Episodes

  • Live in Dallas 2026 Part 2
    Oct 27 2026

    We’re live in Texas at Franchise Expo Dallas hearing the stories of some great franchise brands with Social Geek host Jack Monson.

    In part 2, you'll hear from:

    Stephan Coade, AMC Commercial Cleaning

    Charles Smart, MetAIblock

    Nayeli Castillo, ATAX

    Kristen Kessel, 3 Natives

    Brett Chotkevys, Assisted Living Mansion

    Rick Jordan, Ascent Franchise Group

    Will Flew, Kitset Assembly Services

    Chanelle Reed, Razor

    Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Northeast Color, and Pilot.

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    46 mins
  • Live in Dallas 2026 Part 1
    Oct 22 2026

    We’re live in Texas at Franchise Expo Dallas hearing the stories of some great franchise brands with Social Geek host Jack Monson.

    In part 1, you'll hear from:

    Tim McCarthy, Rosati's Pizza

    Daniel Trigo, UniVista Insurance

    Darlene Viering, Poolwerx

    Tom Martin, Milo Insulation

    Erik Premont, Acceler8Success

    Britany Vinson, Tomé Catering

    Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Northeast Color, and Pilot.

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    42 mins
  • One on One with Ali Kraus
    Oct 15 2026

    Today we have a 2-part podcast with one of the top influencers in Franchising making a real impact on the community in the past few years.

    Ali Kraus is the CMO of Benetrends, Chair of the Women’s Franchise Committee of the IFA, the co-founder of Fury Frans, and a 2026 Franchise Thought Leadership Award winner.

    I’ve known Ali for several years and just learned today that she shops for her blazers to wear at IFA Convention based on the branding and colors for that year's event. Now that’s 110% commitment!

    In part 1, we dive into:

    *Letting others take responsibility but supporting them if they fail

    *Moving from a “doer” role to a leader role

    *Delegating and holding team members accountable

    *And … what makes the WFC so successful?

    Check it part 2 on the Franchise Freaks podcast - available now!

    Thanks to our sponsors: Pilot, AnswerConnect, and Northeast Color.

    Special Guest: Ali Kraus.

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    31 mins
  • One On One with Emily George
    Sep 23 2026

    Welcome to a two-part episode with a One-on-One conversation with one of Franchising’s favorites, Emily George!

    Emily has just joined Thunderly as Vice President of Client Services, leading a new division and helping the best brands in Franchising grow.

    In Part One, we’ll discuss:

    • Why do people from the hospitality industry make fantastic customer service pros?

    • Why does everything go wrong sometimes for just one customer while everyone else has a great experience every time?

    • Why does the Franchising Community rely so heavily on trusted relationships?

    Check out Part Two on the Thunderly Franchise Freaks podcast available right now on all podcast platforms.

    Thanks to our sponsors: Pilot, AnswerConnect, and Northeast Color.

    Special Guest: Emily George.

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    20 mins
  • Franchise Rock Stars: The Expert Effect
    Sep 8 2026

    The Franchise Rock Stars are back for the new fall season on Social Geek!

    Danielle Wright, Ali Kraus, Derrick Ableman, Scott Greenberg, and Kristen Pechacek are here with host Jack Monson

    We’re talking about The Expert Effect. We’ll cover:

    • Do you still have to earn the title of expert or do you just fake it ‘til you make it?

    • What does “an expert” even mean anymore?

    • How do they find and evaluate an expert when needed?

    Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Northeast Color, and Pilot.

    Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.

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    46 mins
  • One On One with Sherry McNeil
    Aug 11 2026

    Franchising is part relationships and part magic!

    Sherry McNeil joins the podcast for a One-on-One conversation with Social Geek host Jack Monson. As a 2026 Franchise Thought Leadership Award winner and as the President and CEO of The Canadian Franchise Association, Sherry is on the front lines of the Franchising in Canada and across the globe.

    Today she discusses:

    *Relationships at all levels of Franchising and what she calls the WOW factor

    *Stats on World Franchise Day 2026 (and gearing up for 2027)

    *Strategic plans for CFA over the next year

    *A tri-party agreement between franchise associations in Canada, the US, and Mexico

    *Investigating the growing challenge of fraud in Franchising

    Thanks to today’s sponsors: Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Pilot, and The IFA World Franchise Show with The International Franchise Association.

    Special Guest: Sherry McNeil.

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    26 mins
  • One On One with Sean Falk
    Jul 7 2026

    We’re continuing our series of one-on-one talks with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners.

    Sean Falk, President and COO of Careertopia, is here to share what he sees happening right now in Franchising.

    We dive deep into:

    • What has happened to the Fran Dev Sales role over the past 2 years
    • How Private Equity’s move into Franchising has affected hiring
    • Talent not “of Franchising” coming into Franchising
    • Being purpose-driven

    Thanks to today’s sponsors: Thunderly, AnswerConnect, Pilot, and The IFA World Franchise Show with The International Franchise Association.

    Shout outs: Kim Falk, Gary Gardner, Tom Portesy, Scott Lehrer, Scenthound, Tim Vogel, Jessica Vogel, VetFran, Doug Dwyer, FranFaith, Todd Recknagel, Kristi Mailloux

    Special Guest: Sean Falk.

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    23 mins
  • Episode 1230: Live at IFE 2026 Part 3
    Jun 30 2026

    Recorded Live in New York – host Jack Monson is at The International Franchise Expo 2026 interviewing some of the top executives in Franchising!

    They will share the latest about their brands, their goals for ’26 & ’27, and the opportunities for franchise owners.

    In part 3, we’ll chat with:

    • John Hayes of Hayes Worldwide and The Titus Center for Franchising

    • Dave Lamere of Almera Tech Services

    • Robyn Bovino of Rebel XL

    • Kim Coe of Small Town Play Café

    • AJ Titus of Signarama / United Franchise Group

    Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and more.

    Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.com.

    The next Franchise Expo is in DALLAS Sept 18 & 19 from MFV Expositions!

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    45 mins