DESCRIPTION:

John Hewitt, an industry veteran with 5,200 franchisees under his belt, discusses his career in franchising. Hewitt founded several companies, including Jackson Hewitt, one of the world's top retail chain franchises with over 10,000 tax offices. He has also founded other franchise companies and currently runs Loyalty Brands, a platform brand with multiple sub-brands. Hewitt has sold companies twice to public entities for seven figures.

Hewitt shares that he always knew he would become a millionaire, but discovered that the journey is more fulfilling than the destination. He enjoys changing lives and plans to continue in the industry indefinitely.

Hewitt's most recent venture, Loyalty Brands, was born out of a conversation with a former employee who suggested he help other franchises grow. Despite being under a non-compete clause from his previous company, Liberty Tax, Hewitt decided to embark on a course to have multiple franchise brands.

Unlike other franchisors who focus on a single industry, Hewitt looks for franchises with integrity, replicability, and stickiness. He believes that many franchisors fail because they prioritize their own success over that of their franchisees. Hewitt's philosophy is that happy, successful franchisees lead to unstoppable growth.

Hewitt's key to franchising is building the best system in the industry and having franchisees who follow that system. Despite having brought in 5,200 franchisees, he shares that not all of them have followed the system.

- With John Hewitt.

TIMESTAMPS:

● 0:00 My guest today is industry legend, John Hewitt.

● 0:47 We've been in franchising about the same number of years, but John is an icon with 5,200 plus and counting franchisees in your career.

● 1:20 John founded several companies, including Jackson Hewitt.

● 1:51 Why such a story?

● 2:23 The journey is the joy.

● 3:15 Loyalty brands, a platform brand.

● 4:10 You have sold twice to public companies for seven figures.

● 5:00 Why not just a tax? Why multiple brands?

● 5:50 The beginning of loyalty brands.

● 7:08 The search for integrity, replicability, and stickiness in franchises.

● 8:00 The challenges of franchising and reaching 100 locations.

● 9:00 The secret to franchising: happy, successful franchisees.

● 10:10 The failure of many franchisors.

● 11:15 The importance of building the best system in the industry.

● 12:20 Personality profiling in franchisees.

● 13:30 Attitude and culture as keys to success.

● 14:20 Identifying bad franchisees.

● 15:30 Blaming others versus taking responsibility.

LINKS:

WEBSITE: http://franchisehotseats.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnhayes/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drjohnhayes

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Howtobuyafranchise

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayesjph/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnphayesfranchise

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/DrJohnHayes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franchisehotseatpodcast

DESCRIPTION:

The Franchise Hot Seat episode features Nick Gartner, a franchisee and franchise development professional for Hudson Valley Swim. Gartner shares that he was involved with Hudson Valley Swim before it became a franchise, focusing on operations at corporate locations. He transitioned into franchise development when the company decided to franchise. Gartner and his brother opened their own Hudson Valley Swim location in Stamford, Connecticut after about a year of being franchisees.

Hudson Valley Swim is a swim school that caters to all ages and abilities, teaching survival skills, basic swimming, and competitive swimming. Gartner was attracted to the franchise because its mission and core values aligned with his own. He emphasizes the importance of core values in a franchise, citing exceptional customer service as one of Hudson Valley Swim's key values.

Before becoming a franchisee, Gartner worked in franchise development right out of college. He also had experience working at Hudson Valley Swim's corporate locations during summers in college and high school. He did not play a part in the decision to franchise the business, but he has contributed to its growth through franchise development.

Gartner discusses the challenges of becoming a franchisee, highlighting the support provided by the franchisor as a major advantage. He also notes that he always wanted to own a business and chose franchising because it offered a blueprint and ongoing support.

As a member of Generation Z, Gartner shares that 80% of his peers want to own businesses and make a positive impact on their communities. He believes that owning a business allows one to control their schedule and success. Gartner also emphasizes the importance of giving back to the community, stating that his work with Hudson Valley Swim saves lives by teaching an essential skill.

Gartner explains that there are many options for Gen Z individuals to afford a business right out of college, including Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. He was able to secure funding for his business without much difficulty. Gartner concludes by reiterating the importance of community involvement and the benefits it offers.

- With Nick Gartner

TIMESTAMPS (Use ChatGPT on Transcript):

● 00:00: Introduction to the Franchise Hot Seat podcast.

● 00:21: Introduction of Nick Gartner as the guest.

● 00:55: Nick's background and involvement with Hudson Valley Swim.

● 02:45: Nick's decision to open his own franchise location.

● 04:11: Overview of Hudson Valley Swim and Nick's attraction to the franchise.

● 05:47: Importance of core values in franchising.

● 07:40: Nick's understanding of Hudson Valley Swim's core values.

● 09:21: Nick's role before becoming a franchisee.

● 10:37: Decision-making process behind franchising the business.

● 12:41: Challenges faced in becoming a franchisee.

● 14:56: Gen Z's perspective on business ownership and community impact.

● 17:30: Importance of giving back to the community.

● 19:23: Funding options for young entrepreneurs.

● 21:07: Importance of community involvement for Gen Z.

● 23:05: Discussion on stereotypes about Gen Z.

LINKS:

WEBSITE: http://franchisehotseats.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnhayes/

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DESCRIPTION:

Ron Holt, founder of Two Maids & a Mop, shares his experiences with Fred DeLuca, the billionaire franchisee of Subway. DeLuca, known for his curiosity and larger-than-life personality, built the world's largest franchise company from scratch. Holt first met DeLuca at an IFA conference in Las Vegas. At the time, Holt's company was a small cleaning business in Florida with 12 locations. Despite having all the necessary systems and processes in place, they hit a wall and didn't know how to proceed. It was suggested that they should consider franchising, despite Holt's lack of knowledge in the area and the negative things he had heard about it from other franchise owners.

During a break at the conference, DeLuca sat across from Holt and began asking him questions about his business. Holt, initially annoyed, began to engage in the conversation, boasting about his 12 stores. When Holt asked DeLuca about his own business, he was humbled to learn that DeLuca owned Subway with 42,000 global locations. The two continued their conversation for hours, with DeLuca offering invaluable advice about franchising.

After the conference, they continued their discussions via Skype. DeLuca offered to buy Two Maids & a Mop multiple times over the next year, but Holt declined as the offers were not financially appealing. Despite this, Holt appreciated DeLuca's mentorship and the lessons he learned from him. One piece of advice that DeLuca gave Holt was not to always listen to franchise owners, as their suggestions may make their lives easier but could come at a cost to the business. Holt shared this advice at a Two Maids conference, which was met with backlash from the franchisees. Despite the controversy, Holt acknowledges the value of DeLuca's advice and the impact it had on his business.

-With Ron Holt.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction and background on meeting Fred DeLuca

01:05 - Initial impressions of Fred DeLuca and his interest in the speaker's business 02:15 - Transition into discussing the speaker's background and entry into franchising 03:10 - Decision to explore franchising and attending an IFA conference

04:20 - Meeting Fred DeLuca at the conference and initial interactions

05:30 - Fred DeLuca's involvement and mentorship over the following weeks

06:45 - Offer to buy the business and considerations

07:40 - Fred DeLuca's mentoring style and lessons shared

09:00 - Fred DeLuca's resistance to technological changes and lessons learned

10:20 - Advice from Fred DeLuca regarding franchisee feedback and profitability

11:30 - Reaction to sharing Fred DeLuca's advice with franchisees

13:00 - Conclusion and reflection on Fred DeLuca's teachings

LINKS:

WEBSITE: http://franchisehotseats.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnhayes/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drjohnhayes

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Howtobuyafranchise

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayesjph/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnphayesfranchise

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/DrJohnHayes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franchisehotseatpodcast