Franchise Interviews

We are meeting with Dave Schafers of Meineke, Sr. VP of Business Development Driven Brands Inc.  Formerly known as the muffler repair experts, Meineke has evolved its menu of product offerings to meet the demands of the changing marketplace.  Formerly known as the muffler repair experts, Meineke has evolved its menu of product offerings to meet the demands of the changing marketplace. Today, the Charlotte-based franchise has emerged as the one-stop shop for tires, brake repairs, tune-ups, alignments, shocks and struts, routine maintenance and more. The brand evolution is paying off in a big way. The average age of cars on the road has climbed from 8.2 years in 2000 to 11.2 years in 2013, and general, non-warranty automotive repairs and maintenance is projected to cost consumers $1.6 billion in 2014.

Today Franchise Interviews is celebrating 7 years and our 350th show with the Aaron's franchise opportunity. Aaron's is North America's leader in the sales and lease ownership of household necessities which includes brand name furniture, appliances, electronics and computers.  Today we are meeting with the Vice President of Aaron, Todd Evans. Aaron's was ranked #21 in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500® out of thousands of franchise concepts. Aarons was also ranked #3 by Forbes magazine among Top 20 "Franchise for the Buck."  Today they have more than 2,000 showrooms across the U.S. and Canada.  Aarons has provided consistent, reliable financial results for over 57 years. Today’s Anniversary Show is broken into 4 segments: Segment 1 - One of our most memorable shows was from seven years ago with Todd Evans, who is the VP of  Aaron's.  In part 1, you are going to hear clips from that interview 7 years ago. In segment 2 we are going to bring Todd Evans of Aaron's back into the studio and discuss where Aarons is today in 2013. In segment 3 you will hear our interview with The Marketing Doctor and branding expert Dr. John Tantillo In segment 4, you’ll hear what clip from our Great Quotes in Franchising podcast made our seven year anniversary show. We would like to thank our friends at BlogTalkRadio for helping make Franchise Interviews a successful radio show.

Their Co-founder believed America needed a unique exercise environment specifically for people 50 and over. He was aware of the movement towards active aging and the push to maintain independence. At the same time, he recognized that traditional gyms are often intimidating and don’t provide the guidance and direction needed to help those 50 and over achieve their best health. This was the beginning of Welcyon, Fitness After 50. We are meeting with Suzy Boerboom to discuss the Welcyon franchise opportunity.

Over the last month, Franchise Interviews has focused on the pet industry.  Here’s why: According to the June 3, 2011 issue of USA TODAY, “There are now more households with dogs (43 million) than children.” The American Pet Products Association’s 2013-2014 National Pet Owners Survey reveals:     68% of U.S. households own a pet, equaling to 82.5 million households.     56.7 million households own a dog. Largest number of households, in the pet category, with the next closest being over 11 million less.     83.5 million is the total number of dogs owned in the U.S.     Total U.S. pet industry expenditures have continued to grow since 1994 and are expected to reach $55.53 billion in 2013.     47% of owners consider their pets full-fledged family members.     Basic dog boarding/kenneling annual expenses are $327, on average         $4.54 billion is expected to be spent on pet grooming/boarding this year, up $380 million from last year The pet care industry continues to grow due to Americans love for their dogs, and always demanding top care for their loved one. Pet franchising, specifically, is strengthening and developing as more consumers are choosing to have a pet in their household. Consumers choose to spend more on their furry best friends and the trend is only continuing to mature. We are meeting with Taffy Miltz, Co-Founder and President of the FlipFlop Dogs franchise opportunity.

After graduating from Wake Forest University, where she played four years of scholarship basketball, Gretchen Hollifield went to school to become a dog trainer. But she didn’t make enough to live on. So she juggled dog-training gigs, a paper route, restaurant jobs and occasional work for her father’s land-surveying business. After a few years, she decided her workload was unsustainable and decided to parlay her passion for dog training into a full-time business: The Dog Wizard.   Since its launch in 2005, The Dog Wizard has produced successful results for hundreds of dogs and continues to offer dog lovers with a tremendous business opportunity in the more than $50 billion pet industry. In fact, The Dog  Wizard has more than doubled in size over the past two years, growing to 12 locations in nine states. Through a unique franchise opportunity that begins with four months of extensive training, Gretchen plans to add as many as 18 new locations annually. Six new franchises have already opened since the beginning of 2013.

We are meeting with  Dan Remus and Jef Strauss, Co-Founders of Wag ‘N Wash Healthy Pet Center.   Founded in 1999 and franchising since 2006, Wag ‘N Wash Healthy Pet Center is a full-line specialty retail destination for cats and dogs that has created a community for pet enthusiasts to come and be pet people. With a mission to recognize, promote, and foster the positive impact that companion pets and their humans have on each other, Wag ‘N Wash provides the full experience – fresh dog treats baking in the oven, natural food, high-end supplements, clean grooming and wash facilities and cool toys

We are meeting with  Shayne Smith, motivational speaker to the Why Factor and Tutor Doctor President Frank Milner. Tutor Doctor, a worldwide tutoring franchise that provides individualized home-based instruction to learners of all ages, has become the foundational sponsor of “The Why Factor”, a non-profit community outreach program created to spark inspiration in students, parents, and educators alike to help break through the barriers that hold them back and get inspired. The one-on-one, in-home tutoring service is on a mission is to fuel student dreams through motivation, inspiration and collaboration.  Shayne shares his story, obstacles and ongoing success with young students across the world, to prove that you write your own rulebook. Just like in his game, Shayne offensively plays his strengths, instead of focusing on negatives. He achieves these personal victories with an unbeatable spirit and by putting a dedicated effort into achieving his goals. The goal of “The Why Factor” is to make students feel inspired and excited about building confidence and self-esteem through education. With similar goals and missions, both companies want to prove that through collaboration, anything is possible.

Over the last decade, Franchise Interviews has spoken about the tremendous growth in the non-medical senior care industry. Interesting enough, there are now subcategories to the non-medical senior care industry. This show we are meeting with Amramp and Express Medical Transporters. First we are meeting with the Express Medical Transporters. First, you will hear our interview with Express Medical Transporters franchise we are meeting with Express Medical Transporters, was founded in 1995 by its President/CEO, Bernard A. Squitieri. With more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry, Mr. Squitieri started the company with one vehicle. Today, Express Medical Transporters is the largest for-profit non-emergency transportation company in the state of Missouri. By completing thousands of trips per year, Express Medical Transporters is able to provide the very best in price, quality and efficiency when it comes to transportation anywhere in Missouri.  Next, you will hear our interview with the Amramp franchise opportunity. Amramp is taking drastic measures in supplying the mobility-challenged population an alternative to the costly hospital stays and homecare prices they are constantly bombarded with.  Lastly, we speak to Kevin Hein in our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast. Kevin talks about the Hallmark of Franchising.

We are meeting with Meredith Hillman, VP and Account Director, ePrize and Annica Kreider, VP of brand development, Mellow Mushroom. For 39 years, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers has been serving up fresh stone baked pizzas to order in an eclectic, art filled and family friendly environment. Each Mellow is locally owned and operated with a unique vibe focused around great customer service and high quality food. We are speaking with Meredith and Annica on how mobile marketing has made a positive impact on their franchise.

We are meeting with  Larry Flaherty, director of franchise development with Pet Supplies Plus. With more than 275 locations in 23 Eastern states, Pet Supplies Plus has earned the reputation as America’s Favorite Neighborhood Pet Store by offering a wide array of pet food, pet products, grooming services and animal expertise in a welcoming environment.  With a friendly, pet-centered culture, where store managers and associates actually know the names of hundreds of their pet customers and their pet parents, each Pet Supplies Plus is large enough to house a broad selection of food and equipment, yet small enough to still feel neighborly.  The company, headquartered in Livonia, MI., has earned its success by understanding the unique bond between humans and their pets, while championing the conviction that ‘People Don’t Own Pets, Pets Own People.’