What does it take to grow past 100 franchise locations while still treating every franchisee like a genuine partner?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Franchising, Susana Hands sits down with Jay Mason, founder and CEO of Paint EZ, to explore the philosophy and systems behind a franchise network with 81 franchise partners and 103 locations across the United States.

Jay shares how his background in the painting industry and early experience training franchise owners inspired him to build Paint EZ differently. From the beginning, his goal was to create a franchisee-friendly model where owners aren't simply another number in the system, but long-term partners whose success directly impacts the success of the entire brand.

They also discuss multi-territory ownership, proving the concept before accelerating franchise growth, outsourcing franchise sales to specialists, learning from the wrong franchisee fits, and why transparency and asking better questions have become essential parts of Paint EZ's recruitment process.

With ambitions to grow beyond 400 US locations, expand into Canada, and potentially bring Paint EZ to Australia, Jay also gives Susana an inside look at how franchise development works in the US and how the brand is preparing for its next chapter.

• Jay’s journey from the paint industry into franchising
• How operating a corporate franchise location prepared Jay to launch his own brand
• Growing Paint EZ to 81 franchise partners and 103 locations
• Why Paint EZ franchise partners don't need previous painting-industry experience
• How multi-territory franchise ownership works

Jay Mason is the founder and CEO of Paint EZ, a US-based residential, commercial, and industrial painting franchise that has been operating for nearly 12 years.

Jay has spent his entire career around the painting industry. After beginning on the supply side, he later joined another painting franchise organisation, where he trained new franchise owners while also running a corporate-owned location. Under his leadership, that location grew from approximately $300,000 in revenue to $984,000 in his first year and $1.2 million in his second. That experience ultimately inspired him to create Paint EZ.

Learn more about franchising and working with Susana: Websites: https://susanahands.com.au/ and https://franiqbiz.com/

Connect with Susana on socials:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-hands-the-franchise-lady

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suz.hands

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

Are more franchise leads really the answer, or do you simply need better ones?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Franchising, Susana Hands sits down with Taylor Fielding, CEO of TFM Marketing, to unpack what effective franchise marketing looks like from both the franchisor and franchisee perspective.

With experience helping more than 30 to 40 franchise groups grow their networks and strengthen local area marketing, Taylor brings a unique perspective. He has also been a franchisee himself, giving him firsthand experience of what happens on both sides of the franchise relationship.

Taylor and Susana explore why franchise marketing shouldn’t begin with a simple “submit a lead” ad. Instead, prospective franchisees need to understand the brand, its values, the opportunity, and whether it aligns with what they want before they ever speak with the franchise sales team.

They also discuss the balance between head office marketing and local area marketing, why authentic human content can outperform generic creative, how to nurture franchise prospects over a longer buying journey, and why generating hundreds of leads means very little if your sales team doesn’t have the capacity to follow them up properly.

Whether you're an emerging franchisor building your first marketing strategy or an established brand looking to improve lead quality, this episode offers practical insights into creating a marketing system that supports the entire franchise sales journey.

• Taylor’s journey from agency marketing to founding TFM Marketing
• What Taylor learned from becoming a franchisee himself
• The marketing responsibilities of head office versus individual franchisees
• Why local area marketing still matters in a digital-first world
• Giving franchisees the tools to market within brand guidelines

Taylor Fielding is the CEO of TFM Marketing, an agency built with a strong focus on helping franchise brands grow.

Before founding TFM Marketing, Taylor worked with larger Australian agencies and brands, gaining experience connecting national brands with local communities. Over the past six years, TFM Marketing has worked with approximately 30 to 40 franchise groups, supporting both franchise recruitment and local area marketing for franchisees.

Learn more about franchising and working with Susana: Websites: https://susanahands.com.au/ and https://franiqbiz.com/

Connect with Susana on socials:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-hands-the-franchise-lady

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suz.hands

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

Selling a franchise isn’t as simple as finding a buyer and agreeing on a price.

In this solo episode of Let’s Talk Franchising, Susana Hands breaks down the franchise resale process in Australia and explains the moving parts that franchisees, franchisors, buyers, and business brokers need to understand before a sale can move forward.

From working with business brokers and navigating the franchisor’s approval process to contracts, disclosure documents, training, handovers, and legal requirements, Susana explains why franchise resales require much more coordination than selling an independent business. Even when a broker finds a buyer and negotiates a price, the incoming franchisee still needs to go through the franchisor’s sales and approval process.

Susana also explores what buyers should consider when they come across a franchise resale that looks like a bargain, why proper due diligence matters, and why franchisees thinking about selling should involve their franchisor from the beginning.

Whether you’re looking to sell your franchise, considering buying an existing franchise, or managing resales within a franchise network, this episode provides a practical look at how the process works and what you need to consider along the way.

• What a franchise resale actually involves
• The role of a business broker in selling an existing franchise
• Why choosing a reputable and appropriately qualified business broker matters
• Why finding a buyer doesn’t automatically mean the franchise sale is approved
• Why incoming buyers still need to go through the franchisor’s sales and approval process

Taylor Fielding is the CEO of TFM Marketing, an agency built with a strong focus on helping franchise brands grow.

Before founding TFM Marketing, Taylor worked with larger Australian agencies and brands, gaining experience connecting national brands with local communities. Over the past six years, TFM Marketing has worked with approximately 30 to 40 franchise groups, supporting both franchise recruitment and local area marketing for franchisees.

Learn more about franchising and working with Susana: Websites: https://susanahands.com.au/ and https://franiqbiz.com/

Connect with Susana on socials:

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-hands-the-franchise-lady

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suz.hands

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