Franchise Interviews 4.0

Today, we are diving into a massive lifestyle shift that is completely changing the face of franchising: the rise of the "Dadpreneur."

According to U.S. Census data, the number of work-from-home and stay-at-home dads has more than doubled over the last decade, showing a major shift in how modern families approach work and childcare. Joining us today is a man living this trend every single day—Rick Werner of Unishippers.

Based out of Auburn, Alabama, Rick launched his home-based Unishippers business in January. But he’s not just building a business; he’s doing it while serving as the primary caretaker for his 18-month-old daughter.

Rick is here to share his honest journey of balancing spreadsheets and diaper changes, and how a franchise model like Unishippers gave him the flexibility to put family first without sacrificing his career.

Here is our conversation with Rick Werner!

Through our weekly franchise radio show and podcast, Franchise Interviews has built a library of more than 1,000 franchise interviews featuring leading franchisors, franchise experts, franchise attorneys, franchisees, consultants, and authors. Each episode provides insights into franchising, entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. Listen to more episodes at www.franchiseinterviews.com.

Think back to the last time you moved to a brand-new city or neighborhood. How did you figure out where to get your morning coffee, find a reliable mechanic, or choose a new dentist? You had to start entirely from scratch.

Welcome back to Franchise Interviews! Today, we are exploring a franchise that has turned that exact transitional moment into a massive growth driver for local businesses. We are sitting down with Brian Mattingly, CEO of Welcomemat Services.

Welcomemat has developed an innovative marketing concept that perfectly blends digital tools with targeted print marketing. By reaching out to individuals and families the second they arrive in a new region, Welcomemat helps businesses extend a warm welcome and capture lifelong, loyal customers right when they are actively looking to build new daily habits.

Brian is breaking down how this highly rewarding hyper-local business model works. Then, stick around for Part Two, where we’ll switch gears for our Great Quotes in Franchising segment featuring an interview with the President of AlphaGraphics.

Let’s get started!

Through our weekly franchise radio show and podcast, Franchise Interviews has built a library of more than 1,000 franchise interviews featuring leading franchisors, franchise experts, franchise attorneys, franchisees, consultants, and authors. Each episode provides insights into franchising, entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. Listen to more episodes at www.franchiseinterviews.com.

Dr. Martin McDermott is also the author of Rock Star MBA, a book that explores the lessons learned from rock stars, musicians, actors, artists, and other creative professionals. Drawing from decades of interviews and research, Dr. McDermott discovered that many successful performers have developed valuable insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, creativity, and personal growth. Many of the insights featured in Rock Star MBA originated from conversations and interviews conducted through Franchise Interviews. Rock Star MBA challenges readers to see art and business not as opposites, but as complementary ways of understanding innovation, value creation, and human connection. Learn more at www.rockstarmba.com.

When you think of a successful coworking space, you probably think of good coffee and comfortable chairs. But what happens when fifty people try to jump on a video call at the exact same time and the Wi-Fi crashes?

Welcome to Franchise Interviews! Today, we are talking to Jason Anderson, President of Venture X—the fastest-growing coworking franchise in the industry. Venture X is on a massive mission to bring upscale, flexible, and highly collaborative workspaces to every major city in the US and select global markets.

But Jason isn’t just talking about beautiful design today. We are diving into a major trend that separates the rookies from the pros: technology. While independent operators often skimp on tech infrastructure to save a buck, Venture X ensures their franchisees start strong. From massive bandwidth capabilities to "smart" conference rooms and high-end video gear, they build spaces designed to attract premium clients.

Stay tuned to learn how Venture X is redefining the industry. Plus, in Part Two, we’ll play a favorite clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.

Through our weekly franchise radio show and podcast, Franchise Interviews has built a library of more than 1,000 franchise interviews featuring leading franchisors, franchise experts, franchise attorneys, franchisees, consultants, and authors. Each episode provides insights into franchising, entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. Listen to more episodes at www.franchiseinterviews.com.

Dr. Martin McDermott is also the author of Rock Star MBA, a book that explores the lessons learned from rock stars, musicians, actors, artists, and other creative professionals. Drawing from decades of interviews and research, Dr. McDermott discovered that many successful performers have developed valuable insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, creativity, and personal growth. Many of the insights featured in Rock Star MBA originated from conversations and interviews conducted through Franchise Interviews. Rock Star MBA challenges readers to see art and business not as opposites, but as complementary ways of understanding innovation, value creation, and human connection. Learn more at www.rockstarmba.com.

Welcome back to Franchise Interviews! Today, we are sitting down with Mike Thakur, the mastermind behind the WorkLodge franchise opportunity. Now, Mike’s journey to the business world is anything but ordinary. After moving from the UK to Houston, planting a church, and working in high-stakes international security, he noticed a major problem: the shared workspaces he was forced to use felt less like a community and more like solitary confinement.

He knew professionals deserved better. So in 2015, he launched WorkLodge—a franchise designed to design, operate, and grow all-inclusive workspaces that actually inspire and empower their members. And timing couldn't be better: the shared workspace industry has exploded.

We’re diving deep into the WorkLodge model today. Plus, stick around for Part Two, where we’ll drop a fan-favorite clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.

Let’s get into it!

Through our weekly franchise radio show and podcast, Franchise Interviews has built a library of more than 1,000 franchise interviews featuring leading franchisors, franchise experts, franchise attorneys, franchisees, consultants, and authors. Each episode provides insights into franchising, entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. Listen to more episodes at www.franchiseinterviews.com.

Dr. Martin McDermott is also the author of Rock Star MBA, a book that explores the lessons learned from rock stars, musicians, actors, artists, and other creative professionals. Drawing from decades of interviews and research, Dr. McDermott discovered that many successful performers have developed valuable insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, creativity, and personal growth. Many of the insights featured in Rock Star MBA originated from conversations and interviews conducted through Franchise Interviews. Rock Star MBA challenges readers to see art and business not as opposites, but as complementary ways of understanding innovation, value creation, and human connection. Learn more at www.rockstarmba.com.

Scaling a Commercial Landscaping Empire: Ken Hutcheson, President of U.S. Lawns

What does it take to build a commercial grounds management network that spans over 250 locations nationwide? In this episode, we sit down with Ken Hutcheson, President of U.S. Lawns, to discuss how this premier franchise keeps communities beautiful while empowering local business owners.

Operating out of their Home Office in Orlando, Florida, U.S. Lawns selectively onboards and trains community leaders to bring elite-level landscape maintenance and commercial grounds management to major and secondary markets across the country. Built on a foundation of uniform operational excellence, they ensure that whether a client owns one property or a nationwide portfolio, every single lawn gets the same gold-standard care.

Tune in to discover:

How U.S. Lawns maintains strict quality control and consistent service standards across nearly 50 states.

The business advantage of focusing exclusively on commercial clients and multi-location property owners.

What U.S. Lawns looks for when selectively onboarding new community leaders into their network.

Bonus Segment: Stick around for Part 2, where we play an exclusive clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast!

Through our weekly franchise radio show and podcast, Franchise Interviews has built a library of more than 1,000 franchise interviews featuring leading franchisors, franchise experts, franchise attorneys, franchisees, consultants, and authors. Each episode provides insights into franchising, entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. Listen to more episodes at www.franchiseinterviews.com.

Dr. Martin McDermott is also the author of Rock Star MBA, a book that explores the lessons learned from rock stars, musicians, actors, artists, and other creative professionals. Drawing from decades of interviews and research, Dr. McDermott discovered that many successful performers have developed valuable insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, marketing, creativity, and personal growth. Many of the insights featured in Rock Star MBA originated from conversations and interviews conducted through Franchise Interviews. Rock Star MBA challenges readers to see art and business not as opposites, but as complementary ways of understanding innovation, value creation, and human connection. Learn more at www.rockstarmba.com.

Empowering Communities & Saving Lives: Inside Silverback Self Defense with Robert Webre

How do you take a life-saving passion and scale it into a nationwide franchise? In this episode, we sit down with Robert Webre, Founder and Owner of Silverback Self Defense—a professional safety and self-defense company rewriting the rules of personal protection.

Silverback Self Defense specializes in highly customizable training programs tailored for groups, individuals, and corporate environments. With a mission rooted in helping people protect themselves and save lives, this emerging brand is backed by solid leadership and proven operational practices as it expands across the United States.

Tune in to discover:

How Silverback Self Defense designed a flexible, customizable training model that scales.

The growing demand for corporate wellness and workplace safety programs.

What makes this unique, low-overhead concept a powerful new player in the franchise industry.

Bonus Segment: Stick around for Part 2, where we share an inspiring clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast!

Showhomes CEO Matt Kelton: Transforming Real Estate into a Franchise Powerhouse

What does it take to scale a home-staging business into a multi-billion dollar franchise network? In this episode, we sit down with Matt Kelton, CEO of Showhomes—the nation’s leading home-staging and redesign franchise.

Founded in 1986, Showhomes has helped Realtors and homeowners sell more than 25,000 residential properties worth over $8.5 billion. By transforming high-end vacant houses into fully furnished, inviting spaces, they have completely redefined the luxury real estate market.

Tune in to discover:

How Showhomes scales its one-stop-shop model (home staging, redesign, and "One-Day Makeovers") across 60 offices nationwide.

The secrets behind their proprietary "Home Manager" program for upscale properties.

What it’s like to run a franchise system that has caught the attention of Oprah, HGTV, and the Travel Channel.

Whether you're a real estate professional, an interior design lover, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with invaluable scaling insights.

Thank you for registering for the New York Public Library program titled “Rock Star MBA - Untapped Lessons on Marketing from Artists” on Monday May 18th 2026 with my guest speaker Martin J. McDermott.

Welcome back to the show! Today, we are speaking with Andrea Pirrotti-Dranchak, the Chief Marketing and Development Officer for Office Evolution—which just happens to be the fastest-growing and number-one coworking franchise in the US.

With the traditional 9-to-5 still completely up in the air, companies and entrepreneurs are looking for flexibility, and Office Evolution is stepping right into that gap. We’re going to dive into how their suburban business model is giving people a convenient, professional place to work right in their own neighborhoods. If you've been wondering what the future of the workspace looks like, this is an interview you don't want to miss.

Plus, stick around for Part Two, where we’ll be playing a fantastic snippet from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. Let’s dive in!

2M+ Followers: Scaling the American Dream

From his early days as a recent immigrant to the U.S. to cultivating an organic social media audience of millions, Sergei epitomizes the modern American Dream. We explore:

The Evolution: How a San Diego home improvement shop grew into the "Best of the Best."

The Pivot: Moving from high-end remodeling into a scalable national franchise model.

The Digital Edge: How Sergei leveraged 2.4 million Instagram followers to build brand authority.

The Future: Advice for ambitious entrepreneurs ready to enter the world of franchising.

Whether you're a prospective franchisee or a business owner looking to scale, Sergei’s insights on quality workmanship and clear communication are a masterclass in professional excellence.