Franchise Freaks

Brian Britton is the CEO of Kilwins Chocolates Franchise. Brian joins the podcast to share updates on this tasty franchise brand including: • How and where the future growth is happening for the brand • Multi-unit opportunities • Support when opening stores followed by ongoing support • And a newer concept called Scoops and Sweets by Kilwins For more info on opportunities with Kilwins, please visit kilwinsfranchise.com Franchise Freaks is brought to you by franchise marketing agency Thunderly.Special Guest: Brian Britton.

J.J. Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands, and Monica Feid, Co-Founder and COO of Franchise Marketing Agency Thunderly, discuss the status of in-home care franchises. Jack Monson hosts them live at The International Franchise Association 2026 Convention. They dive into the IFA’s Economic Forecast and J.J.’s brands’ growth including: • The importance of culture, dignity, and comfort • Solving problems versus selling services • The aging of the population and how technology plays into growth • Why franchising is such a great fit for this sector To learn more about opportunities with Best Life Brands, please visit https://bestlifebrands.comSpecial Guests: JJ Sorrenti and Monica Feid.

James Franks of WellBiz Brands and Monica Feid, Co-Founder COO of Franchise Marketing Agency Thunderly, dive into portfolio diversification of many Multi-Unit Multi-Brand owners. Host Jack Monson joins them live at The International Franchise Association 2026 Convention to discuss: • The red-hot health & wellness vertical that is projected to grow 2.1% this year according to the IFA’s forecast • The membership-based offerings that are also of interest to multi-unit owners looking for recurring revenue • How multi-unit owners can best diversify their portfolio within a platform company For more information on WellBiz opportunities, please learn more at https://www.wellbizbrands.com/Special Guests: James Franks and Monica Feid.

Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill, and Monica Feid, CCO of Thunderly, discuss the state of restaurant franchises. Host Jack Monson joins them live at The International Franchise Association 2026 Convention just after the release of IFA’s Economic Forecast which predicts excellent growth for full-service restaurants. Eggs Up Grill is growing ahead of schedule so far this year, and the team discusses: • Retaining and growing great teams • Attracting Multi-Unit Multi-Brand Owners • Becoming the best-in-class Franchise systemSpecial Guests: Monica Feid and Ricky Richardson.

This is the latest in our series of conversations recorded at The IFA 2026 Convention in Las Vegas with host Jack Monson and the top franchise thought leaders discussing how an Amplified Integrated Marketing plan is accelerating their franchise system's growth. Craig Sherwood, SVP of Development at The Joint Chiropractic, joins Thunderly's Monica Feid to share his system's growth plans in a landscape that includes: A health and wellness category that will grow over 2% this year according the IFA Lots of white space for clinics in the northeast and other areas An Innovative new mobile app to help both consumers and franchisees For more information on The Joint's opportunties, please visit https://thejointfranchise.comSpecial Guests: Craig Sherwood and Monica Feid.

We begin a series of conversations about Amplified Integrated Marketing programs with Mark Jameson, Chief Development Officer at Propelled Brands and August Johnson, VP of Brand Management at Thunderly. Join us for a discussion on the latest franchise development new and growth strategies from one of Franchising's top thought leaders recorded live at The International Franchise Association's 2026 Convention.Special Guests: August Johnson and Mark Jameson.

Amplified Integreated Marketing starts with cohesive, unified design work for you brand. On a new season of Franchise Freaks, CEO Scott White and Creative Director Dan Wiley of the premier Franchise marketing agency Thunderly share their tips for stepping up your brand's design work. They join host *Jack Monson * to discuss: Brand recognition being more critical that ever Using all of your brand assets to help tell your story Creating stories that connect emotionally with people And, what AI-Generated design work can't do For more on Amplified Integrated Marketing for Franchise brands, visit thunderlymarketing.comSpecial Guests: Dan Wiley and Scott White.

Brent Greenwood is the Vice President of Franchise Development at Sport Clips Haircuts. He joins host Jack Monson for a conversation about fran dev trends for rest of this year and into next year. Brent shares his outlook on franchise growth for the whole industry, how the landscape looks for small business ownership, and how his brand is standing out in a competitive field. Connect with Brent at and his team at https://sportclipsfranchise.com/Special Guest: Brent Greenwood.

Welcome to The Franchise Freaks Podcast, presented by Thunderly. This podcast is for – and by – people who are freaky for franchising. Today’s guest is Craig Sherwood, Senior Vice President, Development at The Joint Chiropractic. Craig shares: • The Joint’s unique position in the franchise space • Recurring revenue models and flexible schedules • The franchisees’ passion for helping people, reducing pain, and elevating life. • Growth plans in the very near future, including number 1000! Thanks to the International Franchise Association for hosting us and this live recording at IFA World Franchise ShowSpecial Guest: Craig Sherwood.

Gini Dietrich joins the podcast with an update on the PESO model – the relationship of implementing Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media strategies. • Breaking down the silos between these essential media types • Pairing 2 elements of PESO to get rolling • The future of the model Join us over on the Social Geek podcast for part 1 of our conversation available now.Special Guest: Gini Dietrich.

Felicia Reeves, CMO of Empower Brands, joins to the podcast to discuss Personal Branding. We’re chatting about personal branding not only for executives, but also for franchisees. Many small business owners are finding success and new customers by becoming local micro-influencers and subject matter experts. Felicia also shares advice on how to enable, equip, and empower franchisees to market effectively in their region. Special Guest: Felicia Reeves.

We caught up with Ken Kanzaki at Franchise Expo Charlotte where Charleys Cheesesteaks was exhibiting and speaking with many aspiring entrepreneurs about opportunities in Franchising. We’re chatting about franchise trends, menu trends, and of course, wings! Ken also shares his take on what makes a successful franchisee. Special Guest: Ken Kanzaki.

Welcome to The Franchise Freaks Podcast, presented by Thunderly. This podcast is for - and by – people who are freaky for franchising. Today we’re chatting with Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill, live from Vegas at The Multi-Unit Franchising Conference. Ricky shares his thoughts on The explosion in Multi-Unit Franchise ownership especially in restaurants Why Multi-Unit operations are more far efficient and what makes a successful owner The appeal of the daytime daypart for owners Improvements in US supply chain efficiencies and the lower cost of America's favorite food: eggs!

JJ Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands, joins the podcast to discuss the rise of platform companies and Multi-Unit, Multi-Brand Owners. JJ shares his vision on the sectors that are seeing the most growth in the near future, the forecast for Franchising for the next 5 years, and other elements that will have an impact on franchising including the economy to government regulations. Thanks to the International Franchisee Association for hosting us at IFA 2025!Special Guest: JJ Sorrenti.

Anne Huntington Sharma, President of Huntington Learning Centers discusses the positive outlook for franchising growth and for small business owners. Anne shares her thoughts on: • What will make the biggest impact on franchising this year • The future of education enterprises and how technology and AI will make a difference • What most people don’t yet understand about franchisingSpecial Guest: Anne Huntington Sharma.

Mark Jameson, Chief Development Officer of Propelled Brands joins the podcast love from The IFA Convention! Mark the discusses the strategies between the growth of the various brands that are part of the Propelled platform – including some upcoming rebranding for some of Mark’s brands coming up at this year’s MUFC! We also discuss: • The difference between Consumer-focused franchise brands and B2B brands • Growth plans for all franchises and forecast on the economy in 2025 and 2026 • And, what’s something about franchising that Mark wishes everyone understood?Special Guest: Mark Jameson.

Rocco Fiorentino is the CEO of Benetrends Financial, member of the International Franchise Association Board of Directors, and a leading voice in Franchising and Entrepreneurship. Podcast host Jack Monson caught up with Rocco at this year’s IFA Convention to get his perspective on the current vibe and future outlook for Franchising. Rocco discusses a bright, bold future with the next generation of leaders in Franchising. Visit us at https://thunderlymarketing.com Special Guest: Rocco Fiorentino.

It’s The Franchise Freaks Podcast with your host Jack Monson and today’s guests, Brad Stevenson, Brian Woods, and Brian Weiters of Neighborly. We’re chatting live at IFA 2025 about the future of Franchise Development and small business ownership. Visit us at https://thunderlymarketing.comSpecial Guests: Brad Stevenson, Brian Wieters, and Brian Woods.

It’s The Franchise Freaks podcast with Jack Monson. This is Part 2 of our conversation with Scott White and Monica Feid, Co-founders of Thunderly, recorded live at IFE 2025. Also joining us today: the next generation of leaders from the agency, team supervisors Ellie Robertson and Jason Weaver. Ellie and Jason share their ideas on: How Marketing, PR, and Communication integration works How to balance brand awareness and lead generation The future of Franchising Marketing Visit us at https://thunderlymarketing.comSpecial Guests: Ellie Robertson, Jason Weaver, Monica Feid, and Scott White.

Welcome to Season Two of Franchise Freaks, the podcast from the franchise marketing agency now called Thunderly! Host Jack Monson is live at The International Franchise Association 2025 Convention with the co-founders of Thunderly (formerly known as BizCom and Brand J), Scott White and Monica Feid. Scott and Monica share: Their vision on where Franchising is going. Why relaunch a brand or agency in 2025? Why “Thunderly”? Visit us at https://thunderlymarketing.comSpecial Guests: Monica Feid and Scott White.

Why do we see many marketing messages that are generic and don’t make emotional connections? Scott White of BizCom Associates and Dan Wiley of Brand J share ideas on finding the best stories from Franchisees and Franchisors. These stories are the best way to share a brand’s or leader’s passion and change lives!Special Guests: Dan Wiley and Scott White.

BizCom Associate’s Loren Thum and Sylvia Shtraym discuss Media Pitching for growing a Franchise brand. They’re sharing: • Advice on enhancing brand awareness & credibility, specifically in the franchise space • Best practices for pitching CEOs and brand leaders as well telling stories of local small business owners • Some examples of some recent compelling and fun stories Special Guests: Loren Thum and Sylvia Shtraym.

BizCom Associates’ Lauren Moore and Emily Seabaugh share strategies and tactics for using Influencer Marketing. We’ll discuss: • How influencers can bring visibility and credibility to a brand • Micro versus Macro Influencers • What’s next in this space – has it peaked or is there more growth coming?Special Guests: Emily Seabaugh and Lauren Moore.

Monica Feid and August Johnson of BizCom share stories and their expertise on Crisis Communications with host Jack Monson. We’ll explore: Why is a franchise brand’s crisis potentially more explosive than other brands’? How does a communications team jump into action when news is about to break? What should all brands have in place to plan for a potential crisis? And why “no comment” is a poor response in any situation! Special Guests: August Johnson and Monica Feid.

Joining the podcast today from the BizCom X Brand J team: Monica Feid, Lauren Moore, and Andrea de Leon with host Jack Monson. They’re sharing best practices and tips from their work with the most prominent franchise executives in Thought Leadership and Personal Branding. What are the types of thought leadership content that are most compelling? Where are the best places and channels to share and engage? And … why do today’s leaders need some extra expert help in crafting their messages and implementing a communications campaign?Special Guests: Lauren Moore and Monica Feid.

Today: Fran Dev Website Tips and Best Practices with Jason Weaver, Angela Moore, Sophia Giordano-Scott, Andrea de Leon! Our team of Franchise Freaks from Brand J have an authentic conversation about what’s working – and what’s not – in creating an informative yet friendly & engaging Fran Dev website. We’re review functional items like forms, CTAs, FDDs, and more. And … do we really like territory maps anymore? Plus: How often should the storytelling content like videos and articles be refreshed? How often should the website be completely redone? How has ADA compliance affected fran dev websites recently?Special Guests: Angela Moore, Jason Weaver, and Sophia Giordano-Scott.

Brand J Lead Generation experts Alex Gilleland, Alyssa Alvarez, and Jason Weaver answer a series questions about Social Media advertising for Franchise Development including: • Is Facebook advertising dead? How is it working for franchise development leads? • What types and formats are working best to get engagement? And what’s different with Meta this year from last year? • How can franchisors approach the special category issues on Meta? How can they mix specific targeting with AI’s copy-driven targeting? • And, are franchise brands gravitating more to LinkedIn for fran dev? Special Guests: Alyssa Alvarez and Jason Weaver.

Dan Wiley, Director of Video at Brand J is today's featured Franchise Freak! Dan is the most highly sought-after filmmaker in the franchise space and has produced hundreds of brands' franchise development films and videos. Today he's discussing the most popular types of videos for franchise development such as The Brand Story and Day in the Life Videos. Dan also shares his MUST HAVE signature shots that will improve your brand’s videos. Special Guest: Dan Wiley.

Jason Weaver, Senior Account Manager at **Brand J **shares what’s working best right now for generating franchise leads (you might be surprised!). Are Google Ads and the website still the backbone of lead generation? How are form-fills working versus driving website traffic? Jason also shares tips on a diverse approach with Facebook campaigns, formats, and types of content. We also discuss: • Different calls to action and tactics for emerging brands versus well-recognized established brands • Creating consistent messages between paid lead gen and other content • The importance of feedback from the fran dev salespeople • Recommended ad spends to get consistent results on Meta and Google Ads Jason also shares his views on budgets for this year and the biggest changes he’s seen in lead gen in the past few years. Special Guest: Jason Weaver.

Sophia Giordano-Scott is the Senior Editor at Brand J and is responsible for dozens of franchise brands’ monthly content and online storytelling. Sophia discusses The Art versus The Science of web content specifically for websites that are designed for franchise development and shares tips on writing compelling, attractive, impactful stories for franchisors. We’ll share the best ways to prepare before the writing starts including: • Researching keywords and competitors • Discovering how, and for what, candidates are searching • Interviewing the brand team, franchisees, and other stakeholders • Finding the purpose and reason for each piece of content We also touch on how AI has changed the role and workload for all content creators and the difference between using AI to help your writing process rather than having AI write content for you. Special Guest: Sophia Giordano-Scott.

What makes a great personal brand for a franchise industry executive? How can brand leaders share the right stories and be found by new potential franchisees? Andrea de Leon joins Jack Monson to share tips on growing your own personal brand using short-form videos. Andrea is Brand J's project manager and is overseeing the personal branding and videos on social media for more than one dozen CEOs, CMOs, and Franchise Developement executives. In less than one year, Andrea's videos have become the hottest vehicle in the industry to tell stories so potential business owners will get to know, like, and trust the people and the brand.