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.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Dennis Weese, Chairman of the Board of West Point Optical. During their lively conversation they discuss Weese's career journey (which emphasizes the importance of collaborative relationships between franchisors and franchisees), the support and training provided by Pearl Vision, as well as West Point Optical's infrastructure and plans for growth. Weese offers valuable advice that stresses the significance of collaboration and active listening in the journey towards success.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Del Salinas, Director of Franchise Development at the Caring Senior Service. Kathy and Del discuss the unique principles that make up Caring Senior Service and specifically talk about how they use AI to improve their customer service.

Salinas is responsible for expanding the Caring brand into new territories. Salinas was recruited to work with Caring from his previous roles in restaurant and service leadership that spanned over 20 years working with large companies implementing new systems to grow staff and profitability. Salinas stays active with his family of 6 boys with his wife Melissa.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Doug Smith, Senior Vice-President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Doug Smith, Senior Vice-President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group.

During the interview Smith stresses the importance of setting realistic expectations and the dedication needed for success. Smith also shares the evolution of BELFOR to their current 14 home service brands.

Doug Smith became the SVP of Franchise Development for the BELFOR Franchise Group in July of 2019 after BELFOR Franchise Group acquired Harris Research, Inc. (A family of home-service franchise brands that included Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, N-Hance Wood Refinishing and Delta Restoration Services).

Smith joined the Harris Research family back in June of 2015, as the Senior Vice President of Franchise Development. In his role, he managed a team that was directly responsible for all Franchise Development, including the territory expansion of existing franchisees. In his role, he was also responsible for all lead generation, associated marketing and brand awareness. Smith came to HRI most recently from the Affinion Group, where he was Senior Vice President of Business Development in their Financial Services division. Smith is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, (R.I.T.), in their Hospitality Management program. He started his career with Perk Development Corporation, who at the time was the largest franchisee of Perkins Family Restaurants, as well as both Chilis and Bobby Rubinos locations throughout New York and Pennsylvania. He and his wife got tired of the long winters and relocated to Atlanta, GA where he went to work for The Cheesecake Factory Corporation. After successfully managing their highest performing location, he then left to become a District Sales Manager for Edward Don and Company, working closely with several corporate, independent and franchise restaurant operations throughout the Southeast. Smith resides in Brentwood, TN, with his wife Michele, their two children, and their two mischievous dogs. Doug can usually be found coaching on the baseball fields or camping with the Scouts as an assistant Scout Leader.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Randy Shacka, President of Two Men and a Truck. Shacka shares the companies history from a one-location small business, to being a franchisor, to being acquired by an internationally-known company. Shacka specifically discusses Two Men and a Truck’s corporate values which has remained the same through all stages of their development.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Pete First, Chief Development Officer with BrightStar Care. First discusses the business of In-home and Facility Personal Care. Then, First shares how well franchising serves this industry and how offering complimentary brands provide amazing opportunities to franchisees.

First joined BrightStar Care in 2018 as the Vice President of Franchise Development and has served as the Chief Development Officer since 2022. In his current role, he is responsible for recruiting new franchise owners for all three brands under the BrightStar Group Holdings umbrella: BrightStar Care, BrightStar Senior Living®, and BrightStar® Care Homes™ and lead operations for start-up brands, BrightStar Senior Living, and BrightStar Care Homes. Prior to his time at BrightStar Care, he spent 14 years at Winmark Corporation, the franchisor for brands such as Play It Again Sports, Once Upon A Child, Plato’s Closet, Style Encore, and Music Go Round. During his tenure at Winmark, he secured dozens of new franchise agreements annually and helped build the system to over 1,200 locations across North America.