“It’s a beautiful form of entrepreneurship to be a franchisee, because you have so much stability and support but you still are the maven of your own market.”

Debra Strougo worked for the New York City mayor’s office in brand development for “the greatest brand in the world.” But over time her unquenchable passion for fitness beckoned and in 2017 with her husband she launched Row House — now with more than 300 North American locations. Today she’s an investor and advisor — a “founder co-pilot” — for numerous fitness-related brands, helping them as they scale through franchising and manage decision fatigue, and address franchisor/franchisee issues.

In this lively conversation with Ab and Vini, Debra discusses:

• Why the best ‘zees are the ones who “get on the bus.”
• Her holistic approach for potential ‘zees to make sure franchising is the right move for them.
• Franchisor enforcement options, and why ‘zees need to know them by heart.
• Her seismic shift in business model mindset: from expecting to scale Row House to embracing the franchisor model.
• The ways that fitness franchises are in fact communities.
• Why ‘zees need to map out doomsday scenarios while they plan for runaway success.
• Her mid-career realization that franchising IS entrepreneurship.

“If a franchisee invents a practice that is serving them really well, we want them to let us know so we can package it up and share it in the system.”

The beauty market is one of the hottest in franchising, and with more than 100 locations in the US and Canada, Blo Blow Dry Bar is one of the hottest beauty franchises. CEO and partner Vanessa Yakobson joins Ab & Vini to share her journey, her leadership lessons, and her insights on how ‘zees and ‘zors alike can achieve more.

Listen in as Vanessa explains:

• How her 12 years with a children’s cancer charity translated directly to effective leadership at Blo.
• How the customer membership model drove Blo’s pandemic comeback – and how it’s now helping new ‘zees launch strong.
• Her secret to arriving at the best decisions for everyone.
• Why “Be true to yourself” should be the motto of every wanna-zee.
• Her balancing act between continuously evolving her system and focusing on execution.
• How Blo is expanding into new beauty brands – and their ‘zees are saying “take us with you!”

“When you’re protecting an emerging brand, you’re protecting the stakes of all the people who’d invested in the brand.”

From taking care of her own back pain to taking care of the owners of more than 100 Massage Heights locations, Shane (a member of the IFA board of directors) has priceless insights on building an emerging brand BIG while still keeping it all about the people -- ‘zees and customers alike.

During her conversation with Ab and Vini, Shane discusses:

• Why franchisee/franchisor communication happens at its best in a “loop.”
• Applying the “Grandma Rule” to define Massage Heights’ values and shape its culture.
• Some very specific questions for potential ‘zees to ask.
• And her contrarian POV on the “franchisees ARE entrepreneurs” theme that’s been a thread running through our first season.

“Let’s not be copycats. Create a new demand for new products. Don’t be afraid. Go for it. And if you fail, just get up and do it again.”

Our most in-depth look at international franchising yet! Based in Honduras, Justin and Monica have made their mark not only by importing multiple North American and European franchise brands to Central America, but also by expanding their footprints to Eastern Europe and North Africa. Most recently, Gong cha Bubble Tea awarded them the master franchise rights for Central America – they plan to open 50 stores across Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador over the next 10 years.

Justin and Monica joined Ab and Vini to pass along their decades of wisdom gained from both successes and failures. Learn about the special (and numerous) challenges of introducing a franchise brand to a market where it’s not well known. Why open communication with other ‘zees “on the ground” in your market may matter more than open communication with your ‘zor. The power of patience. The universal need to hire values-aligned people. And why they lose sleep over supply chain.

“There are a lot of things people misunderstand about franchising. People tend to think that if they buy a franchise, their success is going to be guaranteed.”

It took Mark Kushinsky a year and a half as a department store manager to realize he didn’t want to be an employee. He started his own residential cleaning business, then "ran into” franchising and founded MaidPro, which he grew to more than 400 units. Today he’s on the board of Threshold Brands, a 7-brand platform of vastly diverse service-oriented businesses he founded in 2020.

Mark visited with Ab and Vini in studio and shared his insights on the differences between “entrepreneur entrepreneurs” and “franchise entrepreneurs.” Why daily execution of the core business matters more than “the next big thing” -- and why culture and connection matter even more. Why managing two brands is 10X harder than managing one. How private equity is changing the franchisee experience. And what prospective ‘zees MUST do before signing on the dotted line.

“The better and more diverse backgrounds of the people in your system, the better your brand’s going to be.”

A must-listen for current ‘zees, ‘zees of tomorrow, and anyone else contemplating a startup business venture. As the guy with the final say on who gets a FYZICAL Therapy & Balance franchise, Scott Wendrych is an undisputed authority on what makes a successful franchisee. (Spoiler: It’s not necessarily the same for established and emerging brands.)

Scott joins Ab and Vini to share why FYZICAL attracts franchisee interest, and how it chooses the best of them. The most underrated (yet most important) aspect of being a successful franchisee. Where “maverick” ‘zees have a place in franchise models, and where they’re better off blazing their own entrepreneurial trails. The probing questions he asks prospective ‘zees that no one else asks. And the thing that franchisors do WORST.

“The franchisee/franchisee relationships are critical for the success of our system.

Annie Tselikis said, “You’re crazy” when her brother Jim and cousin Sabin Lomac hatched the idea of a food truck in Los Angeles serving Maine lobster rolls. But when they tapped into her deep fisheries expertise to shape their business model, Cousins Maine Lobster was under way! Today Cousins delivers an inimitable, mouthwatering Maine lobster roll experience to customers from more than 70 mobile and stand-alone locations.

Annie (now Director of Marketing and Business Development for Slade Gorton seafood products), visited with Ab and Vini and shared her views on why successful scaling requires going all-in on franchisee onboarding. Why effective brand building “starts where the people are.” The “family approach” that keeps the Cousins brand healthy and on the grow. How she applies her global travels and experience in anthropology studies to business operations. And how FUN can be a corporate goal.

Listen to the archive episode with stars Jim Tselkis and Sabin Lomac.

“If you just come in as a franchisee and expect to be employed by the franchisor, and just wait for the franchisor to give you direction, that’s a sure way to fail.”

Five years as a franchisee for 4 US retail brands taught Ramzi Daklouche a lesson that informs his work today at Edible: It’s always all about the local markets. We’re thrilled to welcome Ramzi to the podcast, especially as Edible is rolling out an exciting 2024 brand refresh.

Listen in as Ramzi explains to Ab and Vini the fine line between innovating within a system as a ‘zee and trying to reinvent it. How “the journey of the chicken sandwich” reveals the sustainability of franchise brands (or lack thereof). The danger when ‘zees get in the weeds with location operations. His top-line guidance for entering international markets. His 4 nuggets of wisdom for wannabe ‘zees. And why tapping the brakes should be part of any expansion plan.