Franchise Foundations: The Role of Site Selection and Design with Ryan Rao, Chief Development Officer at VIO Med Spa

Ryan shares how the brand scaled from a single Ohio location to 65 franchises across 20 states by prioritizing franchisee selection, site psychology, and a curated in-location experience. He breaks down what it takes to maintain brand consistency at scale and how a membership model creates loyalty that holds even in tough economic conditions.  Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance. On today's episode, we talk with Ryan Rao, Chief Development Officer at VIO Med Spa. With an experienced career, Ryan has helped grow VIO from its founding in 2017 into one of the country's top-ranked med spa franchise concepts, now operating in 20 states and counting. Guest Bio: Ryan Rao is a passionate franchise professional who co-founded Apex Franchise Development Group, a full-service, highly professional business development solution for brands that want to franchise their business or take their current franchise business to the next level. With his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for franchising, Ryan has consulted for multiple franchise-based businesses that grew into national and international brands with a focus on unique and differentiated business models.  Ryan has vast experience in franchise sales, real estate, start-up financing, and the intricacies of growing and developing a brand. He is always looking for new challenges and ways to innovate and improve the franchise industry. TIMESTAMPS: 01:06 - About VIO Med Spa: Brand, services & history 04:56 - Ryan's path into franchising 09:03 - Differentiating in a competitive wellness market 12:40 - Site selection & brand standards across locations 20:52 - VIO’s brand & digital refresh 26:59 - Pre- vs. post-COVID consumer mindset & AI strategy 37:12 - Advice for franchise leaders & what's next for VIO SPONSOR: ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance. Rest easy knowing your locations are: Offering the best possible guest experience Living up to brand standards Operating with minimal downtime ServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers. LINKS: Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn Connect with Sid Shetty on Linkedin Check out the ServiceChannel Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.