After 41 years in hospitality and franchising, Paul Damico has seen it all — scaling restaurant brands through explosive growth, navigating economic downturns, selling companies for a combined $90 million, and now revitalizing two iconic, 60-year-old legacy brands: Perkins and Huddle House.

In this episode, Paul sits down with Stan Friedman to share how his career began at Marriott in 1986 before co-founding a 102-unit restaurant portfolio, leading Moe’s Southwest Grill from 160 to 700+ locations, and overseeing more than 5,000 restaurants at Focus Brands.

Now, as CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, Paul is rebuilding two classic American brands through a back-to-basics approach — deep franchisee engagement, stronger leadership recruitment, operational discipline, and a renewed focus on loyalty over acquisition.

Paul explains today’s biggest shift in restaurant behavior: diners aren’t trading down… they’re disappearing. With fast food no longer a clear value play, he reveals how casual dining may actually reclaim value leadership in the coming years.

He also outlines what he looks for in franchise partners: substantial liquidity, meaningful net worth, portfolio experience, and the ability to open a minimum of five units within three years.

If you want to understand legacy brand turnarounds, strategic franchising, or the next era of restaurant growth — this episode is for you.

Nick Lopez left Colorado as a wide-eyed first-generation college student, to work on a BS in Business Marketing at Michigan State. His plan was to "walk on" to the wrestling team, which would ultimately pay for the cost of tuition and living.

The reality was that a scholarship was a couple of years away, so Nick made the tough decision to hang up his wrestling boots for an entrepreneurial endeavor, in order to support the cost of his education.

At the age of 19, Nick founded his painting  company and every summer thereafter, he painted homes to help pay for tuition, books, and cost of living. By doing so, Nick developed a real passion and love for the craft of home improvement. In his third year as the owner of the company, the “light bulb” went off. Nick realized that those years of painting didn’t have to be his last, and that a future in the home improvement industry made sense. From that point forward, Nick focused on building a business that would set the standard for excellence in painting and home improvement.

He's here today, to tell us all about it.

What separates a successful franchise exit from a costly one?
In this week’s episode of Franchise Today, Stan Friedman sits down with Patrick Galeher, Founder, CEO and Managing Partner of Boxwood Partners, one of the leading M&A advisory firms focused on franchising and multi-unit brands.

Patrick has lived every side of the franchise world — franchisor, franchisee and supplier — giving him a 360-degree perspective few deal-makers ever have. Before founding Boxwood, he scaled Sweet Frog from 15 to 350 locations before selling to MTY Kahala in 2018. Since then, Boxwood has guided powerhouse brands such as Stretch Zone, AdvantaClean and The Lash Lounge through successful liquidity events.

Patrick reveals how alignment, not just valuation multiples, creates lasting value — and why the best M&A advisors start by deeply understanding their clients before ever calling a buyer. He explains how franchise M&A differs from typical middle-market deals, what investors really look for, and how founders can prepare years in advance for a strong exit.

Whether you’re a franchisor, franchisee or private-equity partner, this conversation delivers a masterclass in how to build, buy and sell brands the right way.

What happens when two brothers nearly lose everything—only to discover they were accidentally building a franchise model the entire time?

In this Encore episode, host Stan Friedman sits down with Ryan Parsons, CEO of Evive Brands and co-founder of The Brothers That Just Do Gutters. What started as a small family-owned gutter business nearly went bankrupt during the 2007–2008 recession, after diversifying into general construction. But that crisis forced a pivotal realization: their true success lay in focusing on what they did best—gutters.

By embracing the “riches are in the niches” philosophy, they built systems, processes, and a customer experience so strong that clients assumed they were already a franchise. That assumption sparked the birth of what is now one of the fastest-growing home services franchise brands in America, with over 300 territories.

Ryan shares how turning down early private equity offers led to even greater opportunities—including becoming CEO of an entire portfolio of brands under the Evive platform. He also reveals why brilliant basics—answering the phone, showing up on time, wearing professional uniforms—are still the ultimate differentiator in franchising today.

👉 If you want to hear how near-failure can become the foundation of franchise greatness, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and strategic focus.

What happens when a journalism graduate with no franchiseexperience gets assigned a PR client that changes her entire professional destiny? That’s exactly what happened to Monica Feid, co-founder and COO of Thunderly Marketing, Advertising and PR. What started as a random PRassignment to the Dwyer Group in 1996 became the beginning of a decades-long career shaping some of franchising’s most recognized brands.

In this episode, Monica joins host Stan Friedman toshare how franchising “found her,” how her partner's vision transformed BizCom Associates into Thunderly, and why AI is transforming franchise marketing faster than mostbrands are ready to handle. She explains the shift from SEO to GEO—Generative Engine Optimization—and why brands must rethink how they show up in AI-driven search results.

You’ll also hear why 56% of website leads receive zerofollow-up, how remote work and global talent have reshaped agency growth, and why younger, highly educated entrepreneurs are now entering franchising to control their destinies.

👉 If you want to understand the next evolution of franchise development, digital marketing, AI, and the power of serendipity in career-building, you won’t want to miss thisconversation.

"This week, Shelly Sun Berkowitz, founder ofBrightStarCare, joins host Stan Friedman for a deeply personal and inspiring conversation about the intersection of franchising, family, and female entrepreneurship. Shelly’s journey was born out of her personal need to find care for her grandmother. Shelly’s decision to expand BrightStar through franchising came later though, and began with a spark — watching her mother-in-law invest in a Choice Hotels franchise.  The passion to help families with care andthe franchise spark ignited a career that would lead to one of the most respected senior care brands in America. But during COVID, she found herself working 20-hour days while caring for her autistic son, Luc. It was a breaking point that led to her decision to sell BrightStar and prioritize family — but also lead her to her next great purpose.  

Today, through Founder to Founder and Next Phase Capital, Shelly mentors entrepreneurs and provides “patient capital” for founders scaling and exiting on their own terms. She’s also tackling the harsh truth that only 1.9% of women-owned businesses ever reach $1 million in revenue, helping women founders overcome systemic barriers to funding and confidence.

 👉 Listen now to hear Shelly’s hard-earned wisdom on balancing ambition with authenticity — and building businesses that honor both profit and purpose.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Bill Chaffee and his undying effort to promote initiatives to assure the furtherance of success, for women in C-Suites of franchising." 

What happens when a hurricane changes your entire life philosophy? For Jeff Dudan, a late-night drive home from Hurricane Katrina relief became the turning point that transformed him from a traveling restoration contractor into a franchise empire builder.

Starting with a college painting business and pivoting into restoration after Hurricane Andrew, Jeff launched Advanta Clean in 1994. By 2005, he realized franchising could give him the balance and scalability he needed. But success didn’t come overnight—he admits to early failures rooted in ego, until he embraced the franchise community and hired experienced professionals in 2008.

Today, as CEO and founder of Homefront Brands, Jeff leads a diverse portfolio that has grown to 230+ franchise owners across nearly 800 territories in just 30 months. Brands like Temporary Wall Systems, Window Hero, Top Rail Fence, Designery, and Roof Scientist all share one thing in common: the CARES values system that drives culture, leadership, and results.

In this conversation with host Stan Friedman, Jeff shares:

• How personal tragedy became the catalyst for his franchising journey

• Lessons from scaling multiple brands at record speed

• Why values-based leadership outperforms micromanagement

• His outlook on franchising as America’s greatest wealth creation engine

👉 Listen now to hear how Jeff Dudan builds empires rooted in values, vision, and servant leadership.

After five years as Chief Development Officer at Another Broken Egg, Jeff Sturgis is making another bold pivot—returning to independent consulting.

In this conversation with host Stan Friedman, Jeff reflects on three decades in franchising, from his unexpected entry after leaving professional sports to senior leadership roles at Coldwell Banker, U.S. Franchise Systems, Focus Brands, Fantastic Sam’s, McAllister’s Deli, Fazoli’s, and Another Broken Egg.

Jeff’s story is one of adaptability, resilience, and relationships. He shares how chance encounters and career setbacks became springboards to new opportunities, why awarding franchises (not just selling them) remains his guiding principle, and where he sees opportunities for brands in today’s challenging market.

Whether you’re an emerging franchisor scaling from 20 units or a mature brand navigating growth hurdles, Jeff’s insights into development, strategy, and market dynamics are invaluable.

👉 Listen now to hear how one of franchising’s most seasoned leaders continues to shape the future of the industry.

From exile at 17 to CEO of a billion-dollar franchise platform. Shirin Bezhadi’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and remarkable leadership. Hear how she scaled Budget Blinds/Home Franchise Concepts, survived a brain tumor, and turned adversity into her greatest advantage.📌 Key Takeaways

• Exile and hardship can fuel resilience and leadership ambition.

• Fractional CFO work can shape company growth and PE exits.

• Health crises sharpen clarity and leadership priorities.

• Scaling a franchise requires iterative testing, discipline, and creativity.

• Private equity exits demand operational maturity and cultural reinvention.

She’s now sharing the playbook in her soon to be released book, “The Unexpected CEO: My Journey from Gas Station Cashier to Billion-Dollar CEO” (on sale Oct. 28).  https://shirinbehzadi.com/book/

Carlos Hesano is the brand President of Authority Brands DRYmedic Restoration Services, a company that steps in…  when life takes unexpected turns. Whether it’s water, fire, storm, or mold damage, DRYmedic is there 24/7 to helpfamilies and businesses recover, rebuild, and reclaim their lives. And, they’re not just about restoring properties — they’re about restoring peace of mind. In this episode, you’ll hear how their approach to those that they serve, is more like what you’d expect from a 5 star restaurant or hotel.  Over the years, Carlos has evolved into a powerful voice and leader in franchising, guiding others toward building wealth, independence, and community impact through franchise ownership.