Best Franchise Brands Podcast

In this episode, I talk with Drew McWilliams, who is the co-founder and CEO of Ivybrook Academy. Drew and his wife established their franchise brand over twenty years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina and have had steady growth across the United States. Drew shares their story, how he got started, lessons they have learned, how they support franchisees, what it means to be included in the top 500 franchises for five years running, and the impact they are making with franchisees and students today.

In this episode, I talk with Ben Crosbie, CEO of The DRIPBaR IV Vitamin Therapy, about his background in franchising and how he became affiliated with The DRIPBaR. He also shares why he feels they've been growing so quickly since they started franchising in 2019 with their unique concept.

The DRIPBaR provides an extensive menu of IV drip cocktails and specialized plans that can help clients in a variety of ways. While all locations offer IV drips and IM shots; additional services may vary from location to location, including Botox®, Red Light Therapy, Infrared Saunas, and more.

Their IV vitamin drips are broken down into two categories:

• IV Lifestyle Drips, which focus on increasing energy, boosting immunity, enhancing recovery, and fighting the signs of aging
• IV Health Support Drips, which can provide supplemental support for those with cancer, heart disease, chronic illness, and more

In this episode, I talk with Scott Ball, who is the brand president of FiiZ Drinks which started in 2014 in Bountiful, Utah. Scott shares his story about how he got into franchising, started a Dunkin' Donuts franchise, and ultimately became the president of FiiZ. He shares their story about how they have been scaling and growing to locations all across the United States and Canada. He shares leadership lessons that he has learned over the years, details about the opportunity with FiiZ in the specialty soda market, and how you can be a part of their explosive growth in your market.

In this episode, I talk with Rob Palmer, who is the Founder and Brand President of Lawn Squad. His business was acquired in April of 2023 by Authority Brands. Rob started the original brand in early 2001 in Northeast Ohio and built it up to multiple locations in Ohio before they were acquired by Authority Brands and started to franchise their brand. He shares how they build systems around growth, scaling, and how he made the transition from working in the business to working on the business over 23 years. Once they were acquired by Authority Brands, they focused on how they could clone and scale their business success to any city in the country with their franchise model.

In this episode, I talk with Zach Peyton, who is the CEO of Superior Fence and Rail about how he got started with his business in Jacksonville, Florida, why he and his partner made the decision to franchise, stories about their incredible growth, his commitment to seeing franchisees succeed, why they made the decision to join forces with Empower Brands, and what he is most excited about doing to celebrate the successes of franchisees within their system.

In this episode, I talk with Devan Kline, Co-Founder, Co-CEO, and Visionary of Burn Brands and Burn Boot Camp. Devan and his wife Morgan have build a remarkable franchise business located in 41 states with over 400 franchisees in 550 territories around the country. Devan shares their story about how they got started, how they grew their business so quickly, and the power of systems in accountability in helping their franchise partners succeed.

In this episode, I talk with Nuttha Goutier, who is the founder and CEO fo Sabai Thai Spa. Nuttha is originally from Thailand and shares her story, why she decided to start franchising her corporate spa locations and lessons she has learned on her journey in supporting her franchisees success. In this episode, she shares how she has been able to sucessfully expand Sabai Thai Spa into a franchise while maintaining its unique cultural charm. She also shares insights into balancing standardization with authenticity in franchise operations and why this matters for long-term success, and practical lessons and strategies for training franchisees to embody care and connection, not just processes.

In this episode, I talk with Mike Tan, who is the CEO of Sweathouz about their unique franchise offering. They offer one suite, two temperatures, and three experiences with a unique recovery journey that is a scientifically-backed approach to self-care, combining hot and cold temperatures for optimal mental and physical performance and wellness.

In this episode, I talk with Dan Claps, CEO and Co-Founder of VODA Cleaning and Restoration. VODA was started in 2009 and started franchising in 2023. Dan tells the story of the founding of VODA, how he got involved, lessons behind their remarkable growth, and what he is most excited about as he continues to build out the VODA brand in home services.

Voda Cleaning & Restoration is raising the bar for cleaning and restoration services nationwide. Their mission is simple: to make life easier for those responsible for creating inviting, healthy spaces, whether at home, work, or in business.

"Voda" means water in Serbian and embodies their approach. Like water, they bring a gentle yet powerful clean, renewing both the visible and hidden spaces in a client's home or business. They leave behind nothing but a radiant clean, so you can quickly return to what matters—living and working with peace of mind.

In this episode, I talk with Kelly Crummer, who is the Senior Director of Franchising at Firehouse Subs®. She shares the Firehouse Subs® origin story, how they've grown to nearly 1,400 locations in the United States and even more internationally, incentives they offer to beginning franchisees, the secret behind their rapid growth, how they focus as a franchisor on each individual franchisee's profitability, and the importance of human interaction and community involvement that leads to growth and success with their restaurants.

Firehouse Subs® is a restaurant chain with a passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service, and public safety. Franchising since 1995, Firehouse Subs was founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994 by two former firefighting brothers, the brand is built on decades of hot and hearty subs piled with high quality meats and cheeses, and committed to saving lives through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation®, providing lifesaving equipment and needed resources to first responders and public safety organizations. Firehouse Subs is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International, Inc. ("RBI"), one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $45 billion in annual system-wide sales and approximately 32,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – Burger King®, Tim Hortons®, Popeyes®, and Firehouse Subs®. To join the Firehouse Subs family, visit franchising.firehousesubs.com.