Franchise Euphoria

Nicole Di Pietro joined Jeremiah’s Italian Ice in 2016 as Vice President, to assist in positioning the company for growth. She has been instrumental in developing the company’s Core Values, Mission and Vision, along with the current infrastructure. Nicole boasts 25+ years in the hospitality industry with her foundations at Tijuana Flats in 1995 where she spent nearly 20 years climbing the ranks within the organization. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Central Florida.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Nicole Di Pietro, the Vice President at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice franchise system.

[2:20] Josh welcomes Nicole to Franchise Euphoria.

[2:40] Nicole opens the interview with sharing about her experience in the hospitality industry which leads to the opportunity with Jeremiah’s.

[8:18] When Nicole first met Jeremy, Jeremiah’s had 17 locations.

[10:01] Nicole shares that Jeremy had always intended to franchise the business, but he recognized that he needed to tighten up the systems prior to starting that venture.

[11:30] Nicole describes what the experience of visiting a Jeremiah’s location is like.

[14:16] The typical Jeremiah’s location is a walkup or walkup and drive thru building. They have used some locations that were previously a Checkers/Rallys.

[16:58] Jeremiah’s is looking for franchisee partners that personify their values and culture.

[18:37] Nicole talks about the struggles Jeremiah’s faced with the outbreak of COVID-19.

[21:37] Nicole shares what markets Jeremiah’s is looking into for expansion.

[23:11] If you want to learn more about Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, visit their website listed below.

[23:36] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

https://jeremiahsfranchise.com/
www.instagram.com/Jeremiahsice
www.facebook.com/JeremiahIce

From attending University of Hawaii as a varsity cross country athlete, iron-man triathlete and swimmer to working at Gold’s Gym and 24 Hour Fitness, Lindsay Junk has always been competitive. After working her way up in the fitness industry, Lindsay found success at YogaWorks and eventually TruFusion. From there, Lindsay was introduced to Xponential Fitness and felt a connection with the energy of the boutique fitness world it was building. When Xponential acquired YogaSix, she was brought on as the company’s President. She ultimately wants YogaSix to become the nation’s largest yoga brand and help others find their purpose, strength and tribe.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Lindsay Junk, the President of Yoga Six franchise.

[2:26] Josh welcomes Lindsay to Franchise Euphoria.

[3:01] Lindsay considers herself to have been in the sports industry since she was six. She has been involved with several fitness businesses prior to joining Yoga Six.

[8:17] Lindsay’s husband Ryan previously joined Josh on Franchise Euphoria several months ago to discuss his franchise system, Cyclebar, which is also within the Xponential Fitness umbrella.

[9:48] When Lindsay joined Yoga Six, they had seven locations that were corporate entities.

[12:12] One of the advantages of being within Xponential Fitness is that they come into a newly-acquired franchise system with a proven “playbook” and apply it to their brand.

[16:02] Lindsay shares what the experience of visiting a Yoga Six studio is like.

[20:38] While the roadmap provided by Xponential Fitness covers guidance for business processes, the experience at each brand is crafted internally.

[27:50] When Lindsay first started with Yoga Six, she assumed that the franchisees would be people who were involved in the yoga industry, however, she now looks for people with an entrepreneurial spirit and are able to overcome adversity.

[30:45] Currently Yoga Six has over fifty franchise locations and over 450 in the pipeline to be opened.

[34:49] Lindsay explains how they manage launching that many franchise locations in a short timeframe and also what type of support resources they have for their franchisees.

[37:36] With respect to COVID-19, Yoga Six has been offering virtual classes to keep business moving. Lindsay points out that a benefit of using Yoga Six is that you have access to virtual classes at all of their locations across the country, not just their local studio.

[40:12] If you want to learn more about Yoga Six, visit their website listed below.

[40:49] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

www.yogasix.com
Instagram- @yogasix
https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoga-six/
http://franchiseeuphoria.com/episodes/working-challenges-franchising-quickly-ryan-junk-cyclebar/

John Kutac brings a plethora of experience to his role as President at The Whimsy Cookie Company. Previously Kutac served as President for Growler USA including 10 years with Romano’s Macaroni Grill, owned by Brinker International, where he worked his way up to Managing Partner. There he assisted in growing the brand to over 200 locations. Following his time with Brinker International, Kutac held leadership roles at Western Capital Partners and Clear Choice Dental Implants before taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer of WellBiz Brands, Inc., one of the world’s largest wellness organizations.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, John Kutac, the president of The Whimsy Cookie Company.

[2:12] Josh welcomes John to Franchise Euphoria.

[2:37] John walks through his extensive history in franchising and describes how he came into the opportunity with Whimsy Cookie.

[4:06] John describes how Whimsy Cookie went from an in-home operation to a franchise system.

[7:04] All of the current Whimsy Cookie locations are currently fully built out locations with big kitchens, but John believes moving forward, a “hub and spoke” model might be more efficient for future locations.

[9:47] John shares how COVID-19 has affected the Whimsy Cookie locations.

[14:15] John describes what the experience of visiting a Whimsy Cookie store location is like.

[17:44] The ideal Whimsy Cookie franchisee is someone who is first and foremost passionate, but they are now targeting franchisees who will develop larger territories.

[19:43] In John’s opinion, anyone looking to franchise their business needs to be sure everything is documented ahead of time and do all the heavy lifting upfront.

[22:35] If you want to learn more about the Whimsy Cookie Company, visit their website listed below.

[23:06] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

https://whimsycookieco.com/franchise/

Tom Britt is the Founder and CEO of Towne Post Network. Prior to founding Towne Post, Tom founded a number of other business concepts including Progressive Publishing, Channelseek.com, and the atGeist.com Community Newsletter which eventually transitioned into the Towne Post Network. With over thirty years in the publishing industry, Tom offers a well-rounded prospective on the evolution of print to digital media.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Tom Britt, the CEO and Founder of Towne Post Network. Full disclosure, Towne Post Network is a client of Indy Franchise Law.

[2:39] Josh welcomes Tom to Franchise Euphoria.

[3:48] Tom shares about his prior business ventures and what led him to come up with the concept for Towne Post Network.

[8:31] An early challenge Tom had to face was finding the balance between print and digital media.

[11:46] Within the first few years of running their newsletters, Tom started licensing the Towne Post platform to other communities who were interested in bringing a similar concept to their area, but he began running into a few issues with this model.

[17:26] Tom shares about what his first year in franchising looked like and how they determined who their ideal franchisee candidate was.

[22:30] COVID-19 has had a brutal impact on print media, and now many businesses are faced with the decision to adapt to digital media or go under.

[25:08] In Tom’s opinion, the top performing franchisees in this industry had previous “B2B” (business to business) sales experience.

[29:05] Tom explains what their digital integration concept is all about and what type of support you would receive as a franchisee.

[36:29] Towne Post has launched a new CRM program and found based on the timing of their submissions that people are buying products at night and want instant graitifcation, which led him to launch TownePost.Direct.  

[39:58] If you want to learn more about Towne Post Network, visit their websites listed below.

[42:34] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

www.townepost.com
townepost.direct
www.franchising.townepost.com
@townepost (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook)

Kate Erickson is the engine at Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award winning podcast where John Lee Dumas interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs who are truly ON FIRE. She is also the host of the podcast Ditch Busy and co-author of The Podcast Journal: Idea to Launch in 50 Days. Learn more about the free training Kate & John have created for entrepreneurs who are ready to achieve financial and lifestyle freedom over at EOFire.com! 

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Kate Erickson, one of Josh’s long-time colleagues who is the host of Ditch Busy podcast.

[2:37] Josh welcomes Kate back to Franchise Euphoria. Kate originally appeared on Franchise Euphoria in July 2013.

[6:22] Kate shares an overview of what has led her to create her Ditch Busy podcast.

[10:57] John and Kate contemplate what it is about the podcasting medium that makes it such an effective method for communication.

[13:41] Kate shares about her first foray into the podcasting realm, a show called Kate’s Take.

[19:02] Kate addresses one of the biggest pain points that entrepreneurs face: time management due to overwhelm.

[21:24] In Kate’s opinion, the number one thing entrepreneurs need to be adhering to is being very selective about what you say “yes” to.

[23:32] Josh shares that an ideal he tries to live his life by in both business and personal matters is that when making decisions, if it’s not a “hell yes”, it’s a no.

[27:30] Kate gives an overview of one her episodes where she walks through her email work flow and specifically touches on email management.

[31:33] Josh suggests that entrepreneurs be transparent with whom they’re in contact with and lay out when they can expect to hear from you otherwise both ends of the party end up frustrated.

[34:48] Josh opens a discussion about COVID-19 and how it has affected how he manages his time.

[39:52] Kate adds that this is the perfect time for entrepreneurs to create new habits that have been pushed to the back burner due to time constraints.

[41:10] If you want to learn more about Kate Erickson, visit her websites listed below.

[42:01] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

www.DitchBusy.com
www.EOFire.com
franchiseeuphoria.com/episodes/entrepreneur-fires-kate-erickson-discuss-working-john-lee-dumas-building-brand-scratch/

As CEO of CMIT Solutions, Roger Lewis spearheads the widely recognized IT support franchise with its growth across the nation, adding to its over 220 locations. Before joining CMIT Solutions, Lewis co-founded AllianceTech, a meeting and events technology provider of onsite solutions. There, he led sales and marketing, taking the business from zero to $12 million-plus in bookings. In 2015, industry leader Cvent took notice and acquired the company, adding onsite solutions to its product portfolio. Under Cvent, Lewis continued to propel the business forward with onsite solutions proving it to be one of the fastest growing product lines of the company. Prior to AllianceTech, Lewis co-founded an IT services company and successfully grew it to $8 million in annual sales before selling it to an organization out of New York.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Roger Lewis, the CEO of CMIT Solutions.

[2:35] Josh welcomes Roger to Franchise Euphoria.

[3:59] Roger explains that he started his business career with IBM out of college, but shortly after a move to Austin, TX, prompted an opportunity with CMIT Solutions.

[5:41] Roger shares what the CMIT business concept is and what their goals are.

[6:53] In Roger’s opinion, most CMIT franchisees start out of a home office and they can move into a brick and mortar location, but it isn’t necessary.

[9:29] While people often assume that in order to be a franchisee candidate at CMIT, you have to have a strong IT background, but Roger explains that isn’t the case.

[12:13] Originally, the “CM” in the name of the business stood for “Computer Moms”, but it has since transitioned to “Computer Monitoring.”

[16:14] One of the biggest factors that led to CMIT having extra work to do when the pandemic broke out was that with so many people adapting to a work from home lifestyle, they found that their home systems weren’t properly protected.

[19:38] Roger weighs in on which virtual meeting platforms he believes are the best.

[23:20] In Roger’s opinion, the reason cyber security has become such a big threat is because small businesses are being recognized for not having quality protection and are therefore getting targeted.

[24:48] If you want to learn more about CMIT Solutions, visit their websites listed below.

[26:19] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

www.cmitsolutions.com
www.cmitfranchise.com
www.linkedin.com/company/cmit-solutions-inc/

Vince Ortiz is the Director of Franchise Development at Transblue. Vince has over 20 years’ experience of managing businesses within the construction and facility industries, including owning his own franchise and being actively involved in the franchise industry for 10 years. Vince prides himself in being able to provide valuable information on Transblue’s World-Class Business and counsel to people who are considering franchising.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Vince Ortiz, the Director of Franchise Development at Transblue, a franchise system that offers construction and general contracting services.

[1:53] Josh welcomes Vince to Franchise Euphoria.

[2:30] Vince shares about his background as a franchisee and business owner and what led him to join Transblue.

[4:32] While Transblue operates within the construction and general contracting industry, they focus on niche services.

[7:06] Transblue started out with just their founder operating as the sole worker in his company who had a truck and a lawnmower.

[9:28] Vince details the importance technological innovations that help their franchisees work more efficiently.

[12:19] According to Vince, it is less important that their franchisees have general contracting experience but rather business leadership skills.

[13:33] The Transblue corporate headquarters are located in the Seattle area.

[14:40] As a new franchise system, Vince shares the importance of doing your homework before you launch your franchise.

[16:13] If you want to learn more about Transblue, visit their website listed below.

[16:44] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

www.transbluefranchise.com

www.twitter.com/transblue_

www.facebook.com/TransblueGC

www.instagram.com/transblue_

With a background in publishing, journalism, and fashion, Northeast Color Marketing Manager Derrick Ableman brings a unique perspective to a company dedicated to helping franchisors maintain a consistent brand experience.

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Derrick Ableman, the Marketing Manager for Northeast Color, a business that helps franchisors develop branded experiences.

[3:00] Josh welcomes Derrick to Franchise Euphoria.

[3:51] Derrick shares about his diverse work history which began with a few publishing-based experiences including being a reader at Random House.

[8:26] While working at Random House, Derrick came into another opportunity with Bindle & Keep which led to an HBO documentary being made about the company called Suited.

[15:19] Derrick was led to Northeast Color by a friend who would brainstorm business ideas whenever he would visit.

[19:40] Franchising is all about creating a consistent experience at each location, which is what Northeast Color focuses on developing.

[26:02] With Northeast Color, the quantity of products received isn’t the benchmark to whether they work with a client or not but rather if they can make a measurable difference by taking on that client.

[30:49] Derrick touches on how Northeast Color’s clients are being affected by COVID-19 and what they’re doing to help them through this time.

[35:09] The factor that sets Northeast Color apart from their competitors is the quality of the custom experience their clients receive.

[37:42] If you want to learn more about Northeast Color, visit their website listed below or email [email protected].

[38:31] Thanks for listening, and please reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

www.northeastcolor.com/

www.facebook.com/northeastcolor/

www.instagram.com/northeastcolor/

www.linkedin.com/company/northeast-color-inc

Denai Wolfe is a Virtual CFO, Financial Clarity Coach and Profit Strategist. She works with big thinking entrepreneurs to help them increase their profits by designing and implementing financial structure and systems. Denai understands entrepreneurs because she is one. In a past life she owned a photography business and two restaurant franchises. Running these businesses was where she learned the power of knowing your numbers. She became so passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to take control of their numbers that she volunteered at her local women’s business center to educate female entrepreneurs on financial literacy. The more students she got in front of them more requests she received for consults and so The Chic CFO was born.

Denai believes that bigger profits equal a better life not just for you and your family but for your team and customers as well. She follows one golden rule when it comes to business – of it doesn’t make money it doesn’t make sense. Her mission is to help entrepreneurs understand their financials and utilize the data to make operational improvements that will scale their company to the next level!

Key Takeaways:

[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!

[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Denai Wolfe, who Josh heard speak recently on the topic of the Cares Act.

[2:15] Josh welcomes Denai Wolfe to Franchise Euphoria.

[3:05] Denai shares what her involvement in franchising had been and how it led her to develop the Chic CFO.

[14:09] One of Denai’s biggest missions with empowering entrepreneurs has been to deliver the information to them in a way that makes sense. That’s when she saw how overwhelming the Cares Act was and she decided to simplify it.

[19:58] Denai gives an overview of what the Paycheck Protection Program is and what the intent behind it is.

[26:25] Josh addresses that there is some confusion surrounding how owners who don’t have standard paychecks get paid.

[33:15] While the Cares Act explicitly states what 75% of the funds you obtain should go towards, there is about 25% of gray area, so Josh suggests talking with your business professional to address what expenses qualify to avoid fraudulence.

[36:37] Denai has noticed that small banks are able to assist people applying for this program better than larger banks simply because the bigger banks are inundated and are struggling to keep up with the amount of applications they receive.

[38:33] The Paycheck Protection Program explicitly states that professionals cannot charge applicants to assist with the application process, but Denai has seen people doing this anyways, which is in poor taste in her opinion.

[41:48] Josh shares that technical difficulties interrupted the recording process for this interview, so they are back a few days later, and there’s actually been an update to the program which Denai explains.

[46:40] Denai’s Facebook group called the Profit Factor is constantly active with information about the Cares Act and Denai regularly does Facebook lives to discuss updates.

[48:16] If you want to learn more about Denai or her services, visit their website listed below.

[49:09] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

[email protected]

www.franchiseeuphoria.com

www.indyfranchiselaw.com

https://thechiccfo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitfactor/

https://thechiccfo.com/coronavirussbaloans/