How to Make Core Values Actually Mean Something in Your Restaurant   “Next in line!” “Hi, I’d like a No. 4 with a bottle of water to go.” “Will that be for here or to go?” “Uh, to go.” “That’ll be $17.75. Thank you, your order number is 43. Next in line!” Five minutes...Read More

I’m a food and hospitality speaker. But when I attended my first convention as a franchise business owner, I felt like a freshman on the first day of high school. Many people knew each other and warmly offered handshakes and hugs. I knew almost no one. I also noticed how many of these people had...Read More

  Attracting and Retaining Customers and Employees Comes Down to These Two Skills   Ever heard a business owner say they’re in “the people business?” As a hiring and retention keynote speaker, I hear it all the time. I make a living giving presentations to franchise systems, associations and corporations. I like to ask audience...Read More

    “So, what business are you really in?” When I pose this question during my presentations as a motivational franchise speaker, many answer in terms of their products. “We’re in the ice cream business,” or, “We sell pizza.” Invariably a more sophisticated owner chimes in with, “We’re in the people business,” making the point that it’s...Read More

4 Coping Strategies for Franchise Business Owners to Boost Resilience “Where do you see franchisees struggle the most, with what they know or how they feel?” As a motivational franchise speaker, I recently posed this question to a group of franchise executives at an operations summit hosted by Franchise Business Review. I’ve worked with enough...Read More

There’s no shortage of official “days” in the U.S. Most of them have been created as a marketing tactic. Greeting card companies haven’t complained. But every now and then a “Day” comes along that merits some attention, and this September 15 will be one of them. Christened “Franchisor Appreciation Day,” this new initiative seeks to...Read More

    Some time ago, a friend forwarded me an article about the Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama and their unsuccessful attempt to unionize. Since I’m a motivational franchise speaker, he asked me how often movements like this emerge in the franchise industry. This wasn’t the first time I’ve had to explain to someone that...Read More

As a hiring and retention keynote speaker, I work with a large number of franchises and restaurants. And I draw lessons from anywhere I can. Last year I attended the Los Angeles Chargers home opener against the Dallas Cowboys. You’d never know the game was in Los Angeles, as the stadium was overrun by the...Read More

  As an employee retention & hiring speaker speaker and former owner of an Edible Arrangements franchise, I understand the frustrations and pitfalls of interviewing candidates who seem perfect for the job, only to find them gone within a few months of hiring them I really wanted to like Nina. We had an open position...Read More

    Following the franchise playbook is a great step toward success. But as a motivational franchise keynote speaker, I can fill you in on the rest of the story. Let’s take an example: Anna and Bob both run restaurants in the same quick-service franchise. When they met at training six years earlier, they learned...Read More

Before I was a motivational franchise speaker, I was a franchisor and when my son’s preschool was about to go under, I immediately hired his teacher to manage my Edible Arrangements franchise. Jennifer actually had experience running a flower shop prior to becoming an educator and I saw how well she ran my son’s class. I...Read More

As a motivational franchise keynote speaker, I’ve noticed that when unemployment increases… so does interest in franchising. Not having a job opens people to new opportunities. For some, it’s easier to pursue their dreams when there’s nothing holding them back, including a stable job. That seems to be the case now after COVID-19 has dramatically...Read More