In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Stephanie Schon, MBA, PMP, CSP, President at The Bar Method.

As President of The Bar Method, Stephanie Schon leads operations and growth for the low-impact barre fitness studio chain, with approximately 80 studios in the United States and Canada. The Bar Method was acquired in 2019 by Self-Esteem Brands, which also owns Anytime Fitness, Basecamp Fitness, Waxing the City, and Stronger U. Schon leads the strategy development, builds the capabilities for profitable operations and franchisee support, and grows the brand.

Prior to joining SEB, Schon served as Chief Operations Officer at Erbert & Gerbert’s Sandwich Shop. She turned the company’s sales trajectory around in just one year; she helped lead the company through the first eight months of the pandemic, generating comparative sales and keeping stores open at better rates than the industry average.

Previously, Schon built an incredible franchise operational wheelhouse and deep business strategy experience at Buffalo Wild Wings, Digineer and IBM.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Heather McLeod, MBA, CFE, Chief Growth Officer at Authority Brands. McLeod oversees the key growth drivers for the premier home service franchisor in North America. She is also a franchisee with Woofie's Pet Sitters, Dog Walkers & Mobile Pet Groomers. This special episode offers you sage wisdom from both a franchisor’s and franchisee’s perspective.

Heather McLeod’s focus at Authority Brands is on increasing same-store sales for existing franchisees and expanding the network with new locations across the US and Canada. With a proven track record, McLeod excels as a change agent, revitalizing programs, systems, and processes. She is skilled in building collaborative, high-performing teams and has a strong background in creating scalable marketing systems to support ongoing franchise growth. McLeod holds an MBA in Marketing and a BBA in Entertainment Marketing and Management, and actively contributes to community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore and the Women’s Franchise Network. Her specialties include lead generation, digital marketing strategy, branding, cross-functional team management, and franchisee relationship building.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Alicia Miller, Author of Big Money in Franchising: Scaling Your Enterprise in the Era of Private Equity. The marriage of private equity and franchising may be a mystery to you, but one thing is certain. The influx of Private Equity capital in franchising has accelerated the growth of many franchisors and multi-unit franchisees. Make sure to listen as Miller provides valuable insights into the impact that Private Equity has made on the franchise model.