years of Business Unit Leadership (strategy and full P&L responsibility) • Demonstrated success in both organic and acquisition growth strategies internationally • Extensive experience in M&A from due diligence through integration • Multi-site healthcare management

Adam is the President of HomeTeam. He has been with HomeTeam for over 15 years and has an extensive technology and marketing background. Adam is a results-oriented leader that implements the strategic vision for HomeTeam. He is committed to the growth of the company and focuses his efforts on developing new opportunities and strengthening relationships with regional and national partners. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Michele is a marketing industry veteran with over 25 years of experience building brands and driving enterprise-wide transformational growth. With experience across health care, consumer products and retail F&B, she has demonstrated success building consumer affinity for iconic brands in the US and Asia. Throughout her career, Michele has actively sought career opportunities across a range of industries, channels and geographies. These diverse experiences have contributed to her success in driving business and brand growth.

“Whether it's business ownership, management or sports, a coach's main job is helping individuals and the team reach their full potential.“ Joe Delatte has spent his entire career building and sharpening skills in business management, leadership, strategic marketing, sales, product development, process improvement and creative thinking. Along the way he has held key marketing positions for several large communications players, including Landmark and Cox Communications. He has also owned and operated a home services franchise that quickly became one of the area's highest quality and well known home services companies. Now as the President of Home Clean Heroes he gets to put it all to work coaching our franchisees and corporate team to help them each reach their full potential, and their personal dreams. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Tim Swackhammer is a hardworking family man. Married for years and has three children - two boys and a girl. In addition to being a loving father, Tim is also a serial entrepreneur with interests in several businesses, including Mold Medics. This spirit can really be traced back to his father and his experiences in franchising. His father was able to be extremely successful with franchising, and wanted to give that ambition & accomplishment to others. Seeing how many people were trapped in homes with poor air quality, Tim dedicated himself to learning everything he could about indoor air quality and designing a remediation company focused on the people, not the property. Through franchising, Tim is working to bring these solutions to people all over the US.

Bob Moore has a wealth of experience ranting from being a single-unit franchisee to serving as a Regional Director for a franchisor for over a decade. Moore shares highlights with Dr. Kathy Gosser on this episode of Franchise U!. Bob's franchise career spans 30 years as both a franchisee and working on support staffs of franchisor. Bob started with Domino's Pizza - spending 6 years in various roles and the last 7 years as a multi-unit franchisee. Bob also was a Regional Director for ServiceMaster Clean and spent 10 years with Dunkin Brands, the parent company for Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins!

Frank Toral shares his journey from being an attorney to an educational franchisor. Torel tells Dr. Kathy Gosser why he wants Neighborhood Kids to be nationwide in the near future on this episode of Franchise U!. Co-founder Frank Toral is the President and has been since our inception. Since October 2019, he has presided over our Wellington, Florida–based Neighborhood Kids Preschool, Inc. and its affiliates. Before and during the early years of Neighborhood Kids, from June 2016 through March 2020, Mr. Toral was the Pastor and Director of Promise Life Chapel, Inc., also in Wellington, Florida. Additionally, prior to founding our franchise organization, Mr. Toral was CEO of Toral Law in Davie, Florida, from October 1995 through October 2019. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

DeNita Carani shares her history with multiple businesses and unique perspective on franchising and the animal care industry with Dr. Kathy Gosser on this week's episode of Franchise U!. Ms DeNita Carani is versatile, high impact operations executive who evaluates processes, technology and operations, uncovering opportunities and creating strategies that drive optimal profitability, growth, and business success. Her passion is leading successful change. Throughout her career, she has delivered transformative strategies that turned around struggling teams and fast-tracked their success. Leveraging a strong background in both B2B and B2C businesses ranging from startups to national corporations, She worked across an organization with all stakeholders, fostering the strong alliances that enable mission success. A powerful listener and influencer, she views challenges as opportunities. She designs actionable solutions to difficult, highly complex business challenges to rapidly grow and maintain a strong competitive advantage. Ms DeNita Carani is the owner of multiple small businesses and passionate franchise leader Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Marcus Tom shares the philosophy and practices that lead to growth at ServiceMaster Clean and Merry Maids with Dr. Kathy Gosser on this week's episode of FranchiseU!.

Amy and Josh Arnold share how they help others spread joy with Card My Yard during this week's conversation with Dr. Kathy Gosser on FranchiseU!.

Larry Hughes shares innovations developed by the 7-Eleven, Inc. as well as his own unique perspective on business leadership with Dr. Kathy Gosser on this week's episode of FranchiseU!. Here is a short biography of Mr. Hughes: Larry Hughes is the Vice President, Corporate Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at 7-Eleven, Inc. In this capacity, he is the lead human resource business partner for all functions reporting in to the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Merchant, and Chief Marketing Officer, as well as responsible for leading and coordinating all enterprise diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Prior to this assignment, Larry has served in many different leadership roles across the 7-Eleven enterprise. He has twice served as a Division/Zone Vice President of Operations, leading operational business units in both the Northwest and the Southwest regions of the United States, with store counts ranging from 700 to 1300 units and annual revenues reaching $2.5 billion. He has also twice served as Vice President, Training and Development, responsible for the design and delivery of all training activity and materials for all associates and 7-Eleven Franchisees, as well as organizational leadership development initiatives. He has also served 7-Eleven as the Vice President, Franchise Systems, responsible for development of franchise policies, franchise marketing and sales, and franchisee engagement platforms. He joined the company in 2009. Prior to joining 7-Eleven, Larry served in a variety of leadership assignments in the retailing and hospitality sectors. He managed a retail division for T-Mobile USA, earning the coveted “Fire in the Belly” award for the top performing division two years in a row. Prior to that, he was a Regional Manager with Bath and Body Works, where he led turnaround operations in multiple regions. Larry has also launched and led a not-for profit organization which focused on accelerating the growth of inner city-based businesses. As the Managing Director of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City – Kansas City, he led efforts that assisted more than 30 urban core-based entities with strategy development, systems evaluations, and identification of growth capital resources. He later applied the expertise he developed working with small and diverse businesses at ChevronTexaco, where he developed strategies to support $1.1 billion in purchasing from small businesses across 24 domestic business units while coordinating their Small Business and Supplier Diversity Program. Larry earned his Doctor of Education in Human and Organizational Learning from the George Washington University and his Master of Business Administration in Strategy and Managerial/Organizational Behavior from the University of Chicago. He also earned a Master of Science in Management from Baker University in Kansas. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as a Field Artillery Officer in both active duty and reserve components. His military leadership experiences include two separate company-level command assignments. Larry's doctoral dissertation, “Exploring the Experience of the African-American Male Worker Assigned to the African-American Male Leader” offers insight into the dyadic relationship between minority leaders and their minority associates while illustrating the need for greater racial diversity on organizational leadership teams. His 2021 book, “Challenging Goliath: Leadership Lessons from the Life of King David” explores leadership truths drawn from the life of one of the most widely known figures in the Bible.

Lauren Fernandez shares her journey from being an in-house attorney to CEO with Dr. Kathy Gosser on this episode of Franchise U!. Lauren Fernandez is the CEO and Founder of Full Course, a restaurant development and investment firm which incubates and accelerates emerging fast casual restaurant brands. Full Course guides restaurant owners through a process of optimization, strategic growth planning and development, and supports investment for rapid expansion. Ms. Fernandez has been both a multi-unit franchisee and investor, serving as a strategic growth partner for brands such as Chicken Salad Chick. Lauren previously served as the General Counsel for FOCUS Brands where she was instrumental in the rapid growth of the licensing and franchise programs. Lauren holds an undergraduate degree from Stetson University, as well as a Juris Doctorate and MBA from Emory University. A Florida native, she has called Atlanta home for almost two decades.

Joe Malmuth is the Chief Franchising Officer of Batteries Plus and joins Dr. Kathy Gosser on today's episode of Franchise U! After more than 15 years of business experience, Malmuth began working with Batteries Plus in 2020 leading a corporate-defining project. On today's episode Malmuth shares franchising tips and insights as well as a discussion of the benefits of the franchising model of Batteries Plus. Click below to listen to the episode and make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Ashley Mitchell has spent her entire career in marketing and communication roles. She has held several positions in which she was responsible for creating and driving marketing strategy, overseeing the growth of business through all aspects of consumer marketing and communication, contributing to overall strategic planning as part of company leadership teams and executing high-profile events, including roles with The Walt Disney Company and child service-focused franchises. Based on her experience, she understands the importance of protecting a highly revered brand while simultaneously translating the larger brand message to a regional and local level. In her current role as SVP of Marketing at Streamline Brands, Ashley sits on the executive leadership team and oversees marketing strategy for all lines of the business (consumer, franchise development and mergers & acquisitions) for the industry's largest franchisor and operator of swim schools, operating as SafeSplash, Saf-T-Swim, Swimtastic, SwimLabs and Miller Swim School. Ashley has consistently been recognized as a leader in the franchise industry, most recently as a Top Franchise Influencer in 2022. Learn more about Streamline Brands at https://www.streamlinebrands.com/. Learn more about the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence at https://business.louisville.edu/about/learning-at-cob/yumcgfe/.

Scott Greenberg is an international speaker, writer, and franchise performance expert who helps business owners think, lead and serve effectively. Scott is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur and Nation's Restaurant News, and the author of the book, The Wealthy Franchisee.

Ramzi Daklouche is VP of franchise sales for Edible®, the world's largest franchisor of stores offering fresh fruit snacks, dipped treats, and fruit arrangements with over 900 locations worldwide. Since its founding in 1999, the company has been recognized as an industry leader, ranking first in its category in Entrepreneur magazine's annual “Franchise 500,” Entrepreneur's Top 40 of “Fastest Growing Franchises,” and “America's Top Global Franchises” as well as being included among the “Inc. 5000” list of the fastest growing privately-held companies. Previously Ramzi serving as Chief Growth Officer at Pieology Pizzeria, Ramzi has a wide-ranging background in growing brands and territories both domestically and globally.

A global marketer for iconic brands such as Dove, KFC, and Taco Bell, Greg Creed is the founder of Creed UnCo and co-author of R.E.D. Marketing. Most recently, he retired as the CEO of Yum brands following his success as the COO of Yum and the President and CEO of Taco Bell. Known for his culture-driven leadership and collaborative style with franchisees, partners, and team members to bring the best out of brands and people.

On today's episode, we speak with Wild Birds Unlimited Chief Development Officer-EVP of Franchising, Paul Pickett. His career with Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU)has perfectly combined his love of birds, nature, and people. Paul joined the WBU team as the first full-time employee in 1989, shortly after graduating with his Master's Degree in Biology/Ornithology from the University of North Dakota. He has over 30 years of experience in working with potential franchisees as they join the WBU team and manages all of the real estate and legal responsibilities for the WBU system. Paul is a frequent speaker at franchising conferences and sits on the IFA's Franchise Relations Committee, Convention Committee, and Franchisor Forum. Additionally, Paul is one of the co-founders of the IFA Pride Council. One of the highlights of his career was chairing the 2018 Franchise Update Leadership and Development conference. In 2020, Paul was honored to receive the IFA Women's Franchise Committee Crystal Compass Award for his significant contributions to leadership within the franchise community.

In today's FranchiseU! Kathy talks with Jackie Bondanza, CEO of Hounds Town USA — a doggie daycare franchise with 60+ locations in development across 11 states and growing. Founded in 2001 by former commanding officer of the Nassau County canine unit Michael Gould, Hounds Town USA offers fully interactive doggie daycare, overnight boarding, and full-service grooming in an adorable town made for dogs.

This week, Kathy talks social media and franchising with Entrepreneur Media's Liane Caruso. Launching her career in franchising with her marketing agency, Liane has worked in franchise marketing for over ten years. Since its acquisition, she has served on both the franchisor and agency sides, so she understands all facets of franchise marketing challenges. In 2021, Liane took on the Sr. Vice President of Franchising at Entrepreneur Media. In a significant initiative to make a bigger impact in franchising, she provides oversight to the franchise division, marketing and sales, strategic planning, and content development through all forms of media, including articles, video, television, social media, publishing, and education.

This week, Kathy talks franchising south of the border with Sergio Carvallo. He is the president of Boston´s Pizza Mexico, Canada's number one casual dining restaurant. Since 2015 he has been responsible for developing the brand in Mexico through the franchising model, providing support to BP franchisees across the country. From business development, supply chain, marketing and operations to training, he guarantees consistency and the best customer experience to Boston's Pizza fans. Sergio holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Universidad Panamericana, a Marketing Executive Degree from ITAM, and an MBA from Georgetown University. He has more than 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies including Nestle and 3M. He was also responsible for providing access to highly recognized hospitality programs to Universidad Del Valle de Mexico's students, part of the Laureate education network. His passion for the restaurant industry and people has led him to hold franchising positions at YUM! managing over 150 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants as well as Boston's Pizza. Sergio is married with two daughters and lives in Mexico City.

Ruth Agbaji is the CEO, founder, and Nerd-In-Chief of Code Wiz, and she knows first-hand the power of learning to code. Born in Nigeria, Ruth hacked her way into computer science by teaching herself to code. Agbaji received her Masters in Computer Science from Tufts University and worked as a software engineer for tech giants like Microsoft and Kronos. Her entrepreneurial spirit and desire to impact the kids' lives by sparking their interest in STEM led Agbaji to quit her day job and launch Code Wiz. Her systems, processes, and curriculum make the Code Wiz model the premier learn-to-code child education franchise.

Jerry Akers is a lifetime entrepreneur, owning a wide variety of businesses in his 40 years of business experience. For the past 16 years, he and his wife have grown their Great Clips group from one salon to 36, and now with the entry of the children, plan on adding several more. Additionally, Jerry is the Regional Developer for The Joint Chiropractic for Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, and a Franchisee for Eastern Iowa with 10 Clinics under development Akers currently serves on the Great Clips MARC franchisee leadership board, the International Franchise Association's Board of Directors and Franchisee Forum, the National Federation of Independent Business State Leadership Council, and the Iowa State Cosmetology Board.

In today's episode, Kathy sits down with Penn Station's COO, Craig Dunaway, to discuss his experiences in the franchise industry. Dunaway was president of Penn Station East Coast Subs since August 1999 and a member of the Board of Directors since September 2001, and became chief operating officer in 2022. In addition to being president of Penn Station, he had previously owned interests in Coastal Cheesesteaks, LLC and Louisville Cheesesteaks, LLC, both of which are Penn Station franchises. He served as Secretary/Treasurer of both. From January 1993 until August 1999, Mr. Dunaway was a partner at the regional accounting firm of McCauley, Nicolas & Company, LLC in Louisville, Kentucky. He served in various staff and managerial accounting positions at the firm from December 1982 through December 1992. Mr. Dunaway formerly had ownership interests in a Papa John's® franchise that owned eleven stores, and he served as the secretary/treasurer of that Papa John's® franchise. Mr. Dunaway received a B.S. in accounting from Indiana University in May 1983.

This week, Kathy sits down with the CEO and founder of Unleashed Brands, Michael Browning. Unleashed Brands is a platform company that houses the world's best franchise brands to help kids Learn, Play, and Grow. Browning launched Unleashed in 2021 after noticing a void in the market for parents looking for a trusted resource for kids' activities. The growing portfolio currently includes Urban Air Adventure Park, Snapology, The Little Gym, Premier Martial Arts, Class 101, and XP League.

On today's FranchiseU! Kathy Gosser talks to Franchise Business Review's President and COO, Michelle Rowan, CFE. Franchise Business Review is the leading market research firm in the franchise sector specializing in franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement. In addition to her role at FBR, Michelle is also chair of the International Franchise Association Women's Franchise Committee and a Certified Franchise Executive. Recently, Michelle joined the YUM! Center for Global Franchise Excellence Board of Advisors.

On today's episode, Kathy talks franchise and motivation with GYMGUYZ founder Josh York. GYMGUYZ is an in-home personal-training franchise providing convenient, customized, and creative workouts. Headquartered in Plainview, NY, it employs a fleet of trucks to bring state-of-the-art fitness equipment and expert coaches to their customers' doors. Learn how Josh took this idea from a dining room table and single van to a booming franchise now serving over 1,100 cities in 22 states.

In today's episode, Kathy sits down with Stratus Building Solutions President Doug Flaig to discuss the world of franchising in the commercial cleaning industry. Flaig started his career with 7-Eleven, where he spent seven years. He eventually moved on to leadership roles with Dunkin' Brands, Burger King, and Wetzel's Pretzels.

Today Kathy speaks with John Cywinski of Dine Brands and discusses his journey from advertising firm to the food industry. John Cywinski was appointed to the position of President of Applebee's Grill & Bar in March 2017. As President, Mr. Cywinski is responsible for the overall strategic direction for all functional areas of Applebee's. Mr. Cywinski most recently served as Executive Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Marketing at Brinker International, parent company of Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy. Prior to Brinker, John was at Yum! Brands from 2010 to 2014, where he was the President of KFC's $4.4 billion, 4,400 restaurant U.S. business. Prior to joining YUM! John spent four years as a franchisee himself, owning and operating 10 successful Dunkin' Donuts and Sonic restaurants in Chicago which he has since sold. Mr. Cywinski previously served as Applebee's Chief Marketing Officer from 2001 through 2006, focusing on all facets of the Applebee's brand including, marketing, culinary and menu strategies, and spearheaded innovative initiatives like Applebee's Carside To Go, a five-year alliance with Weight Watchers, and the “Eatin' Good In The Neighborhood” ad campaign. Previously, Mr. Cywinski served as Vice-President of U.S. Brand Strategy for McDonald's Corporation, President of Buena Vista Pictures Marketing for The Walt Disney Company, and Vice-President U.S. Marketing for Burger King Corporation. Mr. Cywinski started his career with Leo Burnett Advertising in Chicago. Mr. Cywinski is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

Today on Franchise U! Kathy sits down with Patricia Perry. She is a veteran in the franchising, food service, retail, and hospitality industries. She serves as Vice President of Development for Edible Brands and is responsible for increasing the global market share for the franchise brands. She oversees global franchise development, real estate, new store design, construction, licensing, and consumer packaged goods and business gifting. Since early 2019, the brand has experienced tremendous growth signing more than 300 franchise agreements under her leadership. In addition, a licensing category was launched with the introduction of Edible Music™ and Edible Cheesecake Bites. Prior to Edible, Patricia founded regional foodservice concepts and held leadership roles for several well-known franchise brands. She's also been elected and appointed to serve on the board of a number of organizations. Patricia attended Spelman College, where she received a BS in Mathematics and a BA in Spanish. In addition, she completed her MBA, and is a Certified Franchise Executive.

This week on FranchiseU!, Rob Weddle joins Kathy to discuss his entrepreneurial journey. Rob Weedle is the CEO of Authority Brands. He began his career in franchising in 2002 as a franchisee of The Cleaning Authority. In 2005, Rob joined the franchisor as an Operations Representative and rose through the organization as VP of Operations, COO, and eventually became the CEO in 2014. He remains today a multi-unit franchisee of The Cleaning Authority. Rob leads the executive team at Authority Brands in the company's evolution as the leading multi-brand services franchisor. He also provides the operational guidance for the management of Authority Brands' seven portfolio brands. Since 2014, Rob has led the company through nine brand acquisitions, has overseen substantial gains in unit counts, system sales, and earnings growth, and has taken the company through a successful exit from ownership by PNC Riverarch Capital and subsequent investment by Apax Partners.

This week, Kathy sits down with Aylwin Lewis. Mr. Lewis served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Potbelly Corporation, a franchisor of quick-service restaurants, from June 2008 until his retirement in November 2017. From September 2005 to February 2008, Mr. Lewis was President and Chief Executive Officer of Sears Holdings Corporation, a nationwide retailer. Prior to that, Mr. Lewis had been President and Chief Executive Officer of KMart since October 2004. Mr. Lewis was Chief Multi-Branding and Operating Officer of YUM! Brands, Inc. from 2003 until October 2004, Chief Operating Officer of YUM! Brands from 2000 until 2003 and Chief Operating Officer of Pizza Hut from 1996 to 1997. After retiring in 2017, Aylwin and his wife of 35 years, Noveline, moved back to the Houston area in August 2018. He is enjoying his retirement by pursuing interests in movies, sports, working out, traveling, and learning.

In today's episode, Kathy sits down with Jody Luihn to discuss his experiences as a YUM! Brands franchisee. Jody started as a restaurant manager in the Luihn family business in 1983 and remains in the business as a partner, president, and CEO after the recapitalization into LVE Partners in 2019. He has been the FRANMAC President for Taco Bell for three terms and serves on numerous YUM! Brand committees. Jody is consistently recognized by YUM! Brands for his contributions to the franchise system. He is a 2005 recipient of the Glen Bell Award and a recipient of the “The Think Outside The Bun” award.

On this week's FranchiseU! Kathy talks with Sophia Swemba, VP and franchise advocate for Marriott. A graduate in finance from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Sophia has held numerous positions in finance with Marriott. She began her career with Marriott in late 2007, working in the field as an assistant controller. Over ten years, she served in various financial leadership roles in various brands and operations at the property level. Sophia also serves as a board member for the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence.

Kathy talks about investment management with Exaltare Capital Partners CEO Omar Simmons in today's episode. He shares his experiences with franchise partners, including a tenure as CEO of ECP Planet Fitness.