Franchise Empires

By The Wolf, A Workweek FriendBusiness Entrepreneurship Investing Management

Franchise Empires episodes

October 11, 2022 S3 E2: How to Build a Sports Franchise Empire That Impacts 1,000,000 + Kids
Adam Geisler and John Erlandson love sport, but they also love how sports influence children’s lives for the better. That’s why they own 4 sports franchises.
Youth Athletes United is the umbrella platform for Adam and John’s 4 franchise brands : Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes, TGA, and Little Rookies.
The Wolf, Adam and John talk through how a passion for sports can’t be taught, but business can, how they went into partnership after working together in the boxing industry, and why more than 1 million kids are impacted by their brands every year.
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!
Follow Adam:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/adam-geisler-1442697

Follow John:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/john-erlandson-62409b4

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
49 min
October 04, 2022 S3 E1: Koala Insulation: Meet The Bootstrapped Founder Who Went From 0 to 350 Franchises in 2 Years
Scott Marr is behind Koala Insulation, a franchise brand on the rise. But it’s not his first business success story. Discover how Scott built his highly successful empire.
Mobile businesses are Scott’s area of expertise. Before founding Koala Insulation, he created First Clean USA, acquired by a private equity firm in 2018.
The Wolf and Scott discuss the process of selling 350+ Koala territories, and what it takes to convert a small business into a successful franchise.
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!
Follow Scott:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/scmarr

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
46 min
September 27, 2022 S2 E15: Twitter Spaces Special: Success Strategies That Work Across ALL Franchise Models
How do you grow your franchise business profitably? In this Twitter Spaces, 3 multi-unit franchise owners share the secrets to their success.
The Wolf is joined by Zac Pennington, owner of 8 Anytime Fitness locations, Brian Beers, owner of 30 Midas units, and Lucas Mitchell, owner of 13 Five Guys locations. All offering different services or products, but all following the same growth strategies.
You’ll hear insider tips on choosing the right territories, building versus buying a store, and how to scale quickly.
The panel then gets into questions thrown to them from listeners, including the one thing they wish they’d known before getting into franchising.
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Zac:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zacari-pennington
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacpennington

Follow Brian:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brian-t-beers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianbeers

Follow Lucas:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lmitchellhq

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf

The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
57 min
September 20, 2022 S2 E14: How Chick-Fil-A Franchises Found Success
The inventor of the chicken sandwich has humble beginnings. Discover how Chick-Fil-A became a nation’s favorite, despite never opening on Sundays.
In this 10-minute run through, The Wolf breaks down the restaurant’s humble beginnings, how a chance opportunity to buy up cheap chicken turned into a money spinning idea, and how founder S. Truett Cathy developed the 2-part franchise strategy that dominated the company’s growth for decades.
No one knows franchising like The Wolf and his unique takes and thoughtful analysis make this a not-to-be-missed episode.
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf

The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
13 min
September 13, 2022 S2 E13: Ben Little, the #1 Zaxby's Franchise Owner
From a commodities trader to licensee of 14 Zaxby’s units. How did Ben Little do it? He just said ‘yes’.
From helping to run 8 units with his father and his business partner, Ben has grown their empire to 14 units, including the no. 1 and no. 3 best performing stores in the country. But he had to start at the bottom.
The Wolf and Ben get straight into it, discussing how Ben had to learn the brand by working on the shop floor, how a long-term mindset helps grow business, and the best real estate strategy to employ.
You’ll also hear Ben’s thoughtful takes on incentivizing employees and his plans for the future.
And If you work in franchises, your most precious resource is time. BELAY exists to help you regain control of your time and your focus. They will match you with highly-qualified US-based virtual assistant, accounting, social media, and website contractors. In fact, only about 3% of those who apply to support roles with BELAY are actually accepted. Text WOLF to 55123 to get started.
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!
Follow Ben:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ben-little-46204923
Twitter: twitter.com/TRUmav

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf

The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
1 hr 18 min
September 06, 2022 S2 E12: Massage Envy: How Stephen Vereb and Henry Kim Are Building an Empire and Closing The Recruitment Circle.
Stephen and Henry have been in business together for more than 15 years. Now the owners of 7 franchise units, they’re solving the problem of finding qualified employees. Find out how.
From backgrounds in corporate America these entrepreneurs now have 5 Massage Envy units and 2 Amazing Lash units in their portfolio.
The Wolf gets into the weeds of financing franchises, getting out of sales, and how Henry and Stephen are solving the recruitment problem by opening their own massage therapist school.
You’ll also hear how their partnership works so well and why they believe everything in life is networks and relationships.
And If you work in franchises, your most precious resource is time. BELAY exists to help you regain control of your time and your focus. They will match you with highly-qualified US-based virtual assistant, accounting, social media, and website contractors. In fact, only about 3% of those who apply to support roles with BELAY are actually accepted. Click here to get started!
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!
Follow Stephen:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/stephen-vereb-1758bb
Follow Henry:
Instagram: @henry_h_kim01
Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
50 min
August 30, 2022 S2 E11: The Learning Experience: How an Educator Turned Multiple Franchise Owner And Community Builder
Dr Grace Huxtable-Mount is a force. She’s also the owner of 5 The Learning Experience franchises, and looking to expand. Tune in for Grace’s extraordinary franchise journey.
The Wolf and Grace get straight into Grace’s story, from the Bahamas, via Japan, to US citizenship in 2001. Since then she’s opened up 5 The Learning Experience units, a childcare and early education franchise.
You’ll hear Grace’s takes on why education franchises have such high profit margins, how being a franchise owner offers more freedom than you might think, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to ask your landlord to buy their real estate.
You’ll also hear why Grace received The Learning Experience Chairman’s Award For Excellence, and how she plans to continue scaling her empire throughout Florida.
And If you work in franchises, your most precious resource is time. BELAY exists to help you regain control of your time and your focus. They will match you with highly-qualified US-based virtual assistant, accounting, social media, and website contractors. In fact, only about 3% of those who apply to support roles with BELAY are actually accepted. Click here to get started!
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Grace:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/grace-huxtable-mount-phd-71581813
Instagram: instagram.com/drhuxtable_mount/

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf

The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
49 min
August 23, 2022 S2 E10: Amazing Athletes: Why Building Healthy Communities Can Equate to Financial Success
Jared Taylor owns 6 Amazing Athletes franchises. Find out how this former collegiate baseball player found his way into franchise ownership via Real Estate.
The Wolf and Jared get into why the recession forced Jared to make a decision about his future, why making a positive impact on kids was a real draw to the Amazing Athletes franchise, and why following your passion is always a good thing.
You’ll also hear why Jared believes there’s a correlation between owners who think in the long-term and owners who prioritize their employees’ well-being, and why optimizing for community impact over profits can still lead to a ton of financial success.
And If you work in franchises, your most precious resource is time. BELAY exists to help you regain control of your time and your focus. They will match you with highly-qualified US-based virtual assistant, accounting, social media, and website contractors. In fact, only about 3% of those who apply to support roles with BELAY are actually accepted. Click here to get started!
If you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
40 min
August 16, 2022 S2 E9: How McDonald's said Kon'nichiwa to Japan
When McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc arrived in Tokyo three days before the grand opening of their first international franchise in Japan, he was shocked to see that construction had not yet begun on the restaurant.
Enter Japanese businessman Den Fujita. After buying the rights to bring McDonald’s to the Land of the Rising Sun, and with no existing blueprint for international success with McDonald’s, Den had to invent the playbook for Japan.
Join The Wolf for the incredible story of how Den was able to construct and open the first international McDonald’s within 36 hours, then go on to become the third largest international stage for the McDonald’s franchise.
And If you work in franchises, your most precious resource is time. BELAY exists to help you regain control of your time and your focus. They will match you with highly-qualified US-based virtual assistant, accounting, social media, and website contractors. In fact, only about 3% of those who apply to support roles with BELAY are actually accepted. Click here to get started!
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!
Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
9 min
August 09, 2022 S2 E8: Donatos: The Fintech Professional Turned Multiple Franchise Owner
How does a fintech professional end up owning multiple pizza units? Having a soft spot for the brand definitely helps.
Meet Shwetabh Gautam, the NYC-based pro who took a risk on franchise ownership with four friends he grew up with, and who now own 6 Donatos Pizza units in Cleveland.
The Wolf and Shwetabh get into why loving the brand played a big part in jumping on board, how they were offered five more locations even as they built their initial three, and why Donatos sits at the intersection of family pizzeria and massive franchise.
You’ll also hear how to effectively manage your local teams remotely and why incentivizing success is a key management tool.
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Shwetabh:
Twitter: @therealshwetabh

Check out The Wolf’s newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all things Franchise Empires by following The Wolf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf

The Wolf is a friend of Workweek, working together to produce amazing podcasts. Find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
37 min

About Franchise Empires

From the publisher's feed

Most startups are doomed to fail. But there’s an alternative route to financial freedom for hungry entrepreneurs. One that involves far less risk, far more work-life balance, and just as much profit. Franchises. Franchise Empires gives aspiring franchise owners the playbook to build a multi-unit franchise empire of their own. Every episode we hear from guests who are building their franchise empire: Franchisees who started with one unit and aren’t stopping until they get to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands more locations. Hosted by The Wolf, you’ll hear exactly how to turn your ambition into tangible actions and take your first steps up the franchise ladder. We’ll break down the steps you need to take open your first franchise, your second location and beyond, along with the many pitfalls to avoid. Wolf answers all your questions about owning and running your franchise, and interviews guests with first hand experience like Greg Flynn, the multi-billion dollar restaurant franchisee, Jamie Weeks, the largest OrangeTheory franchisee in the world who’s launching his own fitness franchise SweatHouz, and Jason McGowan, Co-founder and CEO of Crumbl cookies. Want to get started on your franchise owning journey? Tune in every Tuesday for a new episode. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.