Best Brian Holmes and Erik VanHorn Podcasts (2025)

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100: Our Franchise Story Podcast Journey, with Erik Van Horn and Brian Holmes 49:38

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5y ago49:38

49:38

Stories from Franchisees & Founders To commemorate the 100th episode of The Franchise Story Podcast, Brian and Erik share some of their biggest takeaways and favorite episodes as they take a look back on these amazing past two years. The duo recounts the entire history of the show, from the very earliest days. They also discuss why they think their…

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99: Turning Your Passion into Profit, with SPENGA franchisee Scott Kaspar 28:24

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this week’s episode, Erik is joined by Scott Kaspar, a high-performing SPENGA franchisee based in the Chicago area. SPENGA is an unrivaled fitness experience that incorporates elements of cardio, strength training, and flexibility into every one-hour workout through a combination of spin, HIIT training, and yo…

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98: How to Achieve Sustainable Growth In Your Business, with SPENGA Co-Founder Roger McGreal 31:42

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian and Erik are joined by Roger McGreal, who has served in his role as CEO for SPENGA since March 2015 as well as being a co-founder. As one of the fastest growing brands to keep your eyes on, SPENGA currently has over 307 locations sold and offers a boutique fitness experience that combines s…

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97: From Success to Significance, with Urban Air Franchisee Harold Mills 32:53

5y ago32:53

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian is joined by Harold Mills, a successful Urban Air franchisee. Urban Air is the preeminent indoor adventure park hosting open jump, fitness classes, dodgeball, and parties. Harold just safely and successfully opened one of the largest Urban Air parks in the country this summer, which has bee…

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96: Panel Discussion - Franchising Freedom: 15 Franchisors And Franchising Experts Share Best Thinking And Proven Strategies For Successfully Franchising A Business 37:27

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we are joined by other purpose-driven franchising experts who are Brian’s co-authors of the newly released book Franchising Freedom! In this book, 15 franchisors and franchising experts that share the best thinking and proven strategies for successfully franchising a business. Brian is joined by …

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95: Key Success Factors To Embrace As You Scale Your Business, with Smoothie King Franchisee Andres Barcenas 50:02

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian is joined by Andres Barcenas, a multi-location franchisee of Smoothie King in Austin, Texas. Andres talks about his journey starting out as a manager for a Smoothie King location to becoming a multi-unit franchisee for the brand in a short period of time. He shares with us the first steps y…

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94: Building Through the Uncertainty and Thriving, with Lapels Dry Cleaning President and CEO Kevin Dubois 36:33

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this week’s episode, Brian is joined by Kevin Dubois, the President & CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning. Lapels Dry Cleaning was founded on the premise of convenience and a true 100% environmentally non-toxic way to clean clothes. With nearly 100 locations nationwide, the brand was recently named to Entrepreneur maga…

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93: The Perfect Storm in Franchising to be Successful, with Red’s Savoy Pizza CEO and President Reed Daniels 48:32

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we are joined by Reed Daniels, the CEO and President of Red’s Savoy Pizza. Since 1965, the original Red’s Savoy Pizza has earned a reputation as a landmark restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota. Red’s began licensing in 2006, replicating its mom and pop pizzeria in dozens of Midwest communities. Now,…

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92: From Obstacles to Opportunities, with Tinsley Family Business CEO and President, George Tinsley Sr. 1:06:27

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brain is joined by special guest Dr. George Tinsley Sr. who is a Hall of Famer, an entrepreneur, an author, podcast host, speaker, and a franchisee. Tinsley is CEO of PenGeo, Inc., Tinsley Group, Inc. and Tinsley Family Concessions — collectively Tampa Bay's 3rd largest Black-owned enterprise, an…

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91: Martha Matilda Harper— The Woman Who Launched Modern Retail Franchising, with author Jane Plitt 30:26

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders This week, we take a step back in time to discuss the lifework of Martha Matilda Harper— one of the greatest businesswomen you may not have heard about. In this special episode, Erik is joined by Jane Plitt, the author of the book Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Mod…

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90: Dominating the Snack Industry, with SE-Co-Brand Ventures COO Dustin King 44:30

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Dustin King is a 32-year-old third-generation operator steering his family’s multi-brand snack empire which now includes Auntie Anne’s, Häagen-Dazs, Cinnabon, Planet Smoothie, Jamba, Nestle Toll House Cookies, and Carvel. As the COO of SE Co-Brand Ventures, the company operates just shy of 60 locations and is sti…

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89: Lessons From A Master of Scale, with Club Pilates President Shaun Grove 47:59

5y ago47:59

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this week’s episode, Brain is joined by Shaun Grove, the president of Club Pilates. As the largest Pilates brand in the world, Club Pilates is also one of the world's largest franchised fitness brands with over 600 locations open worldwide. Before becoming the president of Club Pilates back in 2015, Grove was …

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88: Turning Junk Into Gold, with 1-800 GOT JUNK Founder Brian Scudamore 45:48

5y ago45:48

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik Van Horn is joined by Brian Scudamore on a favorite episode from the Franchise Secrets Podcast. Brian is a franchising legend. After realizing that he learned more from working than he did from studying, he dropped out of college to attack his junk removal business full-time. That business b…

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87: Executing on the Fundamentals to Create Real Value, with ProNexis CEO Scott Abbott 44:53

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Scott is a respected entrepreneur from Utah that has led several companies from their growth stage to exit. Most notably, Scott co-founded Five Star Painting, one of America’s largest painting franchise systems, taking it to over 100 locations in four countries. Now, Scott is the CEO of ProNexis, leading that com…

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86: Lessons From A Franchisee Turned CEO, with ShelfGenie CEO Andy Pittman 37:37

5y ago37:37

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Andy Pittman is the CEO of ShelfGenie, the nation’s leading custom shelving and home improvement solutions franchise. Andy doesn’t have your typical franchise story, though. Back in the day, Andy was running his own appliance store with 13 employees in Raleigh, North Carolina, when he found an article about Shelf…

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85: The Importance of Systemizing Your Entire Business, with Koala Insulation CEO Scott Marr 42:50

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian and Erik are joined by Scott Marr. Scott is the founder and CEO of Koala Insulation, an emerging installation franchise serving residential and commercial customers based in Melbourne, Florida. Before Koala Insulation, Scott started and sold another successful franchise, Fleet Clean USA, on…

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84: Coaching Success in Your Business and in Life, with Dudan Partners CEO Jeff Dudan 46:04

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian talks with Jeff Dudan, the CEO of Dudan Partners. Jeff is a franchise executive with 25 years of experience founding, building, operating, and ultimately exiting a national brand. After the successful sale of AdvantaClean, a light environmental service franchise, Jeff founded Dudan Partners…

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83: How One Brand Is Taking Advantage of the Changing Fitness Industry Landscape, with Mayweather Boxing + Fitness CEO James Williams 32:30

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian talks with James Williams, co-founder of the Mayweather Boxing + Fitness concept. James has been serving as the brand’s CEO since their inception in 2017. Previously, James was a co-founder and Principal at Ivy Venture Partners, where he partnered with Floyd Mayweather and Beyoncé to devel…

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82: Choosing the Entrepreneurial Path at a Young Age, with Kilwins Franchisee Ashley Clark 36:00

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian talks with the owner and operator of two Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge, & Ice Cream franchise locations in North and South Carolina, Ashley Clark. Ashley entered the franchising world at a young age, eventually acquiring a second Kilwins location. After graduating from Clemson at 23 years old, …

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81: The Choice to Fight Through Challenges, with Tutor Doctor Franchisee Jon-Anthony Lui 39:33

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we are joined by a top performer franchisee, Jon-Anthony Lui. Jon-Anthony is a 10-year, multi-unit franchisee with Tutor Doctor. Together with Erik and Brian, Jon-Anthony shares his experiences in starting out and growing in the world of franchising where he developed notable life and leadership …

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80: How To Lead In Times Of Uncertainty, with Loyalty Brands CEO John Hewitt 35:24

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we have a special guest who is the Founder and CEO of Loyalty Brands— John Hewitt. Prior to Loyalty Brands, John was also the co-founder of Jackson Hewitt and the Sole Founder of Liberty Tax Service. Given his 50+ years of experience in the industry, John talks with Brian about some key values on…

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79: What It Takes To Be Successful in the World of Fitness, with Retro Fitness CEO Andrew Alfano and CFO Robbie Sprechman 46:32

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In today’s episode, Brian talks with Andrew Alfano, the CEO of Retro Fitness, and Robbie Sprechman, the brand’s CFO. Retro Fitness is a rapidly growing fitness company with over 140 locations in 14 states open or in development. Andrew points out, “I don’t build business, I build people, and people build business…

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78: Focusing on the Core Of What Drives Business, with Firehouse Subs franchisee Ed Cunningham 36:34

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian talks with Ed Cunningham, a Firehouse Subs franchisee in Arizona. Within 5 months of opening, Ed’s location became the #1 ranked location in the entire Firehouse Subs system. How did he do it? Before becoming a Firehouse Subs franchisee, Ed served as a firefighter. Being a public safety pro…

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77: Panel Special- Positioning Yourself for the Next Opportunities, with Jeff Bevis, Henry Kim, and Stephen Vereb 50:16

5+ y ago50:16

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In the second installation of our special panel discussion, we have the privilege of talking with three guys you may have heard from before—Jeff Bevis, Henry Kim, and Stephen Vereb. Today’s panel is made up of high-performing franchise veterans across different industries to share with us what their crisis manage…

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76: Panel Special- How Multi-Unit Franchisees are Pivoting Their Businesses, with JD Busch and Peter Hansen 42:46

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In light of this new reality we are all living in, we thought it would be best to conduct a special panel discussion made up of high-performing franchisees across different industries to share with us what their crisis management has looked like over the past few weeks. The ability to collaborate during this time…

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75: Setting Franchisees Up For Success During a Crisis at Local Handyman Group, with CEO Craig Jooste 37:05

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian and Erik talk with Craig Jooste, the Co-founder and CEO of Local Handyman Group. Craig is an accomplished entrepreneur and senior executive with more than 15 years of success in franchising multiple brands across the United States and Canada. He was previously a part of the leadership team …

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74: How Accelerated Waste Solutions Stays At the Top of Their Industry, with Fred Tomlin and Sherrod Hunter 29:59

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian and Erik talk with Fred Tomlin, the CEO of Accelerated Waste Solutions, and Sherrod Hunter, the President and Co-founder of Accelerated Waste Solutions. They share key moments of growth for their company and how they made sure to keep the business on top within the industry. They also share…

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73: Live From IFA- Building for the Long Haul at Blo Blow Dry Bar, with CEO Vanessa Yakobson 27:03

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Our third installment from the 2020 “Best of IFA” series features Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar. Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America’s original blow dry bar. No cuts, no color: Just wash, blo, and go! Vanessa talks with Brian about her experience launching this category that didn’t previously exist. Sin…

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72: Live From IFA- Making Industry Waves at Goldfish Swim School, with CEO Chris McCuiston 18:27

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Our second installment from the 2020 “Best of IFA” series features Chris McCuiston, CEO and co-founder of Goldfish Swim School Franchising. Just two years out of college, Chris and his wife took a major risk by starting the brand. “We thought we’d open up 4-5 locations out in Michigan, all company owned, and that…

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71: Live From IFA- Building the Legendary Firehouse Subs Culture, with CEO Don Fox 41:33

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Our first installment from the 2020 “Best of IFA” series features Don Fox, CEO of Firehouse Subs. In this live conversation with Brian, Don sheds light on best practices to create the type of brand that can grow and sustain 1,000+ locations. Don joined Firehouse Subs in 2003 as a Director of Franchise Compliance …

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70: The Camp Transformation Center: 10 Years and 100 Locations Later, with Alejandra Font 31:13

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this week’s episode, Brian talks with Alejandra Font, co-founder of The Camp Transformation Center. Over the last decade, the brand has opened over a hundred locations across 13 states and in Mexico. Alejandra talks about The Camp’s journey leading into franchising, key moments of growth for the brand, and har…

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69: Learning, Living, and Growing the Entrepreneurial Mindset, with Jason Wuerfel 43:55

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik talks with Jason Wuerfel, the founder of Books & Brews. Jason grew up too nerdy for the jocks and too jocky for the nerds. It was this experience that lead him to develop the mission for Books & Brews⁠— to create a place for people without a place. Books & Brews is a place for the reader, fo…

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68: What It Takes To Be A Leader Within A Franchise System, with Bobby Williams 30:53

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we have with us Bobby Williams, a franchisee of Christian Brothers Automotive. Bobby is a serial entrepreneur with a corporate background, previously working at a Fortune 500 company. He now owns two Christian Brothers Automotive locations in Texas. Beyond that, Bobby is also involved in helping …

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67: How the Former CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts Bridged the Gap Between Franchisor and Franchisee Interests, with Nigel Travis 51:44

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders This week, Brian talks with Nigel Travis, the executive chairman and former CEO of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins. Prior to Dunkin Brands, Nigel served as President and COO at Blockbuster and President and CEO at Papa John’s. Nigel reflects on the unique, results-oriented discipline he's developed over decades…

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66: Carrying Forward the Legacy of a Family Business, with Shirin Kanji 55:29

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders Shirin Kanji serves as the President of Impact RTO Holdings, a family business based in Florida operating for more than 30 years. He started the retail division back in 2015 with the acquisition of franchised Rent-A-Center locations in eight states across the Southeast. Since then, Shirin has trailblazed his way …

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65: Encouraging A Culture Of Excellence, with Chris Fisher 50:23

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this week’s episode, Brian and Erik are joined by Chris Fisher, the founder and CEO of Shine Window Care and Holiday Lighting. From a gas station squeegee to building a franchise system with locations in 10 states and growing, Chris Fisher has learned many valuable lessons along the way and is committed to lea…

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64: Part-Time Effort = Part-Time Results, with Landon Eckles 45:58

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik and Brian are with Landon Eckles, who is the co-founder of Clean Juice®, a company that has grown to 85 locations open with a goal of reaching 100 locations by February 2020. Clean Juice® started in 2014 as the brainchild of Kat & Landon Eckles. Kat had spent the better part of a decade maki…

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63: Getting Your ROI With The Right Influencers, with Adam Meyer 52:54

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik and Brian are with Adam Meyer. Adam was a professional hockey player, turned entrepreneur, turned franchisee and owner of three F45 locations in Southwest Minneapolis. So how was he able to successfully open his first studio in one of the most fitness-saturated cities in the U.S.? With Erik …

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62: The Growth Mindset: Building a Multi-Unit Empire, with Pushpak Patel 52:27

5+ y ago52:27

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian talks with Pushpak Patel, the CEO of Mitra QSR and one of the largest Yum Brands franchisees in the world. Mitra QSR currently owns and operates 200+ restaurants of KFC and Taco Bell. It wasn’t always easy. Building a multi-unit empire is a matter of taste, opportunity, passion, and comfort…

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61: Establishing A Scalable System From Scratch, with Rune Sovndahl 44:57

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this week’s episode, we welcome Rune Sovndahl, the co-founder and CEO of Fantastic Services- an international brand currently operating in Europe, Australia, and North America. Fantastic Services is the largest home services provider in London, yet it has been self-financed since the onset. How did they do it?…

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60: Building A Brand That Wins The Entire Family, with Matt & Megin Sharp 40:59

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we talk with Matt and Megin Sharp, the Co-founders of KidStrong. This child development program is based on science and taught by professionals. Using a membership-based business model, the curriculum was formed so that children hit physical, brain, and character milestones. To that end, Matt and…

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59: Getting It Right From The Beginning - Building A Strong Foundation, with Ruth Agbaji 47:34

5+ y ago47:34

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik and Brian talk with Ruth Agbaji, the CEO and Nerd-In-Chief of Code Wiz. Ruth has a passion for helping kids connect with their inner genius through an after-school program that coaches kids in coding, robotics, and electronics. The trio talks about Ruth’s incredible journey in building the b…

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58: When Should You Consider Selling Your Franchise - Franchise Secrets 27:23

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik discusses through his other podcast, the Franchise Secrets Podcast, the points for you to consider when selling your franchise. There are good factors you need to identify to guide you in making this decision and things to carefully look into to help you make a wise choice. Tune in to this e…

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57: Proving Success Before Scaling, with Brian Stevens 52:15

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Brian Holmes is with a successful franchisor of Great Clips Salon, Brian Stevens, who now owns 25 locations in the Greater Minneapolis-Duluth market and has been a Franchisor Of The Year as well. Together they talk about what it looks like to build a business and grow it from structure to structu…

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56: “Working On Your Business, Not In It”, with Nick Lopez 44:46

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we’re with Nick Lopez who is the founder of Lime Painting, a new emerging franchise. We are going to hear about Nick scaled his business and how he built an amazing team of leaders in this franchise. Nick was specific on his vision on how he would grow the business and made sure it was built on t…

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55: The Glamour Vs. The Reality Of Entrepreneurship, with Kurt Belding 36:09

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we’re with Kurt Belding of Fit Republic. He is a franchisor and also has a podcast called the BCE Show. He also started the Fit Republic Foods. Brian and Kurt discuss how people generally see entrepreneurship versus how it really works. They share valuable insights on the reality of starting and …

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54: What To Expect From Your Franchise Business Journey 33:25

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, Erik and Brian have a topical conversation about what they expect right after they put in the funds and signed the franchise deal. They are sharing on-point advice from their personal experiences and from different experiences that they have seen in the world of franchising. It is always better t…

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53: The Value Of Intentionally Investing For Your Business’ Future, with Matt Wilber 1:05:08

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we’re with Matt Wilber a millennial entrepreneur that started Fit Body Boot Camp franchises with 7 locations and has a goal of opening in 100 locations. Matt is definitely about the future and the big picture of the business. He values the importance of having a clear vision from the beginning an…

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52: Having A Healthy Balance, with David Schuck 50:34

6y ago50:34

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we’re with David Schuck, a multi-unit and multi-brand franchisee. David has a background in sports and entrepreneurship. He is now working on a larger vision for the franchising world. Being in a growing business, David realized, more and more, the importance of having a healthy balance between b…

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51: Building The Team Culture, with Henry Kim and Stephen Vereb 58:41

6y ago58:41

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Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we’re with Henry Kim and Stephen Vereb who have been Massage Envy franchisees for 12 years. They also own an Amazing Lash Studio franchise and are now starting up a massage school. Henry and Stephen’s partnership is definitely admirable in how they worked through the ups and downs and are still s…

Brian Holmes And Erik VanHorn Podcasts