Franchising is not an easy path, and few people know that better than Sean McKay’s guest, Greg George. With more than 25 years in the franchise world and involvement in 42 different brands, Greg has learned his biggest lessons by discovering what not to do. He shares how he went from selling franchises to owning equity in multiple companies, ultimately co-leading the rapid growth of the Peach Cobbler Factory to over 120 locations in 23 states.

Greg opens up about his personal story, including decades of addiction and nearly losing his son, and how recovery gave him renewed drive and purpose. His journey shows that resilience, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with the right people can fuel extraordinary results. From NFL stadiums to small-town mobile units, and now expanding into breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Peach Cobbler Factory story is about building something bigger than desserts—it’s about people, perseverance, and purpose.

Greg George has spent more than 25 years in franchising, working across 42 different brands and helping build companies from the ground up. Today he leads the Peach Cobbler Factory, which has grown to more than 120 locations in just over three years. Greg shares openly about his recovery journey and how overcoming addiction fuels both his mission to help others and his drive to grow one of the fastest-expanding dessert brands in the country.

• Greg’s path from designing cigar lounges and coffee shops to 25 years in franchising
• How the Peach Cobbler Factory scaled to 120 locations across 23 states in just three years
• The role of mentorship, including partnering with Larry Johnson to build a national dessert chain
• Greg’s personal journey from decades of addiction to sobriety and helping nearly 50 people enter treatment
• Why success in franchising depends on choosing the right people at every level
• The importance of Google Ads, local marketing, and filtering franchise leads
• Challenges of compliance, personality management, and financing in early franchising
• New initiatives expanding Peach Cobbler Factory into breakfast, lunch, and dinner service

• Peach Cobbler Factory
• Greg George on Instagram: @iammrpositive
• [Larry Johnson] (mentioned as mentor and partner)
• Mike’s Hot Honey

Franchising often gets painted as a simple path to expansion, but as Sean McKay uncovers in this conversation with AnnMarie Baranik and William Anthony, the journey can be anything but easy. From losing $40,000 to a smooth-talking salesman, to drowning in legal fees with over-lawyering, to navigating the headaches of social media permissions and failed technology platforms, the duo behind Angels Monitoring share an unfiltered look at the realities of becoming a franchisor.

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They open up about challenges with compliance, franchisee expectations, and the myth of easy money in franchising. At the same time, they highlight how their mission to help families through supervised visitation keeps them committed. This is a candid exploration of mistakes, lessons learned, and the ongoing balance between growth and control.

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AnnMarie Baranik is the CEO of Angels Monitoring. She began franchising in 2018, motivated by the growth of her business in California.

William Anthony is the CIO of Angels Monitoring. He has guided the company through legal hurdles, franchise operations, and technology struggles, shaping their current approach to growth.

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• How a quick decision to franchise led to a costly $40,000 mistake without receiving an FDD
• The danger of being over-lawyered and burdened with paperwork as a small company
• Lessons from allowing franchisees too much leeway with compliance and social media
• Why partial buy-ins and payment plans failed to produce committed franchisees
• The myth of “easy” franchising and why absentee ownership rarely works
• Technology pitfalls, from failed custom platforms to the importance of owning your systems
• The role of organic growth, relationships with courts, and zero advertising in their expansion
• Counterintuitive advice: don’t franchise unless you’re already huge and can fully control the system

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• FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document)
• Angels Monitoring

The path to growth is rarely a straight line. In this conversation, host Sean McKay reconnects with Tim Dougherty, founder of Project Lean Nation, to trace the journey from a single location with an “electric vibe” to a franchise system with dozens of units and many more on deck. Tim shares how faith, culture, and belief in others shaped his leadership style, even through missteps, federal prison, and starting over with nothing but health to lean on.

Listeners will hear how mentors, grace, and vulnerability fueled Tim’s story, why connection matters more than a meal delivery, and what it takes to guide franchise partners through clarity, accountability, and tough love. The episode highlights real lessons about culture, scaling, and the people who bet on you along the way.

Tim Dougherty is the founder of Project Lean Nation. His journey began in Rochester with one location and a contagious culture that grew into a franchise system of more than 30 units, with many more in development. Tim shares openly about his past, his time in federal prison, and how belief, grace, and relationships shaped the foundation of his brand. His focus is on building culture, elevating leadership, and guiding franchise partners to lasting success.

• The “electric” early culture of Project Lean Nation and the challenge of scaling it
• Why grace and belief in people matter more than fear-driven leadership
• Tim’s federal prison experience, lessons from shame, and starting over with nothing but health
• Cooking meals in his garage while on federal parole and discovering the power of relationships in retention
• The role of mentors and community support in building the first store and beyond
• Moving from licensing to franchising in the middle of COVID with everything on the line
• The importance of clarity, accountability, and communication when leading franchise partners
• Why vulnerability and honesty can build more trust than projecting perfection
• Counterintuitive lessons on semi-absentee ownership, leadership, and finding the right franchisees
• How Project Lean Nation differentiates itself by combining healthy meals with coaching and human connection

• Project Lean Nation
• Traction (book referenced in conversation)

When Sean McKay sat down with Jay Shah, the story of Marigold Academy unfolded as one of necessity, resilience, and vision. What began in 2019 as a search for childcare that felt like a true home away from home quickly turned into a franchise brand redefining early education.

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Jay shared how his personal journey as a parent revealed the shortcomings of commercialized childcare and how that sparked the creation of Marigold Academy. Despite setbacks during COVID, the model thrived, leading to a bold move into franchising in 2023. With growth in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and expansion plans across Texas, Florida, the Carolinas, and Georgia, Jay outlined the realities of franchising that few talk about: the financial hurdles, the steep learning curve, and the power of mentorship.

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This episode offers candid lessons on why passion matters, how networking fuels success, and why grassroots relationships can move the needle more than paid campaigns.

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Jay Shah is the Founder and CEO of Marigold Academy, a childcare franchise serving children from birth to age five. Inspired by his own family’s search for high-quality care, Jay launched Marigold Academy in 2019 and expanded into franchising in 2023. With locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the brand is building a national presence while focusing on long-term partnerships, franchisee support, and premium childcare experiences.

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• How the search for childcare sparked the founding of Marigold Academy in 2019
• The impact of COVID on growth and the decision to expand into franchising in 2023
• Why passion, personal need, and emotional connection drive franchise success
• The blend of large-scale facilities with the intimacy of small daycare partnerships
• Challenges and financial realities of launching a franchise brand
• The role of mentors, coaches, and networking in navigating growth
• Why grassroots connections and authenticity often outperform paid campaigns
• Building long-term relationships with franchisees as a “marriage,” not a transaction

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• Marigold Academy
• LinkedIn as a tool for networking and mentorship

Franchise growth rarely happens overnight, but Sean McKay sits down with Dan Claps to share a journey that proves persistence pays off. Born with an entrepreneurial streak, Dan went from running college businesses to discovering franchising in his early twenties. He learned the hard truth about scalability, built a lead generation company serving the franchise industry, and eventually made the leap into home services and restoration.

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With the acquisition of a single-location Northern Virginia business, Dan and his team rebranded and launched Voda Cleaning & Restoration in 2023. The early months were brutal — losing $70,000 a month with zero franchise interest — until a pivotal moment turned the tide. Now with about 100 franchise owners in 30 states, Dan reveals the leadership decisions, financial insights, and operational systems that fueled Voda’s rapid expansion. Listeners will hear candid lessons on building ahead of the curve, avoiding early-stage pitfalls, and why the first franchise sale is always the hardest.

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Dan Claps is the CEO of Voda Cleaning & Restoration. He began his career in franchising in 2014 after years of running his own businesses. Dan built a successful lead generation company in the franchise space, which was acquired by private equity in 2022. With that capital, he co-founded Voda alongside industry professionals and original founder Dragon. Under Dan’s leadership, Voda has grown from one location to about 100 franchise owners across 30 states.

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• Dan’s unconventional entry into franchising after early entrepreneurial ventures
• Lessons from hitting a ceiling without scalable systems in his first businesses
• Building and selling a franchise-focused lead generation company
• Why he chose the restoration industry and partnered with Voda’s founder
• The all-in risks of launching a franchise brand and surviving early losses
• Growing to 100 franchise owners by focusing on operations, leadership, and support
• The importance of finance leadership for franchisors and unit economics
• How franchise consultants, SEO, and Facebook ads fuel their lead generation
• Nurturing leads with immediate follow-up, automation, and education
• Why franchisors must focus on supporting owners and continually adding value

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• Voda Cleaning & Restoration
• LinkedIn – Dan Claps

Franchise marketing can be a tough puzzle, especially when you’re early in the process of landing your first franchisee. Joseph Lewin, producer and guest host, sits down with Sean McKay to unpack some of the biggest misconceptions and confusing lingo around franchisee marketing. They discuss why most franchise marketing tactics are universal but require thoughtful customization based on factors like investment cost, business maturity, and lead qualification.

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Listeners will learn how the timeline to landing your first franchisee can vary widely depending on budget, business stage, and sector, why predictable billing models matter when working with marketing agencies, and how compliance requirements impact every step of franchise lead generation. This episode offers practical insights for franchisors stepping into the complex world of franchise marketing, balancing the need for proven tactics with smart customization and legal considerations.

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👤 Guest Bio

Joseph Lewin is the producer of Franchise This and guest host for this episode. He brings deep experience working with franchise marketers to clarify complex topics and guide franchisors through early-stage challenges.

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📌 What We Cover

• The balance between unique franchise features and universal marketing tactics
• Challenges of landing your very first franchisee versus later-stage franchise lead generation
• How upfront investment costs and business maturity impact marketing strategy and lead velocity
• Typical timelines for generating quality franchise leads and the impact of ad spend on speed
• Best practices for predictable agency billing models and why flat fees can benefit smaller franchises
• Understanding agency guarantees: realistic expectations and what a true guarantee entails
• The importance of integrated marketing efforts—ads, creative, and sales follow-up working together
• Compliance hurdles in franchise marketing, including state registration and advertising approvals
• How Facebook/Meta’s special ad category for franchise ads affects targeting and campaign strategy
• The agency’s role in coordinating with lawyers and sales consultants to ensure compliance

Ghosted by franchise leads? Paying $200 to $300 a pop and still not seeing results? You're not alone. In this episode, guest host and producer Joseph Lewin joins Sean McKay to expose why franchise lead generation is falling flat—and how to fix it fast.

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Sean outlines the three biggest culprits: poor lead quality, ineffective budget strategy, and low close rates. Together, they explore the compounding costs of these issues, from bad form data and fake names to low spend that slows down momentum. They also get specific about using OTP verification, third-party financial data, and feedback loops that actually train ad platforms to deliver better results.

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For emerging franchise brands trying to sign new deals, this tactical conversation cuts through the noise with practical fixes you can apply right now.

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• The three reasons your franchise lead gen might be failing
• How bogus info and autofill sabotage lead quality
• Using OTP (one-time password) verification to qualify real prospects
• Leveraging third-party and first-party data to reach financially qualified leads
• Why lower monthly spend can actually drive up your customer acquisition cost
• How to keep sales teams motivated with the right volume of leads
• The critical role of momentum and frequency in franchise marketing
• Best practices for automation, speed-to-lead, and nurturing through educational content
• Creating feedback loops from your CRM to ad platforms to improve targeting
• Real-world example of poor follow-up losing a high-intent buyer

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• yoursitehub.com — Schedule a no-cost consultation with Sean
• Franchise.org — Referenced for industry growth and spend trends

Landing your first franchisee deal can feel like a high-stakes gamble: it’s expensive, unpredictable, and exhausting when you’re just getting started. Host Sean McKay teams up with producer Joseph Lewin to unpack why most brands burn through as much as their first franchise fee before they secure a single franchisee. Drawing on real-world figures—from $30 to $300 cost per lead and 300 leads needed to close a deal—they explore how underestimating time, effort, and budget sets many up to fail. You’ll learn why warming prospects through the full funnel, diversifying channels like Meta and Google, and pausing to take inventory of your metrics are the keys to beating the odds.

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📌 What We Cover

• Why landing your first franchisee is expensive and unpredictable
• How developing a sales funnel and lead generation demands more time, effort, and cost
• Rule of thumb: expect to spend the total cost of your first franchise fee in lead-generation
• Variance in cost per lead—from $30 on the low end to $300 on the high end—and its impact
• Strategies to warm leads through education, automation funnels, and addressing pain points
• Importance of diversifying marketing channels: Meta, Google Ads, LinkedIn, and trade shows
• Advice to pause and take inventory of lead performance before cutting advertising spend
• A dramatic turnaround achieved by targeting the entire funnel rather than just bottom-of-funnel buyers

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)
• Meta (Facebook)
• Google Ads
• LinkedIn
• Trade shows
• Social channels

Most people think the hardest part of franchising is scaling. But for early-stage founders, landing that very first franchisee is the real test. Hosted by Sean McKay, Franchise This is a weekly show built for emerging brands and new franchisors who are building from the ground up.

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Each episode features honest conversations with franchise owners on what it really took to grow — from what worked to what flopped. You’ll hear stories about costly mistakes in lead gen and sales, how they closed their first few deals, the systems that made scaling possible, and the gritty, unfiltered reality of running a franchise brand. If you're serious about growth and want real talk from people doing the work, you're in the right place.

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• Why landing the first franchisee is harder than scaling
• Real stories from franchise owners about what worked and what flopped
• Mistakes made in lead gen and sales
• How founders closed their first few deals
• The systems that made scaling possible
• The things no one tells you about running a franchise brand
• Weekly episodes with stories from people doing it right now