Franchise Interviews

Today’s Great Quote in Franchising comes from the founder of Creatif, Jaya Aiyar. Creatif is the experiential art destination that looks to entertain, educate and inspire. An art studio for all ages, Creatif boasts unique and innovative technology, a variety of options, and an award-winning studio space.  Jaya provides advice to our listeners on what to look for when buying a franchise.  She starts off with knowing your “why?”

We have a great show.  We are meeting with Adenah Bayoh, co-founder of Cornbread Farm to Soul? Founded in 2017 by Co-Founders Adenah Bayoh and Elzadie “Zadie” Smith, Cornbread specializes in mouthwatering, soul food creations such as baked mac & cheese, collard greens, yams, chicken, signature cornbread, and other specialty menu items. Cornbread is based in New Jersey and has three open locations in the NYC/NJ area. As Bayo and Smith set out to open their fast-casual restaurant business, they set their hearts on soul food. Soul food is a category of food that has the power to bring people together and lacks representation in most communities and within the franchise industry. The duo now aims to distinguish and establish its franchise system through Cornbread’s unique company goals, values, and promise to continually service residents in communities where they operate and help more women and minorities become successful franchisees. We play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast in P

We are meeting with the President and CEO of the Big Frog franchise opportunity, Tina Bacon DeFrece.  Locally owned and operated, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More specializes in Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing, a clean and green apparel printing technology. Big Frog is a one-stop-shop for “un-frog-ettable” custom apparel with a wide selection of services including screen printing, embroidery, vinyl, and Ultra Print (heat press). Established in 2008 by co-founders Leeward Bean, Tina Bacon-DeFrece and Ron DeFrece, the franchise brand has since expanded to nearly 100 locations in 25 states and Canada offering free 15-minute, in-person design help, no minimums, and fast turnaround (often 24-hours) on DTG printing. Globally headquartered in Dunedin, Fla., Big Frog Franchise Group is led by President and CEO Tina Bacon-DeFrece.  Big Frog launched the veteran-focused initiative to help veterans and first responders fulfill their dreams of owning a small business. Recently named one of the “Top Low-Cost Franchi

Reflection Interview Franchise Interviews started off as a newsletter.  I had no idea I would be hosting one of the longest running podcasts on the topic of franchising.  Sometime back in 2006, Anita Campbell invited me on her show Small Business Trends Radio to discuss the newsletter.  Needless to say, I was a bit nervous because this was my first appearance on the radio.  I recently listened to the podcast with Anita and realized how much I have grown as a person.  Several months later, I got an invitation to turn our newsletter into a weekly internet radio show/podcast.  I thank God I said yes to the offer.  I was able to see what our website looked like in 2005 from the website Archive.org.  I will include some of those photos in the show notes.  Listen to my interview with Anita Campbell over 17 years ago!  

We are meeting with Jodi Scott and Brad James of the Superior Wash franchise opportunity. Superior Wash is a national 24-hour mobile fleet washing company. The company is a leader in the fleet-washing industry and services Fortune 500 clients such as Coca-Cola, Fed-Ex, UPS, and Budweiser trucks. Not only does the company help to alleviate the pressure of rising gas costs for corporate-owned fleet systems by conveniently traveling to an accounts fleet site, but it also uses an environmentally friendly water recovery system. Click the play button below to listen to the show. 

We are welcoming back Andy Diamond, President of Angry Crab Shack. Combining bold flavors in Asian food with his knowledge of seafood, Ron Lou launched Angry Crab Shack in 2013 in Mesa, AZ. A family-friendly neighborhood restaurant, Angry Crab Shack offers a vibrant, memorable dining environment and high-quality seafood at a more affordable price. Every business has a story. Former NFL player Ron Lou spent four years in the league with the Houston Oilers than the Philadelphia Eagles. During the next 35 years, he created five different restaurant concepts: breakfast, a sports bar, and three Chinese restaurants. Ready for another success, Lou set out to create something unique – not just another wing, burger, or pizza place. In part wo, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

Interviewing the Interviewer Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Nancy Friedman, the founder of the Telephone Doctor. Nancy and I had a lot of fun discussing various topics like travel, actors, favorite interviewers and books, and Franchise Interviews. This November will be Franchise Interviews' 16th year of podcasting. In that time, we interviewed almost 800 guests. For this interview, I will provide the link to the video interview. If you are listening to this podcast on another podcast channel, just go to YouTube and type in keywords, "Martin McDermott". Nancy reminded me that listeners hardly get to put a face behind the podcast. I want to thank Nancy for an excellent discussion, and I look forward to listening to her future shows on YouTube via Zoom! Here is the link to listen to the show.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXXYPXqwEI Nancy is an expert on customer service, communication skills, and sales. She is a sought-after keynote customer service speaker at annual confer

We are meeting with the founder of Creatif, Jaya Aiyar. Creatif is the experiential art destination that looks to entertain, educate and inspire. An art studio for all ages, Creatif boasts unique and innovative technology, a variety of options, and an award-winning studio space. Creatif was founded in 2018 by Jaya Aiyar, realizing that while the demand for engaging family activities was growing, there were very few concepts suitable for kids & adults, especially when it came to art and family experiences. Wanting to change the narrative of what an art studio could be, one of her priorities was ensuring her studio reflected the experience she aims to provide.  Find out what happened next by listening to the podcast. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  

Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast - Three Questions You Should Answer Before Buying A Franchise - Today's Great Quote in Franchising comes from our weekly radio show with Todd Leff, the CEO and President of the Hand & Stone franchise opportunity. Todd is a veteran in franchising and gives our listeners three questions they should answer before buying a franchise.

We are meeting with CEO & Founder of Celebree School, Richie Huffman.  Since 1994, Celebree Schools has been caring for and positively impacting the lives of children in Maryland and Delaware. Today, their day care history is taking a big next step to supporting children and their parents in more locations and in more mid-Atlantic states. Every business has a story Richie was a straight D student in high school and knew college was unlikely, so he shifted his attention on business. It was through various grueling jobs in bakeries, real estate, and retail that he learned the value of hard work and its and payoff – many of the early lessons learned, he applies as a leader today.He was inspired to pursue entrepreneurship by his mother, “Betty,” who launched a preschool center that expanded into three locations under the name White Marsh Child Care, where Richie would sweep the floors up at the end of the day.Fast forward ten years later, he opened his first preschool in 1994 at the ripe age of 26 – this was

Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast - You Have To Almost Work Harder To Fail Than Succeed in Franchising  Chris Simnick was one of our favorite interviews. Chris Simnick has over 40 years of business and franchise experience as an independent business owner, franchisee, and franchisor. His background is at many levels, and he has held numerous positions in franchising.

New Great Quote and Must Read Before Labor Day Many years ago, we started a spin-off podcast to Franchise Interviews called Great Quotes in Franchising. Great Quotes in Franchising features great quotes and aha moments from our show. We start today's show with our latest Great Quote in Franchising, which comes from Alex Wilkes of Pearle Vision. Alex discusses why pride in the brand name is so important when choosing a franchise opportunity. Must Read Before Labor Day One of Marty McDermott's (Host of Franchise Interviews) favorite movies is Forrest Gump. So when we heard Scott Barnett, author of Gumption: Taking Bubba Gump from Movie to Restaurant, completed his book, we knew we had to have him on the show. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company decided on using franchising when it came time to expand globally. Scott shares some of these exciting stories, which can also be learned about in the book.   Scott Barnett's restaurant knowledge began when he was a teenager parking attendant in a popular steakhouse in Pa

Last week we met with A.J. Titus, the President of Sign-A-Rama and United Franchise Group.  A.J is also the author of “The List”.  Today we are going to play a clip from our interview with franchisees to Sign-A-Rama, Lisa and Mark Friedel.  Here is a quote from Lisa’s LinkedIn page.  “I am a proud Army veteran with several years of experience in corporate America and also a business owner! My husband and I decided we wanted to make a difference in our community instead of commuting out of it every day. We provide jobs in our community, great products and kind and reliable customer service.” Part Two Advice to prospective franchisees from Sean Falk. Sean is a former US Marine infantry officer who served more than 8 years in active duty and reserves, including tours during Operation Desert Storm and in Bosnia..

We are meeting with A.J. Titus, President of United Franchise Group™, the global leader for entrepreneurs, and Signarama®, the world’s largest sign and graphics franchise. When A.J. Titus was a boy, his father taught him to memorize a list of eighteen principles for life. These principles became known as The List. In this concise yet thoughtful volume, Titus shares a list of fundamental life lessons taught by his father -- principles that have been instrumental in shaping him and which he hopes will impact others.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

Batteries Not Included – Today’s Great Quote in Franchising podcast comes from Tom Krouse, CEO of Donatos Pizza. Donatos is a family-owned, privately held company that treats Franchise Partners like they are part of the family. Its mission is to promote goodwill through its products and service, principles, and people. Tom discusses the importance of focusing your energy to the right place by using a great analogy “Batteries not Included”. Tom explains this notion in this Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. Runtime: 03:44 | Views: 468 |8/13/2000

We are meeting with Nancy Bigley, Brand President and CEO of The Little Gym.  The Little Gym is an internationally recognized program that helps children build the developmental skills and confidence needed at each stage of childhood. The Little Gym’s first location was established in 1976 by Robin Wes, an innovative educator with a genuine love for children. The Little Gym International, LLC., headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., was formed in 1992 to franchise The Little Gym concept. The brand is part of Unleashed Brands, a global growth-focused platform company that curates and expands franchise brands that help kids learn, play and grow, including Snapology, Urban Air Adventure Park, Premier Martial Arts, Class 101 and XP League. The Little Gym International has nearly 400 locations in over 31 countries including the U.S., Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Thailand and more. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. 

We are meeting with Kaitlynn Caster of Pizza Guys. Kaitlynn left her college education behind to run her very own Pizza Guys. From humble beginnings as a single pizza restaurant in 1986, Pizza Guys have become a recognized leader in the pizza industry. From the day they opened, we have been committed to serving our customers the highest quality food, providing superior service, and creating unique specialty pizza recipes that can be delivered quickly to your door.  They continue to innovate their products and services, making ordering easier for our customers. Today, they have over 70 independently owned franchises run by men and women living and working in your community. Their success is due to our dedicated franchisees, thousands of dedicated team members, and loyal customers. The average franchise owner is male, 38 years old, and has a college education. Meet 24-year-old Kaitlynn Caster, who left her college education behind to run her own Pizza Guys store. Caster uses her young age and fresh ideas to f

Great Quotes In Franchising Podcast: You can't paint the golden arches green, so follow the system. - Karol Mercuio is referencing the great Michael Gerber. Karol has been in the franchise industry for over 30 years and has owned and operated her business for the past 19 years, advising and coaching people in franchising. An IFPG Member since 2012, Karol has placed countless people in their companies and enhanced their quality of life. Karol started her career in the franchise industry working for Nutri/System, a billion-dollar international franchised weight loss company with more than 1,500 companies and franchised units nationwide.

Did you miss our podcast “Mental Health Awareness Month and Massage Therapy Franchises?” May is mental health awareness month. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, almost 50% of adults in the United States will experience a mental health challenge during their lifetime. Moreover, a growing body of research supports the positive impact of massage therapy on relieving stress, anxiety, and depression. Many studies indicate it can provide benefits similar to psychotherapy for specific conditions.   Today we are going to play clips from three massage therapy franchises: We play our interview with Scott Schubiger, Chief Development Officer of the Massage Heights franchise opportunity. Massage Heights is a family-owned massage and wellness franchise dedicated to elevating the lives of others by providing Members and Guests with professional, affordable, and resort-quality massage, skincare, and wellness services. You will hear our interview with the President of the Hand & Stone fran

Today’s Great Quote in franchising comes from Alex Wilkes of Pearle Vision. Alex discusses why being proud of the brand name is so important when choosing a franchise opportunity.