Barry Meisel grew up in the Philippines as the child of missionaries, built an early career in corporate America, and then made the leap into multi-unit franchising. In this episode of How I Franchised This, host Alex Smereczniak dives into Barry’s remarkable path — from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Fortune 50 financial services to becoming CFO of a 30-unit franchise group and ultimately owning 12 salons across Illinois and Wisconsin.

You’ll hear how Barry:

Turned formative overseas experiences into an entrepreneurial mindset

Built relationships that led to unexpected opportunities (and why he says “take the call, take the meeting”)

Structured creative financing, including seller financing, to acquire existing units

Leads and motivates a dispersed team while living hundreds of miles away

If you’re thinking about buying a franchise or moving from corporate to business ownership, this conversation is packed with practical tips, honest lessons, and inspiration.

Cody Weaver went from selling golf balls out of ponds as a kid, to launching edgy novelty products in college, to building a decade-long career in footwear with Steve Madden and Dolce Vita. Today he’s a Donatos Pizza franchise partner in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

In this episode of How I Franchised This, host Alex Smereczniak talks with Cody about his path from entrepreneur to intrapreneur to franchisee, how he spotted an opportunity in his own backyard, what it’s really like balancing a corporate leadership role with running a high-volume restaurant, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

Whether you’re thinking about your first franchise or curious how successful operators make the leap, this episode offers a candid look at the realities behind the headlines.

What began as a summer project cleaning grills in Toronto has become a fast-growing franchise. Michael Sutton walks through the scrappy early days, the boost from Dragon’s Den, and the decision to scale through franchising. He talks about the shift from managing techs to leading franchisees, bringing on a COO, and the importance of picking the right operators. Plus, his advice for entrepreneurs considering their first franchise investment.

Check out Grill Hero on Franzy: https://franzy.com/franchises/grill-hero

In this episode of How I Franchised This, Alex Vidor steps in as host and sits down with Stephen Tong, a former law enforcement officer who traded 12-hour shifts and overtime cycles for entrepreneurship in the turf industry. Stephen shares how his background in policing prepared him for business ownership, why time and family were central to his decision to leave law enforcement, and how Franzy guided him through evaluating multiple brands before finding the right fit with Waterloo Turf.

Hear how Stephen navigated the first 90 days of ownership, the support he’s received from Waterloo, and the lessons he’s learned about managing people, growth, and grit. Whether you’re considering franchising, curious about career transitions, or inspired by stories of betting on yourself, Stephen’s journey offers practical insights and motivation.

This week’s episode takes a different spin. With CEO Alex Smereczniak out, VP of Business Development Alex Vidor steps into the host seat to interview Franzy’s cofounder and COO, Chris Wright.

Chris shares his journey into franchising, why he made the leap to cofound Franzy, and the lessons he’s learned building and scaling the company. The conversation also zooms out into the bigger franchising picture — from why 2025 is such an interesting time to become a franchisee, to how AI and economic trends are reshaping the industry, to what multi-unit owners think about differently than first-time buyers.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or already own multiple units, this candid conversation offers valuable insights into where franchising is headed. 

Check us out at Franzy.com

Calvin Smith has worn a lot of hats — U.S. Marine, healthcare executive, EOS implementer, and owner of multiple franchise brands including Sinarama and Superior Fence & Rail. In this episode, Calvin shares his journey from the military to entrepreneurship, why franchising became his playbook for growth, and how he’s scaled across different industries. We cover what new franchisees get wrong, how veterans are uniquely equipped for business ownership, and the importance of due diligence when picking a brand. Whether you’re debating between starting from scratch or buying into a proven system, Calvin’s hard-earned lessons will help you think bigger and avoid costly mistakes.

Check us out at Franzy.com

This week, we’re turning the mic around. Franzy’s CEO and co-founder, Alex Smereczniak, joins fellow team member Alex Vidor for a deep dive into his own journey — from launching a student laundry startup to raising $30M+ for 2ULaundry, to becoming a multi-unit franchisee of the golf simulator concept Another 9.

You’ll hear:

Why Alex decided to "eat his own cooking" and buy into a franchise

How Franzy is fixing what’s broken in the franchise discovery process

The playbook for site selection, finding a partner, and scaling past 1 unit

What most people get totally wrong about franchising

If you’ve ever thought about owning a business but didn’t know where to start, this is the episode for you.

After flying F-15s as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Vivek jumped into a whole new arena. He’s now a multi-unit franchisee (owning Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids), startup founder, and franchise advisor here at Franzy. He’s also behind a trauma recovery app helping hundreds worldwide.

What really happens when one franchisee sells—and another steps in? In this episode, we hear both sides of a rare transaction between Brian Gross, the seller of Art of Drawers Tampa, and Sid Kinghar, the buyer who left corporate finance to become a first-time business owner.

You’ll learn:

Why Sid chose a franchise resale over starting from scratch

How Brian structured the deal, including seller financing terms

What both wish existed to make franchise resales easier

Franchise resales are one of the most overlooked (and misunderstood) entry points into business ownership. This conversation breaks down the real mechanics of a deal—pricing, diligence, negotiation, and the human element of trust. If you're thinking about buying or selling a franchise, this episode is a must-listen.

Kal started out slinging pizzas at Little Caesars and ended up running one of the most diverse and fast-growing franchise portfolios in the country. In this episode, he joins Alex Smereczniak to unpack the full journey—how he went from investment banking to buying butcher shops and pizzerias, to opening OrangeTheory gyms, and now scaling some of the hottest brands in franchising like Dave’s Hot Chicken, Marco’s Pizza, and Pop-Up Bagels.

You’ll hear:

Why Kal’s franchise diligence looks more like equity research

The exact capital structures he uses to finance 7- and 8-figure rollups

How he thinks about brand selection, from tech-forward ops to red flags

What every operator needs to know before going from 2 to 20 to 100+ units

If you're serious about scaling in franchising, this episode is a masterclass in how to think—and build—like a multi-unit powerhouse.

Learn more about starting your own franchise empire at franzy.com