What if your franchise could raise real money for local schools and help kids build leadership skills at the same time? On this episode of the Franchise Sisters Business Radio Show, Pam Currie and Shari Currie Skjoldager sit down with two leaders from Apex Leadership Company — CEO Jamie Krasnov and franchise development executive Clay McKee — to unpack a fundraising franchise built around community impact for elementary and middle schools.

Jamie and Clay walk through the Apex story and how the model works: how the fundraising model works for schools, who the end customers are, how franchisees acquire customers, and how the revenue model is structured. They also get into the practical side of ownership — the ideal franchisee profile, a realistic day in the life of an owner, and the questions prospective owners tend to ask about investment and financing.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How the Apex school fundraising franchise model works and why schools participate
• How the revenue model works, including whether income is recurring or project-based
• What Apex looks for in an ideal franchisee
• What Apex's training and ongoing support look like for new owners
• What the conversation covers on initial investment, royalties, Item 19, and franchise funding strategies
• How Apex pairs community impact with a franchise business

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a corporate professional weighing business ownership, this episode is a clear look at a franchise where doing good for schools and running a business go hand in hand.

Considering franchise ownership? Request a free discovery call with the Franchise Sisters and investigate before you invest.

Some of the best franchise opportunities hide in plain sight — like the yellow Jet Black stakes popping up one driveway at a time across a neighborhood. In this episode of the Franchise Sisters Business Radio Show, hosts Pam Currie and Shari Currie Skjoldager talk with Scott Breimhorst, who leads franchise development for Jet Black International Franchising.

Scott calls Jet Black a "40-year-old emerging brand": a pavement maintenance company built on asphalt sealcoating and crack filling that grew almost entirely by word of mouth to more than 150 territories in operation. He shares the story behind the brand and its owner, Nick Kelso — a former franchisee who bought the company — and walks through a franchisee-friendly model that includes a proprietary all-in-one back-office system, a proprietary crack filler supplied just over cost, trailers built and sold at cost, and a royalty structure that scales with the size of each job.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• What pavement maintenance actually involves — sealcoating, crack filling, and commercial line striping
• How the residential (marketed for franchisees) and commercial (networking-driven) sides of the business work
• Why Jet Black's job-scaled royalty (roughly 8% on driveways vs. about 1.5–2% on large commercial lots) is unusual in franchising
• What it costs to get started, plus what Jet Black's Item 19 discloses
• Who tends to make a strong owner, and Scott's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

If you're weighing franchise ownership and want a look at a simple, scalable business in a category most people overlook, this conversation is a useful starting point. Investigate before you invest — and if you're exploring your options, request a free Franchise Sisters discovery call.

What if building generational wealth starts before an inheritance is ever passed down? In this episode, the Franchise Sisters explore what they call the Bi-Generational Wealth Movement — also known as the Tsunami of Parents Buying Kids Franchises.

Co-hosts Pam Currie and Shari Currie Skjoldager sit down with a mother-and-daughter duo, Jamie Lavigne and her 14-year-old daughter, Stella. Jamie has been in the franchise community since 2007, and she shares how the typical candidate has shifted from someone in their 50s or 60s looking for a "bridge to retirement" to far more young adults — and parents investing right alongside their kids. Stella talks about how she was introduced to franchising through Meet the Team Days and years of tagging along on calls, and how she went from "no way, I'm going to school" to considering business ownership as another possible path.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why Jamie says the typical franchise candidate has gotten dramatically younger since 2007
• How parents are treating "generational wealth" as something to seed now rather than leave behind
• How Jamie exposed Stella to franchising early — and why she wishes she'd started even sooner
• How Jamie and Shari weigh college against putting a college fund toward a business
• Why the hosts describe franchise ownership as a "hands-on MBA"
• Jamie's case for buying a franchise over going it alone, including the franchisee community and support system
• Jamie's number-one tip for aspiring entrepreneurs: get financially prepared and ask "How do I fail?"

If you're a parent, a young adult, or anyone curious about franchise ownership as a family decision, this conversation is worth a listen. Considering franchise ownership? Request a complimentary Franchise Sisters discovery call and grab their eBook, Top 10 Questions to Consider Before Investing in a Franchise.

What if small and mid-sized businesses could use AI without wasting money on the wrong tools? In this episode, Pam Currie and Shari Currie Skjoldager welcome Ken Boyce, co-founder and vice president of Franchise Development for Human Advisor AI, to discuss the AI consulting franchise model.

Ken shares how Human Advisor AI helps businesses identify gaps, use AI to increase revenue or decrease expenses, and connect with vetted AI solution providers through its marketplace of over 100 AI companies — a marketplace that accepts zero commissions, referral fees, or kickbacks, keeping franchisees completely vendor-agnostic. He also explains the B2B retainer model, including $2,500 a month for 10 hours, $5,000 a month for 20 hours, $250 an hour, and 10% of savings. Ken also discusses the $75,000 franchise fee for 10 years, the ability for most franchisees to open for less than $100,000, and why the business can operate from a home office with very little overhead.

If you are considering franchise ownership, request a free Franchise Sisters discovery call and get the ebook “Top 10 Questions to Consider Before Investing in a Franchise.”

What if you could get into the coffee business without opening a storefront? In this episode, Pam Currie and Shari Currie Skjoldager welcome Anthony Spagnola, Chief Development Officer with Oakscale, franchise development leader for Break Coffee, and a Break Coffee franchisee himself in New Jersey, to discuss the office coffee franchise model.

Anthony shares how Break Coffee provides bean-to-cup coffee machines, freshly roasted coffee, and regular service visits for businesses with 20 or more employees. He discusses Break Coffee’s history going back to 2003 in Australia, its rebrand from Expresso Delight, its partnership with Jura, and its growth from eight or nine franchisees at the end of 2025 to 19 franchisees signed. Anthony also explains the investment range of $100,000 to $140,000 for one territory, Item 19 data showing the average franchisee in 2025 brought in about $215,000 in sales with $85,000 in net operating income — a 40% net margin — and a top performer who did just over half a million in sales and about $260K net.

If you are considering franchise ownership, request a free Franchise Sisters discovery call and get the ebook “Top 10 Questions to Consider Before Investing in a Franchise

Most entrepreneurs think of food, fitness, or cleaning when exploring franchise ownership — but one high-margin category often gets overlooked: window treatments.

In this episode of Franchise Sisters Business Radio, Pam Currie and Shari Currie Skjoldager sit down with Brayden Stefka of Five Star Franchising to discuss Gotcha Covered, a window treatment franchise business opportunity built around custom blinds, shades, shutters, draperies, and white-glove service.

Brayden shares how the Gotcha Covered model works, why referral partnerships with home builders, remodelers, painters, and local business networks help drive growth, and what makes this a low-overhead, home-based franchise option for relational entrepreneurs.

You’ll also hear what type of owner is the best fit, how franchisees are trained, and why window treatments can be a strong home services category for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for a practical, service-based business.

Is a plumbing franchise the right path to business ownership—or are most new owners making costly mistakes?

In this episode of Franchise Business Radio, Shari Currie Skjoldager sits down with Zach Munroe of Blue Frog Plumbing & Drain to break down what it really takes to succeed in the home services industry. From understanding the business model to hiring skilled plumbers and building a strong local presence, Zach shares insider insights that most first-time franchise owners overlook.

You’ll also learn how Blue Frog combines residential and commercial plumbing services, relationship-driven marketing, and scalable systems to help entrepreneurs grow—even without prior plumbing experience. If you're exploring a plumbing franchise opportunity, home services business, or franchise ownership, this episode will help you validate your decision and avoid common pitfalls.

What does it take to turn a hands-on job into a nationwide franchise brand?

In this episode, Joshua Malik (Founder) and Dylan DeGroat (Director of Operations) of Joshua Tree Experts share how they built a fast-growing service business—from tree care to a multi-service franchise model focused on recurring revenue and long-term growth.

You’ll learn:
• How to grow a service business from the ground up
• The power of recurring revenue (and why it matters)
• How to scale without industry experience
• What separates struggling entrepreneurs from successful ones

If you’re thinking about starting a business, scaling one, or exploring franchising—this episode gives you a real behind-the-scenes look at what works.

Listen now and learn how to build a business that keeps growing.

What does it take to turn a hands-on job into a nationwide franchise brand?

Most people stay stuck doing the work.
These guys built a system that grows without them.

In this episode, Joshua Malik (Founder) and Dylan DeGroat (Director of Operations) of Joshua Tree Experts break down how they scaled from tree care services into a multi-service franchise model focused on recurring revenue and long-term growth.

You’ll learn:
• How to grow a service business from the ground up
• Why recurring revenue changes everything
• How to scale—even without industry experience
• What separates struggling entrepreneurs from those who win

If you’re thinking about starting a business, scaling one, or exploring franchising—this episode gives you a real, behind-the-scenes look at what actually works.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to build a business that keeps growing.

What does it take to turn a hands-on job into a nationwide franchise brand?

In this episode, Joshua Malik (Founder) and Dylan DeGroat (Director of Operations) of Joshua Tree Experts share how they built a fast-growing service business—from tree care to a multi-service franchise model focused on recurring revenue and long-term growth.

You’ll learn:
• How to grow a service business from the ground up
• The power of recurring revenue (and why it matters)
• How to scale without industry experience
• What separates struggling entrepreneurs from successful ones

If you’re thinking about starting a business, scaling one, or exploring franchising—this episode gives you a real behind-the-scenes look at what works.

Listen now and learn how to build a business that keeps growing.