Claim OwnershipHow I Franchised This
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How I Franchised This dives into the real stories of franchise owners who left the 9-to-5 to build something on their terms. Hosted by Franzy co-founder Alex Smereczniak, each episode explores the highs, lows, and lessons of franchise ownership, from first-time buyers to seasoned multi-unit operators. Whether you’re researching your first franchise or scaling your portfolio, Franzy’s here to guide you through the journey.
36 Episodes
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What happens when you decide to join a family business that is an institution in the industry?
In this episode, we sit down with Zack Fishman, Chief Growth Officer at Fishman PR and Franchise Elevator. Zack didn’t just join the industry; he was practically born into it, drawing pictures of his parents’ franchise business as early as kindergarten.
Zack opens up about the "nepo baby" label, the pressure to prove his own worth, and how he modernized a legacy agency during the height of the pandemic. We dive deep into the current state of franchising, exploring why trends like frozen yogurt and cookies are cyclical, and why "operator-led" brands like Jersey Mike’s often outperform sales-led concepts.
Zack also offers a candid critique of the industry's sales incentives—drawing a fascinating parallel to the 2008 housing crisis (The Big Short)—and reveals the two recession-resistant industries he is most bullish on right now.
In this episode, we cover:
Navigating family business dynamics and establishing your own identity.
The cyclical nature of franchise trends (fashion vs. franchising).
Why the "Operator" mindset beats the "Sales" mindset in emerging brands.
A critical look at franchise sales incentives and regulation.
The rise of "Pet Hospitality" and the staying power of Children’s Services.
Ellen Latham was fired at the peak of her career as a single mother. Instead of giving up, she went home, opened a Pilates studio in her spare bedroom, and started listening to her clients. That listening turned into the "Ultimate Workout," which eventually became Orangetheory Fitness.
In this episode, Ellen sits down to share the raw and remarkable origin story of one of the world's most successful fitness franchises. She breaks down the science behind the "Orange Zone," how she found the "perfect storm" of business partners, and the specific mindset shift—taught by her father—that saved her career.
If you are a founder, a franchisee, or just obsessed with fitness business stories, this is a masterclass on resilience and scaling with purpose.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The "Momentum Shifting" Theory: The psychological tool Ellen used to bounce back from failure.
The Science of the Zone: Why the workout is designed for metabolic change, not just burning calories.
The Tony Robbins Insight: Why Ellen’s partnership team was the "Perfect Storm" (Artist, Manager, Entrepreneur).
Scaling Pains: Why they completely stopped selling franchises early on to fix their quality control.
The Future of OTF: Ellen reveals the new focus on strength and longevity.
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Do you want to know what it really takes to scale a franchise from a single location to an 87-million-dollar empire?
I’m your host, Alex Smereczniak, and today I’m sitting down with Jon Toy, a former CPA turned turned franchise operator who used strategic mergers to 10X his business. Jon is what we call a MUMBO - a multi-brand operator—overseeing a massive portfolio including FastSigns and Rolling Suds. Today we are going to walk through how Jon scaled his operation from $2 million in annual revenue just 7 years ago, to over $80 million in revenue in 2024 alone.
Today we’re breaking down the truth about partnerships, how being "young and dumb" can actually be a superpower, and the roadmap to building a hundred-million-dollar portfolio.
So excited for this one. Let's get into it
Eric Martin shares his journey from working sales jobs to becoming a franchise owner in the golf simulator industry. In this episode, he breaks down how he searched for business opportunities, why franchising made sense for him, and how working with Franzy helped him find and evaluate the right business. He also shares how he convinced his dad to invest and what it was really like signing a franchise agreement.
If you’re thinking about business ownership, franchising, or leaving your 9–5, this episode offers a real, honest look at the process.
Check out Franzy at franzy.com
Peter Kourounis has seen franchising from almost every angle: business owner, franchisor, franchise development leader, and now founder of Patch It Up Drywall Repair and Chief Growth Officer at Elevate Franchise Brands.
In this episode, Peter walks through his unlikely start in the sign and graphics world, the lessons he learned franchising his first business (including what went wrong with partnerships), and how a bold move, showing up in person to apply for a job, led him into the 1-800-Plumber plus Air ecosystem and eventually the creation of Patch It Up.
We unpack how Patch It Up was built using proven home service fundamentals, why Peter obsessed over making onboarding simpler (including a startup bundle approach), and what he believes separates franchisees who win from franchisees who stall. Peter also shares his “3 year runway” framework for home services, why semi-absentee ownership is usually a trap, and how Elevate is investing in automation and follow up to help franchisees capture more of the leads they already pay for.
If you are exploring business ownership and want a real, no fluff take on what it actually takes to succeed in franchising, this one is for you.
In this episode, Aaron Harper, founder of Rolling Suds, shares his journey from Hollywood and telecom sales into franchising, explains why power washing became the ideal service-category to scale, and breaks down how he raised capital, structured deals, and grew the brand rapidly.
Listeners will hear practical criteria for choosing a franchise category, the realities of franchising costs and infrastructure, and traits of successful franchisees—plus lessons on content, hiring, and building national accounts.
What should you actually look for in a Franchise Disclosure Document before you wire a franchise fee and sign a 10 year agreement?
In this episode of How I Franchise This, Alex sits down with Adam Wasch, founding partner of The Franchise Firm, to break down how franchise attorneys help buyers reduce risk, negotiate smarter, and avoid the most common “I wish I knew this before I signed” mistakes.
Adam walks through how he reviews an FDD like a home inspector, why he checks Item 20 first (and what it signals about negotiation leverage), the sections buyers consistently underweight (and overweight), and why “it has an FDD” does not automatically mean it is a proven system. They also dig into industries where legal review gets more complex due to extra regulation, how incentives in franchising can get misaligned, and what “responsible franchising” should actually look like.
If you are buying your first franchise or evaluating emerging brands, this is a practical roadmap for doing diligence with your eyes wide open.
Most people think franchising means restaurants and retail. But Buddies Home Furnishings is proving there’s massive opportunity well beyond food — especially in the fast-growing rent-to-own category.
In this episode of How I Franchise This, Alex sits down with Mitchell Lee, Head of Franchise Development at Buddies, to break down how the brand built one of the highest multi-unit ownership rates in franchising — with over 85% of franchisees operating multiple stores.
They dive into:
How the rent-to-own model works (recurring revenue, high AUVs, and 24-hour delivery)
Why this category is truly recession-resistant and how it flexes with economic cycles
What top operators do from day one that separates them from the bottom quartile
Buddies’ approach to territories, conversions, and sustainable system growth
How Mitchell evaluates candidates — and the traits shared by great operators
If you’re exploring franchises beyond food or want to understand what makes a scalable, multi-unit model actually work, this conversation delivers a rare look from the brand’s side of the table.
At 26 years old, Katie Gillberg left a toxic job in medical sales, took a massive risk, and opened the first Hydrate IV Bar in Denver. Ten years later, she’s the founder and CEO of one of the fastest-growing IV therapy franchises in the country — with 25 locations open, 25 more on the way, and a plan to hit 100 units.
In this episode, Katie shares how she built Hydrate IV Bar from a grassroots wellness concept into a scalable franchise system, why franchising wasn’t the plan early on, and what finally convinced her to make the leap. She opens up about partner breakups, surviving COVID, the real cost of launching a franchise brand, and why her top franchisees outperform even her corporate stores.
If you're thinking about buying or building a franchise — especially in wellness — this episode is a masterclass in founder transparency and real-world scaling.
In this episode, Alex sits down with Matt Jeffries, a former supply chain leader who spent more than a decade running large teams across Target, Nordstrom, and other major corporations before making the leap into business ownership. Originally from Ecuador and now based in Chicago, Matt shares the full story of how he went from climbing the corporate ladder to becoming a first time franchisee with 1 800 STRIPER.
Matt gives an honest look at what the transition really feels like. The excitement of starting something new. The fear of giving up a stable path. The challenge of wearing every hat. The moments where the business feels like it is taking off. The moments where you question everything. He also breaks down how he chose his brand, what surprised him most in the first few months, the importance of following the franchise playbook, and why sales ends up on the owner’s shoulders more than most people expect.
If you are exploring franchising or already in the early stages of ownership, Matt’s candor and perspective will give you a realistic and encouraging look at what this journey actually looks like.
Caleb Clayton has lived just about every role you can have in franchising — from working the counter at a Pelican’s Snoballs to becoming a franchisee at 25, to helping scale the brand from 10 units to more than 200 locations nationwide. He’s led franchise development across multiple national systems, trained new owners, worked with area developers, and seen firsthand what separates great operators and great franchisors from the rest.
Now he’s bringing that experience to Franzy.
In this episode, Caleb shares why he believes the franchise industry is overdue for real innovation, what buyers still get wrong about the discovery process, and why he joined Franzy to help build a more transparent, data-driven, and democratized path to business ownership.
We get into:
• Caleb’s unexpected entry into franchising and how it shaped his career
• The biggest misconceptions first-time buyers have when researching brands
• What top franchise operators consistently do differently
• Why home services and senior care are becoming the most resilient categories
• The gaps in today’s franchise discovery process — and how Franzy is fixing them
• Why he’s excited about building tools that level the playing field for everyday buyers
If you want a real, on-the-ground look at franchising from someone who’s been an operator, a developer, and now an advisor at Franzy, this episode is packed with insight.
Alex sits down with operator and investor Brian Beers to unpack how he scaled a family Midas business to 35 locations and roughly 50 million in annual revenue. Brian walks through buying vs building, the seller financed deal that changed everything, and his simple ladder from I do it to we do it to they do it. You will hear how local economies of scale create real leverage, why saying yes more often lifts revenue, and the one hire that freed him to build beyond automotive. We also cover the categories he likes for the next decade, what he treats with caution, and his best advice for anyone in the first year of ownership.
Rapid fire: favorite brand Wingstop, go to resources The Science of Scaling and 10X Is Easier Than 2X, one word for franchising is scale.
Connect with Brian on YouTube, LinkedIn, and X by searching “Brian Beers.”
Learn more about Franzy and get coaching to start your franchise search at franzy.com
Former Green Bay Packer Terrence Murphy joins Alex Smereczniak for a candid, high speed tour of his journey from the NFL to building a portfolio that spans real estate, construction, and franchising. Terrence explains why he doubled down on real estate after an early injury, how he grew a brokerage to 1.5B in sales, and why franchising became a core pillar alongside development and acquisitions. He breaks down his operator playbook as a multi unit, multi brand owner with Crumbl and F45, plus how he partners on the real estate side with brands like Starbucks and Buffalo Wild Wings.
You will hear Terrence’s checklist for choosing brands, the simple metric discipline he uses to evaluate deals, and his most valuable lesson for first time franchisees. He shares how EOS and a one page roadmap keep 100 plus ventures aligned, why competence creates confidence, and why immersion and reps beat hacks and shortcuts. The conversation closes with practical advice on spouse alignment, risk, and getting off the bench, along with an open call for Texas operators and sellers who want a serious buyer at the table.
Lean more about franchising at Franzy.com
Connect with Terrence Murphy here
Scaling from one location to many takes more than ambition — it takes smart financing. In this highlights episode, we dig into how successful operators structure funding for multi-unit franchise growth.
First, Crumbl franchisees Taylor Byington and Shideleler Bennett share how they raised friends-and-family money, the mistakes that left them cash-strapped, and the smarter financing structure they’d use if they could start over. Then, Kal Gullapalli — a multi-brand operator with over 100 units — breaks down how larger deals are financed, from equity splits and debt terms to lender relationships and fund structures.
If you’re planning to grow beyond a single unit, this episode shows how top franchisees finance the leap.
🎧 From How I Franchised This — powered by Franzy.
Sherman Walters grew up sleeping in an ice cream cone box at his family’s Dairy Queen—literally. What started as his father’s handwritten napkin deal in the 1970s turned into a 50-year family business that spanned generations.
In this episode, Sherman shares how his family built and eventually sold their Dairy Queen locations, the lessons he learned stepping away from the counter to become a restaurant broker, and why every franchisee—no matter their size—should start with an exit strategy.
We dive into:
The surprising origin story of one of Charlotte’s oldest Dairy Queen locations
How to emotionally detach from your business (and why it matters for valuation)
The realities of selling a franchise and structuring your lease right
Why franchising isn’t about control—it’s about knowing your strengths
Whether you’re running your first store or planning your next acquisition, this episode is packed with real-world insights from someone who’s lived both sides of the franchising table.
Josh Emison served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps before becoming a franchise owner in Denver. Today, he and his wife operate three Tippi Toes territories, a mobile dance program for young children. Their journey started with a simple goal—to build something of their own—and grew into a thriving local business that blends structure, leadership, and community.
In this episode, Josh shares how his military background shaped his leadership style and why the systems and training culture of franchising felt like a natural fit. He talks about following the franchisor’s playbook, trusting good people, and learning that success often comes from doing the basics exceptionally well.
Josh also opens up about an earlier chapter in his career, when he launched a blockchain startup that collapsed during the FTX fallout. That experience pushed him toward franchising—where the focus is on steady, proven growth rather than hype or volatility.
We cover how he and his wife divided responsibilities, handled a major summer drop-off in customers, and built systems to reach their next growth milestone of 1,000 enrolled students. Josh closes with advice for aspiring owners, especially veterans: find the right fit, talk to franchisees directly, get real financial help, and never underestimate how capable you already are.
Patricia Rincón and Felipe Lastra share their journey into franchise ownership with LuminLash in Houston. After careers in oil and gas, they decided to invest in themselves and their family by acquiring an existing eyelash extension studio. In this episode, they discuss choosing franchising over starting from scratch, what they learned in the early months, and how they’re planning for future growth.
Ashley Clark never planned on franchising. Fresh out of Clemson and headed for law school, a single suggestion from her dad led to a Kilwins inquiry and, twelve years later, a six-store operation across four states with five more in the pipeline. In this episode, Ashley breaks down how she and her husband went all in, financed growth through SBA and conventional debt, built systems, and learned to lead at scale.
What you’ll learn
How Ashley bought her first store and went cash positive on day one
The leap from one to two units including selling their house to fund the deal
When SBA makes sense and when conventional lending opens up
Why franchising still feels entrepreneurial
The mindset shift from operator to multi-unit leader
Systems, people, and the biggest misconceptions about franchising
Barry Meisel grew up in the Philippines as the child of missionaries, built an early career in corporate America, and then made the leap into multi-unit franchising. In this episode of How I Franchised This, host Alex Smereczniak dives into Barry’s remarkable path — from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Fortune 50 financial services to becoming CFO of a 30-unit franchise group and ultimately owning 12 salons across Illinois and Wisconsin.
You’ll hear how Barry:
Turned formative overseas experiences into an entrepreneurial mindset
Built relationships that led to unexpected opportunities (and why he says “take the call, take the meeting”)
Structured creative financing, including seller financing, to acquire existing units
Leads and motivates a dispersed team while living hundreds of miles away
If you’re thinking about buying a franchise or moving from corporate to business ownership, this conversation is packed with practical tips, honest lessons, and inspiration.
Cody Weaver went from selling golf balls out of ponds as a kid, to launching edgy novelty products in college, to building a decade-long career in footwear with Steve Madden and Dolce Vita. Today he’s a Donatos Pizza franchise partner in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
In this episode of How I Franchised This, host Alex Smereczniak talks with Cody about his path from entrepreneur to intrapreneur to franchisee, how he spotted an opportunity in his own backyard, what it’s really like balancing a corporate leadership role with running a high-volume restaurant, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Whether you’re thinking about your first franchise or curious how successful operators make the leap, this episode offers a candid look at the realities behind the headlines.
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