What They Don’t Teach You at Wharton About Building Franchises With Adam Ross

Apr 15, 2025

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What they don’t teach you at Wharton could be the key to building the next big beauty brand. In today’s episode, Erik Van Horn welcomes Adam Ross, former CEO of Heyday and current partner at Front Street Equity Partners.

Adam shares invaluable insights from his journey, transitioning from banking to entrepreneurship, leveraging his MBA from Wharton, and scaling Heyday into a beauty powerhouse. He dives into why beauty is still one of the biggest white spaces in the US and why brands like goGLOW might be the next success story. Adam discusses building brand leaders, trust between franchisees and franchisors, and the importance of strategic partnerships in franchise growth.

Tune in for a masterclass on franchising, brand-building, and the future of the beauty industry!

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“To be successful, you've got to come up with a product that is unique and meaningfully different than anything that's out there. And I think you've got to complement that with a brand that is also quite differentiated and has different pillars and legs versus anything else that's out there in the category." ~ Adam Ross

In This Episode:

- Adam's shift from banking to entrepreneurship

- Key MBA lessons that shaped Adam’s real-world success

- Heyday’s position in today’s industry

- Adam’s entrepreneurial strengths and skills

- Why Adam stepped down as Heyday CEO

- Partnering with Front Street Equity Partners

- Taking a small brand to the next level

- Heyday’s evolution: early operations to present

- The importance of trust between franchisees and franchisors

- Why working with a strategic partner is beneficial

- Adam’s drive to support emerging brands