Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with CEO of ION Franchising, Lance Graulich. Lance is the founder & CEO of ION Franchising, an industry leading franchise consulting and development group, that represents over 500 franchise brands & business opportunities within 90 categories. Lance helps prospective entrepreneurs find their perfect franchise for FREE. He also assists independent business owners in creating a franchise system. Every business has a story Lance started out in the family business on Wall Street after receiving an economics degree. He then joined a TGI Fridays franchise in Phoenix, AZ as a key executive and was vital to the rapid growth of this $225,000,000 organization. Mr Graulich was a multi-unit, multi-state franchisee of Wingstop and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. He has created countless start up brands and has become the industry leading donut expert. He is the founder of a donut chain called Pinkbox in Las Vegas. His latest start up bakery project is with a Food Network star. As a business start-up expert with more than 25 years of experience, he has served as President of various franchise advisory councils and boards advising emerging franchise brands. He has helped a multitude of companies grow efficiently & effectively.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

As a Franchise Consultant for 23 years, a member of IFPG for 10 years, and a member of the IFPG Ethics Committee, I believe IFPG holds its Consultants accountable to a higher standard compared to other consulting organizations. Our Consultants receive high-level training and certification programs to enhance their skills and knowledge. They are trained to be a consultant/guide through the due diligence process to ensure candidates are making a decision that benefits them and their families. I take great pride in placing my candidate first with the goal of finding a franchise that meets their skills, interests, priorities, budget, and income expectations. I am very selective with the brands I present. They must be companies my candidates can embrace, with a business model that meets their criteria. I never look at the commission when selecting brands. For me, if I don’t make the right match, I am not going to be paid for my services. The candidate always comes first.

Happy New Year!  Many years ago, we created a spin off of our podcast Franchise Interviews.  We called the podcast Great Quotes in Franchising.   Great Quotes in Franchising features great quotes from our show over the last 14 years.  What surprised and pleased us is the number of listeners to the podcast.  For example, one Great Quotes in Franchising podcast has received over 52,000 views to date.  http://www.franchiseinterviews.podcastpeople.com/posts/63495 Today’s Great Quote in Franchising comes from Peter Baldine, the President of Moran Industries.  Peter discusses some of the several advantages of franchising compared to non-franchise businesses like support, guidance and instantaneous relationships.

The Perfect Seasonal Business Many years ago, Don and I got to interview Blake Smith from The Decor Group (Christmas Decor, Nite Time Decor. At the Décor Group...Franchising is their business. Since that interview, the organization has grown significantly.  Christmas decorating offers individuals and businesses the ability to generate significant revenues during a time that is traditionally slow for many seasonal businesses. The Christmas Decor franchise opportunity provides seasonal businesses the ability to offset their fixed overhead costs and maintain their key employees all year around. The majority of their almost 300 franchisees nationally were operating a seasonal business when they came to Christmas Decor. They had no prior decorating experience, but they understood what it means to work hard to grow a successful business. Each one found that Christmas Decor was the perfect seasonal business to expand their revenues.

We are meeting with Richard Huffman, founder and CEO of Celebree School.  Founded in 1994, Celebree School is a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs. With a mission to Grow People Big and Small™, Celebree School believes success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection. Each school employs a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of children and follows applicable state guidelines. In 2019, Celebree School launched its franchise offering. With a Celebree School franchise, entrepreneurs can invest in their financial future and their community by leveraging our proven business model. In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Karol Mercurio has spent more than 23 years as a Franchise Consultant and over 30 years in franchising. She holds the distinction of being IFPG’s very first franchise consultant and one of the first female Consultants throughout all of franchising. Karol started her career in franchising at Nutrisystem. During her 12 years with the company, she was responsible for developing and delivering training programs to new franchisees. Later, Karol worked for Great Clips as their Franchise Development Manager for the Mid-Atlantic region. She has placed countless people in their own businesses and has been a role model for women in franchising. Karol’s wealth of experience and wisdom has been priceless to IFPG and all of its members.

We are meeting with Joe Soltis…Joe is the Founder and CEO of ChoiceLocal, a digital marketing firm that serves franchise systems where the average client partner of ChoiceLocal gains $15.51 for every $1.00 in invested in marketing.  ChoiceLocal is a local marketing firm specializing in marketing franchise systems. Their average client generates in excess of $15.54 in new revenue for every $1 invested in marketing. They deliver superior business results to any local marketing firm they have been compared to. Their clients experience, on average, 363% faster revenue growth working with us compared to working with other agencies. Joe oversees ChoiceLocal which in turn funds the Benjamin Isaac Foundation out of its profits. The Benjamin Isaac Foundation is a non-profit focused on helping kids in need. Every business has a story ChoiceLocal's missionis  to help others. ChoiceLocal was founded as a 1-person company and today just a few years later is 65+ people, is bringing on 2-3 new people per month, is a 2X winner of NorthCoast99’s best place to work award, and boasts an annualized client retention rate of 94% and a net promoter score higher than great performing companies such as Apple, Amazon, & Trader Joe’s. In Part Two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Last week we met with Scott Greenberg, author of The Wealthy Franchisee…Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchise Superstar.  Fueled with over 10 years’ experience as a multi-unit, award-winning franchise owner (Edible Arrangements) whose operation won international recognition: “Best Customer Service” and “Manager of the Year.  Today we are going to play our interview we did many years ago with Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements.  Since having Tariq on our show, Edible Arrangements has grown by leaps and bounds.  Nevertheless, the show is a timeless interview with this amazing entrepreneur and franchise.  Hot of the Press Edible Arrangements is expanding into the #music category because they have seen how successful it's been when paired with their gift and treat options. And this new category brings Edible Arrangements one step closer to becoming a one-stop-shop gifting experience for their customers. Edible Arrangements is kicking off Edible Music with a partnership with Grammy and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. and his new #holiday album. Customers can now purchase his album, or one of the four other holiday albums, through edible.com.   Learn more about Edible Music, via QSR magazine: https://lnkd.in/d9bYY73

We are meeting with Scott Greenberg, author of The Wealthy Franchisee…Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchise Superstar.  Scott is one-part business game-changer, one-part motivational leader. Fueled with over 10 years’ experience as a multi-unit, award-winning franchise owner (Edible Arrangements) whose operation won international recognition: “Best Customer Service” and “Manager of the Year,” Scott practically wrote the book on what it takes to become NEXT LEVEL.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We have a great show today. We are meeting with Reena Bhatia of BidExecs franchising.  BidExecs offers a unique franchise model that allows you the opportunity to own a branded business in the multi-trillion dollar contracting industry. This is great for independent consultants, veterans, military officers, retired government employees who are ready to take control of their future and grow a significant business. Leverage your know-how, expertise and local influence to build a network of contract management professionals to serve key clients in your area.  In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.