Episode Summary: Building Leadership, Trust, and Connection in Franchising with Stephane Breault In this episode of The Advisory Board Podcast, we sit down with Stephane Breault, a 40-year veteran of Canadian franchising and the founder of Imagine Franchise Consulting, to unpack the real keys to franchise leadership.
Stephane dives into the fundamentals of building a successful franchise system: competence, connection, and trust. We explore why the best franchisors take 100% responsibility for their franchisees’ results, the importance of human connection over relying solely on technology, and how rituals—like alignment meetings—can strengthen trust and culture across a franchise network. Stephane also shares practical advice for field coaching, creating executive alignment, and avoiding the costly mistake of surrounding yourself with the wrong team.
Whether you’re a franchisor scaling your brand or a franchise leader looking to build stronger relationships, this episode is packed with actionable insights on how to create leaders at every level of your system. A big thank you to our episode sponsor, ClientTether, for supporting the podcast and helping franchise leaders streamline their operations and engagement with franchisees.