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Hiring the wrong marketing leader can quietly destroy franchise growth. In this episode, Erik Van Horn and Aren Johnstone break down why CMOs from outside franchising—especially those coming from e-commerce or big-brand backgrounds—struggle and often fail inside franchise systems.
They reveal why franchising operates more like a political system than a corporation, how franchisees hold real power, why innovation gets blocked, and the cultural mistakes that erode trust.
If you're scaling or building a franchise, this episode will save you years of painful hiring mistakes.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Why outside marketers fail inside franchise systems
02:17 — AI, prep, and Aren's approach to productive conversations
04:28 — Inside vs outside franchising: the hiring dilemma
07:29 — How Franchise Ramp stays franchisee-first
09:42 — Why top-tier vendors avoid emerging brands
13:09 — Big-budget marketers vs the reality of franchising
17:39 — Why inside hires get stale & outside hires hit walls
23:09 — The political structure of franchising
30:48 — Managing difficult franchisees while protecting culture
41:41 — The winning hiring formula Aren recommends
Learn more about Franchise Ramp here:
https://franchiseramp.com/
Connect with Erik Van Horn:
🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/
📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/
👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/
💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/
Best Franchise Starter Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL
#Franchising
#Growth
#Leadership
By Erik Van Horn4.7
5959 ratings
Hiring the wrong marketing leader can quietly destroy franchise growth. In this episode, Erik Van Horn and Aren Johnstone break down why CMOs from outside franchising—especially those coming from e-commerce or big-brand backgrounds—struggle and often fail inside franchise systems.
They reveal why franchising operates more like a political system than a corporation, how franchisees hold real power, why innovation gets blocked, and the cultural mistakes that erode trust.
If you're scaling or building a franchise, this episode will save you years of painful hiring mistakes.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Why outside marketers fail inside franchise systems
02:17 — AI, prep, and Aren's approach to productive conversations
04:28 — Inside vs outside franchising: the hiring dilemma
07:29 — How Franchise Ramp stays franchisee-first
09:42 — Why top-tier vendors avoid emerging brands
13:09 — Big-budget marketers vs the reality of franchising
17:39 — Why inside hires get stale & outside hires hit walls
23:09 — The political structure of franchising
30:48 — Managing difficult franchisees while protecting culture
41:41 — The winning hiring formula Aren recommends
Learn more about Franchise Ramp here:
https://franchiseramp.com/
Connect with Erik Van Horn:
🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/
📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/
👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/
💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/
Best Franchise Starter Playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL
#Franchising
#Growth
#Leadership

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