Social Geek

The Franchise Rock Stars are back for the new fall season on Social Geek! Danielle Wright, Ali Kraus, Derrick Ableman, Scott Greenberg, and Kristen Pechacek are here with host Jack Monson We’re talking about The Expert Effect. We’ll cover: Do you still have to earn the title of expert or do you just fake it ‘til you make it? What does “an expert” even mean anymore? How do they find and evaluate an expert when needed? Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Northeast Color, and Pilot.Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.

Franchising is part relationships and part magic! Sherry McNeil joins the podcast for a One-on-One conversation with Social Geek host Jack Monson. As a 2026 Franchise Thought Leadership Award winner and as the President and CEO of The Canadian Franchise Association, Sherry is on the front lines of the Franchising in Canada and across the globe. Today she discusses: *Relationships at all levels of Franchising and what she calls the WOW factor *Stats on World Franchise Day 2026 (and gearing up for 2027) *Strategic plans for CFA over the next year *A tri-party agreement between franchise associations in Canada, the US, and Mexico *Investigating the growing challenge of fraud in Franchising Thanks to today’s sponsors: Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Pilot, and The IFA World Franchise Show with The International Franchise Association.Special Guest: Sherry McNeil.

We’re continuing our series of one-on-one talks with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. Sean Falk, President and COO of Careertopia, is here to share what he sees happening right now in Franchising. We dive deep into: What has happened to the Fran Dev Sales role over the past 2 years How Private Equity’s move into Franchising has affected hiring Talent not “of Franchising” coming into Franchising Being purpose-driven Thanks to today’s sponsors: Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Pilot, and The IFA World Franchise Show with The International Franchise Association. Shout outs: Kim Falk, Gary Gardner, Tom Portesy, Scott Lehrer, Scenthound, Tim Vogel, Jessica Vogel, VetFran, Doug Dwyer, FranFaith, Todd Recknagel, Kristi MaillouxSpecial Guest: Sean Falk.

Recorded Live in New York – host Jack Monson is at The International Franchise Expo 2026 interviewing some of the top executives in Franchising! They will share the latest about their brands, their goals for ’26 & ’27, and the opportunities for franchise owners. In part 3, we’ll chat with: John Hayes of Hayes Worldwide and The Titus Center for Franchising Dave Lamere of Almera Tech Services Robyn Bovino of Rebel XL Kim Coe of Small Town Play Café AJ Titus of Signarama / United Franchise Group Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and more. Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.com. The next Franchise Expo is in DALLAS Sept 18 & 19 from MFV Expositions!

🎧 Recorded Live in New York City – Social Geek host Jack Monson is continuing our series of interviews at The International Franchise Expo 2026 with some of the top executives in Franchising. They are sharing the latest about their brands, their goals for ’26 & ’27, and the opportunities for franchise owners. Today, it’s part 2 featuring: Agnes Mauro One River School of Art + Design Chuck Buttiglieri, Pizzeria Uno Mark Levis, Denny’s Sean Oatney, Planet Fitness Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and more. Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.com. The next Franchise Expo is in DALLAS Sept 18 & 19 from MFV Expositions!

Recorded Live in New York – host Jack Monson is at The International Franchise Expo 2026 interviewing some of the top executives in Franchising! They will share the latest about their brands, their goals for ’26 & ’27, and the opportunities for franchise owners. In part 1, we’ll chat with: Cheri Mullen, GNC Craig Sherwood, The Joint Chiropractic Stephanie Benze, AC Inc Greg Salzano, Philly Pretzel Factory Thanks to our sponsors: Pilot, AnswerConnect, and Thunderly.

Social Geek presents a mini-episode today getting ready for World Franchise Day! Join Sherry McNeil, CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association and the creative mind behind World Franchise Day, along with host Jack Monson. They'll chat about the background for WFD and what franchise pros across the globe can do to celebrate and spread the word about Franchising! Thanks to The Canadian Franchise Association, World Franchise Council, and Thunderly.Special Guest: Sherry McNeil.

AI-generated slop versus Premium content created by talented humans. You know what side I’m on ... where do you land?? But, maybe there’s a third leg of this stool.  We’re talking to John Jantsch,  founder of Duct Tape Marketing.  Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guest: John Jantsch.

Social Geek, the most popular franchise podcast, presents another One-on-One conversation with a 2026 Franchise Thought Leadership Award winner. James Stapleton, Vice President of Franchise Development at Caring Transitions, joins host Jack Monson to discuss: The difference between coaching & helping versus managing & bossing in franchise leadership The changes James has seen in the franchise development in just the few years How working together makes everyone become more successful (and make more money!) Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guest: James Stapleton.

On our kind-of-weekly chat on the franchise restaurant space, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course and Jack Monson of Thunderly are discussing updates like franchisee buyouts, IPOs, and AI blowback. AND we have a preview of Lauren and Jack's workshop at The Franchise Growth and Marketing Conference. Join us at FGMC in Atlanta June 2 - 4. To register for FGMC, please visit: https://www.franchisegrowthmarketingconference.com/ See the video version of So, Here’s The Thing on Lauren’s LinkedIn feed!Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

Rebranding – what brands have done it well? Or maybe not so well? And when should you rebrand? The Franchise Rock Stars are here: Scott Greenberg, Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Kristen Pechacek, and Derrick Ableman. We’ll dive into these elements of rebranding including: Not just changing the logo, but repositioning a brand’s identity The “curse of the new CMO” who wants to rebrand for the sake of rebranding The best timing for rebranding within a franchise system How rebranding a franchise affects not only consumer sales but also fran dev efforts And we look at interesting rebrands of some of some favorite brands in Franchising like Domino’s, Benetrends, Celebree School, Thunderly, Dunkin’, Edible, Burger King, McDonald’s, Northeast Color, Anytime Fitness … plus other types of franchises like the NFL and Marvel Comics! Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.

We’re continuing our series of one-on-one conversations with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners with Dustin Thompson, Director of Franchise Development & Marketing at Jack In The Box Dustin is a marketing expert who thinks like a sales guy. Or maybe he’s a successful salesperson who sees the landscape through the eyes of a marketing pro. Either way, he’s our kind of Franchisor! Dustin is here to share: That he’s a real live franchise pro and not an AI bot! How franchise candidates are more informed about your brand (and other brands) before you even know who they are The future of the hybrid sales + marketing position Pushing a franchise versus executive filtering The importance of website schema Why those 10 blue links on Google aren’t as important for your candidates as answers on AI platforms The value of “Day In The Life” Videos with your franchisees He’s not in the burger business, he’s in the business of being in the burger business! Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guest: Dustin Thompson.

On our kind-of-weekly chat on the franchise restaurant space, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course and Jack Monson of Thunderly are investigating where potential restaurant owners are investigating. We’ll discuss the Franchise Disclosure Document and how it’s evolved into AI-fuel. And, we’ll share our hot tip for making your brand THE answer when candidates are researching brands on AI apps.   Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

We’re continuing our series of one-on-one talks with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. Larisa Walega, CGO of Ziebart International and a member of the IFA Board of Directors, is here to share what she sees happening right now in Franchising. We dive deep into: The rise of the Chief GROWTH Officer Her journey into – and discovery of – Franchising AI & tech for franchise growth Building on customer experiences over services And the continued growth and evolution of the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee, which Larisa grew over the past two years as Chair. Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and our newest partner, Pilot.Special Guest: Larisa Walega.

We’re continuing our series of one-on-one talks with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. Edith Wiseman, President of FranData, is here to share what she sees happening right now in Franchising. Every chat I have with Edith makes me feel smarter! Today we discuss: Definitions of the faster growing franchise brands The value of more sophisticated franchisees The “happening” sectors and how to spot the next new thing Her own goals for sharing meaningful content and staying consistent Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and our newest partner, Pilot.Special Guest: Edith Wiseman.

Today on Social Geek, we’re kicking off a series of conversations with this year’s Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. I can’t think of a better way to start the series than to sit down with Richard Snow. Richard is leading Franchising on many fronts as the Founder & CEO of  Amplify Franchise Financing, Franchisee with Brooklyn Robot Foundry, a member of the IFA Board of Directors, and the Past Chair of the IFA Diversity Institute. Richard and I have a wide-ranging conversation about where franchising is now, and where it’s going. We both like the analogy that Franchising is farming and we’re always planting new seeds in many places. We cover trends in funding and shifting situations with lenders as well as the importance of being intentional and being passionate about building your brand. Catch Richard’s next speaking opportunity at The International Franchise Expo with MFV May 29th & 30th in New York! Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and our newest partner, Pilot.Special Guest: Richard Snow.

Welcome to Social Geek, the most popular franchise podcast! In our latest Marketing & Innovation update for the franchise community, we'll first chat with Steve Buors, CEO of ReShift Media. Steve's team is rolling out a new marketing platform made specifically for Franchising called Franify. Next up, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course is back with another installment of the So, Here's the Thing segment focusing on the Restaurant Franchise space. This week, we've got tips for spring cleaning your marketing plan. Get ready to scrub! Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, AnswerConnect, and Thunderly ⚡ Learn more about Franify at https://reveal.franify.com/Special Guests: Lauren Fernandez and Steve Buors.

Cleanup on aisle 7 of the restaurant and franchising business!  There is a lot of messy stuff in the business right now that needs a good spring cleaning.  Join Lauren Fernandez and Jack Monson for Part 1 of this conversation including: A focus on franchisees and unit level profitability The ratio of company owned units to franchised units Revising labor schedules and models Part 2 coming soon!Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

Welcome to the first in a series of podcasts recorded at IFA 2026 that will be available for you on Social Geek, IFA’s Franchise Voice, The WFC’s Her Success, Franchise Freaks, and The Franchise News Podcast. The Franchise Rock Stars are all together live and in person to share what they’ve seen so far at the event and how it affects their Franchising plans for 2026. Thanks Ali Kraus, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, Danielle Wright, Scott Greenberg. Clint Smith, the Founder & CEO of CareerPlug, joins to discuss trends in hiring and retaining top talent in Franchising as well as highlights from his new book, The Franchise People Playbook. Mitch Cohen is one the busiest guys in Franchising as a multi-unit multi-brand owner with Jersey Mike’s & Sola Salons; Advisor with Leap Brands & FranReal; Board Member with The IFA; and now the Chair of Multi-Unit Franchising Conference 2026. Mitch gives us a preview of MUFC, and we talk just a bit of hockey! Shout outs to Jim Craig, Matt Haller, Len Fischer, Global Franchise, WFC, IFA, FUM Thanks to today’s podcast sponsors AnswerConnect, Citrin Cooperman, and Thunderly.Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Clint Smith, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Mitch Cohen.

Who's going to have a bigger year: Restaurant IPOs or Fractional C-Suite? The "it girl" of 2026 may be the Fractional C-Suite. Join Lauren Fernandez and Jack Monson for a conversation on IPOs and a bit of a debate on if Fractional workers can really be considered your C-Suite. Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

We went all-in on delivery, and now the pendulum is swinging back. When you trade the dining room for grab-and-go, your labor model changes. Your ops change. Your customer changes. Before you know it, you look like a totally different brand. I think a lot of brands are finally realizing they were never just selling food in new channels. They were selling identity. When I work with restaurants, I like to understand: what are you actually building, a distribution machine? Or a brand people choose, in every format, even when they have 40 other options and as many brand loyalty apps? "Newstalgia" is bringing back the way it used to be, but for today's times. It's a flag that maybe we left a little too much behind in this age of the digital restaurant. Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

The Franchise Rock Stars are back on Social Geek to share their tips and advice for navigating the International Franchise Association Convention and all business travel in 2026. On the show today: Derrick Ableman, Ali Kraus, Scott Greenberg, and Kristen Pechacek with host Jack Monson. Our tips include: Explore the newly Evolved schedule Engage the all-new Franchise Main Street Bring changes of shoes Stay at The Luxor … really!! Go to the Starbucks that helps you avoid longer lines Befriend your competitors and rivals Give your booth a breather Connect instead of sell Schedule meetings IN ADVANCE Use the great new IFA App Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and more Thanks to today’s podcast sponsors who will all be joining us in Vegas: AnswerConnect at booth 611 / Citrin Cooperman at booth 834 / CareerPlug at booth 700 / Thunderly at booth 329.  What’s a tip you would like to share from your experiences at IFA Conventions? Please share in the comments! Links: To join us at IFA 2026, please register asap at franchise.org Download the IFA Events App And for more podcasts, visit socialgeekradio.comSpecial Guests: Ali Kraus, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.

So, Here's The Thing ... Lauren Fernandez and Jack Monson are chatting today about all of the things that get assigned the Marketers within a restaurant brand. We're also keeping an eye on the use of Bitcoin as payments by some of our favorite brands including Steak 'n Shake Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

Today we’re announcing the winners of this year’s Franchise Thought Leadership Awards. We’ll name the 10 Franchise Leaders are currently leading all of us in Franchising to more prosperity and growth by sharing their ideas, speaking up, putting out thoughtful content, getting people talking, and inspiring others to do the same. The nominees were submitted by you, the Social Geek listeners, and the ten top vote-getters were chosen by a team of independent judges. Congratulations to all winners and thanks for moving us all forward.

So, Here's The Thing ...  Lauren Fernandez and Jack Monson have been chatting regularly about the changes, acquisitions, and deals in the restaurant space. Now we're sharing those conversations with you. Please join us!Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

Year 17 of the most popular franchise podcast rolls on! This week…we’re live in chilly Fort Lauderdale at Franchise Expo South. The iguanas are freezing, but the franchise opportunities are heating up. We’re talking to fran dev leaders and CEOs of several brands to find out how hot the landscape is for 2026. On today’s show: Justin Denham, Pool Duck Scott SirLouis, FSC Franchise / Beef O’Brady’s / Brass Tap Bob Crawford, Central Bark Mike Ackley, Ascent Hospitality / Perkins / Huddle House Christina Gambino, Jumptwist Ninja Mark Sturman, My Lobby Mart Lindsay Morgan, CM Law Daniel Trigo, UniVista Insurance Stephen Hitt, Industrious Thanks to MFV Expositions, Thunderly, and AnswerConnect

Happy New Year, Geeks! And welcome to Year 17 of Social Geek Podcast and our New Year’s Day Special. We’ve got 26 Franchise Pros sharing their goals for ‘26: Heather McLeod Ricky Richardson Susan Beth Jania Bailey John Hayes Kris Stuart Emily George Paul Segreto Lauren Fernandez Brent Greenwood Edith Wiseman Jerry Akers Robert Mitchell Martha Tomas Flynn Gabby Wong Richie Huffman Jennifer Durham Marci Kleinsasser Emma Dickison Larisa Walega And we’ll wrap up with the Franchise Rock Star Panel: Ali Kraus Danielle Wright Derrick Ableman Kristen Pechacek Scott Greenberg And your host, Jack Monson Thanks to today’s sponsors Citrin Cooperman, AnswerConnect, and Thunderly.

Today on the most popular franchise podcast, we’re wrapping up 2025 with the Franchise Rock Stars. What did we learn this year? What worked? What did NOT work?  Today's Franchise Rock Star Panel: Derrick Ableman, Scott Greenberg, Kristen Pechacek, and Danielle Wright joining host Jack Monson. We’re missing Ali Kraus today --  see you in January! Thanks to all of our sponsors for 2025: Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color, WSI, Hughes, Vendasta, Franzy, Promotex, and Thunderly.Special Guests: Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.

We talk a lot about Multi-Unit Owners and Legacy Brands in franchising. But the life blood for the future of franchising and small business ownership is the Emerging Brand. Today on the most popular franchise podcast, we’re live at the SMB Franchise Summit hearing from new Emerging Franchisors about how they’re growing in 2026! Thanks for joining us: Marc Howland of Breadless Dominique Sandu of D. Sierra Lash Co. Fabienne Van Buchem and Aditya Jain of Beambar Steve Moore of Epoxy Depot Courtney Del Vecchio of Sweatfluence Tamika Franklyn of Precision Franchise And thanks to Steve Beagelman, Dawn Abbamondi and the SMB Franchise Advisors crew for hosting us. Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color,, Hughes, and Thunderly

We're back live at Franchise Expo Austin! In Part Two, host Jack Monson is chatting with more franchise development leaders and CEOs of some the top brands in franchising. We’ll find out about their goals and plans for 2026. Joining today's show: Scott McIntosh, Mr Gatti's Pizza Marcus Fuller, Beef-A-Roo Bruce Granger, NaturaLawn of America Ty Brewster, FranReal Randolph Clarito, 1 Heart Caregiver Services Josh Kerns, Conquest Padel Club Chris Wellbaum, Level Up Leak Detection John Doty, Freshslice Pizza Jack Stewart, SMB Franchise Advisors Rodney Frank, Yonutz And we wrap up the event with Martin Joksimovic, President of MFV Expositions, who gives us a preview of the franchise expos in 2026 in great cities like Fort Lauderdale, New York, Dallas, Cincinnati, and Phoenix.  Thanks to the whole MFV Expositions sales & marketing team for a fantastic year: Linda Thompson, Justin Wood, Frank Fazio, Simone Smith, Rafael Arango. Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color, Hughes, and Thunderly

Today we are live at Franchise Expo Austin! Host Jack Monson is chatting with the franchise development leaders and CEOs of some the top brands in franchising. We’ll find out about their goals and plans for 2026! Joining today's show: Kyla Dufresne, Foxy Box Jack Hall, Cicis Pizza Blaine Young, NaturaLawn of America Kevin Brickner, The Goddard School Rhea Lana, Rhea Lana's Franchise Systems Jenepher Toups, Zoomin Groomin Clay Carson, Twisted Egg Shack Red Boswell, IFPG Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color, Hughes, and Thunderly

It doesn’t matter what you do with AI. There…I said it. Come and get me, snake oil salesman. What DOES matter is what your candidates and customers do with AI and how they’re finding you. It’s the Marketing & Innovation Update for October on the most popular franchise podcast, Social Geek! Patti Rother, Founder and CEO of Root + Rise, is here to help Fran Dev pros feed the Large Language Models with answers for their brands. We’ll cover: Why Reddit is now so important and how you can get started Using Wikipedia as your guide to sharing your facts and data Other places to share your brand’s unified messaging to gain authority How video content is currently feeding answers Why PR and earned media are more critical than ever Shout outs to our all-star team members Jacqui Blair, Islam Tawfik, Willem van Daalen, Madison Leavy, Grace Gorman, and Jason Weaver. Next, I’ll chat with Jeffrey Leach of Vendasta to dive into AI for local franchisee marketing. Jeff shares the results from Vendasta’s new study of 20 franchise brands looking at their franchisees’ local AI marketing services. There are some amazing conversions via web chats, SMS conversations, and booking services. Connect with Jeff to learn more about the survey results. Thanks to Northeast Color, Hughes, and Thunderly ⚡Special Guests: Jeff Leach and Patti Rother.

What do brands really need from their partners and vendors? And how can suppliers best manage those relationships? It’s Episode 1200 of Social Geek! The Franchise Rock Stars are back on the most popular podcast in franchising: Kristen Pechacek, Ali Kraus, Derrick Abelman, and Danielle Wright. We’re diving deep into the three-legged stool of Franchisors, Franchisees, and Suppliers to discuss: *Monthly check-ins versus monthly challenge *Using your suppliers and partners to get stronger and better *Saying NO and making it okay to say no *Are relationships in franchising getting better? Are they getting harder? *What are CEOs of brands really looking for now? *What are the signs of a client quietly quitting? Thanks also to today’s sponsors: Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color, Hughes, and Thunderly.Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, and Kristen Pechacek.

Where are your best new leads coming from? What’s your go-to source for the best candidates who will make the best franchisees? Franchise Development Marketing is the focus on today’s show with some of my favorite franchise brand leaders recorded LIVE at Franchise Expo West in LA. You’ll hear from: Robert Bhagwandat, Checkers & Rally’s Megan Birkey, McDonald’s Mark Treptow, Gong Cha Jimmy Weeks, Internet Strategy Labs Matt Sawicki, Black Sheep Coffee Carlo Verdugo, Juice It Up! Plus, Michael Seid of MSA discusses several hot Franchising topics for this fall and Kim Gusman of CEA / California Employers Association shares why California is still a great place to develop franchises! Thanks to Northeast Color,, Hughes, Citrin Cooperman, and Thunderly.

It’s the Franchise Marketing Fall Preview on Social Geek! Matt Haller, CEO of The International Franchise Association gives a preview of this year’s IFA Advocacy Summit in DC and the association’s view on top issues for small business. Ali Kraus of Benetrends and Bloomin’ Blinds’ Kristopher Stuart discuss the launch of Furry Frans, the franchise community’s exciting new non-profit project. Ford Saeks, keynote speaker and author, shares the topics that his audiences are asking about the most this year. Brent Greenwood of Sport Clips gives us an update on the Multi-Unit side of franchise and the growth he’s seeing for his brand and sector. And Shawn Caric of Smoothie King wraps up the show with a discussion about the 2025 Franchise Leadership & Development Conference. Shawn is this year’s FLDC Chair and gives a sneak peek at this year’s content. And all of today’s guests share their take the hottest Franchise Development and Franchise Marketing trends including: GEO / AEO / SEO impacting franchise lead generation LLM seeding for fran dev A confident outlook on franchise growth for 2025/2026! Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, Northeast Color, Hughes, and Thunderly.Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Brent Greenwood, Ford Saeks, Kris Stuart, Matt Haller, and Shawn Caric.

Recorded live at IFE 2025 in New York with MFV Expositions! It's the final chapter in our 4 part series of conversations with founders, CEOs, and Franchise Development leaders including: Richard Snow of Brooklyn Robot Foundry Rochelle Castiglione of Merry Maids Ben Woodruff of WOOPS! Collin Benyo of The Melting Pot Giles Brake of Alliott Global Alliance Thanks to Northeast Color, Franzy, Hughes, and Furry Frans.

Recorded live at IFE 2025 in New York with MFV Expositions! It's part 3 in our series of conversations with founders, CEOs, and Franchise Development leaders including: Will Richards of Dill Dinkers Pickleball Greg Salzano of Philly Pretzel Factory Jeff Brazier of Kiddie Academy Utkash Yadav of Sigri Indian BBQ Kizito Paganini of Wrap City Thanks to Northeast Color, Franzy, Hughes, and Furry Frans.

Recorded live at IFE 2025 in New York with MFV Expositions! Special thanks to Dawn Abbamondi and the team at SMB Franchise Advisors for introducing me to so many interesting emerging Franchise brands. Today, we’re speaking with: Jon Sieber, Storytime Chess / Chess at Three Mike Chidester, Chiddy’s Cheesesteak Kate Pawlowski, DDH Eddie Fahmy, Doner Haus Diane, Alvin, and Eric Thomas, New Life Assisted Living Bret Suffis, Lil’ Athletes Thanks to Northeast Color, Franzy, Hughes, and Furry Frans. And save the date for the next franchise show on the calendar: Franchise Expo West in LA September 5 & 6. We would love to have you join us and tell your story on a future podcast.

We’re only as bad as today. We’re always getting better tomorrow. -Sam Stanovich   Recorded LIVE at The International Franchise Expo 2025 in New York with MFV Expositions! We kicked off IFE 2025 speaking with one of my favorite franchisors and restauranteurs, Sam Stanovich of Craveworthy Brands. Sam is always up for sharing ideas about new innovations in both the board room and the kitchen at Big Chicken, Taffer’s Tavern, and more. Next we chat with another Craveworthy Brand leader, Justin Egan of Wing It On who is true “wingnut!” We were also thrilled to see the return of McDonald’s to the IFE and had a chance to sit down with Edit Dolce to discuss what makes a great McDonald’s operator and the brand’s openness to innovation. Gabriel Cruz of Honest Art chats about membership models and recurring revenues to help new franchisees become successful early. FranchiseWire’s Editor-In-Chief Jill Abrahamson shares the hottest trends she’s seeing in franchising and what readers are searching for in 2025. And we wrap up part up 1 with Dr John Hayes, who is in his 33rd year of presenting “The A to Zs of Buying a Franchising” at IFE, reflects on some of the changes he’s seen and reveals some BIG changes for his plans for the future at the Titus Center Thanks to Northeast Color, Franzy, Hughes, and Furry Frans.Special Guest: Sam Stanovich.

It’s the Marketing & Innovation Update for July. Generative Search or AI Search is shifting the SEO game from getting from a list of results to a single answer to a question. Steve Buors, CEO and co-founder of ReShift Media is here to answer franchisors’ questions like: Is your website traffic declining already due to AI?  How strong is your brand’s authority? How will all of this change your content marketing strategy? Listen now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and more. Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly ⚡Special Guest: Steve Buors.

The Social Geek Marketing & Innovation series rolls on with video help from a pro. YouTuber Amy Landino of AmyTV is here to help you make better videos. Amy discusses: Long-form versus short-form video How to pull people in at the beginning of your video The importance of hooks and thumbnails And she shares her proven 5-step formula that will make your videos perform better today. Subscribe to AmyTV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmyTV Thanks to Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://hughes.com/franchise https://thunderlymarketing.comSpecial Guest: Amy Landino.

Today: One On One with restaurant expert and entrepreneur Lauren Fernandez of Full Course. Lauren brings us up to speed on all things food & franchising. We'll discuss restaurant trends and hot topics including labor, digitization, robots, menu trends, Nowstalgia, and consumer behavior. Thanks to Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Citrin Cooperman http://vendasta.com/franchise https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://hughes.com/franchise https://www.citrincooperman.com/Industries/FranchisingSpecial Guest: Lauren Fernandez.

It’s the Marketing and Innovation Update for June, 2025. Entrepreneur, Podcaster, and now Franchisee Richard Snow shares an update on the IFA Franchise Ascension Initiative. Next, Sherry McNeil of the Canadian Franchise Association joins the podcast to wish all of you a Happy World Franchise Day! Today’s show is brought to you by Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly ⚡Special Guests: Richard Snow and Sherry McNeil.

Today we’ve got a two-part conversation with Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks. First, Gini returns to Social Geek with an update on the PESO model – the relationship of implementing Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media strategies. She shares stories about: • Challenges in measuring all media but in different ways • The effect of AI on the PESO model and what’s next • Creating good content still matters most for humans, search engines, and AI Then join us over on the Franchise Freaks podcast for part 2 of our conversation! Thanks to Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly ⚡ http://vendasta.com/franchise https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://hughes.com/franchise https://thunderlymarketing.com/Special Guest: Gini Dietrich.

“There are two types of Franchises…” Jon Taffer, restauranteur, entrepreneur, and host of Bar Rescue. Jon Taffer joins the podcast to share stats visits to restaurants, the branding behind Taffer’s Tavern, and why it’s a Tavern, NOT just a bar. Our friends Josh Halpern and Sam Stanovich from Craveworthy Brands also join us for a compelling conversation about how connectivity makes an establish great. Recorded live at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago! Listen now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and more. Thanks to Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly ⚡ Shout outs to Gregg Majewski, Big Chicken, Shaquille O’Neal, IFA, The IFA World Franchise Show, and Franchise Freaks.Special Guests: Jon Taffer, Josh Halpern, and Sam Stanovich.

Welcome to Just Jania, the podcast hosted by Jania Bailey and powered by FranNet. Today Jania welcomes Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, back to the podcast for conversation about opportunity  management, championing innovation, and the relationship between content & connection.

Bad Bosses. We’ve all had them and we don’t wanna be them. Today The Franchise Rock Stars are here to share some horror stories and some advice. Join Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg! For more details on the amazing new certification program Scott mentioned, please visit www.hemsworldwide.com Thanks to Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Citrin Cooperman http://vendasta.com/franchise https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://hughes.com/franchise https://www.citrincooperman.com/FranchisingSpecial Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, and Scott Greenberg.

2015 called and wants its marketing strategy back. It's the Social Geek Marketing & Innovation update for May with outspoken innovative marketer, Maresa Friedman. Maresa joins host Jack Monson for a round of venting about some bad trends in marketing especially for franchise brands including: AI-generated LinkedIn posts LinkedIn “heroes” Marketing personas Sales funnels Vanity metrics Pre-scripted podcasts And … best of all … AI “experts” What else are we missing? What misguided tactics make you roll your eyes and speed past on your feed? Listen now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and more. Thanks to Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly ⚡ https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://vendasta.com/franchise http://hughes.com/franchise https://thunderlymarketing.com/podcasts/Special Guest: Maresa Friedman.

Shelly Sun Berkowitz joins a One On One conversation with Social Geek host Jack Monson. She describes her recent sale of her successful franchise brand BrightStar Care to a Private Equity partner, moving from CEO to Executive Chairwoman of the Board, and remaining involved in the home care industry and franchising. Shelly shares advice for leaders regarding: Turning over “your baby” to new owners Identifying your potential buyers and partners Honoring your own legacy Walking away from a deal when it doesn’t feel right Considering your customers and franchisees And being present for your family and your business Thanks to Franzy , Vendasta, Hughes, and Thunderly. https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://vendasta.com/franchise http://hughes.com/franchise https://thunderlymarketing.com/podcasts/Special Guest: Shelly Sun Berkowitz.

It’s Part 2 of our Social Geek Podcast series recorded live at Franchise Expo Charlotte. In this double-sized episode, we’re talking to franchise development pros, CEOs, and founders about what makes their brand unique and getting their take on the what’s up in franchising for the rest of 2025. You’ll hear from: Raj Bhasin, Autism Center of Excellence Shannon Wilburn and Brian Luciani, SMB Franchise Advisors Blaine Young, NaturaLawn Christian Collucci, Instant Imprints Paul Dorsey, Jantize Richard Prout, Eat Gather Love Brian Glynn, Village Idiot Pizza Gavin Lantzy, Daisy Joe Colucci, Dirty Dogs Spa & Boutique Jamie Brooker, Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream Thanks to our partners at MFV Expositions and Comexposium. We’ll see you next in NYC at IFE 2025! Thanks to Vendasta, Franzy, Hughes, and Thunderly. http://vendasta.com/franchise https://franzy.com/socialgeek http://hughes.com/franchise https://thunderlymarketing.com/