Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with Melissa Chordock, President of AKT.  Founded in 2013 by international fitness expert, Anna Kaiser, AKT is a revolutionary fitness technique concept rooted in dance and functional training. With thousands of clients visiting per week, including celebrities like Kelly Ripa and Shakira, AKT provides members with an ever-changing curriculum that combines a customized mixture of its four core modalities (toning, dance, interval training and circuit training) to deliver a fun, high-energy and full-body workout experience like no other. Headquartered in Irvine, Ca. with studio locations in New York City, Hamptons, AKT is backed by Xponential Fitness, a team with more than 25 years’ experience in fitness franchising.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Marathons are boring. So are gyms. Tough Mudder Bootcamp reinvented endurance events, now they are reinventing your workout. Plus, big box gyms don't even work. That's why they spent the past year incognito, prototyping and developing a unique program designed to challenge and train all levels, combining high intensity interval training with team workouts. This is not an indoor jungle gym - there aren't any obstacles. It's functional fitness for life, not just a Tough Mudder event. Each day’s 45 minute class delivers a full-body workout that is fun, unique and challenging. Their 6 classes are built against four fitness pillars - Power, Strength, Endurance and Agility - and each class is supported by our custom tech platform that delivers movements at each class station, allowing coaches to actually coach. Plus, there are new workouts daily, keeping classes diverse and exciting.

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with  Will Dean, founder and CEO of Tough Mudder Bootcamp.  At Tough Mudder Bootcamp, You're never alone. Your fellow Mudders will always be there to lift you up - literally.  

In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Warren Greshes is one of the top motivational speakers in the world.   We start the interview discussing entrepreneurship.  Next, Warren discusses 16 rock solid rules for achieving sales success.  Lastly,if you want your employees to perform at their best, then you need to become the best damn manager ever, someone who can inspire and motivate your staff. The Best Damn Management Book Ever teaches frantrepreneurs, managers, executives, and business owners how to do just that. From the highly praised author of The Best Damn Sales Book Ever, this concise trove of management wisdom outlines the nine keys to creating self-motivated high-achievers.

Every business has a story.  We are meeting with Morgan Rothschild — CEO of Party Princess Productions franchise opportunity.  Party Princess Productions provides high-end birthday party character entertainment specializing in princess parties, superhero parties and many other character themed events. Their custom handcrafted costumes and wigs, along with our quality cast, ensure the most authentic performance for every special occasion.

We are meeting with Dan Collins, President and Chief Development Officer of I Heart Mac & Cheese.  Often listed as one of the most sought-after and popular comfort foods in the world, macaroni and cheese appeals to everyone. Their chef-inspired beginnings launched the I Heart Mac & Cheese concept in South Florida in 2015.

The I Heart Mac & Cheese restaurants are family-friendly neighborhood restaurants that serve macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, salads, tomato soup and other tasty beverages and food items. Consumers can customize their macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese with a variety of toppings, cheese and proteins and their selections are cooked in our state-of-the-art quick cooking ovens that deliver a quality hot product in a matter of a few minutes. They only use high-quality cheeses, proteins, and vegetables. I Heart Mac & Cheese provides thei franchises with all the tools and support necessary to achieve consistency and success.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

It was almost twenty-five years ago; I was introduced to one of the most enlightening books on entrepreneurship I have ever read. The E-Myth Revisited is one of the most successful business books of the twentieth century. It was voted the #1 business book by the Inc. 500 CEOs. It has sold several million copies, has been translated into almost 20 languages, and is recommended reading for many new franchise owners.  This interview we discuss the success of The E-Myth Revisited, Michael’s inspiration for creating “In the Dreaming Room” and my personal favorite book, “Awaking The Entrepreneur Within”. 

Michael E. Gerber is a true legend of entrepreneurship. Inc. Magazine calls him “the World’s #1 Small Business Guru” — the entrepreneurial and small business thought leader who has impacted the lives of millions of individuals and hundreds of thousands of companies worldwide for over 40 years.  Michael E. Gerber is the author of the mega-bestseller “The E-Myth Revisited” and five other E-Myth books concerning small business and entrepreneurship.  Additionally, Mr. Gerber has written 14 industry-specific E-Myth Vertical books co-authored by industry experts.  These books are written for: Attorneys, Accountants, Optometrists, Chiropractors, Landscape Contractors, Financial Advisors, Architects, Real Estate Brokerages, Insurance Stores, Dentists, Nutritionists, Bookkeepers, Veterinarians, Real Estate Investors and soon to be HVAC Contractors.  Based on his intimate, in-depth experiences with entrepreneurs in his Dreaming Room™ events, along with the tens of thousands of clients his company has coached and mentored over the past 40 years, Michael E. Gerber has authored his revolutionary new book on entrepreneurship and The Dreaming Room™ called: “Awakening the Entrepreneur Within: How Ordinary People Can Create Extraordinary Companies.”

We are meeting with with Mike Weinberger from Maui Wowi.  Since 1983, Maui Wowi® has embraced the Hawaiian culture and has been serving paradise in a cup since the day it began, 35 years ago. From event carts, mall kiosks and stand-alone retail locations, Maui Wowi offers premium smoothies, as well as gourmet Hawaiian coffees and espresso beverages. The company maintains strong community involvement through fundraising efforts by its franchisees, in addition to Team Karma; an initiative that promotes corporate responsibility and giving back to the community. The brand has more than 450 operating units and an online store. In November 2015, Maui Wowi was acquired by Kahala Brands™, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of 27 quick-service restaurant brands and approximately 2900 locations in 28 countries.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with Ken Petersen, Founder of Apricot Lane Boutique – a national fashion boutique franchise offering branded apparel, accessories and gifts.  Apricot Lane has 75+ boutiques nationwide, and is the leading women’s fashion boutique franchise. With the company’s business model, franchisees are individual expert merchandise buyers who take advantage of vendor-leveraged discounts to curate their boutique with quality, affordable merchandise that keeps up with their community’s style. Every Apricot Lane boutique is locally-owned and carries a mix of established and up-and-coming brands – many of which are not yet available at traditional retailers.

 

Firefighter to Fashion – Many grow up with a dream of being a firefighter. For Ken Petersen, this was only half of his dream. While working as a firefighter in Vacaville, California in the 70’s, Ken opened his own retail store that specialized in collectables (like Beanie Babies), a popular consumer trend at the time. Midway in his career, Ken suffered a back injury that forced him to turn his entrepreneurial side-hustle into a career.

In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with franchise author and expert Christy Wilson Delk…As a Business Professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and with over 15 years of franchise ownership (including a very successful franchise exit), Christy Wilson Delk has the business acumen to inspire franchise owners and help them achieve their greatest potential. Her new book, Adventures in Franchise Ownership outlines her 4 Pillars Approach to Strengthen, Protect and Grow Your Business and includes advice from over a dozen other top performing franchisees representing multiple business segments.

My Adventure In Franchise Ownership -I admit, there were many times that I felt tired, alone and frustrated about my ability to run my business consistently well. I was disappointed that there was nothing available to help me and other franchisees get through the tough times. I learned quickly that the franchisor could only do so much and that the rest was up to ME.That’s when I put the 4 Pillars Approach in place at my franchise. After I sold, I decided to be the person to add the missing piece. I wrote Adventures in Franchise Ownership  to help others build a framework that leads to greater success and satisfaction. I really hope this tool can be utilized to help you achieve success in your business.You can read the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Adventures in Franchise Ownership by going to https://christywilsondelk.com/book/

We are meeting with John O' Brien of Poolwerx.  Founded in 1992, Poolwerx is one of the world’s largest pool and hot tub / spa maintenance providers. Their United States operations are headquartered in their 10,000 sf, state-of-the-art training facility and support center in Dallas, TX. From here, the corporate team supports our dedicated Franchise Partners and thousands of satisfied clients throughout the Sunbelt Region. Ranked #183 on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2018 Annual Franchise 500 List, our goal is to continue our growth and further expand our operational footprint.

Up until the age of 25, John O’Brien had no clue that franchising existed. Then when a colleague told him about the industry – his entire life changed. O’Brien began traveling the world learning more about the franchise industry, and eventually returned home to Australia to begin his own franchise, Poolwerx. The brand quickly expanded from a 10 truck fleet to a booming international business with locations in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

In just its third year in the States, Poolwerx has already opened 66 locations across seven states and won numerous industry awards, recognizing Poolwerx efforts to structure the very disorganized pool service industry.  In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.