Podcasts about Focus Brands

Franchise ownership success is the goal of every entrepreneur looking to step into a proven business model, but getting there requires the right mindset, strategy, and execution. For many, the idea of investing in a franchise is appealing, but questions about risk, operational structure, and market competition can create hesitation. While franchising offers a built-in support system, navigating the transition from aspiring business owner to successful franchisee requires commitment to the process and a willingness to adapt. D'Wayne Tanner, Vice President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group, has spent years guiding entrepreneurs through this transition. With a background that includes leadership roles at Taco Bell, Wendy's, Ruby Tuesday, and Focus Brands, his expertise spans multiple industries, offering a unique perspective on what separates successful franchisees from those who struggle. As a leader within BELFOR Franchise Group, which oversees 15 residential and commercial service brands, Tanner has witnessed firsthand how franchisees can thrive by aligning their strengths with a structured business model. One of the most significant challenges facing new franchise owners is the shift from independent decision-making to following a defined system. Many enter franchising after successful careers in other industries, bringing a wealth of experience but sometimes resisting the structure designed to set them up for success. According to Tanner, those who embrace the model, rather than attempting to modify it prematurely, often experience stronger financial performance and more sustainable growth. While innovation and personal expertise add value, franchising is built on consistency, and those who adhere to established processes are better positioned to maximize their investment. Building a strong team is another cornerstone of franchise ownership success. The most successful franchisees understand that a business is only as strong as the people operating it. Hiring for skill is important but hiring for cultural fit and shared values can make an even greater impact. Employees who believe in the brand's mission and take pride in their work contribute not only to day-to-day operations but also to the reputation and long-term stability of the business. Tanner emphasizes the importance of leadership in shaping company culture, fostering an environment where employees feel valued, and ensuring that customer experiences exceed expectations. Establishing a local presence is just as critical as operational execution. While national branding provides an advantage, the ability to connect with a specific community can be the difference between a business that survives and one that thrives. Tanner describes the importance of becoming a recognizable figure in the local market, attending community events, supporting charitable initiatives, and forming strategic partnerships that create goodwill and strengthen brand loyalty. Franchisees who position themselves as trusted resources within their communities often generate more word-of-mouth referrals, repeat business, and long-term customer relationships. Financial responsibility plays a key role in franchise ownership success, particularly for those new to business ownership. Understanding cash flow, reinvesting strategically, and balancing growth with sustainability are all factors that influence long-term stability. Many franchisees underestimate the financial discipline required in the early stages, assuming that revenue alone will drive success. Tanner stresses the importance of financial planning and leveraging the franchisor's support to navigate common pitfalls and optimize profitability. Beyond financial acumen and operational strategy, mindset remains one of the most critical elements of franchise success. Owning a business—whether independent or franchised—requires resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Challenges will arise, but those who remain engaged, seek guidance, and commit to continuous improvement position themselves for greater success. With decades of experience in the franchise industry, Tanner has seen entrepreneurs transform their careers, build scalable businesses, and gain control over their financial futures. His expertise sheds light on what it truly takes to succeed in franchising and why those who embrace the journey fully, rather than seeking shortcuts, are the ones who ultimately build thriving businesses. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Join me LIVE every Wednesday at 11 AM Central on your favorite social platforms for Fordify LIVE! and catch The Business Growth Show Podcast every Thursday for a weekly dose of business growth wisdom. About D'Wayne Tanner D'Wayne Tanner is the Vice President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group, bringing decades of experience in the franchise industry. With a background that includes leadership roles at major national brands like Taco Bell, Wendy's, Ruby Tuesday, and Focus Brands, D'Wayne has been instrumental in driving franchise expansion and helping entrepreneurs transition into business ownership. At BELFOR Franchise Group, he plays a key role in the growth of 15 residential and commercial service brands, guiding franchisees toward franchise ownership success by providing them with the systems, tools, and support they need to thrive. His passion lies in empowering aspiring business owners, ensuring they have the knowledge and strategy to confidently take charge of their futures. Throughout his career, D'Wayne has seen firsthand what separates thriving franchisees from struggling ones. His expertise in team building, brand awareness, and system execution has made him a trusted resource for entrepreneurs looking to maximize their investment and scale their businesses effectively. Whether coaching franchisees on hiring top talent, leveraging proven marketing strategies, or embracing operational best practices, he is dedicated to setting business owners on the path to long-term success. Learn more about BELFOR Franchise Group.   About Ford Saeks Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator with a track record of generating over $1 billion in sales worldwide for businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. As the President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., he specializes in customer acquisition, brand expansion, and business innovation, helping companies attract loyal customers and scale their success. A serial entrepreneur, Ford has founded over ten companies, authored five books, and been awarded three U.S. patents. His ability to identify market opportunities and create high-impact strategies has earned him numerous industry awards and recognition as a leading expert in marketing, sales, and business development. Beyond his work in traditional business growth strategies, Ford is a pioneer in AI prompt engineering, leveraging artificial intelligence to craft compelling content that drives engagement and results. His expertise in AI-powered marketing was recently showcased at the Unleash AI for Business Summit, where he shared insights on how ChatGPT is transforming operations, sales, and customer experience. For those looking to accelerate their success, Ford provides actionable strategies through his TV show, Fordify LIVE!, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Learn more at ProfitRichResults.com and watch his show at Fordify.tv.

Kat Cole is the CEO of AG1 (formerly known as Athletic Greens), the global health company that pioneered Foundational Nutrition support with a comprehensive and convenient daily supplement.Kat has built an incredible career grounded in resilience, grit, and a passion for leadership. Growing up, Kat witnessed her mother's strength firsthand when, at just nine years old, her mom left her alcoholic dad and became a single parent to Kat and her two sisters. From an early age, Kat learned the value of hard work and determination. As the first in her family to go to college, she supported herself financially by working at Hooters, and ultimately left school to take on a corporate roles with the company. By the age of 26, she was Vice President, leading global growth through franchising, training, and operations and helped lead Hooters' sale to a private equity firm in 2010. Kat went on to spend over a decade as President and COO at Focus Brands, where she led a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of global restaurant brands with brands like Cinnabon, McAlister's, and Jamba under her leadership.In this conversation, Kat dives into her journey from childhood to becoming a powerhouse in business, highlighting how curiosity, a strong work ethic, and embracing change have fueled her growth from the very start. She shares her biggest lessons from running multiple brands at scale, how she gets involved to be the most effective leader, and why she prioritizes quality and constant improvement to keep brands fresh and relevant. We also discuss her experience taking a year off, her insights as an angel investor, what she looks for when investing in brands, and how she got involved with AG1. Kat also talks about the importance of listening to intuition and trusting your gut with every decision, as well as her grounding routines that keep her balanced and focused, and so much more. In this episode, we'll talk to Kat about:* Why we shouldn't let our past solely define us. [03:34]* Kat's childhood and upbringing. [05:37]* Kat's career journey, leading her to AG1. [07:58]* Kat's drive to achieve success. [10:54]* The importance of not knowing the truth. [16:25]* How Kat cultivates comfort in new situations. [20:01]* Leadership and creating a safe environment. [24:25]* Taking a year gap to reevaluate her career path. [31:36]* Leaving Focus Brands and transitioning to AG1. [35:20]* AG1's commitment to product quality. [38:33]* AG1's product iteration and innovation. [41:41]* The necessity of evolution in business. [46:06]* Kat's grounding routines. [49:41]This episode is brought to you by Beeya:* If you or anyone you know have been struggling with hormonal imbalances and bad periods, go to https://beeyawellness.com/free to download the free guide to tackling hormonal imbalances and to learn more about Beeya's seed cycling bundle.* Plus, get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Kat:* Website: https://drinkag1.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkag1/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katcoleatl/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#69. Join host Josh Sharkey on today's meez Podcast as he delves into the world of barbeque with Jessica Bograd, the Senior Director of Culinary for City Barbeque. Jessica is not only an incredible chef but also runs an exceptional operation at City Barbeque. Before her tenure at City Barbeque, Jessica was deeply involved in R&D, creating menu items for well-known brands like Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, TGI Fridays, Inspire Brands, and Focus Brands.In this episode, we explore Jessica's extensive experience in R&D at scale, highlighting her insights and expertise. Discover the fascinating world of food competitions, where Jessica has been a fierce competitor since a young age, excelling in sandwich and barbeque contests with her dedicated team.The conversation takes a deep dive into the intricacies of barbeque, including the training and culture at City Barbeque. Jessica shares how they educate their team on different styles, smoking processes, and safety protocols, fostering a culture of learning and growth. The company's commitment to excellence has earned them a spot in the top 100 fast-casual movers and shakers.Tune in to hear Jessica's inspiring journey and gain a new appreciation for the art and science of barbeque at scale. This episode is a must-listen for barbeque enthusiasts and culinary professionals alike.Where to find Jessica Bograd:LinkedInWhere to find City BarbequeLinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebookPinterestWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedInTikTokTwitterIn this episode, we cover:(03:28): Jessica's background(04:35): Jessica's passion for competing (10:13): How Jessica defines barbeque(19:25): Wood preference for smoking(23:23): Jess's experience in the R&D world(36:56): A day in the life of Jess at City Barbeque(42:16): Upward mobility options for City Barbeque employees(47:25): The hardest and best part of Jess's job(50:16): What Jess is looking forward to for the future of City Barbeque

Kristen Hartman, the president of Specialty Brands at GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands)—the parent company of Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky's—takes us inside the mashup everybody's talking about. Is co-branding making a comeback? Should we call it something else? We'll get into that and a lot more.

This week on Menu Talk, Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News, share their take on some recent hot topics. The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists in the restaurant and chef categories, naming nominees in 22 categories, including both national regional honorees. While culinary skill and operational excellence still play into the awards, a positive work culture and community involvement are now key criteria for a nomination. And, since the pandemic, the foundation completely overhauled the program to bring more diversity into the awards selection process, including broader geographic representation.  Pat and Bret weigh in on the revised criteria and discuss the cachet the James Beard Awards hold for the winners. Mike Freeman, CEO of McAlister's Deli, joins the podcast to share the brand's menu evolution. It started with breakfast catering, launched last year when the fast casual was under the former Focus Brands banner. “There's been lots of attention placed on our catering innovation, expanding our reach from the beginning of the day to the end of the day.” Snacks, desserts, and beverages also got a refresh, and a new “semi-homemade” category provides takeout options. Speaking of beverages, new ones keep flowing out of the pipeline. Lately, we noticed orange creamsicle drinks on several menus. The nostalgic flavor taps into childhood summers. With summer fast approaching, we will probably see more of these retro frozen treats showing up on beverage menus.

After the Atlanta-based restaurant company formerly known as Focus Brands announced its rebranding to GoTo Foods on Tuesday during the company's annual conference in Las Vegas, CEO Jim Holthouser offered some details on exactly what to expect in the days and years ahead.Although daily operations won't change much for franchisees and employees as the company moves to a more platform-based business model, more brand collaboration will be on the table. The goal is to eventually break down most silos between the seven restaurant brands — including Jamba, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's and Moe's Southwest Grill — and commonly share resources, personnel and technology. For example, the company is in the midst of moving all seven brands to a single POS platform, Qu, to promote synchronicity among the brands.

This week, we're going to be talking about some outliers. During the first half of earnings season, we have an idea of what the industry looks like and the results are not great. Most companies are seeing positive same-store sales in the low single digits. Except for Texas Roadhouse and Wingstop. The two brands on very different ends of the spectrum both saw higher than average sales growth with Wingstop seeing over 20% same-store sales growth. And Texas Roadhouse? It's expected to surpass Olive Garden and Applebee's very soon.Also, we're going to be talking about the new Focus Brands which this week rebranded as GoTo Foods. The new name is based on the company's reputation as the “go-to choice” in the restaurant industry. The company said that this is meant to signal a new stage of growth which is saying something after the brand's past few years. While signing over 1,000 franchisees last year, executives said they're not done growing the portfolio.Finally, we're going to be talking about the future of technology. Apple made waves when it introduced the Apple Vision Pro and now some restaurant companies are investing in technology to join in on the trend. Crumbl has already worked on a way to allow customers to order via the headsets. Will this investment in the technology fizzle out for restaurants the same way the metaverse did?This week's guest is Liz Matthews, chief food innovation officer at Taco Bell.

Focus Brands is rebranding. Andy Wiederhorn is facing charges from the SEC. And a record number of Starbucks stores filed to form unions.

My guest today is Jawad Bisbis. After starting his marketing career at Procter & Gamble, Jawad has held senior roles at 7Eleven, Focus Brands, Coca Cola, and Luxottica, right up to his current role as global VP of marketing at Ball Corporation. He holds a master's degree from KEDGE business school in France and is fluent in Arabic and French.

Tarji Carter has been in franchise development for many years.  Beginning with Carvel and Cinnabon at Focus Brands, and stops along the way at Dunkin Donuts, WIngstop and Bojangles.  Today, she is the President of Guest First Services, a boutique consultancy and the Founder and President of The Franchise Player, a revolutionary initiative that aims to expand the number of Black-owned franchises across the country, by providing education, resources, and opportunities to aspiring franchisees and small business owners. She operates out of suburban Atlanta, developing and executing strategic franchise expansion plans and lead-generation tactics for her brand partners.  On her Guest First Services website she says, "If You Don't Build Your Dreams, Someone Will Hire You to Build Theirs!"  Well, in Tarji's case, she's got the best of both worlds.  She has built her dream of owning her own business AND her clients hire her to help them build theirs.  Well, how's that for win/win?  

Kat Cole has been a VP at Hooters, Cinnabon President, COO and President of Focus Brands, and now COO and President of Athletic Greens. But before she got into corporate leadership roles, Kat was working in Hooters restaurants, trying to make ends meet. Kat and Ryan talk about reinventing yourself at work, success through an owner's mindset, and taking control of your career narrative. Then, LinkedIn Learning course author Jodi Glickman shares tips for creating new opportunities by pitching yourself. Follow Ryan, Kat and Jodi on LinkedIn For more tips from Jodi, check out her LinkedIn Learning Course Pitching Yourself for Opportunity Get more stories about leader's zigs and zags by subscribing to The Path newsletter 

Creating generational wealth is a goal for many, yet it seems increasingly unobtainable in recent years. One path still open to make those goals a reality is in the world of franchising. Contrary to expectations, the pandemic did not deter individuals from seeing the potential of owning and operating a restaurant franchise. The desire to establish a sustainable business and create generational wealth has only intensified. According to industry insights, there's been a notable increase in franchise inquiries since the onset of COVID-19, with franchise job and unit growth outpacing pre-pandemic levels.But what drives someone to dive into the world of franchising, especially when they have little to no prior experience in the field?Welcome to The Main Course, hosted by Barbara Castiglia. In this episode, Castiglia looks at the allure and promise of franchising with her guest, Tarji Carter, Founder and President of The Franchise Player.Castiglia and Tarji discuss the following during their conversation:• The increasing appeal of franchising as a career and investment opportunity• Tarji's unexpected journey from the hotel industry to becoming a pivotal figure in restaurant franchising• The mission and vision behind The Franchise Player's aims to educate and empower underserved communities about franchising opportunitiesTarji Carter, a seasoned professional in the franchising space, began her journey in the hotel industry. Her serendipitous encounter with the president of Citibank led her to Focus Brands, where she rapidly climbed the ranks, eventually overseeing franchise sales for Carvel ice cream on a national scale. Recognizing the lack of representation in franchising, Tarji founded The Franchise Player. Her organization aims to provide education, opportunities, and resources about franchising, particularly to the Black community. With over fifteen years of experience selling franchises for globally recognized brands, Tarji is passionate about sharing her knowledge and helping others realize the potential of franchising to create generational wealth.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Roark Capital's recent acquisition of Subway, one of the largest restaurant acquisitions in history. Roark Capital, known for owning restaurant giants like Inspire Brands and Focus Brands, faced stiff competition from some of the world's biggest investment companies in an eight-month auction process before emerging as the winner. Despite Subway's difficult history and declining sales, Roark Capital has bet big on the sandwich giant's potential for resurgence, especially in international markets. Subway's CEO, John Chidsey, has already inked several notable development deals in the past two years, generating 10 quarters of positive same-store sales growth in the U.S. Tired of your job? Thinking of starting or buying a business? Take our Biz Quiz to filter through over 10,000 business opportunities today! https://www.vettedbiz.com/quiz-test/ Need help finding the right franchise? Click here: https://www.vettedbiz.com/franchise-search/ #SubwayisSold #FranchiseFindings If you are looking for more information, you can connect with us through our networks: https://www.vettedbiz.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vettedbiz/ https://www.facebook.com/vettedbiz

“Simplifying the complex is hard - really distilling the essentials, making your thoughts and rationale as strong as possible. Make sure that it says something about you.” Jawad Bisbis is the Global VP of Marketing at Ball Corporation where he leads marketing and partnerships for Ball's aluminum cup business. Jawad was previously 7-Eleven's VP Proprietary Beverages, where he oversaw the coffee, fountain and frozen business across 10,000 stores nationwide. Before joining 7-Eleven, Jawad was a VP of Marketing at Focus Brands, a foodservice chain where he provided marketing leadership across more than 50 international markets and 2000 stores.  Jawad also worked for Luxottica as Group marketing director for the Middle-East & Africa business, and  fifteen years with The Coca-Cola Company in diverse markets and roles. Jawad started his marketing career with Procter & Gamble where he held various brand management positions. He holds a Master's Degree from Kedge Business School in France and is fluent in Arabic and French. Jawad is  married with two children, and when he's not working, he enjoys watching soccer, playing tennis, and mentoring college and early career youths in underserved communities.  You'll enjoy this candid conversation about cultivating a different point of view and pushing yourself to being a lifelong learner.

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Lauren Fernandez, founder and CEO of the investment firm Full Course. Lauren was general counsel for Focus Brands and then became an operator as a Chicken Salad Chick franchisee. After she sold her units back to Chicken Salad Chick, she launched Full Course in a mission to give back to small business restaurateurs. Lauren was a panelist at NRN's recent CREATE Road Show in Atlanta, and the next day sat down in person with Sam for this conversation covering her career, her tips for emerging brands looking to secure capital, and her thoughts on how to get more women and minorities involved in foodservice leadership.In this conversation, you'll find out why:Training in your restaurants gives you a foundation to know what the brand needsServant leaders don't talk about doing the work — they just do the work Leaders should seize the moment to invest in themselvesMost American restaurants are independents who just need resources to get to the next levelGlobal fast casuals are the category to bet on You never know where the next best idea for your brand is going to come fromIf you're looking for capital, prepare by having clean books and a clear purposeHave feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.

MasterMind Minutes - Today the CEO of Focus Brands shares his insights regarding... WHAT ROLE WILL DUAL BRANDING PLAY IN THE FUTURE OF FRANCHISE QSR AND HOW TO CAPITALIZE? MASTERMIND MINUTES, One Guest, One Questions, One Expert Answer in Minutes not Hours. Today's guest is Jim Holthouser Jim is the Chief Executive Officer for Focus Brands, parent company of Auntie Anne's®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, Moe's Southwest Grill®, McAlister's Deli®, Schlotzsky's®, and Seattle's Best Coffee® (in certain military bases and in certain international markets). He is leading Focus Brands into its next phase of growth for its seven foodservices concepts while delivering value to all company partners, driving results and profitability for franchisees and an exceptional customer experience. For more than thirty years, Jim Holthouser has leveraged his extensive experience in international business, franchising, brand management and global product development to grow and some of the world's most well-known brands in the hospitality industry. Under his leadership, hospitality-related companies have thrived with innovative and customer-focused solutions to grow and reinvigorate brands, improve loyalty, create cost savings, and drive revenue and unit growth. Contact Jim at: https://lnkd.in/ebKVkznr Contact Gary at: info@frangrow.com Visit: https://lnkd.in/eY483jn#business #leadership #markets #growth #management #branding #experience #future #development #brand #customerexperience #hospitality #hospitalityindustry #coffee #military #franchise #franchising #howtofranchise #restaurant #restaurants #sales #innovation, #motivation, #careers #franchisegrowthsolutions #newyork #NYC #pizza #acai #inspiration --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gary5396/support

What happens when you mix ice cream and cinnamon rolls? We're about to find out. This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast Deeper Dive features Jim Holthouser, CEO of the Atlanta-based brand operator Focus Brands, which operates Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Carvel, McAlister's Deli, Schlotzski's, Jamba and Moe's. He discusses the status of these brands and the company's plans for them. He talks about the future of development in and out of the mall. And he talks about the potential for McAlister's to become a $1 billion brand. But Holthouser also talks about Swirl, a concept Focus is developing that combines Cinnabon and Carvel in a new type of co-branding arrangement. In addition, I talk about the future of restaurant IPOs, franchisee optimism, and why tipping culture will never change.

This week on the Extra Serving podcast, an award-winning product of Nation's Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Peter, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister spoke about menu innovation.From chicken nuggets to breakfast tacos, chains across the country are rolling out new menu items at rapid speed. Which will be here to stay, and which will be short-lived?What's up with Texas Roadhouse? The brand, which saw record traffic earlier this year, has seen its brand value increase by 56% and is now one of the fastest-growing chains. What does this mean for the industry and Texas Roadhouse?Finally, the NRN editors talked about ghost kitchens. They were all the rage for a few years, but the dust has settled and they're proving to be more difficult to get right than any brands were hoping for. Big brands like Wendy's have pulled back their investment from ghost kitchens. So, what's the future of ghost kitchens?This week's guest is Jim Holthouser, CEO of Focus Brands.

Neal Aronson founded Roark Capital in 2001 and is a member of Roark's Investment Committee. In addition to his responsibilities as Managing Partner, Neal is actively involved in Roark's investments in Inspire Brands, Driven Brands, and FOCUS Brands. Neal was previously the Chairman of the Board of Roark's prior investment in Wingstop. Aronson began his career in the corporate finance department at Drexel, Burnham, Lambert Inc. after he received a B.A. from Lehigh University. This episode was based on an exclusive Vetted Biz analysis, click here for the full report: https://www.vettedbiz.com/neal-aronson-roark-capital/ Need help finding the right franchise? Click here: https://www.vettedbiz.com/franchise-search/ 00:00 Introduction 01:15 About Neal Aronson 02:30 Franchise Portfolio 03:40 Inspire Brands 03:50 About Focus Brands 04:15 Driven Brands 04:50 Massage Envy 05:56 Conclusion #RoarkCapital #FranchiseFindings If you are looking for more information, you can connect with us through our networks: https://www.vettedbiz.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vettedbiz/ https://www.facebook.com/vettedbiz https://www.tiktok.com/@businessandfranchiseinus We partner with Fund My Franchise to give you the best “one-stop source” for all your funding needs. Knowing which option is best suited for you and your business is their specialty. Whether you use our Self-Directed 401(k), allowing an entrepreneur to use qualifying retirement monies to capitalize a business, and/or traditional Debt Funding, utilizing Unsecured Lines of Credit (ULOC) or Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans, they are here to help you realize your entrepreneurial dream. Don't let bad credit stand in your way. They can help with credit repair. Click the link in the show notes to apply for a no-obligation, no-charge consultation with one of their Senior Consultants: https://share.hsforms.com/1hkqew4n2S7ap6o8z1OqBIQ4e0xw

The challenge that operators are dealing with today is the issue with consumer sentiment, and it's underperformance when sales and menu prices are up. Has the art of hospitality been lost? In todays podcast, I get a chance to break this down with Claiborne Irby, SVP, of Strategy & Insight at Focus Brands. Our discussion topics:Thoughts on new customer growth this year in the wake of consumer pushback on menu pricing - what is the strategy?Where do you see the loyalty and community landscape going in the future - compared to what Starbucks and Brands like Doritos are doing with Web3Where do you see your brands developing in terms of growth - new service models, marketing, and products?What do you see as the largest issues facing the restaurant industry?The shift of casual dining moving down with new strategies to match fast casualAbout: Atlanta-based Focus Brands® is a leading developer of global multi-channel foodservice brands. Focus Brands, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,400 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes, and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and over 55 foreign countries under the Auntie Anne's®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Jamba®, Moe's Southwest Grill®, McAlister's Deli®, and Schlotzsky's® brand names, as well as the Seattle's Best Coffee® brand on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.

Season 3 Episode 3 Focus Brands  https://www.focusbrands.com/ Connect with Kevin Moran https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-moran-1499129/ Connect with Tony Moore https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/ and if you are hiring in 2023 - ATTRACT people to your brand by allowing them to "sample" your culture, mission, and purpose (DEMO)   Kevin Moran, Vice President of Strategy Development and Analysis, shares where brands are expanding internationally, why the international market is hot, and what strategies to take. I have added more information in the show notes.   “How to expand a brand internationally” Are you selling or developing?  What is your purpose? Grow locally to build brand recognition.  The key to successful brand marketing is tapping into existing loyal customers. Understand the propensity of the country to take your product.  In other words, know your market.  Beef products are not going to succeed in India because the cow is a sacred animal.   Seek differentiators i.e., what will make your brand stand out among other similar brands in the market. Determine where and how you are going to source products.  Must also consider volumes and cost. Tariffs Importation taxes Transportation of goods Storage Evaluate purchasing power based on COGs and competitive menu pricing Menu flexibility – core vs. country.  How much does the menu change based on local flavor preferences? How big or small can your footprint be to allow for equipment and prep space? Real-estate costs Lease terms Traffic patterns (accessibility or customer count required to break even or grow) Understand the labor market and your current labor model. Create mock P&Ls to determine if the model is feasible. Consider franchising with an established international franchisor because they have already done this work and have the support in space to ensure a successful market launch. Legal costs associated with compliance, trademarks, disclosures, etc.  Each country has different rules. Don't let your emotions override the math.  Your personal passion for a brand does not indicate its success.  TEST, TEST, and TEST again. Collect the data necessary to make an informed decision. Don't think that you'll “figure it out later.” AWESOME video on differentiation - https://vimeo.com/644948109/6b3d99c76c   About me and my mission and podcast: Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry?  The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more. I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.  My skills are in leadership, talent acquisition strategies, corporate hiring, sales, entrepreneurship, and backseat driving. I created a novel 6-week candidate attraction program talent acquisition that engages the 70% of the workforce not actively applying for jobs. See the DEMO. Say goodbye to traditional!  Contact me: Tony@timpl.com Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/ Join Our Community Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplat https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-in License code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE

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.

Kat Cole is the President & COO of Athletic Greens. She advises high growth companies and has invested in over 70 early stage companies. Prior to that, she was the President and COO at Focus Brands, running a multibillion dollar company with nine presidents, seven brands, two divisions, 80 countries, thousands of franchisees, and hundreds of thousands of retail points of distribution.Follow Kate Cole at https://twitter.com/KatColeATLFollow Club CPG at https://twitter.com/CPGCLUBTo learn more about Crypto Packages Goods, visit https://www.cryptopackagedgoods.com/

Fat Brands announced Tuesday the grand opening of the first cobranded Johnny Rockets location with Hurricane Wings in Washington, D.C., continuing the global franchising company’s strategy of building up its multi-brand store model that started in 2013 and accelerated earlier this year. Johnny Rockets retro burgers are being paired with Hurricane Grill & Wings’ sister brand, Hurricane Wings, inside a Holiday Inn location. Brand synergy is the name of the game for large restaurant groups these days, many of which are leaning more into mix and match cobranding collaborations and rejecting siloed portfolios. Fat Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn told Nation’s Restaurant News that the company currently has 225 cobranded restaurants, and those locations on average see a 20% increase in average unit volume as compared with traditional units. Although sister brands sharing a location is nothing new, companies are taking it to the next level with new off-premises-focused, tech-forward restaurant formats. Last year, Focus Brands opened the first Auntie Anne’s drive-thru cobranded with Jamba—simultaneously expanding their presence outside malls and driving home a multi-brand development strategy. Since then, various combinations of Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, and Jamba have sprung up nationally, especially in airports and on college campuses. Learn more from Joanna Fantozzi Plus, catch up on all the top news of the day with our daily news recap at the beginning of each episode. Be sure to subscribe to First Bite wherever you get your podcasts or on Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Today on Subscribing to Wellness we are joined by COO and Board of Directors at Athletic Greens, Kat Cole. Prior to Athletic Greens, Kat served as president and COO of Focus Brands, parent company of Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Moe's and Carvel. Athletic Greens is one of the fastest-growing nutrition companies in the US and after advising Athletic greens for many years, Kat finally decided to take the jump and join the company full time. We absolutely loved this conversation and we know you will too! Episode Fun Facts: 1) Athletic Greens core product, AG1 was a pioneer in the foundational nutrition movement 10 years ago. It has been growing gradually with more people looking to build and stack simple, healthy habits. 2) Athletic Greens has been direct to consumer (DTC) since its inception - ahead of the curve in many ways. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/subtowellness/support

Restaurant Operations, Marketing and Franchising veteran Paul Macaluso joined Another Broken Egg Cafes as President and CEO in 2019.  Paul is an enthusiastic, hands-on leader with experience in a variety of executive and senior positions. Spanning a career of 25+ years, he is widely known for driving results at respected brands throughout the restaurant industry.  He began his career as a Restaurant GM with Taco Bell and advanced to hold many operations and marketing roles for them for the next 10 years.  He then went on to take a turn at brand strategy, menu development and product marketing positions for both the Burger King Corporation and Sonic Drive-ins, before joining joined FOCUS Brands filling a variety of senior marketing and brand strategy positions there, before being promoted to President of McAlister's, where he led the brand to record setting EBITDA and new restaurant openings. Prior to joining Another Broken Egg, Paul served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Krystal Company, leading a brand revitalization effort including rebuilding aged restaurants, achieving positive same store-sales, improving unit level profitability and restarting the franchise sales pipeline.  

Do you always feel empowered to be "brilliant out loud" at work? Or are their times when you feel your attempts are not valued?Dr. Cenina Saxton, Director of Talent & Culture at Focus Brands, gives insights on what organizations can do to both nurture the brilliance of their employees and provide a safe space for that brilliance to thrive, even in times of failure. Brilliancy is connected to the tactic of Leading with Intellectual Horsepower. ------------Full show notes, links to resources mentioned and other compelling episodes can be found at http://LeadYourGamePodcast.com. (Click magnifying icon at top right and type “Cenina”)LOVE THE SHOW? Subscribe, rate, review and share! JUST FOR YOU: Increase your leadership acumen by identifying your own personal Leadership Triggers. Take my free my free quiz and instantly receive your 5-page report . Need to up-level your workforce or execute strategic People initiatives? https://shockinglydifferent.com/contact or tweet @KaranRhodes.-------------ABOUT DR. CENINA SAXTON:Cenina is a seasoned talent management strategist and change agent with a history of leading organizations through various change initiatives of varying size and scope. She has worked at prestigious companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Emory Healthcare and most recently Focus brands, where she established a world class talent management and culture framework by developing integrated strategies to foster a top-down culture of inclusivity and diversity, establish a scalable and high-performing talent pipeline, shape the next generation of business leaders, and incentivize and reward professional accomplishments.WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:Why it's important to create an environment where individuals can immediately try new ideas, fail fast, and learn from those failures for the better good. Why building a network outside of the organization is crucial to growth.Cenina's two additions to the LATTOYG PlaybookFEATURED TIMESTAMPS:[03:36] Cenina shares her background and the why she couldn't get away with mischief growing up.[07:15] Cenina explains the concept and importance of “Brilliant Out Loud”.[16:40] Why building a network outside of the organization is crucial to growth[21:43] Cenina's first entry into the LATTOYG leadership playbook.[23:00] Cenina's second entry into the LATTOYG leadership playbook.[26:50] Signature Segment: Cenina's LATTOYG Tactic of Choice[29:00] Signature Segment: Full Disclosure[38:40] Signature Segment: Karan's Take LINKS FOR DR. CENINA SAXTON:– LinkedInPEOPLE & RESOURCES MENTIONED:– Simon T. Bailey's website – Overview: The Lead at the Top of Your Game Leadership Development ExperienceADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR YOU:–

Beto Guajardo was named President of Focus Brands International in April 2020. He commenced his role as President of Schlotzsky's in September 2019. Beto brings extensive global experience in corporate and brand strategy, new business development, mergers and acquisitions and organizational structure. Over the past three decades, his career has spanned a broad spectrum of […] The post Beto Guajardo With Focus Brands International appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Today on the show we get together with Kat Cole, President, COO, & Board of Directors at Athletic Greens, to talk about her career, including why she chose to become a key player in the company, and her ten years at Focus Brands. In our conversation, we discuss the mission and values that define Athletic Greens, why their rapid growth rate can be attributed to the merits and quality of their flagship product AG1, and how being bootstrapped has influenced their marketing strategy. Kat unpacks the marketing success they've achieved through their long-term partnerships with top thought leaders and creators and explains why their performance marketing strategy has been more conservative than some might think. She also shares her advice for anyone who wants to pursue a similar career in business and champions the values of being a curious, hard-working student who is willing to go out there and gain experience. Kat has had an incredible career and it was wonderful having her on the show. Tune in to learn more about Athletic Greens, how to customize your marketing, and much more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:00] Before we jump into today's interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [01:24] Why Kat chose Athletic Greens for her next chapter. [02:42] An overview of Athletic Greens and their incredible growth.  [06:17] The high quality of Athletic Greens' comprehensive flagship product AG1. [06:49] Why AG1 is more than just a green drink and the marketing challenge this poses. [07:47] How Chris, the founder of Athletic Greens, helped establish foundational nutrition as a category. [09:59] Learn what AG1 tastes like and different ways to drink it.  [12:36] A breakdown of Athletic Greens' marketing strategy. [13:16] The success they've found partnering with creators and influencers. [14:06] How being largely referral-based made the iOS 14 update less difficult for them. [14:28] How being a bootstrapped company has affected their marketing strategy. [15:24] The rapid rate of growth based on the merits of the product. [18:00] Insights into how marketing is changing. [19:13] Kat's advice to anyone who wants to pursue a similar career path. [24:24] Kat's monthly process for checking in with her loved ones. [27:06] How Kat does a similar check-in with her work relationships. [28:48] Learn where you can find Kat online.   Resources From The Interview:   Athletic Greens Athletic Greens Special Offer Kat Cole on LinkedIn Kat Cole on Instagram Checking In With Kat Cole   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Leveling Up Eric Siu on Twitter   Eric Siu on Instagram

Kat Cole is the president and COO of Athletic Greens. She also served at the top level of leadership for Focus Brands for 12 years, including as COO & President. In this episode, we talk about leadership. Kat details how and why to optimize an organization for learning, shares how to lead with a heavy heart, and emphasizes that leaders shouldn't have all the answers - they should have all of the questions. --- Execs is a show for founders, operators, and pioneers who want to understand the playbooks, frameworks, and tactics that leading tech companies today have used to scale.  To engage further:  Check out the On Deck job board Share your thoughts with us on Twitter:  Hosted by: @eriktorenberg Featuring guest: @KatColeATLProduced by: @jacksonsteger Brought to you by: @beondeck 

Text Hawk to 66866 to become part of "Mindful Monday," and join tens of thousands of Learning Leaders who receive a carefully curated email from me each Monday morning to help you start your week of right... Full show notes at www. LearningLeader.com Twitter/IG: @RyanHawk12    https://twitter.com/RyanHawk12 Kat Cole is the President, COO, and board member at Athletic Greens. She was previously President and COO at Focus Brands, the parent company of Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Moe's, Schlotzsky's, McAllister's, Carvel, Seattle's Best Coffee International, and Jamba. She oversaw all businesses, their 6,000 operations globally, and the multi-brand licensing and CPG business with 90,000+ points of retail distribution. She has more than 20 years of operational, brand, and executive leadership experience and has an MBA from Georgia State University and an honorary Doctorate from Johnson and Wales University. This episode was recorded at the Insight Global Headquarters in Atlanta, GA as part of the Women's Leadership Council "Raise Your Hand, Raise Your Voice" event.  Notes: A pragmatic optimist: When Kat was 9 years old, Kat's mom decided to leave her dad. Her dad was an alcoholic. Kat has two younger sisters. Kat was in multiple car accidents with her dad while he was driving drunk. At the age of 9, Kat looked at her mom and said, "What took you so long?" She learned that "the people who are closest to the action know what to do long before the senior leaders do. But they lack the language to articulate the problem and the solution. And they lack the authority to do something about it." "I learned to stay incredibly close to the people who are close to the action from that moment." "With all that he did, my mother never spoke ill of my father. I remember in all of those years, we were super poor. Taking meat scraps from the butcher. I remember one holiday season we were driving around looking at holiday lights. We went through the fancy neighborhoods and she said, 'isn't that beautiful, they must work so hard.' There are these things I absorbed that I started expecting from leaders. I learned to be grounded in the practical (the pragmatic part), but still optimistic because a whole lot is possible with very little, especially if the leader stays close to the action." "I am a learning leader. Learning is my currency." Oh! I get to do something new and I can help people, and I can make money doing it. And money is freedom because it's independence."  "When we left my dad, my mom only had one goal, all she wanted was to raise three independent girls. Our willingness to be independent was her north star." Kat got a job at Hooters and quickly set the record for "close-opens." The shifts where you close the restaurant and open it the next day. She did it 22 straight days. She was then asked to travel to Sydney, Australia and open a new restaurant. She had never left the country and didn't have a passport. She said yes anyway.  She went on to open restaurants on four continents before she was twenty.  How to build trust: It's important to lead through action, not just words. Something as simple as when we get together in person, take time to buy the donuts and coffee or some AG1. Just that effort to find a way to do something that shows you care about their experience. I don't need to say 'I thought of you.' It is obvious." "In my role, my success is your success. Your success comes from me removing friction for you." Vulnerability - Lead with vulnerability first. Share your story.  Holding people accountable - A players do not like seeing B players, C players, people who don't give their best being given equal opportunity. Someone needs to be in control, expectations are communiated and managed, and the leader is keeping us on the tracks. You have to hold people accountable.  Conflict resolution - On Friday night a regular patron would go to Hooters with his friends and order 50 wings... "After finishing the wings, he would call me over and say, 'there was only 40 wings.' He did this 4 weeks in a row. "The 4th Friday, he comes, orders 50 wings, and while they were finishing, before he finished, and I on my own waitress discount ordered 10 wings, and brought them to him. And winked. And his buddies busted out in laugher, and he said, 'good one' and tipped me 100 bucks."  "Don't confuse my kindness for weakness or stupidity. I'm generous. I'm thoughtful. I'm caring. I assume positive intent first, but I'm not going to be taken advantage of." "Confidence is not an old school overly masculine swagger, I know what I'm doing, I've got this. It's a humble confidence. It's not I know what I'm doing, it's I know I can figure this out. My confidence is deeply humble. I have screwed up so many times. I spent 10 years doing humanitarian work on the border of Ethiopia. I know what bad actually looks like. Which keeps western world business bad equally in perspective. That helps me chill. And that translates as ease. And ease translates as calm. And calm translates as both maturity and confidence. But it's actually from perspective." "Confidence is built doing many new things where you are repeatedly uncomfortable." Humble confidence is like from The Mandolorian, "This is the way." "Traditional confidence, that swagger, can be successful. And can drive outcomes, but the teams don't last very long. But the humble confidence is a learning leader. Any leader who suggests they know the way will be wrong at some points. Teams won't last as long if they don't have humble confidence." Productive achievers: The behaviors of the most successful humans have these four qualities: Courage & Confidence + Curiosity & Humility -- They must be equally balanced.  Speaking up - "If you are speaking up with the expectation of a specific outcome, you will always be disapointed. Period. That may be part of the problem. But if speaking up is about contributing and pushing the conversation forward, you're sort of lowering the expecation of the outcome. So I have very low expectation on the impact I make, but I don't expect one hand raise or one memo to change the world. But I do believe in participation." As a first time vice president at Hooters, Kat was 26 years old. She's at the table and every one of her peers was in their 50's. They had been in business longer than she had been alive. Kat's "Hot Shot Rule." The Hotshot Rule is the act of thinking of someone Kat admires, then pausing, reflecting, and asking what they would do in her situation/shoes/role, then answering what that one thing is and acting on it. The answer tends to appear quickly because it seems to be clear when you think about it through someone else's lens. That alone doesn't create change - the trick is taking action on it right away and then telling someone - the person it benefits, the person you envisioned who inspired you, or just someone you know will appreciate the change you've made. "Every time I tell my team, husband, or friend about the one thing I've done differently after the exercise, they say, 'What took you so long?' Or 'Finally!'" Kat's Monthly Reflection Questions: What has been the best part of the last 30 days? What has been the worst part of the last 30 days? Tell me one thing that I can do differently to be a better partner/teammate? What has worried you the most in the last 30 days? What is one thing you are most proud of in the last 30 days? What have you been most grateful for?

In episode #2121, Eric gets together with Kat Cole, President, COO, & Board of Directors at Athletic Greens, to talk about her career, including why she chose to become a key player in the company, and her ten years at Focus Brands. In our conversation, we discuss the mission and values that define Athletic Greens, why their rapid growth rate can be attributed to the merits and quality of their flagship product AG1, and how being bootstrapped has influenced their marketing strategy. Kat unpacks the marketing success they've achieved through their long-term partnerships with top thought leaders and creators, and explains why their performance marketing strategy has been more conservative than some might think. She also shares her advice for anyone who wants to pursue a similar career in business and champions the values of being a curious, hard-working student who is willing to go out there and gain experience. Kat has had an incredible career and it was wonderful having her on the show. Tune in to learn more about Athletic Greens, how to customize your marketing, and much more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:20] Introducing today's topic: Growth & Leadership Lessons from Leading $1B Athletic Greens and $5B Focus Brands with Kat Cole. [01:29] Why Kat chose Athletic Greens for her next chapter. [02:47] An overview of Athletic Greens and their incredible growth.  [06:22] The high quality of Athletic Greens' comprehensive flagship product AG1. [06:54] Why AG1 is more than just a green drink and the marketing challenge this poses. [07:52] How Chris, the founder of Athletic Greens, helped establish foundational nutrition as a category. [10:04] Learn what AG1 tastes like and different ways to drink it.  [12:41] A breakdown of Athletic Greens' marketing strategy. [13:21] The success they've found partnering with creators and influencers. [14:11] How being largely referral-based made the iOS 14 update less difficult for them. [14:33] How being a bootstrapped company has affected their marketing strategy. [15:29] The rapid rate of growth they've experienced, based on the merits of their product. [18:05] Insights into how marketing is changing. [19:18] Kat's advice to anyone who wants to pursue a similar career path. [24:29] Kat's monthly process for checking in with her loved ones. [27:11] How Kat does a similar check-in with her work relationships. [28:53] Learn where you can find Kat online. [29:34] That's it for today! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast! [29:41] Go to https://www.marketingschool.io to learn more!   Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:   Athletic Greens Athletic Greens Special Offer Kat Cole on LinkedIn Kat Cole on Instagram Checking In With Kat Cole Subscribe to our premium podcast (with tons of goodies!): https://www.marketingschool.io/pro   Leave Some Feedback:     What should we talk about next? Please let us know in the comments below Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.     Connect with Us:      Neilpatel.com Quick Sprout  Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @neilpatel  Twitter @ericosiu    

It often falls on the CEO to come up with a strategy to increase the growth and profitability of a company, but today's guest believes that a strategist is vitally important when it comes to identifying new opportunities, channels, and product lines. Beto Guajardo is currently the President of Focus Brands International, which includes brands such as Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, and Schlotzsky's. Throughout most of his career, Beto led strategy for iconic brands such as Levi's and Starbucks after getting his start in the consulting world with McKinsey and Company. In this episode, Beto explains what career strategy is, what this job entails, and what the KPIs and the performance metrics are for this role, before providing an example of the success he generated when he shifted investment into an opportunity he identified in the Starbucks app. He also talks about the strategy he used to turn Schlotzsky's around, help them survive the pandemic, and ultimately achieve success. To find out about the interplay between strategy and execution, the marketing challenges of operating across so many different markets internationally, and Beto's advice to anyone who wants to pursue a career in strategy, tune in today!

How might we launch our newsletter and build a loyal following for our writing? How can we monetize our newsletter to six figures and beyond? In this episode, we interview Polina Marinova Pompliano who quit her job at Fortune in 2020 to focus on building her weekly Substack newsletter The Profile, where she profiles interesting figures like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York. We talk about tactics for growing a loyal and paying readership, how she develops ideas for her newsletter and the importance of feedback to improve our writing.*Polina Marinova is a former Fortune Magazine editor and writer, and founder of newsletter The Profile where she studies the world's most successful people & companies. She's written for CNN, CNN Travel, Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Boston Herald, Food & Wine Magazine, Odyssey, The Hustle and more. Polina is part of an emerging trend of writers who are looking ahead to the future of media and content and considering what it might take to start a media company on their own terms.*SHOW NOTES[02:39] Polina shares what gave her the courage to quit her job at The Fortune and dedicate her time to The Profile despite the pandemic and why you only need 100 true fans[06:42] Polina shares how she's become good at time management over the years, and how she stays productive[09:06] The importance of sharing your work with the public and opening yourself up to criticism and feedback as a writer[11:56] How Polina deals with feedback today versus how she dealt with it in the past[13:00] What Polina learned from writing articles and getting feedback, and how she used them to get more readers[15:33] Polina talks about her relationship dynamic with her husband who's also a writer, and how their differences help her get a business perspective for her newsletter[21:07] Polina shares the tools and systems that have helped her to be better at writing[27:42] The challenges Polina encounters in writing newsletters and what keeps her writing [29:15] Polina shares some newsletters that inspired her, including James Clear's blog[30:51] The business side of The Profile: how Polina grew her newsletter, and how she focused on quality content[31:58] Monetizing The Profile, and what made Polina's readers convert to a paid subscription[34:09] Polina shares some of the ways she earns from The Profile[37:07] Why you don't need a massive following to monetize your work[37:33] Polina talks about her future goal of building a human interest company[38:32] The future of newsletters and why it's the perfect time to be a writer right now[41:30] On dealing with self-doubt and criticisms, and why patience and consistency is important if you want to start a newsletter*QUOTES:“So I think a lot of times people think they need this massive, massive following to monetize anything. It's not true. As long as you can prove that the audience is really high quality and really engaged and they actually click and they actually open, and they actually read it.”“The best piece of advice I heard was from Kat Cole, who's the president of Focus Brands. She said that every time you get a piece of feedback, the first thing you should do before you reject it—before you think it's stupid is accept it and try and be like, okay, if this is true, then what can I do about it?...Accept it as truth before you outright dismiss it. Because after a while, that was not the only email I got like that. I got a number of them that were very critical, but it made me have thicker skin. It made me evolve in my writing. And by the end of my time there, I'd like to think that my voice, my tone, how I wrote, [the] people really liked because it was me and I wasn't trying to be somebody else.”*RESOURCESThe ProfileFortune Magazine - an American multinational business magazineThe Messy Middle by Scott The Messy Middle by Scott BelskyMaria Popova - Bulgarian writerChefs Table - Grant Achatz EpisodeSingle Supplement newsletter - Nikola SlawsonNFTs and a Thousand True Fans - Article from a16z.com (Andreessen Horowitz's website)Sara Blakely - Founder of SpanxShane Parrish - Author, founder of Farnam StreetAtomic Habits by James ClearJosh Wolfe - Investor, founder of Lux CapitalBusiness Insider - American news websiteThe Hustle - NewsletterBessemer Venture Partners - American venture capital firmThe Washington Post - American daily newspaperThe New York Times - American daily newspaperThe Wall Street Journal - American business-focused, English-language international daily newspaperBrandon Stanton - Author of Humans of New York*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.comFollow London Writers' Salon:Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon*CREDITSProduction by Victoria Spooner. Artwork by Emma Winterschladen

Kat Cole is an American businesswoman. She is the former Chief operating officer and president of North America for Focus Brands. She is a former president of Focus Brands' subsidiary Cinnabon, an American chain of retail bakeries specializing in cinnamon buns. She currently serves as the COO and President of c

This week we are joined by WOWorks CEO Kelly Roddy, to discuss his instance of one of the hottest, trends in franchising, rollups. Roll-ups are formed when a company is created, usually backed by private equity, to group multiple, compatible brands under a single umbrella, such that they may all leverage back-end economies of scale.  It's simply smart business.for so many reasons. Kelly is a veteran of FOCUS Brands, an early pioneer in roll-ups, where he served as President of Shlotzky's, .   WOWorks was formed in 2020 to help guests pursue their passions and live their best lives by serving healthy, nutritious, and flavorful food, delivered with first-rate hospitality. WOWorks' portfolio consists of: Saladworks, the nation's leading fast-casual salad brand; Frutta Bowls, a unique restaurant franchise serving a variety of superfood bowls, fresh fruit smoothies, oatmeal bowls, and more; Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a popular Mediterranean restaurant concept; and most recently, The Simple Greek, which offers a fresh and healthy take on ancient Greek recipes, in a fast-casual setting. WOWorks mission is to drive explosive growth across all of its brands through a variety of channels, both traditional and non-traditional, including ghost kitchens, food trucks, grocery retail, and more. WOWorks is owned by CentreLane Partners and led by CEO Kelly Roddy, who joins us here today. 

Kat Cole is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Athletic Greens, one of the pioneering companies advancing the foundational nutrition movement. Kat's background, in a word, is IMPRESSIVE. From managing the international expansion of Hooters restaurants in her early-20's to overseeing brands like Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli and Cinnabon in her time as President and COO of FOCUS Brands, Kat is one of the leading marketing and branding minds in the world today. In this episode, Greg and Kat go deep on Athletic Greens. Specifically, they discuss: What it was about the company's founder, mission and potential that made her want to join How the Athletic Greens team thinks about the idea of "continuous improvement" when it comes to their hero product, AG1 The role of foundational nutrition in taking ownership of one's health How a premium product like AG1 may be able to make the leap to mass market The role that marketing and branding play in growing the Athletic Greens community Kat's philosophy of prioritizing energy management over time management To stay up-to-date with Kat, you can follow her on Twitter @KatColeATL and subscribe to her newsletter, Checking In with Kat Cole. If you're interested in trying Athletic Greens, follow this link to receive 5 travel packs for free. Finally, if you'd like more on Kat's personal background and story, check out the great podcast interviews below. Where It Happens with Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5taL1uRYQtJcDn9F8euW8s?si=LDA5GnWTQGmWHjyxsgphwg The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3uZEqO5xpmoC4ZGVp13Sns?si=onUZ2JtvRFe7KQe8hruCGA And be sure to check out this interview with Athletic Greens Founder and CEO, Chris Ashenden on The Pomp Podcast with Anthony Pompliano: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1tAp6MHWoUwoPsIb9q1JzA?si=jueqUuPWRde1CSlkQN3BbA - Don't forget to follow Greg on Twitter @gregorycampion and subscribe to his bi-weekly newsletter: https://gregcampion.substack.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing Intentional Wisdom wherever you get your podcasts. Link to (very) raw transcript of Greg and Kat's conversation: https://share.descript.com/view/ya2WmOmNoKK --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/intentionalwisdom/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/intentionalwisdom/support

Restaurant growth is the sum of getting a lot of things right: company culture, real estate, SOPs, and more. Lauren Fernandez has done it as a franchisee at Chicken Salad Chick, and now at Full Course, where she and her team invest in and help single-unit restaurateurs grow their brands at scale. In this episode, we chat about:making the right real estate decisionssystematizing as you scale your brandoffering the right benefits in a changing labor marketThe Restaurant Growth Podcast is presented by 7shifts and hosted by Dominick “D.J.” Costantino.About Lauren FernandezLauren Fernandez is the CEO and founder of Full Course, a non-traditional restaurant investment and development firm created for operators by operators that is changing the way new businesses grow their brands. The company partners with restaurants in the early stages of development to optimize existing operations, develop strategies for sustainable growth and bring the right investors or franchise partners to the table. Fernandez is a restaurant industry veteran with two decades of experience. She previously served as General Counsel and Head of Franchise Administration for FOCUS Brands and was Co-Founder, President and Operating Partner for multi-unit franchise developer Origin Development Group, acting as a strategic growth partner for brands such as Chicken Salad Chick.About 7shiftsSince 2014, 7shifts has helped restaurant managers schedule, evaluate, and communicate with their workforce. Our team is comprised of people who live and breathe restaurant culture and strive to help our customers simplify team management, every single day.

This week on Extra Serving, NRN editors discussed Domino’s first domestic same-store sales dip in a decade. More than anything, it’s a sign of the exceptional numbers the chain saw in 2020, as this most recent quarter was 15% up over 2019. Also, McDonald’s is finally testing its plant-based burger in the U.S. The NRN editors discuss what this means for the brand that has notoriously refused to release a plant-based burger “until customers asked for it,” and how it compares to the launch of Burger King’s Impossible Whopper. Lastly, the team discusses Megan Thee Stallion’s investment in Popeyes as a franchisee and the history of musicians and athletes becoming franchisees of restaurant companies. What does it mean that a celebrity is being so vocal about their involvement in a restaurant franchise? Listen to the editors share their thoughts in this episode. Finally, Extra Serving wraps with two interviews. The first is with Dr. James Pogue, an expert on diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Pogue spoke at CREATE on a panel about diversity in the workplace and we caught up with him just after the panel to get some more thoughts on the topic. Then, NRN senior food and beverage editor Bret Thorn spoke with Dontre’al Haigler, Denny’s product development chef, about what it’s like to be a corporate chef versus going to culinary school and becoming a working kitchen chef. Also this week on the Last Bite Network, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality… Take-Away with Sam Oches aired a mini episode with Damola Adamolekun, CEO of P.F. Chang’s, and another mini episode with Joe Guith, president of Focus Brands. Both were recorded live at CREATE and have interesting insights with the executives. Oches will be back next week with a regular episode of that podcast featuring Luke Holden, founder and CEO of Luke’s Lobster. In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn this week featured restaurateur Sam Fox. Thorn and Fox spoke about Fox’s history and his role as an employee after so many years as being entrepreneur and boss.

The food and beverage franchise industry is easily one of the most analyzed and celebrated of all sectors in this business model. I'm sure we could all name countless restaurant franchise brands that we've loved over the years, and experts have been deciphering what innovations and evolutions work best since we began flipping burgers or slicing pizzas many decades ago.   One organization that's no stranger to evolution is Focus Brands. The parent company owns six beloved franchise concepts and has an impressive portfolio of more than 1,650 sites across 60 countries around the world. But recent news stories like the opening of the first-ever Auntie Anne's drive-thru site, or a brand-new build-out for Schlotzsky's, have shown that this is one franchisor that's not afraid to try new things.   To learn more about what the future holds for Focus Brands International, we sat down with Beto Guajardo, the franchisor's president. Beto has many years of experience in senior leadership and is brimming with useful insight that restauranteurs far and wide can put into practice.  To keep your finger on the beating pulse of franchising, sign up for our newsletter at https://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com/, subscribe to our definitive magazine, and join the conversation with our experts today on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Ⓛ https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-franchise/ ⓣ https://twitter.com/globalfranmag ⓕ https://www.facebook.com/globalfranchisemag/ This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by BrightStar Care, a private-duty home care and medical staffing franchise, with prime territories available nationwide, and five revenue streams for uncapped earning potential. For more information, visit www.brightstarfranchising.com. 

Like many restaurants, Focus Brands-owned fast-casual Tex-Mex chain Moe’s Southwest Grill had to think fast to keep up with changing customer preferences and technological needs during the pandemic. From recently updating its app to improve the digital ordering experience, to creating a refreshed logo and rolling out a new store prototype, Moe’s has been focusing on accommodating the modern customer’s changing needs. “It's all about convenience for guests today,” Moe’s chief brand officer Alex Williams said. “They're always in a hurry, they're always on the go. […] So, the more seamless we can make that transaction, using technology will make it easier for them to choose us.” The latest project for Moe’s is creating the new to-go focused store prototype with a smaller footprint that will be rolling out soon. The design was created with nostalgia in mind as Millennials are now becoming parents and remember going to Moe’s when they were kids in the early ‘00s. “I think the family experience plays a significant part of who we are,” Williams said. “And some of those guests were probably some of our first most guests at one point in time as well. […] The atmosphere that we're creating now with some of these new prototypes, I think will serve in a way that will play out who we are as a brand: fun, vibrant and exciting, and a place to get a great burrito bowl.” For more insight from Williams on how Moe’s has updated their menu and design as a result of the pandemic, keep listening.

Our featured guest is Kat Cole, who is the Former COO & President of FOCUS Brands in North America (think Hooters and Cinnabon!) This wildly successful businesswoman climbed to the top of her industry using what she calls an Ownership Mentality, and we frame our entire show around this important idea that you are responsible for your own life's outcome.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She's the woman responsible for taking Hooters from 100 locations and $300 million in revenue to 500 locations in 33 countries and $1 billion in revenue...It's the one and only Kat Cole!Before the button up shirt and blazer in the boardroom, Kat began her career at Hooters as a hostess.  And while she was the first in her family to go to college, she ultimately dropped out because Hooters was sending her all over the world to open franchise locations at just 19 years old!  But since she knew she needed to get an MBA to continue climbing the corporate ladder, she later applied and was accepted to Georgia State's executive MBA program, without ever getting a bachelor's degree. And while thats rare, to be admitted, she got letters of recommendations from 10 CEOs, including Ted Turner, founder of CNN. She then went on to become the President of Focus Brands, the parent company of 7 notable brands such as Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Jamba, Carvel, Schlotzsky's, McAlister's Deli, and Moe's Southwest Grill.In this interview, we get to hear how Kat grew up living on a food budget of $10 a week for 3 years, to becoming a President of the 10,000-employee company!  Kat and Ennis also discuss the 4-mindsets you need to master to become a successful leader, how to say no by actually saying yes, as well as how to manage your time more effectively! We hope you enjoy :)How To Say No: https://katcole.substack.com/p/how-to-say-no Follow Kat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katcoleatlReach out to Ennis directly at ennis@imadeformore.com For more, visit our website at www.ennisdakhil.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/immadeformore/message

They also discuss Publicis paying back COVID-19 salary sacrifices, Edelman's 2020 performance, General Mills' restructure, Super Bowl brand campaigns and more.

Kat Cole, COO & President of Focus Brands, shares how implementing the Hot Shot Rule combats complacency. Hosts Dylan Gambardella & Justin Lafazan, CoFounders & CEOs of Next Gen HQ, dive deeper to really learn how to develop self awareness in leadership. SUBSCRIBE TO MOMENTUM NEWSLETTER: ✨https://nextgenhq.com/getmomentum CONNECT WITH NEXT GEN HQ

Kat Cole is the President and COO at Focus Brands, which owns well-known brands like Auntie Anne's, Moe's, Jamba, and Cinnabon. Kat started her career at the age of 15 so that she could provide for her family. One day during her shift at a clothing store in the local mall, she was recruited to be a Hostess at Hooters. Little did she know that she'd spend over a decade moving up the ranks at Hooters. By age 26, she was a Vice President at Hooters. At 31, she took a new job to be President of Cinnabon, and helped turn around a mall-based brand in the heart of a recession. As you might imagine, this journey did not come without its challenges. Kat's career story offers great insight into what it takes to be a successful business leader: tenacity, a willingness to say yes, and a lot of empathy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/howigothere/support

The inspiring and always authentic Kat Cole returns to the Disruptor Studio. Kat is the COO and President North America of Focus Brands, a company that has a portfolio of restaurant brands including Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe's, McAlister's Deli and Schlotzky's. She also supports the entrepreneurial community and is active with humanitarian causes including the United Nations Global Entrepreneurs Council.This is the second time Kat joins Alex Gonzalez on the Disruptor Studio. In the first session in 2018, Kat discussed leadership, innovation and her personal journey. It was an inspiring session filmed in front of a live audience and you can hear the podcast here: https://bit.ly/3lBlK4t or watch it here: https://bit.ly/2YVBwNw In this new discussion, Kat reflects on the challenges we face in 2020 and how she approaches them in business and her personal life. Kat and Alex talk about the impact of COVID-19 and how she faced into it with her family and as a business leader. She discusses racial equity and how her home in Atlanta connects her to the city's long history around Civil Rights. They also talk about entrepreneurism including Kat's recent appointment to the board of Milk Bar.

LAUNCHPAD LEADERS. Home base A conversation with launchpad leader Kelly Ellison Advantages of being a launchpad: 1.      Sets a standard for growth and being growth minded 2.      Guides the hiring process 3.      Helps leaders to get to know others in the early days of their employment. 4.      Affirms other's interests: a. Seeing their dream's goal b. Being inspired to hope Opportunities for launchpad leaders: 1.      Recognize the reality that people are going to leave 2.      Accept that investing in people is worth the emotional and operational toll 3.      Assure that those on the launch pad stay long enough for character and leadership growth while bringing value to the business. 4.      Avoid carrying the weight of another's development “Young leaders need be hungry to launch but humble to learn.” Kelly Ellison Bottom line: 1.      Bet on leaders and bet on hope 2.      Being a part of the bigger picture is worth the risk. Virtual leadership growth opportunity. October 9 Co- hosts Niña Ellison and Brian Pearson Speakers this year include Alan Mullaly, Former CEO of Boeing Airplanes and Former CEO and President of Ford Motor Co., Steve Harvey, comedian, businessman and award winning show host and entertainer. Kat Cole COO and President of Focus Brands, and John Maxwell #1 Leadership Expert and Best-selling author. To register: https://leaderpass.com/pass/live2lead-2020?ref=RP2Y8UXL You can find me, Niña Ellison, at http://www.healthyleadership.online/ (www.healthyleadership.online)

Episodes will include conversations with thought-leading entrepreneurs, emotionally intelligent business leaders and college and high school trailblazers who have accepted my challenge, discovered their ‘One Word' personal brand and are sharing it with the world in ways that are helping them Stand-out Conquer Obstacles and Reach Excellence, in other words, SCORE.   Here are the 5 things you need to know about today's guests Justin Lafazan and Dylan Gambardella:   Number 1: Justin and Dylan graduated from The University of Pennsylvania and Duke University respectively.   Number 2: Kat Cole, President, and COO of Focus Brands taught Justin the “Hot Shot Rule” and you'll learn in this episode how this rule is helping him overcome his fear of failure.   Dylan shares a story about his 1st personal failure that took place in a very public forum and, in this episode, you'll learn what impact it had.   Number 3: Justin and Dylan are the Co-Founders of Next Gen HQ, a business hub that cultivates Community, Education, Resources and Mentorship to energize the world's greatest entrepreneurs, giving them the momentum they need to overcome obstacles and win in both business AND life.   Number 4: Justin released his book in December 2015, What Wakes You Up? Designing Kick-Ass Lives Through Entrepreneurship and it instantly jumped to the bestseller list on Amazon.   Dylan presented a TEDx Talk entitled “Finding Your Passion With a Community”, which focused on the pressure young people feel to pursue a certain path, and how rewarding it is to find your passion while you're young and pursue it.   Number 5: Justin and Dylan's ‘One Word' Personal Brand…Take a listen to this episode to hear their answers.   Let's meet Justin Lafazan and Dylan Gambardella.

In today's episode, we're talking to Kat Cole, the Chief Operating Officer and North American President of Focus Brands—the owner behind several fast casual food companies the likes of Jamba, Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, and several others that add up to a whopping 5,000+ locations in the US alone.