EP17: How to Build the Modern Franchisor Without “One Size Fits All”

“Modern franchising isn’t about more support—it’s about smarter, scalable support.”Jenna Henderson has spent nearly two decades inside franchise systems, operating across field ops, brand services, development, growth, and tech. After almost 15 years at Saladworks, she stepped into SaaS as COO at WorkMerk (helping build the ServSafe Ops platform), then returned to franchising leadership as Group Chief Operating Officer for NewSpring Franchise. Today, she oversees operations, marketing, and supply chain across Great Harvest Bakery Cafe, Duck Donuts, and Federal Donuts & Chicken.In this episode, Jenna joins Rachael Nemeth (Opus CEO) to break down what the modern franchisor must look like: agile, cross-functional, and intentional about franchisee support. She explains why “one size fits all” fails, how segmenting single-unit vs multi-unit operators changes outcomes, and why operations must help approve franchisees—because ops lives with what happens after the check clears.Jenna also shares the structural fix that instantly improves alignment between development and ops: an onboarding specialist connecting signing through opening day. She unpacks where franchisors still operate too manually, how tech and AI only matter when insights become action, and what private equity brings when done right: discipline, a clear North Star, and shared infrastructure.Key Takeaways→ Smarter Support Scales: Modern franchising isn’t about more touchpoints—it’s about systems that scale support intelligently.→ One Size Fits None: Franchisee support must be segmented by operator type and brand maturity.→ Ops Belongs Upstream: Operations should help approve franchisees, not just manage post-sale fallout.→ Onboarding Drives Alignment: A dedicated onboarding specialist linking signing → opening improves execution.→ Tech Must Be Actionable: AI only matters when insights drive real behavior change at the unit level.→ Discipline Beats Sprawl: Clear ROI, a North Star, and shared infrastructure outperform tool overload.Perfect ForFranchisors building scalable support models, operators navigating growth, PE-backed leadership teams, and brand executives reducing tech sprawl.About Jenna HendersonGroup Chief Operating Officer at NewSpring Franchise, overseeing operations, marketing, and supply chain across Great Harvest Bakery Cafe, Duck Donuts, and Federal Donuts & Chicken.Time Stamp Chapters00:00 Intro + Jenna’s role02:06 The modern franchisor06:16 Development vs operations09:26 The onboarding specialist11:10 Tech debt, AI, and action16:32 PE-backed discipline21:34 Lessons from Saladworks33:13 Lightning roundAbout UsOpus is the leading training operations platform for multi-unit brands with frontline workforces, helping operators deliver consistent, engaging training that delivers measurable results. Trusted in thousands of locations across restaurants, retail, fitness, healthcare and consumer services, Opus customers include Smashburger, Craveworthy Brands, Let’s Play Soccer, Shipley Do-Nuts, Sound Fun Entertainment, Big Chicken, York Building Services, Gordon Ramsay Group, Jose Andres Group and more. Learn more at www.opus.soHave an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!