How I Franchised This

Taj Suri, former opera singer turned entrepreneur who now owns top-performing Crumbl Cookie locations and runs an entertainment agency. He recounts the wild pivot from music and hospitality into franchise ownership. Short, vivid stories cover the chaotic first months, financing and seasonality, managing two stores, hiring trustworthy managers, and a regional growth plan.

Scott Oaks, a franchise executive leading growth at Comfort Keepers with 22 years in senior care franchising. He recounts his unexpected path into franchising. He highlights spotting red flags in buyers, why senior care weathers recessions, the realities of caregiver recruiting, and the one question to ask franchisors to uncover their toughest challenges.

Joe Tagliente built a $49,000,000 franchise empire—14 Burger Kings and 4 hotels—and when he sold it, he kept every single piece of real estate underneath it. In this episode, Joe breaks down the OpCo vs. PropCo wealth strategy that separates great operators from truly wealthy ones. We dive into the accidental SEC call that launched his casual dining venture, the operational frameworks that allowed him to outperform the national average by 50%, and exactly how he valued and exited a multi-concept franchise portfolio. If you're building toward an exit or want to understand the "Real Estate side" of franchising, this is your masterclass.

Have you ever bought a business and immediately thought: What did we just do? In this episode of How I Franchise This, host Alex sits down with Tamar Brown, the creative force behind two Frio’s Gourmet Pops territories in the Twin Cities. Tamar didn't just buy a dessert truck; she bought a vehicle for family education, community connection, and entrepreneurial growth. From a heart-stopping "inventory meltdown" that cost her thousands to the strategic triumph of replacing Dippin' Dots at local hockey rinks, Tamar’s journey is a raw, honest look at the J-Curve of business ownership. In this episode, you’ll discover: The "Winter Strategy": How to sell frozen treats in the coldest climate in the lower 48. The 17-Year-Old Entrepreneur: How Tamar uses the business to teach her teenagers about money, networking, and "the hustle." The Power of the Pivot: Why a graphic designer and actress chose gourmet pops over traditional "service" franchises. The $5,000 Disaster: A cautionary tale about freezer alarms and how the "Franchise Family" saved the week. Community Over Competition: Why sharing marketing assets with "competitors" actually grows your bottom line.  

Jeff Dudan, serial franchiser who founded AdvantaClean and launched Homefront Brands, reflects on relentless ambition and building category-defining businesses. He covers the “Why Not Me?” mindset. He explains the four quadrants of wealth and the A-Method for hiring. He also discusses why property services defend against economic disruption and the rituals that sustain peak performance.

Andy Stenzler, serial entrepreneur behind Rumble Boxing, Cozy, Kidville, and THE PACK, is a product-driven scaler who turns fitness into cultural brands. He talks boxing-as-fitness, the Mr. Miyagi-inspired self-defense workout THE PACK, solving gear problems with clever hacks, and using data, timing, and repeatable systems to franchise and scale concepts.

Zack Fishman, Chief Growth Officer at Fishman PR and Franchise Elevator, brings decades of franchise marketing and agency leadership know-how. He discusses growing up in a family franchise, modernizing a legacy agency during COVID, why franchise trends are cyclical, the edge operator-led brands have over sales-led ones, problems with sales incentives, and why pet hospitality and children’s services are poised to thrive.

Ellen Latham, fitness entrepreneur who founded Orangetheory and created the heart‑rate based Orange Zone. She tells the origin story from being fired to building a workout that combines interval cardio, strength and rowing. She describes listening to members, designing tiers for accessibility, finding the ideal partnership mix, and protecting quality while scaling globally.

Jon Toy, a former CPA turned multi-brand operator who scaled FastSigns and Rolling Suds into an $80M+ portfolio. He recounts leaving accounting for franchising, early naivety and hard lessons in cash flow, the diner-napkin merger that sparked rapid scale, and the systems, SOPs, and sales focus that fueled explosive growth and profitability recovery.

Eric Martin, an entrepreneur who transitioned from sales to franchise ownership in the golf simulator industry, shares his inspiring journey. He discusses his search for business opportunities and why franchising felt right for him. Eric details how he collaborated with Franzy to evaluate brands and navigate the process. He also reveals how he convinced his dad to invest in his vision and the emotions tied to signing the franchise agreement. The conversation highlights essential insights for anyone considering entrepreneurship.