Franchise Euphoria

Lou DeFrancisco is the President of StretchLab, a boutique wellness franchise that offers one-on-one assisted stretching and group stretch sessions. He has been in the fitness industry for more than 15 years in various sales, marketing, operations & senior leadership roles. Prior to StretchLab, he was President of a boutique fitness franchise that he helped grow to over 100 locations nationwide.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Lou DeFrancisco, the President of StretchLab. [1:59] Josh welcomes Lou to Franchise Euphoria. [2:12] Lou gives an overview of the StretchLab concept, which offers one-on-one assisted stretching sessions. [3:38] StretchLab was started in Los Angeles in 2015. [4:40] In November 2017, Xponential Fitness purchased the rights to StretchLab becoming their parent coming. Xponential Fitness owns a variety of other boutique fitness brands that are considered sister companies to StretchLab. [7:24] While other fitness brands have reached out to have StretchLab come into their facility to be a business within a business, they’ve decided they want to remain their own separate concept for the time being. [16;01] StretchLab currently has about 70 franchisees which covers roughly 180 territories. [17:30] Lou describes the ideal StretchLab franchisee as someone who is passionate, wants to follow a proven system, and is a leader. [29:07] By the end of this year, StretchLab expects to open between 90 and 100 locations across the country. [30:11] If you want to learn more about StretchLab, you can visit www.stretchlab.com. [30:59] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.linkedin.com/in/loudefrancisco www.stretchlab.com

Peter Hans started his career as a commercial banker based in Boston. He traveled around New England and studied at night for his MBA at Babson College. When he received his degree, he moved to Zurich, Switzerland, and became an investment banker. He lived there for six years and later London for six more. During that time, he was fortunate enough to travel to most every major European capital and also to Australia, Asia, and South America. Shortly before leaving London, he married his wife and they moved back to the States to start a family. The lure of purchasing a company that merges travel maps and franchise ownership was two-fold for Peter: throughout his travels, he was always looking for a resource that provided quick and easy-to-find information about all of the businesses and services a place has to offer. Discovery Map International is exactly that resource. The second part of the equation is that he truly enjoys owning his own business, nurturing it, and watching it succeed, grow, and profit. It stands to reason that he not only owns the company as the franchisor, but also has jumped into the exciting shoes of franchise ownership himself.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Peter Hans of Discovery Map franchise. [2:29] Josh welcomes Peter to Franchise Euphoria. [3:01] Peter tells the audience about his travels which ultimately led him to his industry. [4:59] Discovery Map is essentially a business for caricature-drawn maps for specific communities used for advertisement purposes within a territory. [11:12] The Discovery Map system typically involves one map per territory but from time to time multiple franchisees will own multiple territories. [13:48] The maps involved with Discovery Map are not necessarily drawn to scale but rather to draw attention to specific commerce. [18:35] Discovery Map relies on relationships with different vendors to mediate the printing of the maps, and the franchisees are responsible for the actual printing of the individual maps. [19:51] The ideal Discovery Map franchisee is ideally someone with sales experience, but it is not a requirement. They must be good at engaging with people and look forward to building new relationships. [25:10] If you want to learn more about Discovery Map as a franchise, you can visit www.DiscoverMapFranchise.com. [26:00] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.DiscoveryMap.com www.DiscoveryMapFranchise.com www.instagram.com/Discovery_Map www.facebook.com/DiscoveryMap

Amy Reed is Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Woofie's, LLC, Woofie's Mobile Pet Spa, LLC and Woofie's Pet Ventures, LLC, all based in Ashburn, Va. Woofie’s is a new franchise that is the first to offer the combined services of personalized pet sitting, dog walking and mobile pet spa. Prior to Woofie's, Amy Reed had over 10 years of experience in Marketing, Sales, and Sales Training with a successful track record in high-tech start-up companies and large carrier organizations.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Amy Reed, the co-founder and co-owner of the Woofies franchise. [2:27] Josh welcomes Amy to Franchise Euphoria. [2:59] Amy tells the story of how she got into this unique industry fifteen years ago. [5:16] Amy remembers that initially people couldn’t believe that she was leaving her six-figure salary job to “go walk dogs” but she explains that people just didn’t understand the need for this type of service like they do now since it was such an unsaturated market. [8:03] To kickstart their business, Amy and her partner started with really traditional marketing – putting an ad her local media and going door to door to pitch their business. [11:16] Amy reflects on the degree of trust that is necessary for hiring personnel for your business. She admits it was hard to release control in the beginning, but she realized it was a necessity to see the growth they wanted. [12:35] While Amy tells us she always had franchising in the back of her mind as an option for the business, they recognized the benefit of fine tuning their business before they took that step. [16:05] Reflecting over the last fifteen years, Amy details the changes in the industry that have come about due to developments in technologies and demand. [20:37] For Amy, the ideal Woofies franchisee is first and foremost somebody who loves animals. Beyond that, you need to have a business foundation, be able to multi-task, and know how to build a great team. [22:37] Woofies owner-operators will need to purchase a mobile grooming van, and while it isn’t required to have a local office, it is recommended. [25:05] If you want to learn more about the Woofies franchise, visit www.ownawoofies.com. [25:35] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.woofies.com www.woofies.com/franchise www.facebook.com/woofies www.ownawoofies.com

Kevin Hsu, CMO and co-founder of Pokéworks, is an innovative leader with years of sales and marketing experience. Kevin oversees the marketing activities and social media innovation of Pokeworks. In 2016, Pokéworks introduced the sushi burrito to the world through a viral video, establishing the brand as pioneers in the industry and sparking a social media phenomenon with Hsu heading up the brand’s digital presence.  Prior to Pokeworks, Kevin served as VP of Sales and Marketing for technology firms for over 10+ years.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Kevin Hsu, the CMO and co-founder of Pokeworks. [2:22] Josh welcomes Kevin to Franchise Euphoria. [3:01] Kevin takes a moment to explain the concept of Pokeworks, which is a fast-casual restaurant that serves Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. [5:21] Kevin describes the buildout of a Pokeworks location which consists of roughly 1000-1500 square feet. [6:12] Pokeworks began in 2015 out of what Kevin calls a sanitary garage to test out their product. [13:13] While franchising wasn’t in their initial plan, people started reaching out about potentially opening a location in their market as the concept spread. [15:55] When Pokeworks first started, the originators felt that having nine co-founders would help diversify their markets having them located in various places across the country. [18:57] Although Pokeworks has experienced quick growth, Kevin explains that most of the co-founders are still involved in the day-to-day processes to help meet the demand for their expansion. [20:37] The ideal Pokeworks is someone who has demonstrated past business success but is also someone who is passionate about their future. [24:27] If you want to learn more about Pokeworks, you can visit their website at www.Pokeworks.com. [24:58] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.pokeworks.com/franchise www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1529355410702264

Jordan Gross is a Northwestern and Kellogg School of Management graduate, a two-time startup founder, a TEDx speaker, and a #1 best-selling author. His upcoming book, The Journey to Cloud Nine, provides a new approach to the personal development world by using fictional storytelling to reveal some of life's most meaningful principles. Jordan has been asking hundreds of people around the world how they live their lives on cloud nine, and he cannot wait to share this with all of you!   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Jordan Gross, author and TEDx speaker. [2:02] Josh welcomes Jordan to Franchise Euphoria. [2:52] Jordan gives an overview of why he left his corporate job and how he got to where he is today. [6:46] Jordan explains that while he has a vision for his future, it’s more about the way you reach for your goal than actually achieving it. [9:45] Instead of focusing on the actual goal itself, Jordan encourages you pay attention to the micro goals you set along the way and enjoy the journey of becoming the person you want to be. [11:47] Jordan’s Cloud 9 process is about discovering meaning and your core mission which encapsulates a few key steps. [14:57] While Jordan started working exclusively with small business owners, he has expanded to a broader field of individuals who desire coaching. [15:55] Jordan’s coaching program typically lasts for about three months, but this is flexible and caters specifically to the individual. [16:50] To ensure he delivers a quality product and devotes the proper attention to each of his clients, he limits himself to only taking on one to three clients at a time. [18:37] Jordan’s upcoming book is titled The Journey to Cloud Nine, and the concept is a fictional story that shares the concepts he wants people to apply to their lives. [20:54] Jordan’s key objective in life is to make people think, which is embodied in a quote he shares from Ed Mylett. [22:26] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.journeytocloudnine.com/interviews www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-gross-8271905b

Business partners James Jakobsen and Peter Roberts founded ManageMowed more than 20 years ago in Edmonds, Washington. The high school friends started as landscapers, working on residential and commercial projects. After the 2008 recession, residential work plummeted, and James and Peter evolved ManageMowed into a commercial landscape management business that subcontracts work to owner-operator crews. The model is attractive as commercial work is less impacted by economy shifts. After they began focusing on commercial landscaping, Peter and James realized the subcontracting model was able to swiftly take the headache out of landscaping for building managers. The brand has several marquee clients, including Public Storage, Safeway and Jack in the Box. There are currently three corporate ManageMowed locations in Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; and, Portland, Oregon.  Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guests, James Jakobsen and Peter Roberts, the co-founders of ManagedMowed. [2:58] Josh welcomes James and Peter to Franchise Euphoria. [3:21] James and Peter discuss how their concept evolved from a traditional landscape company to what it is today. [5:52] Franchising wasn’t the initial plan for ManageMowed but they began exploring it when they decided they wanted to scale up their business model. [8:20] James and Peter address how they made their transition from a young company that accepted every client that was presented to them to a niche business that was more focused on a specific client. [11:22] One challenge James and Peter had to overcome was the sales aspect of their business. While they felt comfortable with running and managing their concept, driving new business was a struggle for them. But once they pushed past this challenge, they started seeing the results they wanted. [13:38] James and Peter made the decision to expand with just their commercial clients which was propelled by the economy in 2008. [18:27] Since the ManageMowed clients tend to not see their landscape team, they focus their relationships more on their account managers rather than their landscape subcontractors. [20:37] The ideal ManagedMowed franchisee is someone with quality sales and management experience that can drive business. [22:18] If you’d like to learn more about ManagedMowed, you can visit their website below. [23:37] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.ManageMowedFranchising.com  

Shirin Kanji is responsible for overseeing all of Impact Properties investment related activities and directly oversees the newly formed retail division which includes 75 Rent a Center franchised locations and 2 CARSTAR franchised locations. Mr. Kanji holds a B.S. in Finance and Political Science from NYU Stern School of Business and an M.S. in Real Estate Finance & Development from NYU Real Estate Institute. Mr. Kanji is a member of YPO Florida chapter, part of the NYU Alumni Advisory Board for the West Coast of Florida chapter and the NYU Alumni Mentor Network. Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Shirin Kanji, who is responsible for overseeing all of Impact Properties’ investment-related activities. [2:05] Josh welcomes Shirin to Franchise Euphoria. [2:27] Shirin tells the Impact Properties story, which begins when his father immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. [5:20] In the mid- to late-80s, Shirin’s family signed onto a hotel franchise development deal. [7:01] Shirin worked in finance on Wall Street for a few years after college before deciding to join the family business with Impact Properties. [10:50] As Impact Properties moved into the restaurant industry, they found that they could pair their hotels and restaurants to provide a premium product. [14:16] Shirin explains the importance of crafting a concept that is scalable and looking at replication into other markets to maximize your success. [17:29] Shirin agrees with Josh’s notion that there isn’t an exact science to signing on with a franchise opportunity and the most important thing is to find a semblance of comfort with the right opportunity. [18:47] Recently, Shirin has been involved with the development of a variety of brands including Rent-A-Center and BurgerFi. [21:28] Some factors that Shirin looks for in a quality franchise system include the level of support you’ll receive and making sure existing franchisees are satisfied with the system. [26:25] If you want to learn more about Impact Properties, you can visit the website listed below. [27:07] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com http://www.impact-properties.com @ShirinKanji www.linkedin.com/in/shirinkanji

Rich with franchising, real estate, marketing and technology experience, Jason Anderson leads the Venture X brand. Jason oversees all aspects of the growth and development of this dynamic business after serving in other leadership roles at United Franchise Group including President of Accurate Franchising and Chief Technology Officer. Jason also has strong real estate management skills which he honed as the founder of Premier Property Marketing Group in Dallas. It was in that capacity that he was recognized by Forbes Magazine in their coveted “30 Under 30” list which chronicles the brashest entrepreneurs across North America.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Jason Anderson, the president of Venture X. [2:20] Josh welcomes Jason to Franchise Euphoria. [2:41] Jason leads the audience through his experience with franchising and what led him to Venture X. [4:27] Before joining up with United Franchise Group, Jason went through the process of franchising his own real estate business. [9:47] Jason explains how United Franchise Group is involved with the Venture X brand. [11:27] Venture X is a high-end, shared workplace franchise. [12:57] To Jason’s knowledge, Venture X is the only opportunity in coworking that isn’t split ownership (i.e. all franchises, no corporate). [18:01] Some of the differentiators between Venture X and it’s competitors include high-grade furniture, larger work spaces, and soundproof barriers between other offices. [20:10] Venture X is targeting a variety of different spaces and locations to provide better access to more potential tenants. [21:43] Jason shares that what a lot of their franchisees like that they provide for the coworking industry is their readily available data that is documented through third-party resources. [23:52] Currently, Venture X has 21 locations open and about 84 sold to be open. These numbers encompass 26 countries across the globe, but they are still looking to expand in the US as well. [28:05] Jason would encourage any potential franchisors to ask themselves why it is they think franchising their business is the answer. [35:15] If you want to learn more about Venture X, you can visit their website listed below. [35:32] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com How to Franchise Your Business by Jason Anderson www.venturexfranchise.com

Scott has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Walk-On’s Enterprises Operations, LLC since December 2010. During his tenure, Scott has led the organization in systemization of all brands, successful partner buyout and the investment and buy in of Drew Brees in May 2015. Prior to joining Walk-On’s Enterprises, Scott served as Chief Operating Officer for Family Sports Concepts, franchisor for Beef O Brady’s Sports Pubs and The Brass Tap, from 2002 to 2011. During his tenure, the company grew from 60 franchise locations in 4 states to 276 locations across 23 states. Scott is a graduate of the University of Florida and resides in Baton Rouge, LA with his wife and 2 children.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Scott Taylor, president and COO of Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar. [2:28] Josh welcomes Scott to Franchise Euphoria. [3:13] Scott gives a brief overview of his prior experience in franchising before joining forces with Walk-On’s. [5:17] Scott touches on some of the pros and cons of what it was like to sell a business out to private equity. [7:45] The Walk-On’s story begins with Brandon Landry and Jack Warner who were two “walk-ons” on the LSU basketball team. During their time as teammates, they came up with their business concept. [12:28] In the beginning, the Walk-On founders recognized the need for improvements and they would even keep a handful of gift cards in their pockets at all times to make up for the errors they made. [16:17] Before joining Walk-On’s officially, Scott worked as a consultant for six months to test drive the opportunity. [19:28] Drew Brees, who considers himself a walk-on, was a frequent Walk-On’s customer, and decided  to join the Walk-On’s family as a 25% owner in 2015. [25:24] According to Scott, what sets Walk-On’s apart from similar models is their crossroads between quality food and great environment. [26:41] Scott can see Walk-On’s growing nationally and potentially internationally within the next five years. [27:27] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com www.walk-ons.com www.walk-ons.com/franchising

Inger Ellen Nicolaisen is a self-made entrepreneur from humble beginnings. Raised in a small Norwegian town by an alcoholic father, she became a mother at the age of 15. The responsibility of having a child pushed her to develop her business skills. In 1984 she founded Nikita Hair, with her first hair salon in Norway. Nikita has now grown to become one of the leading hair and beauty companies in Europe with 150 salons and over 1000 employees.   Key Takeaways: [0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more! [0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Inger Ellen Nicholaisen, the founder and CEO of Nikita Hair Salons. [2:21] Josh welcomes Inger to Franchise Euphoria. [2:44] Inger starts off the episode by telling the story of her upbringing and how she got into the hair business. [5:38] Inger reflects on a quote by Henry Ford that has helped her through some of the challenges she faced early on in life. [6:31] When Inger opened her first hair salon, they were so popular that she set a goal for herself to open five salons which she accomplished after seven years. [7:39] Once Inger achieved her goal of five salons, she made a new goal to get to 50. Now, Nikita Hair has grown to 150 salons. [8:38] Inger feels that one of the reasons Nikita Hair has been so successful is due to her ability to listen to both the employees and the clients to implement the changes they want. This has led her to establish her official seven steps to success. [9:52] The goal of Nikita Hair is to make the client twice as nice and twice as confident. [10:48] Inger poses that oftentimes people don’t care about what you know until they know how much you care. [15:13] Inger’s family is very involved in the Nikita business, specifically eight of her children and also her ex-husband. [16:58] Nikita Hair is just starting their franchising endeavors in the United States with several locations coming soon in Florida, Ohio, and possibly Texas. [18:25] Some of the advantages to being a Nikita franchisee include low startup costs, reasonable royalty fees, and revenue on the Eleni and Chris product line through online sales. [21:20] If you want to learn more about Nikita Hair, you can visit their website or any of their social media accounts which are listed below. [21:51] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.   Mentioned in This Episode: josh@franchiseeuphoria.com www.franchiseeuphoria.com www.indyfranchiselaw.com nikitahair.com eleniandchris.com www.whatsupinger.com www.instagram.com/nikitahair www.instagram.com/nikitahairusa