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37. AC Inc.: Turning Field Support into a Strategic Growth Engine
In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter talks with Angela Cote, founder and CEO of AC Inc., about why field support is one of the most influential and least developed roles in franchising.
Angela brings a rare, end-to-end perspective shaped by a lifetime in the franchise industry. She grew up in a franchise system that scaled to nearly 500 locations, spent years working directly in field support, and later operated as a multi-unit franchisee herself for close to two decades. That experience exposed a consistent challenge across franchise brands. Even with strong onboarding, solid systems, and well-documented operational playbooks, franchisee performance often stalls once the business is up and running.
Jeff and Angela unpack why the issue is rarely the system itself. Instead, the gap shows up in how franchisees are supported day to day. Field support teams are expected to drive accountability, engagement, and growth, yet many are promoted into the role without being trained to coach business owners. As a result, support conversations often default to compliance and checklists rather than strategic guidance.
Throughout the conversation, Angela explains the difference between consulting, training, and coaching, and why coaching is the missing capability in many franchise systems. Rather than solving problems for franchisees, effective coaching helps them think more clearly, prioritize their time, and take ownership of their results. This shift reduces dependence on head office and creates stronger, more confident operators.
Angela also shares how AC Inc. helps franchisors equip field support professionals with the skills to build trust, establish credibility, and lead more productive coaching conversations. When field teams are trained to coach rather than police, franchisee engagement improves, relationships strengthen, and performance follows.
This episode is especially relevant for franchisors, operations leaders, training and learning professionals, and anyone responsible for supporting franchisees, dealers, or partners across a distributed network.
Learn more about AC Inc.:
https://fieldcoachexperts.com/
For more episodes of the Training Impact Podcast join us here:
https://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/
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By LatitudeLearningIn this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter talks with Angela Cote, founder and CEO of AC Inc., about why field support is one of the most influential and least developed roles in franchising.
Angela brings a rare, end-to-end perspective shaped by a lifetime in the franchise industry. She grew up in a franchise system that scaled to nearly 500 locations, spent years working directly in field support, and later operated as a multi-unit franchisee herself for close to two decades. That experience exposed a consistent challenge across franchise brands. Even with strong onboarding, solid systems, and well-documented operational playbooks, franchisee performance often stalls once the business is up and running.
Jeff and Angela unpack why the issue is rarely the system itself. Instead, the gap shows up in how franchisees are supported day to day. Field support teams are expected to drive accountability, engagement, and growth, yet many are promoted into the role without being trained to coach business owners. As a result, support conversations often default to compliance and checklists rather than strategic guidance.
Throughout the conversation, Angela explains the difference between consulting, training, and coaching, and why coaching is the missing capability in many franchise systems. Rather than solving problems for franchisees, effective coaching helps them think more clearly, prioritize their time, and take ownership of their results. This shift reduces dependence on head office and creates stronger, more confident operators.
Angela also shares how AC Inc. helps franchisors equip field support professionals with the skills to build trust, establish credibility, and lead more productive coaching conversations. When field teams are trained to coach rather than police, franchisee engagement improves, relationships strengthen, and performance follows.
This episode is especially relevant for franchisors, operations leaders, training and learning professionals, and anyone responsible for supporting franchisees, dealers, or partners across a distributed network.
Learn more about AC Inc.:
https://fieldcoachexperts.com/
For more episodes of the Training Impact Podcast join us here:
https://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/