FranFeast Podcast

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges facing franchise brands today?

In Episode 4 of FranFeast Podcast, Glenn Walford and Joel Kleber discuss franchise recruitment, payment surcharges, marketing campaigns, peer support, and the challenges of expanding into international markets.

They also explore how territory data can help franchisors identify growth opportunities and why ongoing professional development matters in the franchise industry.

In Social Scene, they discuss why older videos can still attract prospective franchisees, how content influences the franchise buyer journey, and why franchise brands need to build their own audiences through video, social media, and search.

If you were running a franchise brand, what would you focus on first to attract the right franchisees and grow the business?

Key takeaways:

Chapters

01:06 Segment 1 | Franchise Headlines

16:23 Segment 2 | Why Franchisees Need to Learn From Each Other, Peter Knight, The Australian Franchise Alliance

34:45 Segment 3 | Are Marketing Managers Getting in the Way of Franchise Recruitment? Joel Kleber & Glenn Walford

47:08 Segment 4 | What Does It Take to Take an Australian Franchise Overseas? Doug Downer, Franchise Ready

1:02:37 Segment 5 | Are We Doing Enough to Develop Franchise Professionals? Jason Gehrke, The Franchise Advisory Centre

1:23:20 Segment 6 | Platform of the Week, Smappen

01:42:44 Segment 7 | Social Scene: Franchise Content, AI Search and Building an Audience

02:03:14 Segment 8 | Upcoming Events: Franchise Industry Events and What's Coming Up

Listen or Watch on;

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/muwrh7pd

Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/bdfysjkm

Amazon Music: https://youtu.be/1VCyo6zc438

YouTube: https://youtu.be/1VCyo6zc438

Build Consistent Video Content for Your Franchise ⁠

https://www.franchisebuyermarketing.com.au/video-subscriptions

02:20 Segment 1 | Franchise Headlines: Melbourne Expo, AI, Customer Service & Industry News

18:04 Segment 2 | Things We Noticed at the Melbourne Franchise Expo\

26:25 Segment 3 | Michael Graham: Giving Back to the Community

38:51 Segment 4 | Sarah Stowe: A Career Telling Franchise Stories

55:22 Segment 5 | Nina Francesca: Franchise Development, Sales & Support

01:06:25 Segment 6 | AI Tool of the Week: Claude Design

01:14:39 Segment 7 | Social Scene: What's Working on Social Media

1:38:25 Segment 8 | Upcoming Events

What is changing in franchising right now, and what do franchise brands need to think about as technology, customer expectations and the industry continue to evolve?

In this episode of FranFeast, Glenn Walford and Joel Kleber explore the latest conversations across franchising, from AI and customer service to franchise ownership, community engagement and franchise development.

The episode features insights from Sarah Stowe of Franchise Business Magazine, Michael Graham from Town & Country Pizza and Pasta, and Nina Francesca from My Franchise Sorted.

The discussion looks at why customer service still comes back to the basics, why franchise buyers need to understand who owns the brand they are investing in, and why community engagement cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach. Sarah Stowe also explores the relationship between AI and human connection, while Nina Francesca discusses franchisee selection, sales strategy, systems and the support franchisors need as they grow.

Listen or Watch on;

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/znunrswx

Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y38yxhpt

Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/3fekk9ww

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QDSUZogR-Hw

Build Consistent Video Content for Your Franchise

⁠https://www.franchisebuyermarketing.com.au/video-subscriptions

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to FranFeast Episode 2 with Glenn Walford and Joel Kleber

05:31 Segment 1: The 7-Eleven crisis, Wendy's record breaking Dandenong opening and Firehouse Subs launching in Australia

25:32 Segment 2: Building a global franchise career from Domino's franchisee to CEO across Indonesia Nigeria and Kenya with Patrick McMichael CEO of The Fat Butcher

01:05:37 Segment 3: AI intelligence for franchise brands: how Minke coaches underperforming franchisees using network data and why AI should instruct the user not the other way around with Josh Cairns founder of Minke

01:22:28 Segment 4: Key factors for exporting Australian franchise brands to the world: which markets work, why ego kills expansions and what the $45 million Guzman y Gomez US exit really tells us with Doug Downer founder of Franchise Ready

01:37:24 Segment 5: Why filtering your franchisee list backfires and why AI is already building your brand profile whether you like it or not with Darryn McAuliffe CEO of FRANData

01:52:02 Segment 6: How Lounge Repair Guys built a mobile franchise on national retailer relationships with no warehouse and why 30 profitable franchisees beats 100 struggling ones with Mark Crapper founder of Lounge Repair Guys

02:14:40 Segment 7: ChatGPT Work, building a live franchise territory map of Melbourne in 15 minutes and why ChatGPT and Claude are becoming super apps with Joel Kleber

02:27:56 Segment 8: The Barbecue's Galore social media warning, how Jim's Group generates franchise inquiries from TikTok comment replies and why reaction videos are one of the easiest content strategies available with Glenn Walford and Joel Kleber

02:56:44 Upcoming franchise events including the Melbourne Franchising and Business Opportunities Expo and Women in Franchising Month

FranFeast Episode 2 is the biggest episode the show has produced. Eight segments covering everything from a $45 million international franchise failure and a 7-Eleven crisis that hurt the entire industry, to why AI is already building a profile of your franchise brand from whatever it can find online and what you need to do about it right now.

Pat McMichael shares what it took to build a global career from Domino's franchisee to CEO across Indonesia, Nigeria and Kenya including opening stores with no power grid and navigating corruption with an anti-bribery policy and a very good lawyer.

Josh Cairns from Minke explains why the next evolution of AI is the AI instructing the user not the other way around. Doug Downer breaks down which international markets work for Australian brands and why ego kills more expansions than bad products do.

Darryn McAuliffe and Joel have the transparency conversation most franchisors are not ready to hear.

Mark Crapper reveals how Lounge Repair Guys built 70 percent of its leads through national retailer relationships before a franchisee knocks on a single door.

Joel takes the audience inside ChatGPT Work to build a live franchise territory map of Melbourne in 15 minutes from one prompt.

👉 Subscribe to FranFeast for more franchise intelligence every episode

Listen or watch on;

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/2dt2cyy6

Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/myznwz7y

Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/mr28tkv3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QDSUZogR-Hw

Welcome to the very first episode of the FranFeast Podcast!

Co-hosted by Glenn Walford (Founder, franchise buyer) and Joel Kleber (CMO, Jim's Group), FranFeast is Australia's most exciting new multi-guest franchise podcast — think Tonight Show meets news talk show, packed with insights, expert opinions and real conversations from across the franchise sector.

In Episode 1, we cover everything from franchise headlines and the future of franchising in Australia, to payday super changes, AI tools, brand spotlights and what's coming up in the sector.

GUESTS IN THIS EPISODE:

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Intro - Welcome to the FranFeast Podcast

2:33 Segment 1 - Franchise Headlines

21:03 Segment 2 - Jay Westbury, CEO of FCA - Future of Franchising in Australia

50:44 Segment 3 - Factors Stopping Franchise Growth with Darren McAuliffe & Tom Elliott

1:10:07 Segment 4 - Payday Super & Wage Changes with Damien Gooden, HR Central

1:27:01 Segment 5 - Brand Report: Kip McGrath with Karen Geloven

1:47:08 Segment 6 - AI Tool of the Week: Opus Clip with Joel Kleber

1:57:56 Segment 7 - Socials Scene

2:13:51 Segment 8 - Upcoming Events in Franchising

Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE 

Listen or Watch on;

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/52ff9vmb