n Episode 63 of Tell Us Your F’ing Story, Bruce McFarlane and John Sully speak with Sarah Allen, co-founder of Appliance Tagging Services (ATS), about her journey from a sailing-focused childhood in Adelaide to building a national electrical safety franchise. Sarah shares her early career path, moving from university into marketing and spending 13 years at Colgate before joining the family business after having children. ATS began in 2002 when an electrical client asked for help with testing and tagging requirements, revealing a major gap in the market. The business quickly grew nationally and chose franchising in 2004 despite having little prior knowledge of the model, resulting in lessons learned through trial and error. Sarah explains the scale of the industry by showing how even one office desk can contain multiple items requiring testing, multiplied across every workplace in Australia. She also discusses the realities of franchising, emphasising that success comes down to relationships, strong systems, and having experienced franchise expertise within the business.More BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-pro...Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-reso...Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee...Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Follow our Social Channels;LinkedIn -   / bdc-partners  Facebook -   / bdcpartners  

In Episode 62 of the Tell Us Your F’ing Story podcast by BDC Partners, Marty Wilson, Founder of Fresh Front, shares his journey from being a Scottish-born kid who grew up in Adelaide to a tech-minded teenager building websites to earn money. After more than 12 years working in IT and the defence industry, Marty wanted a simpler, more practical business. In 2016, he started Fresh Front, an exterior cleaning service.He learned everything by doing how to price jobs, build systems, and fix mistakes along the way. During COVID-19, demand for his services increased and helped the business grow faster. Marty later chose franchising so the business could grow in a consistent and reliable way. Today, Fresh Front continues to expand by focusing on strong systems and choosing the right people to join the business.More BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-pro...Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-reso...Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee...Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Follow our Social Channels;LinkedIn -   / bdc-partners  Facebook -   / bdcpartners  

A night full of energy, big ideas, and bold entrepreneurs. Each team presented exciting ideas to the judges and audience, creating an atmosphere of collaboration, mutual support, and inspiration from founders across diverse industries.Congratulations to Fresh Front, this year’s winner, and Spin Zone, the runner-up. Both teams demonstrated remarkable potential and vision for driving the next level of growth.A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, team, and judges who made this event possible, as well as everyone who came to support emerging entrepreneurs. This event reflected a strong commitment to helping businesses grow and strengthening the franchise and retail community.Huge thanks to our judging panel Kate Save, Jon Sully, Michael Sutherland, Amie Larter, Marcel Lal CFE, and our incredible sponsors: BDC Law, Fordham Group, Associated Projects, BDC Property, Benjamin & Benjamin Insurance Group, FranConnect, GapMaps, Little Giant Finance, Octomedia, Be Fit Food, Books365, and Judo Bank.Thank you to everyone who made the evening so special we’re excited for what’s next.More BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-pro...Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-reso...Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee...Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Follow our Social Channels;LinkedIn -   / bdc-partners  Facebook -   / bdcpartners  

In Episode 61 Brooke Rodger joins Bruce MacFarlane and John Sully to unpack a career built across retail, media and international expansion — from early PR and TV roles through to high-growth retail brands. Brooke shares practical lessons on building trust with franchisees, measuring marketing ROI, localising global brands, and what it takes to turn a marketing function into a revenue driver.Sponsor / AdvertThis episode is part of the Emerging Giants initiative by BDC Partners — an investment & mentorship program for Australia’s next retail and franchise success stories. Apply to pitch for up to $250,000 and mentoring:Apply / find out more: https://bdcpartners.com.au/emerging-giants-workshop/More BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-property-specialists/Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-strategy/Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-resources-management/Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-recruitment/Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee-satisfaction-survey/Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-lead-generation/Follow our Social Channels;LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/bdc-partnersFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/bdcpartners

Tell Us Your F’ing Story: Gary Harley on Building Kieser Australia and the Realities of FranchisingIn this episode, Bruce MacFarlane and John Sully sit down with Gary Harley, founder of Kieser Australia, to talk about how he brought a Swiss physiotherapy and strength-training concept to Australia and turned it into a nationwide network.Gary shares his journey from discovering Kieser in Europe to scaling it locally, the challenges of working with medical professionals, and why not every business should be franchised. From learning the limits of a model to adapting it for success, his story is a candid look at innovation, growth and risk in the fitness and healthcare industries.Sponsor / AdvertThis episode supported by Associated Projects, Australia’s trusted leader in retail fitouts and commercial construction.Emerging Giants PitchfestBDC Partners is hosting Emerging Giants, a pitch night to uncover Australia’s next retail and franchise success stories.📋 Learn more and apply: https://bdcpartners.com.au/emerging-giants-and-pitch-night/

Bruce McFarlane and Jon Sully talk with Linda Sultmann, General Manager of SIGNWAVE Australia (FASTSIGNS), a former L’Oréal and Estée Lauder executive turned business owner and franchise leader. Linda shares her journey from corporate life to café owner, business consultant, and now head of one of Australia’s leading visual communications franchises.She talks about the lessons learned from failure, why systems matter, and what every franchisor should know about supporting their network. From buying Ferraris and driving them like Toyotas, to finding purpose after starting over — this episode dives deep into what it really takes to grow in business.We’re also proud to be involved in Emerging Giants, the new pitch fest to fast-track Australia’s next retail and franchise success stories. Five shortlisted brands will pitch for up to $250,000 in equity plus mentoring. Read more in Inside Retail: https://insideretail.com.au/business/...Full program details and the application form: https://bdcpartners.com.au/emerging-g...

In episode 58, Bruce talks with Anya Haywood and Adrian Warner about the power of listening, the value in winning corporate accounts, and how buying small businesses and reinvesting can compound into big returns. Highlights include why a listening tour matters for franchise culture, how corporate accounts create a competitive moat, and why stability beats flashy growth. Practical, no-nonsense discussion for founders, franchise owners and investors.

Sponsor / Advert

This episode is brought to you by Associated Projects, Australia’s trusted leader in retail fit-outs, commercial construction, fixtures, and project management, with 60 years of expertise. They deliver seamless end-to-end solutions for retail and commercial spaces nationwide.

We’re also proud to be involved in Emerging Giants, the new pitchfest to fast-track Australia’s next retail and franchise success stories.

Five shortlisted brands will pitch for up to $250,000 in equity plus mentoring. Read more in Inside Retail: https://insideretail.com.au/business/...

Full program details and the application form: https://bdcpartners.com.au/emerging-g...

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In episode 57 of the Tell Us Your F’ing Story podcast by BDC Partners, Jane Garber Rosenzweig discusses franchise resales and the responsibilities of franchisors when a franchisee wants to exit. She emphasises that franchisors should tightly manage the resale process. Allowing franchisees to handle the sale themselves can lead to delays and negatively impact the overall franchise network. Selecting the right buyer is crucial, as selling to someone unsuitable can harm brand reputation and service quality.Jane highlights the importance of transparent accounting and proper documentation to ensure the business’s value and return on investment (ROI) are clear. New franchise laws also require franchisors to provide franchisees a reasonable opportunity to achieve ROI, making the process more accountable.She also addresses the ethical and legal implications of the “right of first refusal” clause. Misusing this clause for example, holding back approval to buy at a lower price can create unfair situations. Jane recommends that both franchisors and franchisees establish clear systems and guidelines from the start, ensuring transparency, discipline, and support. A structured approach makes resales smoother, helps preserve the brand, and ensures fair outcomes for all parties involved.Looking to revitalise your franchise network? Contact the BDC team to see how we can help.Learn more about BDC Partners: https://bdcpartners.com.auMore BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-pro...Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-reso...Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee...Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Follow our Social Channels;LinkedIn - / bdc-partners Facebook - / bdcpartners

In episode 56 of the Tell Us Your F’ing Story podcast by BDC Partners, Hilarie Legg, Franchise Operations Manager at World Gym Australia, shares her journey from a sport-loving kid in New Zealand to a leader in the global fitness franchising sector.

Growing up in a family business, Hilarie developed a strong work ethic that carried into her early career as a personal trainer and gym manager, before venturing into entrepreneurship with her own juice bar. She later moved into multi-site fitness management and franchise leadership roles, including at Body Fit Training (BFT), where she supported franchisees across Queensland and New South Wales.

Now at World Gym, one of the most iconic fitness brands, Hilarie is focused on strengthening systems, supporting franchisees, and driving long-term success through consistent processes, open communication, and data-driven decision making. She highlights the importance of growing carefully, investing in staff development, and fostering strong franchisor–franchisee partnerships.Her story underscores the value of resilience, teamwork, and strategic leadership in building thriving franchise networks.

Learn more about World Gym: https://www.worldgym.com/

Looking to revitalise your franchise network? Contact the BDC team to see how we can help.

Learn more about BDC Partners: https://bdcpartners.com.auMore BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-pro...Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-reso...Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee...Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...

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In episode 55 of the Tell Us Your F’ing Story podcast by BDC Partners, Tom Elliott, CEO of Hog’s Breath Cafe, shares his career journey from a football-loving kid in South London to a leader in the Australian franchising space. After moving to Queensland at age 12, Tom’s early experience in hospitality and marketing led him into franchising, where he held key roles at Retail Food Group (RFG) across brands like Donut King and Gloria Jeans.

He eventually oversaw company stores nationwide, doubling the portfolio in a year and leading major campaigns like National Donut Day. Now at Hog’s Breath Cafe, Tom is steering a brand turnaround—rebuilding franchisee relationships, modernising operations, and preparing for sustainable growth with smaller, tech-enabled store formats.

He emphasises transparency, strategic planning, and strong partnerships as core to franchise success in today’s climate.

Learn more about Hog’s Breath Cafe here: https://www.hogsbreath.com.au/

Looking to revitalise your franchise network?

Contact the BDC team to see how we can help.Learn more about BDC Partners: https://bdcpartners.com.au

More BDC Services;Retail Property - https://bdcpartners.com.au/retail-pro...Franchise strategy - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Law - https://bdcpartners.com.au/lawyers/Performance and Talent Acquisition - https://bdcpartners.com.au/human-reso...Franchise Recruitment - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Franchise Satisfaction surveys - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchisee...Franchise lead generation - https://bdcpartners.com.au/franchise-...Follow our Social Channels;LinkedIn - / bdc-partners Facebook - / bdcpartners