Modrn Business

In this episode, Zack chats with the founder of the automotive franchise space’s most exciting brand, Tint World. We delve deep into his meteoric rise, how his heritage of a multi-unit franchisee has helped his growth with fellow MUMBOs, how technology has played a role, why automotive after-market is the surest bet in the industry today and exciting news for 2025.

Modrn Business welcomes franchise technologist and CEO of Serviceminder, John Keene, onto the show discuss all facets of the franchise technology world. Between PE in franchising, AI, point solutions vs. all-in-one and everything in between, this episode covers all of the major topics franchise brands grapple with when it comes to tech!

In this Supplier Wire Series episode of Modrn Business Podcast, Ryan Hicks chats with Kyle McEuen, SVP of ProfitKeeper. ProfitKeeper is the ultimate franchise analytics platform that empowers every franchisor and franchisee to achieve more.

Ryan & Kyle discuss how ProfitKeeper turns financial and operational franchise data into actionable insights, and why ProfitKeeper is trusted by some of the largest franchise brands.

Connect with today's guest: franchisesuppliernetwork.com/featured-s…salesdesk/

Register for the Franchise “UnConferences” at www.franchisors.com

The Incredible Story of Stephen Shields: The multi-unit Express Employment Professionals Franchisee put everything on the line at 26 years old. He moved to Joplin MO (where he knew nobody) and built the American Dream.

Listen to this episode to hear his playbook. Share it with someone you know! This story needs to be told.

Episode Summary: In this special edition of Modrn Business Podcast, Ryan Hicks sits down in person with Stephen Shields, a multi-unit franchisee and area representative for Express Employment Professionals.

Steven shares his incredible journey coming from a small town in Missouri, moving to Joplin with a loan from family and friends to buy the territory and build an empire. They discuss the importance of following proven systems, staying disciplined, and "doubling down on the hustle" during tough times.

Key topics include:

- The early struggles of entrepreneurship and how Steven overcame them.

- The value of the franchise support system and how Express University shaped his success.

- Insights into what makes a successful franchisee in both good and challenging times.

- The importance of giving back to the community and the lives impacted by franchising.

- Personal stories of team development and the pride of seeing employees grow.

Sponsor Shoutout: This episode is brought to you by Voxie, a cutting-edge conversational texting platform designed for franchise businesses. Voxie offers two-way conversational texting, powered by AI, and has been a leader in the space since before most people even knew about OpenAI. "The only Texting software built for franchise systems to boost revenue" Learn more at www.voxie.com.

Special Announcement: We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the Franchise America Docuseries! Ryan Hicks is diving deep into the world of franchising through the eyes of operators. Be sure to catch teaser clips with the full series launching in October. Follow Ryan on LinkedIn and Twitter at @RyanThomasHicks for updates.

Register now for Franchise Springboard, taking place September 18-20 in Philadelphia. It’s a can't-miss event for anyone in the franchise industry. Learn more at franchisespringboard.com.

In this episode, Zack hops on with Bun Mee’s CEO & Founder, Denise Tran. We discuss her founding story, how she went about educating consumers on Vietnamese cuisine, where she believes her best opportunities for growth are, where she sees the brand in 3-5 years and how she’s creating franchising’s first Vietnamese food powerhouse.

In this episode, Zack dives into all things “eatertainment” with one of franchising’s foremost investigate journalists, Laura Michaels, Editor-In-Chief of Franchise Times. We discuss the industry’s viability, which modulars will emerge, the international influences of the category, the types of franchisees these brands should target and the pitfalls we’ve already seen.

In this episode, Zack chats with the CEO & Founder of Best In Class, Hao Lam, to learn the inside scoop on his founding story, how they use AI in their business to educate children, their ideal franchisee profile and how they measure up to their competitors.

In this episode, Zack catches up Franchise Update Media’s EVP & Chief Content Officer, Diane Phibbs. We dive deep into all things franchise marketing and franchise development; covering trends that have evolved the space for better (and for worse). Additionally, we get into how to take the data the Annual Franchise Marketing Report & Annual Franchise Development Report and make it actionable, how technology has helped in implementing these changes and how managing up has allowed brands to become more nimble.

In this MB episode, Zack dives into a vast array of topics with the Queen of Fast Casual (also the Editor of Fast Casual Magazine), Cherryh Cansler. We discuss technology within F&B, trends with sweets/treats, the rise (and fall) of different food trends and all about the events Fast Casual puts on each year.

In this episode, Zack discusses the role Bach To Rock, America's 2nd largest music education brand for children, plays in the massive influx of capital going into children's services today. We get into Bach To Rock's typical franchisee, why the market is so hot currently, the role children's enrichment plays in today's society and their plans for potentially starting to expand internationally.