Franchise Interviews

There’s a better, smarter, more efficient way to buying a franchise, and Chicago entrepreneur Craig Slavin has developed it.   A 40-year franchise veteran, Slavin has been involved with all aspects of the franchising industry from concept creation and refinement to management and national/international growth; including his role as the former CEO and President of Giordano’s Famous Stuffed Pizza.  He has not only led major franchise organizations to success, but he has also helped hundreds of franchises reposition their concepts, streamline their operations, and grow their businesses.  It was this ongoing pattern of poor choices and wasted time that led Slavin to research and develop ConnectMe, a free on-line survey that guides prospective franchise owners to the right franchise for them – what many have referred to as the e-Harmony or Match.com of franchising.

Franchise Interviews Hosts the first ever Retail Sympossium - On Thursday, January 10, Franchise Interviews will host our first retail symposium. You will hear interviews with retail franchises like Aaron's Sales and Lease, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Verlo Mattess, and Tasty Image.

We are meeting with Anthony Russo of the Russo’s NY Pizzeria and Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen.   The Russo family opened "Russo's Italian Restaurant" in 1978 after moving from New York to Texas. Russo's Italian Restaurant was a fine dining establishment that used recipes passed down through generations from the Russo family. Anthony Russo is a first generation Italian. Both parents immigrated from Sicily and Naples, Italy, to New York in 1962. At the early age of 12, Anthony spent a lot of time with his family and other influential Italian chefs in the kitchen learning how to prepare fine Italian meals and New York style pizza. His dad's phrase was: "If you can't make it fresh, don't serve it!". In the early 90's, Anthony opened up his first restaurant in Clear Lake, Texas called "Anthony's Pizzeria". Anthony's goal was to bring the real New York style pizza down to the Texas marketplace. By using his culinary experience, Anthony was able to blend the simplicity of the Pizzeria with the freshness of the Fine Italian Restaurant. It was at this time that the New York Pizzeria concept started to materialize. Anthony's was able to serve high quality food while providing a quick and casual dining experience. In addition, they have taken their award-winning Russo's NY Pizzeria franchise and expanded the concept in every way: the menu, the building, the target markets. What has remained the same? The freshest, premium ingredients; the authentic Italian recipes; the old world charm and hospitality. It's all been repackaged into an upscale, sit-down restaurant - Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. In part 2, we discuss the three legged stool of franchising from our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast.

We are meeting with John Martin, Co-founder & CEO of Daily Juice  Daily Juice serves made-to-order juices and smoothies prepared from fresh vegetables, fruits and superfoods, as well as highly nutritious grab-and-go foods in a quick-service, uniquely cultural environment. Health-conscious consumers who are on-the-go see Daily Juice as a destination for unique drinks and products with an emphasis on health and nutrition. Daily Juice is seeking to become a global brand by providing an accessible source of authentic, nurturing energy to the world one community at a time. In part 2 you will hear our interview on CBS radio.

We are meeting with Jeni Garrett, Founder, President and CEO of The Woodhouse Day Spa. The Woodhouse Day Spa is an upscale chain of day spas offering more than 40 different treatments that encompass skin and body care, hand and foot care, massage therapy, specialty treatments and more. Treatments use organic skin and body care products made from sustainable ingredients that are healthy for both guests and the planet. DAYSPA magazine named The Woodhouse Day Spa the Best Day Spa Chain in America.

We could not think of anyone better to celebrate our 6 year anniversary and 300 show than with Melanie Bergeron, Chair of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK.  It all started as an after-school business for two high school boys.  Now, 20 years later, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. has grown both domestically and internationally.  This is an amazing story as well as franchise.  Find out why by listening to the show.  We are also going to hear clips from our interview with Lonnie Helgerson.  Lonnie is a franchise author, franchise speaker, and serial frantrepreneur.  Lonnie Helgerson.  Lonnie has over 27 years in the franchise industry working with companies such as Super 8 Motels, Ident-A-Kid, and many more.  We also hear a clip with the star of Undercover Boss Catherine Monson.  Catherine Monson is also the CEO of FASTSIGNS.  FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the worldwide franchisor for the more than 530 FASTSIGNS® sign and graphic centers located in the US, Canada, the UK, Brazil, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE®

One day in March 2009, Stephanie King-Myers – the daughter of a French artist who had been painting her entire life – was entertaining a friend who admitted that she was envious of the artistic talents of King-Myers and her husband, Nick, who had attended art school. The couple convinced their friend that she could paint with the right inspiration, too, as they pulled out a blank canvas and a bottle of wine. After helping her friend successfully create her first masterpiece, a business idea was born for King-Myers, who along with her husband, had been laid off from their jobs a couple of weeks earlier. Taking advantage of her entrepreneurial spirit, King-Myers’ idea blossomed into a thriving and exciting mobile business throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods. In 2010, the success and potential of the business caught the attention of franchise executive Nancy Bigley, who has more than 18 years of franchise operations experience with such brands as Baskin-Robbins, Mr. Electric and American Leak Detection. Bigley joined the Bottle & Bottega team as co-owner and CEO in 2011, joining with King-Myers to establish a proven business model for franchise growth. A franchising program was launched in November 2011, with the first franchise sold the following month.   We are meeting with Nancy Bigley, the CEO of Bottle and Bottega

First, we are meeting with Kevin Wilkerson.  Kevin and Laurel Wilkerson own a Marco’s Pizza franchise in Broken Arrow, OK.  Kevin spent 24 years as an Army Infantry Officer and retired in 2005 as a full Colonel.  Laurel served on active duty with the Army as an attorney for over 20 years, retiring in 2008.  He later learned of Marco’s and decided to get involved in entrepreneurship.    Next, we meet with Chris Rolen.  Chris spent eight years on active duty in the Army, including a 2002 deployment to Iraq for Operation Enduring Freedom.  Chris decided to open a Weed Man franchise and received a 25% veteran’s discount.  He opened Weed Man of Loveland in January 2012 and participates in a program called Project Evergreen, a service that reaches out to wounded warriors.  Did you know one in three seniors in the United States is a veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran?  Every day, many of these men and women go without the health care they need simply because of lack of information or assistance.  Recognizing this, Home Helpers, one of the nation’s leading senior care franchises specializing in comprehensive home healthcare services and companionship, has teamed up with Veterans Care Coordination to provide an easier path for veterans and surviving spouses to receive the benefits to which they are entitled and deserve. We are meeting with Emma Dickison, the President of Home Helpers – For over a decade, Home Helpers’ Compassionate Caregivers have been providing one-on-one companion care  and in home care services to seniors, new and expectant mothers, working parents and individuals in need of continuing and recuperative home care.

Get In Shape For Women was founded in 2006 by Brian Cook after 15 years of leadership in personal training and franchise sales. Brian’s intention was to create much more than a women’s gym. He wanted to create a complete fitness program for women, combining such activities as cardio and weight training for women with nutrition information for a healthy diet and accountability through personal trainers. Brian knew from experience that a personal trainer has great value and knew that all members of Get In Shape For Women could get the results they've always wanted with the education and motivation provided by personal training. He developed a unique concept called Small Group Personal Training, where a personal trainer works with up to 4 women. And the most effective program ever for women's fitness, weight-loss and body transformation was created. We are meeting with Lou DeFrancisco.

Over the years, Franchise Interviews has had some amazing quotes and advice from our guests. Today you are going to hear some of the best clips and advice suggested on our weekly radio show that made our Great Quotes in Franchising Podcast. This special two hour show will have over 20 clips from people like the great Michael Gerber, entrepreneurship expert Dr. Scott Shane, some of the top franchise experts and attorneys in the country, and of course us! Sit back and enjoy!