Franchise Interviews

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with multi-unit franchisees and husband and wife team Mike and Shannon Kemp. Mike and Shannon speak about what it takes to be multi-unit franchisees, how/when they knew they were ready to expand beyond one brand/unit and their entrepreneurial advice on growing and investing in a franchise system for more than 20 years. Here's quick background on them:   In 1994, Mike was working part-time as an employee for Play It Again Sports the store buys and sells quality, gently-used sports equipment and gear (the franchise currently has more than 300 franchised stores in the U.S. and Canada). After Mike was brought on as regional general manager for the owner and helped him open six additional Play It Again Sports across North Carolina, he decided to go into business for himself. In 2003, Mike opened his own Play It Again Sports in Winston-Salem, and later went on to open up a second location in Greensboro. That's when Shannon Kemp's wheels started turning. She saw her husband's success and saw the other sister brand stores, Plato's Closet and Once Upon A Child, expanding in the community as well. Plato's Closet is the same frugal recycling concept as Play It Again Sports but centers around clothing, shoes and accessories and is catered toward teens while Once Upon A Child caters to the kid demographic. Shannon wanted to bring something for women in the community and decided to bring the missing sister brand Style Encore to Winston-Salem in 2014. Most recently, she will be celebrating the grand opening of a second Style Encore in Greensboro. In part 2, we meet with a legend in franchising, Lawrence Doc Cohen.  Doc Cohen discusses why he choose franchising as opposed to starting his own concept.

There are two key elements you receive when buying a franchise: They include a system and a brand.  Prospective franchisees can do very well in franchising is they understand this notion.  In Part I, we meet with the legendary Dr. John Tantillo.  Dr. Tantillo has a unique method of making his listeners laugh and learn at the same time.  John is an award winning marketing professional, lecturer and teacher. Dr. John Tantillo. Dr. Tantillo (aka The Marketing Doctor) is a trained applied research psychologist who is internationally known for his expertise at diagnosing the factors that impact target markets.  In parts 2 and 3, we continue the interview with Dr. Tantillo as the interviewer and Dr. Marty McDermott as the interviewee.  We talk about branding, franchising, pasta, marketing, family and entrepreneurship! In part 4, we hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.  Don’t miss this full 90 minute podcast!

We are meeting with Paul Maskill, Development Director for TGA Premier Golf & Tennis.  The mission of TGA is to introduce youth of all backgrounds to the fun, positive, character-building aspects of golf and tennis through programs that build life values, instill confidence through achievement, and offer a fun and educational experience. TGA believes that sports change lives.  A TGA franchise gives entrepreneurial-minded individuals like you a chance to make a positive impact on children’s lives through sports while owning a business you can be proud of.  Their golf and tennis enrichment programs bring the sports and their magnitude of benefits to schools and community centers where students develop fundamentals and learn important life lessons.  TGA then guides customers through a “Player Pathway” of camps, leagues and other events at local golf courses and tennis facilities creating a customer life cycle longer than most competitors. In Part 2, we hear a clip from out Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Today we are meeting with Mike Reynolds, Chief Development Officer, Mrs. Winner’s Chicken & Biscuits.  Mrs. Winner’s Chicken and Biscuits is a chain of quick-service restaurants that cook only the best southern food in the southeast.  Their family dinner includes such southern staples as fried chicken, sweet tea, traditional southern sides and the most delicious of biscuits fresh from the oven.   In 2012, a new chapter opened when a fresh group of owners came to Mrs. Winner’s. Their family has gained new life and we want you to come along for the ride. Together we’ll grow the family once again, and bring the joy of delicious chicken and biscuits to our friends all across the southeast. Some of the questions we ask include the following: Tell us about the history of Mrs. Winner’s and where the franchise is today. How does Mrs. Winner’s differ from other fried chicken concepts? Can you describe the franchise system? What types of characteristics do you look for in a franchisee? What is the training like for new franchisees? What is a typical day like for franchisees? What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to buy a franchise? What are your immediate growth and development plans? In part 2, we will hear a clip from Marty McDermott's interview on Stop Riding The Pine.

If you are a fan of Shark Tank, you are probably familiar with Sub Zero Ice Cream.  We are meeting with Jerry Hancock, the founder of Sub Zero Ice Cream.  Sub Zero Ice Cream uses negative 321-degree liquid nitrogen to freeze and hand mix each customized order with a unique patented process. Besides its unique and highly visual freezing method, Sub Zero Ice Cream caters to a variety of dietary needs. The brand offers six bases including a classic premium custard, low-fat custard and yogurt, as well as lactose free, vegan and sugar free options. After selecting a base, guests can customize with their own mix-ins, creating limitless options when building custom ice cream creations.  We also talk with Jerry about the Shark Tank experience.  In part 2, we hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

We are meeting with Scott Mortier, President of The Franchise Whales and EVP of Business Development at Froots.  With a combined 35-plus years’ experience in franchising, David Lopez and Scott Mortier have launched a franchise incubator to help new, emerging and existing franchises strengthen various areas of their businesses.  Called The Franchise Whales, the franchise incubator supports independent businesses interested in developing a franchise model, emerging franchisors who want to propel their business forward and established franchisors looking to strengthen their existing systems.    We will also discuss how Froots and Gyroville partnered to blend their expertise.  Froots is a healthy alternative to traditional fast food fare, providing a variety of great tasting options including all-natural smoothies, energy shakes, fresh-squeezed juices, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, salads, soups and more.  Gyroville was created in 2010 to bring Mediterranean cuisine to the fast-casual market. Gyroville starts by using only the freshest ingredients and prepares them using recipes that combine old-school, Greek traditions with a modern day twist. The concept allows customers to follow their choice of protein from the grill or vertical spit through an assembly line process, where they choose from fresh ingredients and homemade sauces.   In part 2, we play a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.  This week, the great Michael Gerber celebrated his 80th birthday.  We play a clip of our interview with Michael.

We are meeting with Greg Helwig, the President of Kiddie Academy, an industry leader in educational childcare.  Since 1981, Kiddie Academy® has provided a better way to care for and educate children and create stronger communities. It's something they are passionate about and they have been an education-based childcare leader for more than 30 years. People and Culture Parents wouldn't trust just anyone to care for their children.  This is why Kiddie Academy takes extra special care in ensuring that only the most qualified and caring people are taking care of your child. Equally important, we strive to create an environment of growth and learning for our people as well. Greg joined Kiddie Academy in 2008 and provides overall strategic leadership for the entire company. Greg has over 25 years of executive-level franchise industry experience, including work in optical manufacturing and dispensing, vitamin and nutritional supplement retailing, and the after-school tutoring industries. He received a BA degree from Kean University and attended Fairleigh Dickenson University’s Graduate School of Business.” In part 2, we discuss tips on attending a franchise show.  This week is the big franchise expo in New York city.  See you at the event!

We have a great show today.  We are meeting with Navigator Coach Rick Ibarra-Rivera.  Rick’s professional Coaching career began a decade ago in 2005.  Rick's passion is helping others achieve their dreams and making a difference in their lives.  Rick’s Personal Development journey started many years ago with Landmark Education. It was there where he took several courses over the years and began Coaching.  Rick has BA from Santa Clara University and attended Graduate school at A.C.T. (American Conservatory Theater).  He currently lives in Spokane, WA with his wife and two children.  Here are some of the questions we will ask Rick on the show. How did you become a coach? What is the difference between a “Life” coach and a “mentor” or business coach? What do you like most about being a coach? How does the Navigator provide insights into how to coach a person? Does your coaching interfere with a franchise company’s operations team?  If not, why? What does a franchisee have to commit to in order for life coaching to work for them? What advice would you give to our listeners in their quest to buy a franchise? In part 2, we hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast with Craig Slavin, founder of Navigator.  For more information, go to the following websites. www.navigatorsystem.org and www.franchisenavigator.com

We are meeting with Jeff Garrett, founder of Lumberjacks.  In 2004, in one of those “wake up in the middle of the night” moments, Jeff Garrett thought of Lumberjacks and the timber industry theme. He immediately got to work on converting a generic diner to incorporate this theme and fittingly renamed the place … Lumberjacks. The brand has since grown to nine corporate and franchise restaurants throughout Northern California and Las Vegas, with 25-50 more predominantly franchise locations set to open in the next few years. Guests line up in droves for the experience and a taste of home-style cooking “Where the big boys eat.” ABOUT LUMBERJACKS: Garrett’s initial thought behind the theme was that everyone loves lumberjacks and wants to be like them because they work hard, eat a lot, and work well together. Restaurants have a 12-foot lumberjack statue in front, lumberjack competitions playing on TV screens, juniper wood covering the interior of the restaurant, axes as the door handles and other “woodsy” features. In part 2, we hear a clip for our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

When Michael and Babz Barnett saw a tweet from ABC scouting contestants for new TV show, Shark Tank, six years ago, they had no idea what they’d be walking into. In fact, they saw the premier episode in their hotel room the night before their own taping. But despite the lack of familiarity with the sharks entrepreneurs have today, they presented their concept, Romp n’ Roll – a modernized kids gym perfecting the intersection of entertainment and education for kids ages 3 months to 5 years, and were offered a deal.  Which they declined.  With just a handful of open units in the U.S. at the time, the company switched gears and redirected its focus to China, spending the last five years growing its presence there to an astounding 85 locations. Now, they are once again returning their focus to the states and picking up where they left off on that stage six years ago building on its incredible success – System wide sales in 2015 surpassed $2M in the U.S. and reached $30M worldwide. In part 2, we hear a clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.