Today we’re taking a different path on Franchise Fuel: Smarter Growth. Every week Vern talks about franchise development, candidate pipelines, cost-per-lead, and marketing audits. But many long-time listeners don’t really know the person behind the mic.

This episode is intentional. Vern shares the story behind his thinking and why he approaches franchising differently than most growth consultants. He walks through five chapters of his life—why he wrote a controversial football book, how he got into franchising, what marriage and faith have changed in him, why he believes Detroit is positioned for an innovation comeback through AI, and how AI-SEO and Generative Engine Optimization will reshape franchise marketing in 2026.

This isn’t a tactics episode. It’s the foundation behind the tactics.