Franchise Interviews

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 the start of what would become Celebree School.Over the course of more than two decades, Richie grew Celebree from a single location into Maryland’s largest privately held chain of child care centers that is now franchising nationwide. Find out what happens 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 - 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 Palm Desert, California. Taking the hard road, he performed every job there was to do in the business as he cooked, served, bartended his way through college, and crashed into the restaurant industry in his rebellious and irreverent way.

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 further the brand’s presence and hopes to show others that college is not the only path. Kaitlynn began her journey with Pizza Guys while working as a shift leader at the location her father owned during high school. While attending university, Caster felt that it was not the right choice and decided to make a change. She returned to work as a manager at her family-owned Pizza Guys location and became an owner in October 2021. Her commitment and drive for the business, as well as her approach to running the restaurant, has been the determining factor in her success. Being of young age, Caster embodies the brand’s continuous new products and concepts. She is also better able to connect with her young staff. In addition, her ambitious attitude means she already has plans to open more locations in her area. We also play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast