Franchise Freaks

Continuing with part 2 of a conversation with Ali Kraus, CMO of Benetrends and the Chair of the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee and host Jack Monson.

We jump right into an overview of local IFA Women’s Franchise Network chapters and the value of local networking for franchise professionals.

How to get your franchisees inspired.

We also discuss an update from Benetrends and how the branding has brought the company into a new era of excitement while still being a trusted resource. Ali also shares tips staying ahead of the marketing innovation wave and with trying new things within a budget.

Catch part 1 of this conversation on the Social Geek podcast!

Special Guest: Ali Kraus.

Welcome to a two-part episode with a One-on-One conversation with one of Franchising’s favorites, Emily George!

Emily has just joined franchise marketing agency Thunderly as Vice President of Client Services, leading a new division and helping the best brands in Franchising grow.

In Part Two, we’ll discuss:

Check out Part One on the Social Geek podcast available right now on all podcast platforms.

Special Guest: Emily George.

Today we’re welcoming our newest Franchise Freak to the franchise marketing agency Thunderly.

Carlos Cortiñas is the Chief Strategy Officer who will bring a new level of strategic conversations to Thunderly’s client brands.

Carlos joins podcast host Jack Monson to discuss:

• Spotting marketing trends which can help grow franchise brands

Special Guest: Carlos Cortinas.

Kristen Pechacek is the CEO of MassageLuXe and has grown the brand to new heights in recent times. She joins host Jack Monson for a chat about the status of franchise development at the International Franchise Expo in New York City.

They dive into:

Special Guest: Kristen Pechacek.

Robert Bhagwandat is the Senior Director of Franchise Development at Checkers & Rally’s. Podcast host Jack Monson caught up with Robert at this year’s International Franchise Expo in New York.

In this episode, Robert shares:

*Who makes a successful owner of a Checkers or a Rally’s? 

*Expansion plans, including multi-unit owners, individual owner operators, and those in between

*Some interesting hot spots on the map for Checkers & Rally’s

*Following leadership’s vision to reintroduce a legacy concept to the marketplace

Special Guest: Robert Bhagwandat.

Brian Britton is the CEO of Kilwins Chocolates Franchise.

Brian joins the podcast to share updates on this tasty franchise brand including:

• How and where the future growth is happening for the brand

For more info on opportunities with Kilwins, please visit kilwinsfranchise.com

Franchise Freaks is brought to you by franchise marketing agency Thunderly.

Special Guest: Brian Britton.

J.J. Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands, and Monica Feid, Co-Founder and COO of Franchise Marketing Agency Thunderly, discuss the status of in-home care franchises.

Jack Monson hosts them live at The International Franchise Association 2026 Convention.

They dive into the IFA’s Economic Forecast and J.J.’s brands’ growth including:

• The importance of culture, dignity, and comfort

To learn more about opportunities with Best Life Brands, please visit https://bestlifebrands.com

Special Guests: JJ Sorrenti and Monica Feid.

James Franks of WellBiz Brands and Monica Feid, Co-Founder COO of Franchise Marketing Agency Thunderly, dive into portfolio diversification of many Multi-Unit Multi-Brand owners.

Host Jack Monson joins them live at The International Franchise Association 2026 Convention to discuss:

• The red-hot health & wellness vertical that is projected to grow 2.1% this year according to the IFA’s forecast

• The membership-based offerings that are also of interest to multi-unit owners looking for recurring revenue

• How multi-unit owners can best diversify their portfolio within a platform company

For more information on WellBiz opportunities, please learn more at https://www.wellbizbrands.com/

Special Guests: James Franks and Monica Feid.

Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill, and Monica Feid, CCO of Thunderly, discuss the state of restaurant franchises.

Host Jack Monson joins them live at The International Franchise Association 2026 Convention just after the release of IFA’s Economic Forecast which predicts excellent growth for full-service restaurants.

Eggs Up Grill is growing ahead of schedule so far this year, and the team discusses:

Special Guests: Monica Feid and Ricky Richardson.

This is the latest in our series of conversations recorded at The IFA 2026 Convention in Las Vegas with host Jack Monson and the top franchise thought leaders discussing how an Amplified Integrated Marketing plan is accelerating their franchise system's growth.

Craig Sherwood, SVP of Development at The Joint Chiropractic, joins Thunderly's Monica Feid to share his system's growth plans in a landscape that includes:

For more information on The Joint's opportunties, please visit https://thejointfranchise.com

Special Guests: Craig Sherwood and Monica Feid.