Join Ryan Hicks and Zack Fishman as they host Jamie Adams, Chief Revenue Officer of Scorpion, and Ryan Combe, Managing Partner of Cornerstone Franchise Partners.

In this episode we dive into the latest chatter from the IFA convention and share behind‑the‑scenes insights on franchising trends, technology decisions, and the power of networking. From debating whether to build or buy tech to discussing economic forecasts and mentorship initiatives, this episode delivers a dynamic conversation peppered with franchise success stories and personal anecdotes that reveal the heartbeat of the industry.

Episode Outline:

1) Intro & Sponsor Shout-Out: Candidate view is an innovative new way to streamline your hiring process and focus only on the best talent with one way video prescreening. Candidates respond on their own time so your franchisees can save their time.

No more scheduling headaches, no more wasted interviews, just faster, smarter hiring. Join top franchise organizations already saving time, energy, and money with CandidateView. Visit CandidateView.

2) IFA Convention Recap: Insights on the event’s energy, networking moments, and feedback on session formats.

3) Tech & Transaction Talk: Debates on building vs. buying proprietary technology and the impact on franchise value.

4) Economic Outlook & Industry Trends: Discussion of franchise growth statistics, employment increases, and GDP impact.

5) Anecdotes & Success Stories: Stories from the NFL to Hardee’s, illustrating how small moves can lead to generational wealth.

6) Mentorship & Community Focus: Ideas on establishing mentorship programs to support franchise success and sustainability.

7) Closing Thoughts & Connect: Final reflections and a call-to-action to join the conversation on LinkedIn and subscribe to the newsletter.

In this Modrn Business episode, Zack chats with one of franchising’s foremost experts on early-stage franchisors, Brian Luciani of SMB Franchise Advisors & Stadium Ventures. We talk about venture capital’s increased prominence with franchisors, start-up category trends from 2024, what we’ll be seeing in 2025 and how the new Trump administration will dictate the types of brands we see start franchising in the years to come.

In this MB conversation, Ryan hosts the co-founders of Sales Chatz, a franchise development advertising technology that has disrupted the way franchisors use Meta advertising to attract franchise candidates.

In this episode, Zack sits down with CEO & Founder of Fransmart, Dan Rowe, to talk all things franchise sales. We get into his humble beginnings, what industries within franchising he has historically gravitated to, his opinions on how to build enterprise value through franchise sales, his secrets to sourcing MUMBOs leads (hint, it’s not easy to replicate) and his outlook on how franchise sales will change in this decade.

In this episode, Ryan Hicks and Zack Fishman bring on guests Jamie Adams, (Chief Revenue Officer of Scorpion) and Ryan Combe (Managing Partner of Cornerstone Franchise Partners) to reflect on key winners and trends in the franchise landscape in 2024, and make predictions for 2025.

We also explore significant leadership changes, lessons learned in 2024, and contrarian beliefs for the future of franchising, emphasizing the importance of franchisee profitability and the potential for franchising to grow as a percentage of GDP.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

03:12 - Reflections on 2024: Winners and Trends

05:58 - The Role of Institutional Investors in Franchising

08:53 - The Rise of Franchise Sales Organizations

12:06 - Predictions for 2025: Key Players and Trends

14:57 - Breakout Brands of 2024 and 2025

18:11 - Bold Moves and Disruptors in Franchising

21:06 - The Future of Health and Wellness Franchises

45:03 - Chick-fil-A's Bold Business Moves

51:10 - The Rise of Limited Service Restaurants (LSR)

57:54 - Innovations Shaping the Future of Food Service

01:09:32 - Leadership Changes and Their Impact

01:12:46 - Lessons Learned in 2024

01:17:00 - Contrarian Beliefs for 2025

In MB’s first episode of 2025, Zack is joined by Serviceminder’s new CEO, Berkley Simmons and their Founder & CTO, John Keene, to talk all things PE within home service. We discuss how technology plays a role in reaching your next stage of growth, predictions for how franchise technology will play a role in this second phase of PE investment, the right time to roll out a robust technology such as Serviceminder and the importance of recognizing franchising’s uniqueness vs. other business models.

In this episode, Zack explores the new industry of smart home automation with the franchisor to market, Daisy CEO & Founder, Hagan Kappler. We discuss her decision to go the venture capital route, her “grow by acquisition” strategy, her plans for starting franchise development and the future of the smart home automation industry.

In the Modrn Business episode Ran chats with Gary Liskovich, Founder & CEO of Harmonyze.

In this episode, Zack chats with a local IL franchisor, Joe Tota, CEO & Founder of Tapville, about one of his favorite categories within franchising, bars. We talk through their differentiators, their model innovations, their ideal customer profile, the types of franchisees they attract, where they see the bar industry within franchising going and how data helps all of their franchisees win.

In this episode, Zack revisits one of his favorite categories within franchising, pet services, to talk with Scenthound Co-Founders Tim & Jessica Vogel. We get an update on the brand’s progress since my last conversation with Tim, get into the inner-workings of the brand positioning with Jessica, learn how the brand’s ideal candidate profile has evolved with their recent professionalization and about emerging services they believe will be a growth catalyst in the future.