Franchise Today

Originally conceived as a “meeting of the minds” executive group in 2013, Dave Pazgan has launched ZorForum into a one-of-a-kind peer sharing and networking platform, exclusively for franchise executives.  Members, are afforded unparalleled access to the best practices and the brightest minds within the franchising industry through regular meetings and dedicated communication platforms.

 “After a more than ten year run, building 101 Mobility, growing it to over 80 locations and propelling it to the next level with private equity, Dave Pazgan decided that the next chapter in his life would include giving back.  “So,with the encouragement of his personal peers and group members, Dave founded ZorForum, a community built specifically for franchisors and the unique challenges they face. Quote:  “I derived so much value from participation in my personal group, that I wanted this platform to the greater franchisor community, offering others, the opportunity to enjoy the same benefits.”

The need for shared learning and leadership development among franchisors of emerging businesses is more paramount now than ever, in our rapidly-changing, Post COVID, business environment.

Dave Pazgan is a great guy and has an incredible concept.  As some of you may know, each year, IFA Convention attendees score the Round Tables as the highest value ROI for their time and money spent.  And with that said, I believe that Zor Forum has the potential to dynamically build on that same type of energy, with each and every one of their monthly group meetings.  Through his expansive recruitment efforts, Dave expects ZorForum to eclipse 100 members, by as soon as January, 2021.

Allan Young is the Chairman of FranBridge Capital and brings a couple of disruptive formulas to the franchise PE space. Allan is also the founder and owner of multiple businesses that have generated over 300M in sales. His current portfolio includes Noble Brands, ShelfGenie Franchise System, Outback GutterVac Franchise System, ThunderVac Technologies, 10Xfive, G-O Logistics and Cabinet Components Innovations. His companies lead over 500 team members in over 160 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Under Allan’s leadership, his teams collectively grew to become Inc. 500, Inc 5000 and Entrepreneur 500 companies. Each company continues to thrive by continuously disrupting their industries with innovative technologies and amazing customer experiences.   

Allan Young joins us this week to talk about it all.

Clarifying the non-sense of political and governmental murkiness.

As summer races by, the focus now  is on fall and if, when and how schools will reopen, if, how and when professional and college sports can safely be resumed and games played, if how and when we can reclaim our lives and trade this new normal back, for some semblance of the world as we once knew it and imperfect as it might have been, it beat the hell out of these past few months, if you ask me. 

I don't know about you, but government has really worn me out.They continue doing little more than what government does best, which amounts to little more than incessant finger pointing and assignment of blame.  It’s almost like in a game of ping pong, each side bouncing the ball over the net, back and forth, Left, right, give, take.  The ball keeps bouncing, the volley contunues, back and forth and we get to keep score, regarding who we like less?  The House or the Senate?  The Republicans or the Democrats?   The Liberals or Conservatives. 

Well, this week’s episode should prove fascinating and shed some light on the process, as I speak with Bruce Mehlman,  founder and CEO of Washington DC based, bipartisan, government relations firm, Mehlman, Castignetti, Rosen & Thomas Bruce founded the firm after serving in leadership positions in politics, policy and business. His firm helps Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups understand, anticipate and navigate the ever-evolving policy environment and trends likely to impact the global marketplace.

Bruce's quarterly updates on political trends are widely read by business leaders and political observers across the country and have been frequently covered in leading publications, including the Washington Post, Axios, Politico, CNN, Fortune, and the Daily Caller.  This week, we add Franchise Today, to that list.

Brian Sanders, CEO and Chairman of the Board at i9 Sports joins us this week.  With over 2.5 million registrations in communities across the country, i9 Sports® is the nation’s largest multi-sport provider focused solely on high-quality, community-based youth sports programs. They offer youth sports leagues, camps and clinics for boys and girls ages 3 and up in today’s most popular sports such as flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball and ZIP Lacrosse™. To achieve their mission of helping kids succeed in life through sports, i9 Sports provides a youth sports experience unlike any other, teaching the importance of good sportsmanship on the field and in life. They are committed to providing age-appropriate instruction making sports fun for kids and convenient for today’s busy families. i9 Sports, It’s The Way Youth Sports Should Be®

In this encore performance, we hear from Jason Anderson, President of United Franchise Group's Venture X.  This rapidly rising concept is experiencing meteoric growth... growth though that is measured, calculated and intentional.  Like everything at UFG, there is a rhyme to the reason.  Jason explains some of the magic behind this, at Venture X.  

Much can be attributed to the concept, but more, much more is tfound in the calculus.  Right people, right chairs, right place, right time.  Jason Anderson, the "X Factor," at Venture X.  

Next week, I return live, with Brian Sanders, President and CEO of i9 Sports.  

COMMENTS

After 10 solid episodes of Franchise Today, related exclusively to Covid-19 and it's impact on franchsing, we pivoted with the news cycle, producing 3 back-to-back episodes on civil unrest and reacial inequality in our country.  Then, last week's story about Martha Matilda Harper, America's first hair salon owner and the mother of modern day "retail franchising"  was a bit of a break from the heavier news of the prior weeks, when Jane Plitt Martha's biographer stopped in to tell the story.  This week, we stay in that genre, as we talk with another pioneer:  Paul Segreto.  Some 11 years ago, Paul was a podcasting pioneer, when he began the Franchise Essentials Podcast, which shortly thereafter, morphed into Franchise Today.  Paul hosted Franchise Today on a solo basis for quite some time, before I joined him as his co-host and co-producer, for several years, before Paul ultimately turned the reigns over to me completely, more than a year and a half ago.   

Well, this week, Paul is back!  He's here to pay us a visit, reflect on the news of the day and catch us up on what he has been doing ever since.  Paul Segreto, this week, on Franchise Today.

Jane Plitt is a fascinating biographer, who has made it her life’s work, to uncover and share the lessons we can all learn, from the life of yet another fascinating woman: Martha Matilda Harper.  Harper was a very early stage entrepreneur and is credited with being the mother of retail franchising in America.  

Plitt will reveal how this immigrant entrepreneur dared to succeed, using business for social change and also share the business lessons learned from Martha Matilda Harper.  

Plitt’s writings have appeared in many publications including the Chicago Sun Times, Wall Street Journal, and one was even a featured cover story of Franchising World.

When I return next week, I will be joined by author, entrepreneur and visiting scholar, Jane Plitt and we will discuss her book about the amazing life of Martha Matilda Harper and her American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business. 

Plitt ignites audiences with topics including immigrant entrepreneurship, daring to succeed, forgotten women’s achievements, using business for social change, and the business lessons of Martha Matilda Harper.  Plitt has also served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and that same year, was chosen by SAVVY magazine as one of 14 Outstanding Women in New York State

Plitt’s writings have appeared in many publications including the Chicago Sun Times, Wall Street Journal, and one was even a featured cover story of Franchising World. 

Jane Plitt is herself, a fascinating woman, who has made it her life’s work, to uncover and share lessons we can all learn, from the life of yet another fascinating woman.  She joins us here to share it all,  when we return from Summer vacation on Wednesday, July 15, 2020..

So, a little time off for the 4th of July, but when I return it will be with a compelling story that I can't wait to share, when I am joined by Jane Plitt, on July 15th.  

Jane Plitt ran a thriving business consulting practice until she became enthralled with the Martha Matilda Harper story.  In 1996, she was appointed a Visiting Scholar to the University of Rochester to pursue her research; the result was a book entitled Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business.  It was released May 2000 by Syracuse University Press. As a result of Plitt’s efforts, Harper was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame along with the American Business Hall of Fame.  In 2017, Plitt released a young children’s book entitled, Martha’s Magical Hair published by Jade Publishing.  In 2018, Plitt co-wrote a young adult version of the Harper story, Martha the Hairpreneur, with Sally Valentine. In 2019, a paperback version of the Harper biography was released. 

Plitt ignites audiences with topics including immigrant entrepreneurship, daring to succeed, forgotten women’s achievements, using business for social change, and the business lessons of Martha Matilda Harper.  Plitt has also served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business and that same year, was chosen by SAVVY magazine as one of 14 Outstanding Women in New York State

Plitt’s writings have appeared in many publications including the Chicago Sun Times, Wall Street Journal, and one was even a featured cover story of Franchising World. 

Jane Plitt is a fascinating woman, who has made it her life’s work, to uncover and share lessons we can all learn, from the life of yet another fascinating woman.  She joins us here to share it all,  when we return from Summer vacation.

John Hope Bryant is an American entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and prominent thought leader on economic empowerment and financial dignity.  

Bryant is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, Inc., a global nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta.  Under the banner of “silver rights”, Operation HOPE has aided over 2.8 million individuals worldwide, and directed more than $2.7 billion in economic activity for the disenfranchised—turning check cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners and minimum wage workers into living wage consumers.

His work has been recognized by the last five U.S. presidents, and he has served as an advisor to the last three.  He has received over 500 notable awards and citations for his work, including, Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and recognition as one of Time magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future,” in 1994.

Bryant is the author of bestsellers How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class (Berrett-Koehler), and Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass). His latest book, The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation (Berrett-Koehler) was published in September 2007, debuting as the #1 new release in budgeting and money management on Amazon. A mentor to many, Bryant is dedicated to sharing his failures and successes in life and business to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and world changers.  John Hope Bryant shares a lesson in history, that explains a lot of what's going on today in our Civil Rights Movement.  Right here, on Franchise Today