Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Training to Scale w. Corey Criss
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Training to Scale w. Corey Criss
In this episode of The Training Effect, host Douglas Mark sits down with Corey Criss, Director of Franchise Training at The Dog Stop, to unpack how one of the fastest-growing pet care brands in the country is using structured training to scale without sacrificing quality.
From a chance encounter in a retail shop to leading training for a 38-location brand, Corey shares how he transformed his background in education into a powerful approach to franchise growth. Together, Doug and Corey explore how trust, consistency, and learning systems build not just better operations, but stronger people.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why a "Train the Trainer" model is critical for franchise growth
How The Dog Stop empowers part-time employees and reduces attrition
The tools and tech stack powering scalable training at 30+ locations
Why knowing your learning style matters as much as your SOPs
The shift from dog care to client education and next-gen franchise learning
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Meet Corey Criss, Director of Franchise Training at The Dog Stop
01:00 – From College Professor to Franchise Training Leader
03:00 – The Origin Story: A Bag of Dog Food That Changed a Career
05:00 – Why The Dog Stop Is in the “Trust Industry”
06:30 – Creating Consistent Experiences Across All Locations
08:00 – The “Train the Trainer” Model That Powers Scale
09:40 – Balancing Standardization and Flexibility in Franchise Operations
11:10 – Partnering with Outside Experts and Fear Free Certification
13:00 – Hybrid Learning: Online, In-Person, and Post-Training Support
14:45 – The Challenge of Turnover and How Training Reduces Attrition
16:30 – Plug-and-Play Training Modules for Franchisees and GMs
18:00 – Shifting Mindsets: From Personal Success to Shared Success
19:30 – Why Franchisee Success Is Brand Success
21:00 – Tools & Technologies: LMS, SevenTaps, Intranet, and monday.com
23:00 – Measuring Impact: Retention, Engagement, and Culture
24:30 – Building for Different Learning Styles and Preferences
26:00 – Advice for Franchisors: Lifelong Learning and Hiring Educators
28:00 – Collaborative Culture: Feedback, Trust, and Training Evolution
30:00 – Final Thoughts: What’s Next for Training at The Dog Stop
31:30 – Learn More About The Dog Stop and Corey Criss
Follow Doug and Corey:
Connect with Doug:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mark-649866a/
Website: https://www.learningzen.com/
Connect with Corey:
Website: https://thedogstop.com/
View all episodes
By LearningZenIn this episode of The Training Effect, host Douglas Mark sits down with Corey Criss, Director of Franchise Training at The Dog Stop, to unpack how one of the fastest-growing pet care brands in the country is using structured training to scale without sacrificing quality.
From a chance encounter in a retail shop to leading training for a 38-location brand, Corey shares how he transformed his background in education into a powerful approach to franchise growth. Together, Doug and Corey explore how trust, consistency, and learning systems build not just better operations, but stronger people.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why a "Train the Trainer" model is critical for franchise growth
How The Dog Stop empowers part-time employees and reduces attrition
The tools and tech stack powering scalable training at 30+ locations
Why knowing your learning style matters as much as your SOPs
The shift from dog care to client education and next-gen franchise learning
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Meet Corey Criss, Director of Franchise Training at The Dog Stop
01:00 – From College Professor to Franchise Training Leader
03:00 – The Origin Story: A Bag of Dog Food That Changed a Career
05:00 – Why The Dog Stop Is in the “Trust Industry”
06:30 – Creating Consistent Experiences Across All Locations
08:00 – The “Train the Trainer” Model That Powers Scale
09:40 – Balancing Standardization and Flexibility in Franchise Operations
11:10 – Partnering with Outside Experts and Fear Free Certification
13:00 – Hybrid Learning: Online, In-Person, and Post-Training Support
14:45 – The Challenge of Turnover and How Training Reduces Attrition
16:30 – Plug-and-Play Training Modules for Franchisees and GMs
18:00 – Shifting Mindsets: From Personal Success to Shared Success
19:30 – Why Franchisee Success Is Brand Success
21:00 – Tools & Technologies: LMS, SevenTaps, Intranet, and monday.com
23:00 – Measuring Impact: Retention, Engagement, and Culture
24:30 – Building for Different Learning Styles and Preferences
26:00 – Advice for Franchisors: Lifelong Learning and Hiring Educators
28:00 – Collaborative Culture: Feedback, Trust, and Training Evolution
30:00 – Final Thoughts: What’s Next for Training at The Dog Stop
31:30 – Learn More About The Dog Stop and Corey Criss
Follow Doug and Corey:
Connect with Doug:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mark-649866a/
Website: https://www.learningzen.com/
Connect with Corey:
Website: https://thedogstop.com/