Franchise Today

Back in 2007, Shuckin’ Shack co-Founders Matt Piccinin and Sean Cook had a craving for fresh oysters. Living in the sleepy coastal town of Carolina Beach, North Carolina, they figured it shouldn’t be too hard to find an oyster bar, right? WRONG.

Realizing they’d stumbled onto an unmet need in their local restaurant scene, Matt and Sean hatched a plan to open their own fresh oyster bar and seafood restaurant. Through cases of beer and plans scrawled on napkins, the pair’s dream materialized as a 900-square-foot monument to domestic seafood, cold beer, and laid-back fun for the locals. 

Shuckin’ Shack was an instant hit, but things didn’t really get cooking until Jonathan Weathington joined the crew in 2014 in franchise development, then quickly becoming CEO. 

Shuckin Shack features fresh, high quality seafood like you’d find in white tablecloth establishments, but in an atmosphere more like a beach shack and certainly way upstream from what you’d expect from fast food. 

 What impresses me most about this brand is it’s leader, and all the right things he’s doing to sustain the growth as he scales this brand. That’s why Jonathan Weathington is this month’s Rising Star.

Marking 62 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, last week the IFA celebrated it's Annual Convention, this year in San Diego and featured speakers that included NBA legend and franchisor, Shaquille O’Neal, Inspire Brands CEO Paul Brown, and Self Esteem Brand’s David Mortensen, along with America’s first black female combat pilot Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, and author and workforce innovator Seth Mattison.   

I had an open mic on the convention floor and asked nearly 3 dozen industry pros to become speakers, as well.  My question?  What does IFA and it's annual Convention mean to you?  

Here's what they told me!

In the early 2000s, eight Baltimore-Washington Metro Area premier dry cleaners banded together to create a powerhouse brand: ZIPS Dry Cleaners. Together, they brought 100+ years of garment care expertise to the table. Their combined knowledge allowed them to perfect the dry-cleaning process from start to finish.  While known in franchising more for his years in food service, restaurants and hospitality, Bob Barry has actually served on the ZIPS Board, for eight years, prior to assuming the role of President and CEO for these industry disruptors.  The ZIPS difference is their passion for providing high-quality dry cleaning at unbelievably low prices. They have streamlined every part of the dry-cleaning process, from cutting costs and cleaning times to providing the best possible service and prices.  Today, they are thriving at 65 locations nationwide, with commitments in hand for another 150. Here to tell us all about it, is ZIPS President/CEO, Bob Barry.

This week I am happy to feature Katrina Mitchell, someone who seldom takes hold of the mic, or is seen center stage.  Rather, she is usually working behind the scenes, securing center stage keynote opportunities for her ever- growing roster of speakers and/or planning conferences for an expansive roster of franchise brands.  Franchise Speakers Bureau is the ONLY speakers bureau dedicated exclusively to the verticals of franchising, licensing and distribution.   

Katrina Mitchell is the Founder and Chief Matchmaker, at Franchise Speakers.  Launched in 2008, when Katrina was still a successful franchisee herself, she saw the need for a franchise industry speakers bureau that would help franchisors find the perfect speakers, trainers, facilitators, emcees and entertainers, to authentically connect with their franchisees.

At Franchise Speakers, their mission is to help franchisors create fabulous experiences for their franchisees. While their speakers do the talking, Katrina’s team are active listeners… responding quickly with carefully selected speakers/ trainers/ emcees/ or entertainer options, based on the franchisor’s desired objectives. And throughout the process, Katrina and her team, make certain that the presenter options offered for review, will connect seamlessly with the franchisor’s culture and the desired feeling, tone, and energy of the event.

Cliff Kennedy bought a frios gourmet pops franchise in 2018, and not even a year later, purchased the ENTIRE company. Why?  Because Cliff believes in magic.  You see,one fateful afternoon, Cliff was stuck in traffic as he was every afternoon in Mobile, AL, when he spotted a crowd of happy faces at a Frios Gourmet popsicle stand at the side of the road.  Next came the magic. Cliff pulled off, walked up to the stand to escape traffic for a minute, and took a bite of his future.

A Key Lime Pie frios ice pop on a stick was his choice, and it completely altered the course of Cliff’s life.  In his mind’s eye Cliff was immediately transported to a beach in Florida and away from the afternoon drive and traffic. This is the power and magic of a frios.

Cliff was so mesmerized that he called his wife and told her, “we are buying a “Popsicle” company.” Randomly buying a dessert company could sound like a crazy statement. Still, Cliff wanted in because of the moment of HAPPINESS and MAGIC that it delivered to him while being stuck in traffic.

During COVID, the company has pivoted and grown from being brick-and-mortar retail shops, to becoming a mobile fleet of tye dyed food trucks, and their franchisees the purveyors happiness on wheels.

Greg Nathan is the Founder of the Franchise Relationships Institute (FRI) and recognized as the global thought leader on the psychology of franchising. He has been a registered psychologist for 35 years and is regularly invited to deliver keynote addresses at franchise sector conferences around the world. Greg's books such as Profitable Partnerships and the Franchisor's Guide to Improving Field Visits, are regarded as essential reading for anyone who works in the franchising sector. His numerous franchising models such as the Franchise E-Factor and The Franchising Wheels of Excellence are all based on empirical research and have helped shape the way franchising is conducted around the world.

Greg has books in print around the world, in multiple languages.

Michael Isakson is the retired President and COO of ServiceMaster Franchise Services Group, an international franchise services company, where he had responsibility for the development and growth of more than 5,000 franchises worldwide with sales totaling more than $2 billion annually.  As part of the $4 billion ServiceMaster Company, Mike led ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec brands, specializing in residential and commercial cleaning services, disaster restoration, on-site furniture repair, and home inspections.Mike was also the Chair of the IFA in 2008-2009 and is the Immediate Past Chair of the IFA Education Foundation.   Today, he and his partners Doug Pound and Jim Wassell, give guidance to their clients and through Insight to Execution, help guide them on their journeys.

I planned to kick off a new season this week, but COVID got in the way.  Instead, I return you to one of my favorite episodes of all time, as I speak with serial entrepreneur, founder and franchising icon, David McKinnon.  Over the past forty years, David has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to recognize unmet needs in the marketplace, innovate solutions, and establish recognizable brands. David is a fire-tested executive with business acumen that is combined with a set of unshakeable beliefs, With that as a foundation, David McKinnon has guided his companies through three major recessions including the dot-com meltdown and the Great Recession itself.

McKinnon’s business interests have spanned technology, home services, business-to-business telephony, and consumer products. As co-founder of Service Brands International (SBI), he built numerous franchise companies that employed more than six thousand people with combined revenues exceeding $400 million. McKinnon sold his interest in SBI in 2015.  Today, McKinnon is provides a sizeable endowment to the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Educational Foundation for the funding of its “NextGen Franchising” – a worldwide program that supports young entrepreneurs. Through his leadership as a senior advisor to The Neighborly Brands and through his other business interests David continues help people around the world achieve their dreams and ambitions.  We’ll talk about all of that and more, this week on Franchise Today.

I wasn't plannig to post again until January, but here's a little ditty to celebrate Santa's dark side.  Kidding aside, please stay safe, travel easy and avoid the plight of Corona Virus during the year end holidays!

See you in 22.  

 

Merry Christmas!

Stan

This week, in Part 2 of my conversation with Michael E. Gerber, we look ahead, to how the E-Myth can touch you too, above and beyond his books.  This week we look ahead to Michael’s E-Myth Vertical Publications, The Dreaming Room, Radical U., and we close out this 12th Season of Franchise Today, with a special offer from Michael E. Gerber to Franchise Today listeners, that invites you to bring all of this to bear, in a very personal and impactful way.  A very generous offer from Michael E. Gerber, for Franchise Today listeners, wraps up Season 12 of Franchise Today.