In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Del Salinas, Director of Franchise Development at the Caring Senior Service. Kathy and Del discuss the unique principles that make up Caring Senior Service and specifically talk about how they use AI to improve their customer service.

Salinas is responsible for expanding the Caring brand into new territories. Salinas was recruited to work with Caring from his previous roles in restaurant and service leadership that spanned over 20 years working with large companies implementing new systems to grow staff and profitability. Salinas stays active with his family of 6 boys with his wife Melissa.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Doug Smith, Senior Vice-President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Doug Smith, Senior Vice-President of Franchise Development at BELFOR Franchise Group.

During the interview Smith stresses the importance of setting realistic expectations and the dedication needed for success. Smith also shares the evolution of BELFOR to their current 14 home service brands.

Doug Smith became the SVP of Franchise Development for the BELFOR Franchise Group in July of 2019 after BELFOR Franchise Group acquired Harris Research, Inc. (A family of home-service franchise brands that included Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, N-Hance Wood Refinishing and Delta Restoration Services).

Smith joined the Harris Research family back in June of 2015, as the Senior Vice President of Franchise Development. In his role, he managed a team that was directly responsible for all Franchise Development, including the territory expansion of existing franchisees. In his role, he was also responsible for all lead generation, associated marketing and brand awareness. Smith came to HRI most recently from the Affinion Group, where he was Senior Vice President of Business Development in their Financial Services division. Smith is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, (R.I.T.), in their Hospitality Management program. He started his career with Perk Development Corporation, who at the time was the largest franchisee of Perkins Family Restaurants, as well as both Chilis and Bobby Rubinos locations throughout New York and Pennsylvania. He and his wife got tired of the long winters and relocated to Atlanta, GA where he went to work for The Cheesecake Factory Corporation. After successfully managing their highest performing location, he then left to become a District Sales Manager for Edward Don and Company, working closely with several corporate, independent and franchise restaurant operations throughout the Southeast. Smith resides in Brentwood, TN, with his wife Michele, their two children, and their two mischievous dogs. Doug can usually be found coaching on the baseball fields or camping with the Scouts as an assistant Scout Leader.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Randy Shacka, President of Two Men and a Truck. Shacka shares the companies history from a one-location small business, to being a franchisor, to being acquired by an internationally-known company. Shacka specifically discusses Two Men and a Truck’s corporate values which has remained the same through all stages of their development.

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Pete First, Chief Development Officer with BrightStar Care. First discusses the business of In-home and Facility Personal Care. Then, First shares how well franchising serves this industry and how offering complimentary brands provide amazing opportunities to franchisees.

First joined BrightStar Care in 2018 as the Vice President of Franchise Development and has served as the Chief Development Officer since 2022. In his current role, he is responsible for recruiting new franchise owners for all three brands under the BrightStar Group Holdings umbrella: BrightStar Care, BrightStar Senior Living®, and BrightStar® Care Homes™ and lead operations for start-up brands, BrightStar Senior Living, and BrightStar Care Homes. Prior to his time at BrightStar Care, he spent 14 years at Winmark Corporation, the franchisor for brands such as Play It Again Sports, Once Upon A Child, Plato’s Closet, Style Encore, and Music Go Round. During his tenure at Winmark, he secured dozens of new franchise agreements annually and helped build the system to over 1,200 locations across North America.

In this special edition of FranchiseU!, Kathy welcomes back Monica Rothgery to dive deeper into her book, "Lessons from the Drive Thru."

Kathy and Monica discuss such pivotal lessons as the importance of saying yes to opportunities and creating memorable first impressions for new team members. They delve into challenges faced by modern managers, such as, navigating social media dynamics, addressing wage increases, and competing in a rapidly evolving market.

Join Dr. Kathy Gosser and Monica Rothgery for an insightful discussion on leadership, teamwork, and navigating today's workforce challenges.

In today’s episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Brian Belmont, CEO of FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers. Belmont discusses the benefits of franchising services that are not traditionally organized as franchises. Belmont shares his career history, a reminder of the multiple opportunities provided by franchising a business.

In this bonus episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy speaks with Michael Gray about the recent ruling by the Federal Trade Commission that bans non-compete contracts and the potential impact on franchises and employees.

Mr. Gray serves as a Commercial Litigation attorney at Lathrop GPM. His 38 years' experience representing franchisors throughout the United States provides him a unique understanding of the new FTC rule.

In today’s episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Jim Holthouser, CEO of GoTo Foods. Jim Holthouser shares his career history as well as his thoughts on Leadership. Here is your opportunity to learn from a true success story in the Franchise Industry.