In this episode of the RevOps Champions Podcast, host Brendon Dennewill sits down with Scott Thompson, a 23-year veteran of the franchise industry and Founder & CEO of Your Future Franchise. Scott shares his unconventional journey from first-time franchisee to executive leader across private equity-backed franchise brands, offering a rare inside look at what actually drives sustainable franchise growth.

Together, they explore why most franchise brands never make it past 100 open units, how people and systems, not technology alone, determine scalability, and what franchise leaders must rethink heading into 2026. Scott also breaks down how AI is reshaping franchise operations, development, and unit economics, while reinforcing why alignment, discipline, and leadership mindset remain the real growth constraints. This episode is essential listening for franchise executives, operators, investors, and founders navigating growth, technology adoption, and long-term brand value.

What You’ll Learn

• Why people alignment, not technology, is the biggest constraint to franchise growth.
• How franchise brands stall between 20 and 100 units and what separates those that scale past it.
• Why technology accelerates behavior but never fixes broken processes or leadership gaps.
• How AI and agentic workflows are changing franchise operations, support, and unit economics.
• What franchisors must have in place before attracting multi-unit operators or family offices.
• How to evaluate franchise opportunities based on skills, capital, and personal goals—not passion alone.
• Why leaders must evolve their mindset and systems as brands move from founder-led to scalable enterprises.

Resources Mentioned

• Your Future Franchise
• Franchise fit quiz
• Microsoft Copilot
• FranChoice
• What Got You Here Won't Get You There

Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:

• Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizations
• A clear view of your operational maturity
• Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)

Let's Connect

• Subscribe to the RevOps Champions Newsletter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Explore the show at revopschampions.com.

Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!