Franchise Interviews 4.0

On this podcast, Franchise Interviews meets with Mark Dawson, the President and CEO of Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain. Learn more about how the Bluefrog name came about.  Bluefrog Plumbing + DrainTM was started in 2014 by a team with decades of plumbing franchise industry experience. It is a proud affiliate of Home Brands GroupTM, which manages popular franchise companies that date back to 1979, including the Re-Bath® full bathroom remodeling brand. Learn more by clicking the play button below to listen to the show. 

Kelsey Stuart, CEO of Bloomin' Blinds on Franchise Interviews - We are meeting with Kelsey Stuart, CEO of Bloomin' Blinds. Bloomin' Blinds FYI: Family-owned and operated since 2001, Bloomin' Blinds is a leading window treatment franchise serving 55 territories nationwide. The only window treatment franchise to offer product, installation, repair, and cleaning. Bloomin' Blinds franchises are typically run by husband and wife teams or small teams, so customers are often dealing with the same people over the course of several interactions, helping to build trust and longstanding client relationships. Combined, the leadership team has over 60 years of hands-on industry experience, bringing a personalized approach to training and a tight-knit family feel to the culture. Innovative tech allows franchisees to run their businesses efficiently and provide quotes to customers almost instantly, helping franchisees to close in on more contracts. Franchisees are provided in-depth training at the home office with elaborate simulations to fully prepare each franchisee for the field. After training, franchisees head home and usually receive their first client inquiry within the first 12 hours of operation. The young leadership, fresh vision, and technology are appealing to the growing population of millennial homeowners. 

Franchising the Moving Industry - The real estate market has exploded! Today, we discuss franchising the moving industry. We start the show with our latest podcast from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast featuring hall of fame speaker Warren Greshes. In Part Two, you will hear our interview with Dustin Black, Founder and CEO of Black Tie Moving. Dustin is no stranger to the moving industry. From the time he was a child, Black worked for his father’s moving company, learning the ins and outs of the industry while also getting a behind-the-scenes view of exactly who homeowners were trusting with their belongings. With eight locations open and 24 new franchise territories under development, Black Tie Moving is rapidly expanding across the nation. In Part Three, you will hear our interview with Nick Friedman, the founder of the College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving franchise opportunity. College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving is the fastest-growing junk hauling and moving franchise in America. College Hunks Hauling Junk has been named one of the fastest-growing companies in America by "Inc." and has made "Entrepreneur" magazine's list of top franchise opportunities for five years in a row and counting. The growth is driven by a smart business model that allows College Hunks owners to act as executives in their businesses. We finish the show with a clip from the legendary Michael Gerber.

We are meeting with Bin There Dump That, a North American dumpster rental franchise. The concept was born in suburban Toronto when Mark Crossett, a working general contractor, was seeking a better way to get rid of construction waste from kitchen and bath renovations. He got a truck with a hook/lift assembly attached to the back and had a steel-fabricating company build him four dumpster bins that were smaller than those typically used in driveways at that time. He christened the fledgling disposal business as Bin There Dump That and instantly began getting attention from people pulling alongside his trucks in traffic, as well as chuckles from the audience when he was introduced at Chamber of Commerce meetings or other business-centric functions.

Part Two

Several years ago, we interviewed the Bin There Dump That franchise opportunity when they awarded their 100th franchise unit. Today, Bin There Dump That currently has more than 158 territories across North America with 6,000 dumpsters in operation; all territories are locally owned and operated. Today, we are welcoming back John Ferracuti, Chief Operating Officer of Bin There Dump That, to discuss the milestones Bin There Dump That has accomplished over the last several years. Bin There Dump That has been in the dumpster rental industry since 2004. Their dumpster rental franchise started in Canada and quickly became the leading dumpster rental franchise in a short period of time. Development plans include growing to 300 territories by 2028. In part 2, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Beyond Food Franchises: Exploring Non-Food Opportunities While food franchises are undeniably our most popular category, franchising extends far beyond the realm of food. Over the years, we’ve featured numerous exceptional franchises in the service industry. These businesses, though often highly profitable, present unique marketing challenges. Our podcast begins with a discussion inspired by Dr. Martin J. McDermott’s LinkedIn article, "You Had Me at Hello: The Power of the Follow-Up." This piece highlights the critical role of post-service communication in fostering customer loyalty. Using compelling anecdotes—like a dentist’s thoughtful follow-up call or a repairman’s check-in after servicing a refrigerator—Dr. McDermott underscores how small gestures can leave a lasting impact. He also introduces the RATER model (Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, Responsiveness) as a framework for assessing service quality, emphasizing how even brief interactions can strengthen customer relationships. Drawing from his expertise as a marketing professor and franchising authority, he concludes by celebrating the often-overlooked importance of a simple greeting and timely follow-up.

Next, we sit down with Jon Ostenson, a consultant, entrepreneur, and author specializing in non-food franchising. As a former Inc. 500 Franchise President and multi-brand franchisee, Jon offers invaluable perspectives on this sector. We explore insights from his latest book, Non-Food Franchising: The Better Path to Franchise Ownership. Finally, in the second segment of the episode, we feature an excerpt from our celebrated podcast series, Great Quotes in Franchising.

The Stories Behind The Brands - Authority Brands Franchise Opportunities - Last month, we met with Chad Harrison, Franchise Development Representative at Authority Brands, and Michael Hutchins, Franchise Development Manager. Authority Brands is the parent company of several leading home service companies. Over the years, Franchise Interviews has interviewed many of the franchises for Authority Brands. Today we will play clips from several brands we interviewed over the years under the Authority Brands umbrella. They include the following: Screenmobile: Screenmobile provides the best selection of screen-related services and products right to your door! Monster Tree Service: Monster Tree Service employs professional arborists committed to healthy trees and satisfied customers. Junkluggers- With sustainable disposal services, you can easily discard unwanted junk of all kinds and feel good about it! ASP - America's Swimming Pool Company provides exceptional pool maintenance, repair, and renovation.

Art Recovery Technologies Franchise Opportunity on Franchise Interviews - We have a great show today. We are meeting with Joni Brownstein of the Art Recovery Technologies franchise opportunity. Art Recovery Technologies can quickly assess, recover and return your artwork and collectibles to pre-loss condition. They specialize in the recovery of many types of art including antiques, photographs, family heirlooms, keepsakes, paintings, mosaics, taxidermy and much more. In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Jason Isley of franchise development for the 1-800-GOT-JUNK franchise opportunity.  1-800-GOT-JUNK is the world's biggest junk removal franchise with franchisees in the United States, Canada, and Australia. We talk about the role Michael Gerber played in the company and how reality television has had an impact on their business.  In part 2, we are also going to hear a clip from the legendary Michael Gerber, author of the successful, "The E-Myth Revisited".  Click the button below to listen to the show.

Franchise Interviews meets with the Gravity Vault franchise. Lucas and Tim will go over their backgrounds and the inception story behind starting Gravity Vault, as well as go over the industry and growth of the concept. Rock climbing duo turned business partners, Lucas and Time were named New Jersey State Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration this year. They currently have 2 locations in New Jersey and are just about to open their 3rd. Lucas and Tim have also trained mechanics and engineers in rappelling to then perform maintenance on a 300 foot-long, $500-million dollar Army spy blimp. After working "real jobs" through their 20s, the friend decided to pursue their passion for rock climbing as a business venture in their 30s.

Lucas Kovalcik and Tim Walsh - Avid climbers and entrepreneurial minded - decided to open their first indoor rock gym, called The Gravity Vault, in 2004. Natives of Bergen County, NJ, they knew there was a need for a state-of-the-art climbing gym in the county and wanted to share their passion for the sport. Opening the first Gravity Vault was only the first step in creating a franchise. They knew how fast the sport was growing and wanted to have a solid foundation with at least two operating gyms before they franchised. Their gyms have been featured in Fitness Magazine, the New York Times, The Bergen Record, 201 Magazine, Rockland Today Magazine and Urban Climber Magazine to name just a few publications. Gravity Vault also has been featured on Fox News and two local cable news programs. In addition to many rock-climbing awards, Kovalcik and Walsh were named co-2013 New Jersey State Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Listen to the show to learn more.

Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast - Advice to Military-Veterans - Execute the system. - Execute the system! Advice to prospective franchisees from Sean Falk. Sean is a former US Marine infantry officer who served more than 8 years in active duty and reserves, including tours during Operation Desert Storm and in Bosnia.? Falk now owns 10 franchised businesses in several states.